Overview: Transitional 360s

We’ve already highlighted several transitional 360s on this site, and that gave me the idea to try and build a timeline of all the changes and to document each of the transitional “versions” along the way. Going in it feels like a fools errand, but let’s give it a shot!

One quick clarification before we begin: we’re talking about 6-string 360s here. The 12-string has its own timeline that deserves its own analysis—but I don’t feel up to that right now!

So let’s begin with defining (again, with many apologies) just what exactly we mean by the “transitional era”—especially as it applies to the 360–by answering the “five W’s”:

Who? The 360. What? The transition from “vintage” specifications to “modern” specifications. Where: From “rooter to tooter”…specs changed from the headstock all the way to the back of the guitar. When: Early 1970 to late 1973–although never rule out finding an early 1974 360 with odd specs. Why? Quest for market relevance, cost reduction, ???.

OK, got it? So let’s answer the next question with what we mean by “vintage” specifications:

Skinny vintage headstock with Kluson Deluxe tuners, 21-fret bound neck with full-width crushed pearl triangle inlays up to the 19th fret and unbound end, toaster pickups, and checkered back binding.

And now the “modern” specifications:

Gumby headstock with Grover Rotomatic tuners, 24-fret bound neck with inset poured resin triangle inlays up to the 19th fret and bound end, button-top Higain pickups, plain back binding.

And just to keep things interesting, we had some “transient” specs that didn’t make it to the end of 1973:

Bound headstock (both vintage and Gumby), slanted frets (optional/special order), full-width crushed pearl 24th fret inlay, 24-fret neck with unbound end, first-gen “threaded stock polepiece” Higain pickups.

So using the resources we have available to us, let’s try and build a timeline for all these changes. Now I have several big caveats about these dates. First, what I describe as the “first” date is my best approximation of when that particular spec became the “default” spec for production going forward. Similarly, the “last” date is my best guess as to when that spec stopped being the default. Remember, there are gaps between production runs so there are gaps between some last/first dates. And always, if you have data that proves me wrong, please share!

And so with those caveats, here’s the rough timeline.

1969 November: LAST 21-fret neck, LAST toaster pickups.

1970 April: FIRST 24-fret neck, FIRST crushed pearl 24th fret marker, FIRST first-gen Higains.

1970 June: FIRST bound vintage headstock

1970 December: FIRST slanted fret 24-fret neck

1971 May: LAST vintage headstock with Kluson Deluxe tuners, LAST crushed pearl 24th fret marker

1971 September: FIRST Gumby headstock (bound) with Grover Rotomatics

1972 March: LAST bound Gumby headstock (no unbound up to this point), LAST slanted fret 24-fret neck.

1973 May: LAST crushed pearl inlays, LAST first gen Higains

1973 August: FIRST inset poured resin inlays, FIRST button-top Higains

1973 September: LAST checkered back binding

1973 October: FIRST plain back binding. Transition complete.

So let’s look at what each unique collection of these specs would have looked like.

Version 1.0

April, 1970

So on this April, 1970 guitar we see the new 24-fret neck with unbound end, a crushed pearl marker at the 24th fret—although we can’t call it a triangle!—and the first gen Higains with the threaded polepieces. We don’t see it in this picture, but it has a vintage headstock with Kluson Deluxe tuners—although those were replaced on this guitar with Schaller M6s at some point. So now let’s fast forward two months to June…

Version 2.0

June, 1970

Everything is the same except the headstock, which has gained binding:

June, 1970 bound headstock

Once again, the Kluson Deluxes this guitar originally wore were replaced with Schaller M6s at some later date. But still, this is the new spec on version 2.0 of the modern 360. So let’s jump ahead six months to December, 1970.

Version 2.1

April, 1971

There’s nothing wrong with that photo. The frets ARE slanted. Slanted frets were added to the price list in 1971 as a $100 option on “most” models, per the price list. In practice, I’ve seen one 340 with slanted frets from December, 1969—which was almost certainly a prototype—but ALL other 1970-72 guitars with slanted frets I’ve seen are 360s. So not “most” models!

The first 360SF on the register is from December 1970. I’m using a photo of an April 1971 example above instead because it’s just a much better pic than the 12/70 example. Production appears to begin in earnest in early 1971. Apart from the slanted frets, all other specs are identical to the version 2.0 360 with two minor exceptions: the slanted fret examples did not get a crushed pearl 24th fret marker, and the nut got a “Patent Pending” stamp in reference to the slanted frets!

Remember that this was an option. As such, I have the least confidence in the first/last dates of this feature. But 12/70 is the first I’ve found to date. Now let’s jump five months to September, 1971:

Version 3.0

September, 1971

Enter the Gumby headstock with Grover Rotomatics! Still bound, of course.

Bound Gumby headstock

And say farewell to the 24th fret marker. But to add a little more bling, the end of the fingerboard is now bound.

Bound fingerboard end

Version 3.1

Because the slanted frets still exist as on option, we have a Version 3.1.

March, 1972

This will be the last .1 version. While slanted frets would remain on the price list for years, the last 360 I can find thusly equipped is the one above, which dates to March 1972. Now let’s jump to March, 1973:

Version 4.0

March, 1973

Version 4.0 is identical to Version 3.0 with two minor differences: we lose the headstock binding, and the center walnut stripe on the neck gets skinnier. The changes that will come in just a few months in August are a lot more substantial.

Version 5.0

September, 1973

Gone are the crushed pearl inlays, replaced with poured resin inlays. Gone are the first gen Higains, replaced with button top Higains. But this version 5.0 lasted only two months.

Version 6.0 (final version)

October, 1973

In October, 1973 the checkered back binding would disappear, replaced by plain white binding. This version, version 6.0, would be the final iteration. The modern 360 was complete.

So six different versions of the 360 between 1970 and 1973–two of which featured the slanted fret option. That’s a lot when you consider that it didn’t really change at all for the next decade!

But…this is Rickenbacker we’re talking about, where the rules don’t matter! Part of what I love about guitars from this era is how there are no rules, and you find all kinds of guitars with mismatched specs. You WILL find guitars with serial numbers months—maybe years after the “last” date I quote above with those specs. And sometimes before the “first” date! Leftover parts? Guitars that had to be reworked? Test/prototypes? Custom orders? Sure. Why not? That’s the beauty of this era. Nobody knows, and we likely never will.

And to prove my point, here are a couple random examples. Exhibit A:

May, 1971

What we have here is a May 1971 example in Azureglo which, being from the Version 2.0 era should have a bound headstock and a 24 fret neck with a 24th fret marker. Instead it has an unbound headstock and 21 fret neck.

Or how about Exhibit B:

May, 1971

Here’s another May 1971 example which has almost everything a Version 2.1 slanted fret guitar should have EXCEPT it features factory Grover Rotomatics—four months before they became standard.

The list of exceptions goes on—these are literally the first two I found. If you come across an especially weird one, send it my way and I’ll add it!

And I think that covers it! I love transitional era 360s…you just never know what you’re going to find when you open the case. But this guide can at least help you set your expectations!