Retrovibe RVT-40

Well, it works perfectly! The sound is so much clearer and definitely a bit more Rick-like when I have the settings right.

Can't wait to test it at band volume.

I may do a recording at some point.

Carlsbro PA60 Blues and Retrovibe RVT-40

The Carlsbro amp still isn't working. Having sorted the filter caps and the HT fuse (which it turns out needed to be slow-blow) the choke resistor (basically a great big resistor that sits between the power transformer and the rest of the circuit) is duff, smoking when the power's on and reading about twice as much as it is supposed to. Sigh.

I've also rewired my Retrovibe RV-4 to roughly approximate the wiring of a Peavey T-40 bass. Thus, Retrovibe RVT-40. I got all excited when I finished it and forgot to get a picture of the wiring, but here's the outside of the bass with classy-looking new knobs and a wee switch that does phasey stuff to the bridge pickup (in theory) and the T-40 wiring diagram.

I can't test that it works until tomorrow, on accout of it being quarter to eleven at night... but once it is tested I'll report back either in celebration or lamentation.

Hondo II Rickenfaker

Regular readers will be aware that I'm quite keen on the aesthetics of Rickenbacker 4000 series basses, but less keen on Rickenbacker as a company, so I compromise by being into so-called Rickenfakers.

Yesterday I bought a Hondo II Rickenfaker (not sure what the actual model name is) that needs quite a bit of TLC; at the very least a new switch, replacement machineheads, and a lot of cleaning.


 It looks awesome. And is far closer in apperance to a 'proper' Rick than my Retrovibe RV-4.

There are more pics over on Flickr.

Now it's lunchtime, and I'll start the cleanup this afternoon.

Retrovibe RV4 Coil Split

At some point I'm planning to do a coil split on my Retrovibe RV4 so I can get ALL THE TONES from it.

The question is which method to use for achieving this?

The most obvious is to buy a couple of push/pull pots and use those (plus another one for series/parallel switching). The problem with that is that it costs money and I'm currently an unemployed bum.

The next two options are probably better as I can do them with stuff I have about the house.

First is to utilise one or both tone controls to this end, providing me with a variable coil split on one or both pickups (and either one master tone control, or no tone control) which is better as I can then minutely adjust the perfect sound, instead of the simple one-or-both that straight forward switching offers.

Second (and probably vastly more unusual) is to have, basically, four volume controls; one for each coil. I know this is possible as there are diagrams for using such a set up with single pickup passive MM-style basses. I have no idea whatsoever whether this would be at all worth it, but it'd be an interesting experiment nonetheless.

New Bass! RetroVibe RV4 Blueburst Rickenfaker

I bought a new bass last week. I wasn't intending to, but the guy won't be selling them for much longer and when even your wife says "wow, that's a really nice bass, you should get it" there's no point in resisting.
Technically I can't afford it, but we have savings and I'll be making regular payments back into the savings until it's paid off... yes, I could have saved up for it but if I had it might have gone (and I certainly wasn't prepared to risk paying inflated prices on eBay).



Isn't it lovely? Of course this being a guitar modding blog I can't just say I'll leave it as is, can I? I've already ordered a new nut (because the stock one is as naff as stock nuts usually are) and I think I might replace the plain white scratch plate with a nice cream/black/cream 3-ply job at some point in the future.

Thoughts: Rickenfakers

I find it amusing and a little sad how worked up people get over "Rickenfakers" (copies of Rickenbacker guitars, particularly the basses).

There seems to be this notion that Rickenbackers are somehow sacred and "fake"* instruments which, to most people (including me), look perfectly fine are described as hideous and 'sacreligious'. Hell, I even saw one thread on a forum where someone described seeing what appeared to be a Rickenbacker in a shop only to find out it was a "fake" as an "emotional rollercoaster". I think someone needs to get out more. You never hear people going on about "hideous fake" Les Pauls. Nobody gets their knickers in a twist when they see a Stratocaster that turns out to be made by someone other than Fender.

Rickenbacker don't seem to have worked out that the reason why these "fakes" continue to exist is that their instruments look really cool but are far too expensive for most people to afford. I'd be prepared to bet folding money that if Rickenbacker introduced mass-produced budget versions of their instruments they'd make an absolute killing on them. I'd certainly buy one.
Hell, the Japanese companies that made the first Rickenfakers did so as a compliment! In Japan copying the work of another is seen as a mark of respect, not an attempt to rip off the original. If only the capitalist West realised that a bit more.



*This is one of the biggest issues I have with all this. To me it's only "fake" if it is being sold as genuine when it's not. These instruments aren't, most of them are quite unashamed of their non-genuineness.