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Author
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Topic: Tell me about this Rick pedal steel
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John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 23 April 2004 06:29 PM
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Found a 60's (?), Rick today in a local store. It's got a 25" scale, the splayed-out legs. Six pedals. Looks like a mahogany body, with a scollop cut-out on the top edges, front and back. You open a hinged door to access the changer. I don't have a clue how to set it up. It's in excellent plus condition. Chrome is gorgeous, finish is great. But it's set up for a little kid. Needs new pedal rods, cuz it's at knee height. Please inform me about this guitar. How do these sound? What are they worth. What copedant? Etc..
Thanks, JB |
Donny Hinson
Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A.
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posted 23 April 2004 07:39 PM
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Wow, that's a rare bird! In over 40 years of playing, I've only seen one or two. If it's in really great shape, I'll go out on a limb and guess about $500-$600, but it might take a while to get that since they never were very popular. I have no odea what the "standard" setup was for these, but it would be adaptable for a D9th, or C6th with an "E" on top, if it's an 8-string model. Sadly, it's a very limited guitar by today's standards. Still, in the hands of a pro, it would put out some sweet, nostalgic music. If you played it at a steel show, I think it'd get a lot of stares! |
Doug Seymour
Member From: Jamestown NY USA
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posted 23 April 2004 08:13 PM
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Boy, would I love to see a picture of that!
I was in Cedar Point in 1958 to be the best man @ my brother's (Bobbe's Dad)wedding & he had all his accordion student's there from his school in Norfolk VA. The bash was part of Mr & Mrs Stanley's Oahu publishing cos.
annual event. Rickenbacher shipped a dble neck steel to be shown as part of the displays of musical instruments for the show. Our friends at the airlines had separated the legs case from the other, so I had to get back to the cows & the haying on the family farm in Stedman NY, before the fellows ever had the whole thing there so they could set it up! Never saw one, but since Jerry B. always played one(Rick, I mean)I probably would have fallen for it! I did have a Rick D8 made of cast aluminum w/bakelite necks & I just couldn't keep that thing in tune in our western NY winters. I sold it for $150 (pd $200.) The fellow steeler gave me $50 & I never saw him again! |
John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 23 April 2004 09:19 PM
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It is an 8 string guitar. Cool, thick, gray, Rick case. One of the most interesting things about it's look, are the splayed legs. They angle way out. I couldn't play it because the strings were trash. They're gonna give me a call when they figure out how much they want for it. I'll give Jerry Brightman a call when he gets back from the Cincy show. He may know something about these guitars. He's playin' with my old bandmates Saturday night. i think it's gonna be on Steel Radio. If I decide not to get it, I'll let everybody know about it's whereabouts and price.
Thanks again, JB |
John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 25 April 2004 09:24 AM
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Anybody else? Seems like it might make a pretty cool swing/jazz guitar, but I'd sure like to know more about it before I buy it (if I buy it). JB |
John Floyd
Member From: Somewhere between Camden County , NC and Saluda S.C.
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posted 26 April 2004 04:22 AM
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Bill Stafford Might be able to tell you something about it. He played a rick single neck when I first met him in 1967, had 6 pedals, It had a good tone as I rememberBills email is Schiefsan@AOL.com |
Bill Brown
Member From: Canadian, Oklahoma, USA
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posted 26 April 2004 08:00 PM
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hello andy alford of birmingham al has one of the nicest as near to mint cond one you ever seen and cases to i think he is going to sell or trade call him 205 520 5030 |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 26 April 2004 08:24 PM
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The S8 6 pedal Rick is the 780 model manufactured between 1961 & 70.Here's my D8 6 pedal model 790
Mine is a crossover. you push down on a button that is attached to a crossover lever. I think it has a very good sound. Mine is not set up for the same reason. The pedal rods are too short. I think they did this in case there was a flood. You didn't have to stop playing! |
Doug Seymour
Member From: Jamestown NY USA
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posted 26 April 2004 10:27 PM
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Holy cow! That looks like the one I saw! Howard, you said a "crossover"......tell me more please, in an e-mail.....so we don't clutter up the forum space! Thanks, Doug |
Roger Shackelton
Member From: Everett, Wa.
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posted 27 April 2004 02:48 AM
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Howard, Go ahead and clutter up the FORUM space. I'm sure we all want to know more about your Model 790 Rick.Roger |
Andy Alford
Member From: Alabama
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posted 27 April 2004 04:42 AM
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I have a d-8.The guitar plays and stays in tune.They were a special order item and are very rare.The guitar is well built with rods and ease of changing the tunning at the end of the guitar.It would be hard to find a nicer looking and playing guitar.This was Ricks answer to Bigsby.A single that is complete should go for around eleven hundred. |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 27 April 2004 06:33 AM
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Clutter is what I'm best at. I'll take a photo of the underside this evening and that will show the crossover set up. |
C Dixon
Member From: Duluth, GA USA
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posted 27 April 2004 07:14 AM
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Howard,Please take several photos, along with wide angle and closeups if you would be so kind. I to am interested in this. I have seen these guitars in books, but never in person. I have wanted to know more about them for a long time. If the underside is as well done as the top photo, (and the pedals you showed), this model PSG guitar got lost in the shuffle for reasons I do not understand. After seeing these pictures I find it hard to believe the negative "sound" stories I have heard. So again, please post several underneath pictures. Also a closeup of the changer end on top would be nice. Thanks, carl |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 27 April 2004 08:11 AM
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It will be my pleasure, Carl. |
John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 27 April 2004 09:22 AM
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Howard, that's it! Except it's a S-8, not a D-8. Do you know what a fair price would be?
Thanks guys! Wealth of information here. I love it!
JB[This message was edited by John Billings on 27 April 2004 at 09:25 AM.] |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 27 April 2004 10:33 AM
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I wouldn't know how to attach a fair price to this. I guess whatever someone is willing to pay. These are very rare, but not in real demand as other rare steels.I bought mine off ebay about a year and a half ago. The "buy it now" price was $1250.00. There were a few bids up to around $600.00 when I "bought it now." The seller told me that he received a lot of emails from people who were ticked off because it got sold before the end of the auction. Did I overpay? |
J D Sauser
Member From: Traveling, currently in Switzerland, soon to be either back in the States or on the Eastern part of Hispaniola Island
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posted 27 April 2004 12:15 PM
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Looks great!
I'd love to see the undercarriage pic's too.... J-D. |
Jack Anderson
Member From: Scarborough, ME
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posted 27 April 2004 12:40 PM
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quote:
Did I overpay?
HR, based on the drooling in this thread, I don't think so. |
Lawrence Lupkin
Member From: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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posted 27 April 2004 01:35 PM
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Real New Yorkers never overypay, Howard. |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 27 April 2004 06:22 PM
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Photo time........
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HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 27 April 2004 06:25 PM
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HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 27 April 2004 06:29 PM
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Here are the cross over buttons. They are connected to a rocker arm as you'll see.
 [This message was edited by HowardR on 27 April 2004 at 07:05 PM.]
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HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 27 April 2004 06:31 PM
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 ooops[This message was edited by HowardR on 27 April 2004 at 07:02 PM.] |
Jack Anderson
Member From: Scarborough, ME
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posted 27 April 2004 06:36 PM
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Do you mean  |
Jack Anderson
Member From: Scarborough, ME
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posted 27 April 2004 06:38 PM
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(Spotting stray semi-colons is pretty much what I do for a living.)It looks like any pedal can move any or all strings on the selected neck -- sort of like the Fender PS-210.[This message was edited by Jack Anderson on 27 April 2004 at 06:48 PM.] |
C Dixon
Member From: Duluth, GA USA
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posted 27 April 2004 07:27 PM
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I agree Jack,What I cannot figure out is how the "switchover" works. So far it appears that the pedals attach to a crank which is welded to a round crossrod that goes from the front apron to the rear apron. Then surrounding this crossrod are two movable yoke assemblies which each pulls (via a rod) a given pull bar at the changer end. Then the pushbuttons on each neck activate a lever ass'y which appears to switch pu's and what appears to be a revolving crossover bar that runs parallel to the guitar with some some wire springs which I have no idea what they do. But I still cannot see how this connects the crossbar to one of the movable yokes on a given neck????? Thus I can't see how the switchover works. There are 6 pull bars at the changer (one for each pedal I imagine). Each pull bar is drilled and threaded with 16 holes. I am assuming 2 holes for each string with one being a raise hole and the other a flatting hole. A slot headed screw is for adjusting the pulls and a locking nut holds the adjustment, I believe. I find it clever and very unique. Although a bit cumbersome. So it looks like a 6 raise, 6 lower changer. Thanks for the photos. I am going to continue studying them til I figure out that bloomin switchover carl[This message was edited by C Dixon on 27 April 2004 at 07:29 PM.] |
C Dixon
Member From: Duluth, GA USA
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posted 27 April 2004 07:35 PM
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Ok,I just figured it out; and the secret is those little stiff wire springs (not the coil srpings). They move a 2nd "switchover" yoke that sends power to one of the crossrod's yoke ass'y as oppossed to the other one; as a given pushbutton is pressed for that neck. VERY clever; and again unique. carl |
HowardR
Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.
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posted 27 April 2004 07:37 PM
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Take a look at the 210
 [This message was edited by HowardR on 27 April 2004 at 07:45 PM.]
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John Billings
Member From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA
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posted 27 April 2004 07:47 PM
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WOW! |
James Stewart Jr
Member From: St. Clair Shores, Michigan, USA
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posted 27 April 2004 10:23 PM
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I wish I could be of more help--but this guitar brought back some memories. My father had one like that in the early 60's. As I remember he had the hinged end in the down position constantly tuning the thing. I don't know what he did with his old Rick but I do remember that it was replaced by a new Sho~Bud in the very early 70's.------------------
1975 Sho~Bud Pro III Custom (8-7)
1981 Peavey Session 500
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