Description

B. C. Rich B-38 Brazilian Rosewood Dreadnought

Serial #505564

I am third owner of this wonderful 1975 BC Rich acoustic guitar that Bernardo Rico (AKA BC Rich) hand crafted in Los Angeles, Ca. It has great resonance and low action with a strong punch for Bluegrass flat picking. This guitar is over 40 years old therefore it's not new - it has some honest wear, finish checking and, a few light scratches on the top, but no dings. The original owner informed the second owner when he bought it that due to moving around where there were some drastic climate changes it developed a couple of fine cracks on the back up near the slopes and, in the sides near the neck. This type of hairline cracks appears to be common for solid Brazilian Rosewoods especially guitars 30 years and older. These hairline cracks have been professionally repaired with hide glue and, cleated. It appears to me the binding on the neck has been replaced at some point and time because, the binding's color doesn't exactly match the other binding on the body. The neck is a one piece mahogany neck with a full C profile with low string action, spruce top, gorgeous solid Brazilian Rosewood Back and Sides, Abalone rosette, bone nut and saddle, bone bridge pins, original pepperoni color pick guard under nitro finish. There is some crazing of the finish particularly below the bridge.

The original owner also told the second owner that the California music store owner told him back in 1975 that a feature of the guitar was it was assembled with hide glue but, I have no way to verify this chain of hearsay other than to say there are a few places where glue is evident and it seems to be a protein glue and I have written confirmation from both previous owners. The original Grover Imperial Tuners were replaced by the second owner with gold Grove butterbean open tuners and the neck modified (by luthier Donnie Barbra) by sawing off and turning into a bolt on which is the remedy preferred by BC Rich luthiers.

The neck modification followed the same procedures at this site- https://www.jensenguitars.com/1978-bc-rich-b45-acoustic-neck-reset.htm

Solid German spruce top Quarter sawn solid Brazilian Rosewood sides and back 25 1/2' scale length 1 5/8" nut width Solid ebony fingerboard and bridge Diamond inlays Pearl inlay Grover tuners Tortoise pick guard 3 /32" string height at the 12 fret 20 frets Abalone dots on bridge pins Herringbone purfling Retrofitted with Taylor style neck joint Original case (not pictured)