Robben Ford Discussion

stairman2 · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:41 pm Post subject: is this the Robben guitar?

I saw this on e-bay but it looks different, I thought it's supposed
to be a fender "esprit". Also the pickups look different. what is this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370166137895&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RCRX_Pr4_PcY_BIN_IT&refitem=370162783986&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=CrossSell_LogicX&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget&_trksid=p284.m183&_trkparms=algo%3DCRX%26its%3DS%252BI%26itu%3DUCI%252BSI%26otn%3D4

frank0936 · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:22 pm Post subject: ebay find

I looked at that one, too. There are some on this forum who know the Fender Robben Ford history better than I do, but I remember an interview with Robben where he said the original pickups were "no good", and I believe replaced the Schallers that originally came on them with Gibson pickups initially.
Frank

bottom line · Member Joined: 26 Jan 2004 Posts: 13 Location: milwaukee

This guitar is a Flame Elite, with non-stock pickups.
The RF guitars were modeled after the Esprit, which had a larger body than the Flame.
You can see the differences between the Esprit and the Flame here

http://www.masterseriesguitars.com/Differences.html

Sampo · Member Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 42 Location: Finland

frank0936 · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:00 pm Post subject: Esprit

I believe they did come with Schallers standard, but I really can't say with any certainty.
Frank

Bill Morgan · Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 2:26 pm Post subject: Re: Esprit

ltkojak · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 10:18 am Post subject:

DaveH · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 2:16 pm Post subject:

The horns on the Esprit are symetrical.

Bill Morgan · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 1:16 am Post subject:

frank0936 · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 5:12 am Post subject: refret

Ouch!!!
Frank

Adrienne · Newbie Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 1 Location: UK

Hi Bill.
Sounds like there's an issue there with the frets popping out - somehting wrong that could be named, a cause.
What springs tio mind is that either the guitar was appallingly badly made or perhaps your humidity is too low.

I live in the UK, we don't do low humidity here, more likely the opposite. But I know low humdity can be very damaging (especially to acoustics) and frets don't shrink like wood with changes in humidity: it's a possible indicator.

If this is, maybe, the problem, it would be as well to gently humidify the guitar - nothing sudden, and best controlled and measured with a decent hygrometer, and with the advice of a good guitar tech - and see if it self-repairs a little. Then I'd have thought fret dressing and not a refret might be possible.

I'm guessing of course. But if this sounds likely, if you live in a very dry region, it's something to bear in mind.

All the best,
Adrienne