The feature bass for this week is a Rickenbacker inspired build made from century-old salvaged barn wood!
Builder Ronald Brandt writes:
After a couple of DIY mods and bass-body builds, I decided to jump into building my first neck with a fully neck-through bass! I’d previously owned a couple of RIC basses, and I only parted with them because I needed the money at the time. So, using some super-old wood I had salvaged from a barn in Arkansas, I set myself to the task of making one for myself.
Not to be satisfied with such a small level of crazy, I also entered the build in the 2015 TDPRI Build Challenge, which gave me less than 2 1/2 months to have a finished and functioning bass. But, somehow I managed, despite a few do-overs and creative workarounds, to beat the odds and get it done in time. I didn’t win the TDPRI Challenge, but I did win a really cool, instant-mojo bass that always gets compliments at gigs!
The specs:
Modeled after a Rickenbacker 4003
33 1/4″ scale
5-layer walnut and maple through-body neck
10″ radius maple fretboard with walnut dot fret markers
Water buffalo horn nut
100-year-old, salvaged wormy and non-wormy chestnut body and headstock wings
Ebony-colored grain and hole filler
Danish oil finish
Kent Armstrong toaster neck pickup
Classic Amplification bridge pickup
RIC bridge
Grover tuners
Video
Well done!
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I love it!
That’s awesome! Very talented guy right here! Everyone should have one of these!
Beautiful bass! Nice work. In the future, you might consider a Hipshot replacement bridge and Joe Barden pickups that are designed especially for a Ric. That bass deserves the very best. I’m a Ric lover and this is one of the nicest I have seen.
Beautiful work! I wish I still had my shop so that I could build one myself! Quite an accomplishment!
That is bloody gorgeous!
Love Rics, Sweet! I have a stack of flame maple and Walnut, may have to go for it!
Absolutely Awesome! Hey Ron, can you build me one in a 5’er?
This is, in my opinion, the finest Bass of the Week ever. Splendid!
Great job –
NICE!!
with a moo moo here and a moo moo there…with a moo moo moo moo everywhere….
What a cool “re-purposing” idea! Really nice woodwork, and I bet it cranks with 500 watts driving it. How can you not love a bass with a brand name “Rickenbarner” ???
VERY COOL
Nice work, l’m placing an order for a five string Rickenbarner
Beautiful. Loving the worms! Makes my ’74 Jetglo 4001 seem very dull and stock.
Make me one please??
Hell of a nice piece of work! Wonder if it’s as heavy as a Ric?
This is one of the nicest basses ever featured here. I love my transparent orange Fender Jazz bass and generally don’t have bass envy, but this is an exception. This is a bass you’d want to play every day.
Wow beautiful creation. Enjoy.
Greate work man! Have really thought of making my own Rick , but I would like it a 5 string!!!
The factory of Rickenbacker will not do any custom series or signature modells in time as they say, so one have to look for an alternative.
All the best
Pecka Erkesjö
Nice build – a word of warning: don’t try to sell it or make more than one – Ric will come after you for copyright violation.
I’m broke, but I would sell everything, and my soul to have one of these…
That’s so tight.
Yes I, like everyone whom have made comments are also a Ric fanatic. That has gotta be the best Ric “copy” I have seen. The timber is guite exquisite, a beut build mate, summat to be right proud about.
I keep saying I’m gonna put together a similar piece of kit with a rather old railway sleeper I acquired whilst working for Balfours in Cartmel on an overpass. The Timber is in Excellent condition as it had been under a bridge for a centuary, or so. Brazilian Mahogany. I will be really impressed if I can manage a build somewhere on similar lines to that lovely masterpiece of your own. Nice one Bro….. Beautiful. Lol.
I’m a life long 4001 RIC player and you built a Master Machine! I Love the looks, concept, the sound from what could be heard on a lap top, and the inspiration. I own Fenders, Gibson, Hofner, Music Man, but my 1973 Black RIC rules the studio and stage once you understand how to play one. Outstanding Bass of the Week!
Dr. Ruff