Terminology: Vintage
Oh boy. Time to tap dance on the third rail. “Vintage” is a term that some folks get mighty prickly over. So let’s talk about why that is, and where it is or is not “acceptable” to use in the Rickenbacker world.
Here’s the underlying problem. There are two widely accepted definitions of the term “vintage” when folks are talking about “collectible items”—which, like it or not, guitars are.
The first—and broadest—definition states that for something to be considered “vintage” it must be roughly 20-99 years old. Newer than that, it’s modern. Older than that, it’s antique.
The second definition states that “vintage” refers to a particular era—with specific starting and ending dates—regardless of age. Who defines this era? The experts in the category.
And at some point in the long long ago the best and the brightest in the Rickenbacker community decreed that the “vintage era” ran from 1954 to 1973, and therefore only guitars made in that period could be referred to as “vintage”. Or maybe 1971 or 1972 is the end date—there is some disagreement even among the experts! Regardless, anything made after that period is “modern”. Meaning that a 1974 4001—which is now 51 years old—is a “modern” guitar even if our first “vintage” definition says that anything older than 20 years is “vintage”. You can see how this might cause some confusion to those not in the know!
So why this range? Well, there is some pretty decent reasoning behind it. 1954 is when the first “modern” Rickenbacker electric guitar was produced, so that makes sense as a starting date. As far as the ending date(s)…well, let’s do a little exercise.
What year was “peak Rickenbacker”? By this I mean if you picture the perfect combination of features and specs in your head—the best of the best!—what year was that guitar made? Most likely you’re going to say somewhere between 1964 and 1968. Now what is that combination of features and specs that made you pick that year?
Toaster pickups? Well obviously you gotta have toasters! Horseshoe bass pickup? That’s what McCartney and Squire played, amiright! Crushed pearl triangle inlays? So cool! Checkered binding? Flawless! 21 fret necks? That looks SO much better than the 24 frets. The cast aluminum “gap tooth” bass bridge? So much better than the newer zinc version. Silver Tolex cases? The best looking cases hands down. You have a good eye, friend.
So why does the vintage era end somewhere between 1971 and 1973? Because those specs we just listed—and more we’ll cover in a bit—gradually started slowly disappearing, one by one, around late 1968. Those changes began accelerating in 1971, and by the end of 1973 they were ALL gone. So it’s either the beginning or the ending of that transition period that, in the eyes of the cognoscenti, spells the end of the “vintage” era.
And you know, it’s not a bad stake to put in the ground. You could quibble over a couple minor details—some specs from the vintage era lasted beyond 1973 (well beyond, in some cases!)—but still, by the end of 1973 all the “major” changes had happened.
So if you’re not aware of that context, of that shared definition and delineation of the Rickenbacker “vintage era”, if you only go by the rules defined by the first meaning of vintage you might well call a guitar from the 1980s vintage…and you’ll get called right out! You’re right many places…just not here.
So that’s the “vintage era” in Rickenbacker-speak. What are the specs that define that era? You’ve already seen a quick run-through, but let’s clearly delineate what those key specs are, and what their “modern” counterparts are.
The most obvious vintage specification is the toaster pickup. First appearing in late 1957, it was the only pickup Rickenbacker used (apart from the old horseshoe pickup in the bridge position on bass guitars) until 1968 when the first gen Higain pickup appeared—replacing that horseshoe pickup on basses. The first-gen Higain guitar version appeared in 1969, and between then and early 1974 it gradually replaced the toaster on all guitars and basses. The Higain itself would transition from the first gen “threaded polepiece” version to the more familiar “button top” in 1973.
For inlays, the vintage spec is considered to be the full-width crushed pearl inlays that first appeared in 1961–went away in 1962-63–but reappeared in 1964. In early to mid 1973 they were replaced by the modern spec—inset poured resin inlays.
When it comes to body binding, on the 4001 and 360 the vintage spec is 2-ply white and checkered binding (appeared on the 4001 in 1961, and on the “new style” carved-top 360 upon its introduction in 1964). The modern replacement was single-ply white binding, first appearing in mid 1973. Note that other bound models from the “vintage era” (625, OS semi-hollows, 460, etc) had the single-ply white binding all along.
On the 4000 and 4001, the vintage spec bridge is a chrome plated cast aluminum unit with an easily spotted gap in the spacers over the mute assembly between the A and D strings. This was replaced in early 1973 with a chrome-plated zinc alloy bridge without the “gap tooth”.
Our next vintage spec is the number of frets on semi-hollowbodied guitars. Up until early 1970, the 330 and 360 featured 21 frets. But starting that year, both models began transitioning to 24, with the transition mostly complete by about 1973–although 21-fret 330s would appear as late as 1977. The longer neck necessitated the movement of the neck pickup, and a change to the pickguard given the shorter distance between the two pickups.
Last but not least there’s a “vintage spec” that has nothing whatsoever to do with the guitar: the case. Beginning in 1961, Rickenbackers came with a silver Tolex case with a crushed velvet interior. From 1968 to 1971 they transitioned to a black Tolex case with a velveteen interior.
When people talk about “vintage” Rickenbacker specs, these are things they’re usually referring to. As you can see, by the end of 1973 most of the changes were complete. But there were a handful of other details from the “vintage” era worth that would change—some before 1973, and some well after—that are worth discussing.
We talked briefly about the bass bridge position pickup changing from the horseshoe to the Higain in late 1968, but in doing so we lost the horseshoe magnets that were an integral part of the pickup and replaced them with a cosmetic, non-functional bridge pickup cover.
Then we have the pickguard on the 4000/4001, which shrunk in 1969, leaving a 3/4” gap between it and the bridge pickup surround.
In 1969 Rickenbacker began producing “some” 4001s with a 21-fret neck instead of the standard 20 frets. The headstock shrank by about 1/2” as a result so they continue to use the same length neck blank. The 21-fret neck wouldn’t last, but the shorter headstock would become standard on all basses in 1971.
In 1972 the 4000/4001 bass neck would change from one piece maple with walnut wings to a three piece neck with a center shedua “skunk stripe” and maple wings.
In 1974 the neck construction on semi-hollowbodied guitars would change from three pieces with a wide center stripe to three pieces with a narrow center stripe similar to the basses’ “skunk stripe”.
In mid 1975 the neck pickup on the 4001 bass moved about 1/2” further away from the end of the neck, either to increase neck strength or to be in a more sonically advantageous location (depending on which story you believe).
From late 1975 to mid 1976 the truss rod cover transitioned on all models from backpainted plexiglass to an injection molded version with a raised, painted logo.
So that’s it. We’ve covered all the vintage specs, and they were all gone by 1976, right? Well, no. Not technically. To complicate matters, there are some features from the “vintage era” that lasted all the way until the 1980s that are now referred to as “vintage” by Rickenbacker themselves. Like…
“Vintage tuners”. Kluson Deluxe tuners were the primary tuners used on…almost everything from the late 1950s to the early 1980s when Kluson went out of business. Schaller took over as the primary tuner supplier around 1985. But you can go to the Rickenbacker Boutique today and buy Kluson Deluxe copies for your 1980 330–just look for the “vintage style tuners”.
And how about the vintage tone circuit? Up until 1984/1985 almost every two or three pickup Rickenbacker guitar or bass had a .0047µF high pass filter capacitor on the bridge pickup. It cut output of the pickup quite a bit, so it was removed from the circuit in 1984/85. But it was added back for some reissue models in 2002, and then on all 4003 basses in 2006 as an option that could be engaged via a push/pull pot.
In 1984 the standard 6-saddle adjustable bridge equipped on most guitars since…forever was updated. The locking nut that had held the saddle adjustment screws in place since the bridge was developed in the 1950s was removed and replaced with a spring behind the saddle to achieve the same end. When the 360/12C63 was launched, in the name of accuracy it utilized the old “vintage” bridge—labeled as such in period marketing materials.
Then there’s x-bracing. Until the early 1980s, all semi-hollowbodied guitars were reinforced by internal braces glued in like so:
In the early 1980s the bracing was switched over to an integral support system like so:
Integral x-bracing—a hybrid—began appearing on reissue guitars with the 350/12C63 in 2005, and with the change to 21 frets on the “standard” 360 and 330 in 2024 “vintage” (if hybrid) x-bracing once again became the norm.
Then there are a couple weirdos…specs that are technically vintage but didn’t make it into the “golden era” of the mid 1960s and are referred to as vintage by Rickenbacker today. Like…
Square neck heels. By the end of 1963 square neck heels had been replaced by rounded neck heels. But over the years Rickenbacker has made a number of “vintage reissue” guitars with (period incorrect) “vintage”’square heels.
Knobs. The 1964 launch of the “New Style” carved top 360 introduced a new knob: the silver tops. There were a couple minor iterations in its first couple years (which you can read about here), but by mid 1965 they had replaced the older Kurz-Kach (“KK”) knobs across the line.
Today, the KK knobs are referred to as “vintage” knobs—which is kinda ironic because a) they weren’t the knobs in use during Rickenbacker’s peak era, and b) the silver tops were discontinued during Covid, meaning that all “modern” guitars today get “vintage” knobs.
And of course the Capri-era Rogan/cooker knobs get referred to as “vintage”, even though they disappeared in 1962/63.
Oh, and that picture reminds me! In the 80s and 90s you could click the VP or VB option box which would give your guitar “Vintage Pickups” (ie toasters) or a “Vintage viBrato” (ie an Accent Vibrato).
While I’ve probably forgotten something, that’s the rundown on “vintage” in the Rickenbacker world. With all that said, I kinda have a problem with the eras as they’ve been defined: I just don’t think two is enough. There’s not enough delineation there. Don’t get me wrong—1973 is an important year and should be respected as such. But to class guitars from 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004, 2014, and 2024 all into one “modern” bucket? That ain’t right.
Now I can understand the reasoning behind the decision: the people who made it were “vintage” collectors. Anything not from that “vintage era” is automatically “less than”, so why bother spending any time breaking that down any more? But there are those of us who appreciate those guitars and need to be able to differentiate them.
So I have my own mental classification system that I’m going to share with you just for fun. And look, I am not proposing my system should be the rule of the land. Who am I? I’m just some dude! But here is how I mentally classify Rickenbacker eras. Maybe it’s useful for you, maybe it’s not. You decide!
The “early era” runs from 1954 to 1961. This was the era when Rickenbacker was figuring out who they were. The Combo 600, 800, 400…all really important guitars in the company’s history, but not part of the core lineup we know and love today. The launch of the New Capri and 4001 bass in 1961 effectively established the product line as we know it today, ending the early era.
1962 to 1968 is the “vintage era”. This is peak Rickenbacker. All the vintage specs, all the goodies, all the guitars you drool over today.
1969 to 1973 is the “transitional era”. Lots of stuff going on, and specs were changing on the fly. Weird models appear then disappear, chasing a market that was leaving Rickenbacker behind. The number of vintage specs steadily decreased until essentially none were left.
1974 to 1984 is the “malaise era”. All the “main” modern specs were in place, sales of guitars were terrible, and while I won’t say the quality was “bad”, tolerances slipped. Guitars got heavy. New models were few…and unsuccessful.
1985 to 1995 is the “John Hall era”. John bought the company from his dad, and set out to right the ship and put his stamp on it. Quality improved, vintage reissue and Signature Limited Edition models appeared. Serious effort was put into creating new models for the modern guitarist that still respected the company’s heritage. The timing was perfect for a college radio-driven resurgence of the brand.
1997 to 2018 is the “modern era”. A focus on core products, the launch of CNC manufacturing, and the introduction of a more environmentally friendly finishing process improved throughput and ensured consistency.
2019 to present is the “Ben Hall era”. As John Hall stepped away from the business and Ben took over the day to day, the company began to listen more closely to their core customers—or the loudest ones at least!—and take a few risks. Even if they weren’t always successful!
So. That’s the rundown on vintage in Rickenbacker-speak. What did I miss? what did I get wrong? Drop it in the comments and we’ll make it right!
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Love your classification of the different eras. It also seemed strange to me to have 80s Rics lumped in with the so called “modern”.
As always, a treat to read on a Monday night (my Friday) while I drink the weeks’s troubles away at the bar.
I am not sure, but so far I believe the aluminum stock the bridge pickup was mounted on with 4000 series basses transitioned to black plastic in late 1973. My August of 1973 bass has the bridge pickup mounted on aluminum. 1974 basses I see online all have the black plastic pickup mount.
I thought the toaster neck pickup last appeared on the 4001’s in August of 1973, but I saw a September of 1973 4001 for sale on the internet with a toaster pickup. I wonder if it was original.
One of my 4001’s has the earlier “gap-tooth” bridge receptacle. Zero tail-lift! My mid-1970’s Japanese 4001 copy even has the infamous tail-lift on its identical looking non-gap-tooth bridge receptacle!
I remember the unusual red or brown side-dot neck markers, instead of black, unique to 1974 when working at the factory.