I was watching that one--I saw your name there. If this otherwise works ok, good pots and most important, good pickups, I think you've got a real honey. But if restoration to original condition is important to you then you've got your work cut out for you. You should be able to get tuner buttons that will work ok, and I'm wondering if a Tele switch might not do for the 3-way selector. But authentic parts? Folks here who have tried to find stuff for single neck Ricks have had a slow-go of it. Multiply that x2.
If this guitar plays well, then congratulations! Sounds like a pretty good price to me.
Most seem to replace the tuning machines with KLUSON Deluxe's.
I have never seen a Rick with original working tuning machines, so I couldn't even make a statement as to what brand or type they used. It must have been cheap stuff, as none seem to have survived.
Guitar shows are a good (but expensive) hunting ground for parts like these. But then, it won't be easy to find 8-string sets... two of them
and order a catalog. They have a good selection and I have been a satisfied customer for some years. (last time I checked, their website wasn't really up to snuff, catalog-wise--you really need the paper cat. to see the full selection.)
I'd agree with Jon that Stewart-MacDonald is probably your best source for replacement tuners. I would guess that the Waverly tuners might be a good fit. Be sure to get the dimensions of the existing holes before ordering; I think it would be hard to drill out the existing holes to match a larger tuning peg.
If the tuners are usable but the heads are distintegrated, Stew-Mac sells replacement tuner heads. You basically take off the old tuner head and stick on a new one. See Frank Ford's article on his web site for more instructions.
I couldn't even begin to guess where you'd get a replacement switch. Have you contacted Rickenbacker?
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Brad's Page of Steel: www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
Hi,
I recently got an older version of that guitar. The tuners look like what you'd find on a cheap mandolin. Same post diameter and spacing. Let us know what it sounds like when you get it playable.
