Larry Collins "Larico" single neck

[TerryTNM]

Here is Larry Collins single neck he calls the "Larico" made at Semie's shop in Mission Hills about 1956/57. Larry says he and Semie made it together. How cool is that.


Larry just got it back a few months ago. It was on loan to friend of his for over 30 years!!! There is a lot of wear and tear on it for sure. Larry asked me to clean it up and make it playable again. It was missing the Gibson L-5 tailpiece, the bridge, the contour filler on the sleeve guard was all but gone and the head was nearly broken off. We're not trying to make it look new. This is 50+ years old and we want it to reflect that.

Couldn't figure out what the bridge looked like from the Youtube video. Larry didn't have any photos so I'm kinda winging it. I purchased a 'Bowtie' Bigsby bridge but didn't fit the footprint left on the guitar. Trying to fit something to it that will look the right age. If you have any ideas please. . . let me know.
Here is a Youtube video of the "Kids" showing the Larico. - Terry

[Strat-o-rama]

Terry,
Is the body construction like the double necks, carved out, or is it a hollow body, like a Celebrity?

[ElTwang]

Hey Terry, what a project! Hope you are able to restore it the way you and Larry want it to. Gotta love a story like that.

[dubtrub]

Since it has Carvin pickups, I'd be betting that it's a Carvin metal cast bridge as depicted in the 1959 Carvin catalog. At the very end of the video at frame 228 you can see that it is the solid bridge with adjusting wheels on each end. Carvin lists such a bridge that is die cast metal. You are probably going to have to make one from scratch as I doubt you could ever find one. Especially when looking for one.

1959 Carvin catalog

[dubtrub]

If you enlarge the screen in the video, it also appears that it has a decorative piece of pickguard material under the bridge.

[dorkrockrecords]

Terry -
I apologize for the cellphone pics, but I'm guessing the bridge would be similar to this:

[TerryTNM]

Thanks for the help in identifying the bridge. You guys have much better eye sight than I. It does appear to me to be very similar to the Carvin catalog bridge. The one on Stan Welch's is much to wide for Larry's application but it also looks to have the Carvin upper saddle. I lieu of an actual Carvin bridge the Bigsby saddle is quite similar, I'll just need to fabricate the lower part or maybe someone has a complete one they'd like to sell. It more than likely did have a plastic base under it as well. I can see an impression of a rounded base on one end.

Strat-O-Rama,
Here's a look at the back. Crudely hogged out with a Forstner bit. The back is then covered with an 1/8" aluminum plate covered with gray felt. . . not seen in the shot

[101Volts]

Take a look at the frames in the video at 0:14. There's a shot of the bridge there.

[dubtrub]

It appears to have been hogged out after it had already received the finish. Do you think that was some of Semie's work or at a later time during it's life?

[TerryTNM]

Danny,
The Forstner bit was Semie's tool of choice. Remember Larry says that he and Semie made it so Larry may have been at the drill press at the time. It may have got 'hogged' out more after it was finished to further reduce weight. Larry remembers the aluminum back was always a part of it.