Brand: BC Rich, BC Rico
Instrument Categories: Electric, Guitars, SOLD, Solidbody
This BC Rico Wave was one of perhaps 200 guitars built under the direction of Bernardo Rico in Nagoya, Japan between 1978 and 1982.
This line of guitars was Bernardo Rico’s response to Japanese builders copying his distinctive BC Rich designs at much lower cost than his hand-built US models. Unfortunately, within a short time, a trademark challenge was made by the Rico Reeds company, in business since the late 1920s. Production ceased for a time, and resumed under the name BC Rich – NJ Series, the NJ representing Nagoya Japan.
BC Rich electric guitars started appearing in late 1974, though the original company “Bernardo’s Guitar Shop” had been in business since the 1950s building classical, flamenco and steel string guitars. These new designs featured neck-through construction with a highly contoured heel, 24 frets (very unusual at the time), and frequently innovative electronics designed by Neal Moser. Here at The Twelfth Fret, we often saw these guitars in the hands of our touring and session customers.
Here we’re looking at a BC Rico Wave in very good, clean though not entirely original condition. The original pickups have been replaced with Seymour Duncan models, but the rest of the components seem stock. The finish is in very good condition, and fret wear is minimal. As with the US production, the center section is Maple, with perhaps Ebony separators between the center and the Mahogany ‘wings’ forming the body. The fingerboard is Indian Rosewood and has Mother of Pearl dot position markers. The electronics usually include two volume and one tone control, a rotary passive Varitone switch, coil split and phase reversal mini-toggles plus the pickup selector. This guitar plays well, and the neck is very comfortable.
A modern rectangular black hard shell case is included.
- Model: Wave
- Year: 1981 | Approximate year
- Finish Tobacco Burst
- Class: Vintage
- Serial Number: R1723, built around 1981 (1978-1982) in Nagoya, Japan
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Condition: Very Good
- Date Posted: 18/10/2022
- This instrument has been sold
- Consignment Item
- Including Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 8.14lbs 3.7kg
- Scale Length: 24.75in 628.6mm
- Nut Width: 1.660in 42.16mm
