Something I bought ages ago but never quite had the time to finish off
It started out as a £150 second hand Jim Harley…
I’d always fancied a Rickenbacker 350 but couldn’t really afford one so I though I could do something with this.?
The frets aren’t too badly worn, a little uneven but a dress will sort that out.
Without strings and the truss-rod fully slack the neck still has a slight back-bow which means I’ll have to pit it on the jig to get it flat before dressing the frets..
Since the frets are not far off, the level beam with 320 grit sandpaper is all that’s needed to even out the tops.
Once level, re-shape each fret, the ones on the left are done, the ones on the right are waiting and the middle one I’ve just started…
Once they are all rounded off, polish them back up with finer and finer micromesh cloth.
Lastly remove several years worth of grime with some very fine steel wool….
and freshen up the wood with a little lemon oil.
I had a new set of pickguards and truss-rod cover made. I’m not trying to pretend it’s a Rickenbacker so I’ve gone for “Rickenfaker” as it’s a Fake Rickenbacker!!
Rather than just white I’ve also gone for mother of pearl and three layers… a slightly different twist on a classic.
I’ve also added in the 5th knob and wired it up Rickenbacker style.
Looking good!
The last addition is a Bigsby style tremolo. I’m trying to keep the costs down so went for a cheaper option, the Bigsby was more expensive than the Guitar in the first place!
With the strings back on complete a standard setup…..
The action at the first fret was a little high for my taste so I’ve lowered it a little.
And hey there we go! Total cost about £500 for the Guitar and all the parts. With the fret dress and setup it also plays as well as the Rickenbacker, the difference is the Rickenbacker 350, and yes I’ve got one now, (see the top of my web pages) will cost you about £2,500 with the Bigsby conversion.
If you have a cheaper guitar and want it to play like a £2,000, high end, instrument, I can do that for you!!!