I wanted to share with you something I discovered whilst shopping on Reverb.com last year. To me this particular information about structural/build/design is something so significant that it deserves to be added to your already amazing & exhaustive work here. The first thing I did when I discovered this, was to check & see if it was covered here. I hope you find it as illuminating & as fascinating as I did.
I am providing the link that should take you to the original item for sale post (just tried it & it worked) & I will also provide a link at the end here with the 'Seller's Reverb Store" in case you wanted to contact them directly to discuss things more/anything else. FYI-: The sellers who wrote about this are:
"Retrofret Vintage Guitars"
87 Luquer St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(Carroll Gardens)
(718) 237-4040
And without any further ado, here is the info in question:
"Rickenbacker's instruments of this period are generally more consistent in than many others but one production change is significant. Beginning in summer 1966, a channel was no longer routed for pole magnets under the neck pickup, so from that point on they have a much solider neck/body joint. As a result this example made around 6 months later has maintained a better neck angle than many earlier 300-series models, making for excellent playability."
* personal note: in their description of this major change they said:
"... so from that point on they have a much solider neck/body joint."
I think it would have been better to have written it as:
"... so from that point on they have a much more solid neck/body joint."
So, if anyone is looking for a 60's 360/12, apparently make it a '67 or later...
... for me personally it made me a little concerned about the Carl Wilson Signature models that I am seriously considering buying (6's & 12's) as they are supposedly based on 1965 Rickenbacker 360's!
How deeply, exactingly accurate that build is in relation to the original '65's I have no idea. I intend on contacting Rickenbacker directly asking them about their build on those Carl Wilson models & if they adhere to the earlier flawed design or follow the corrected/improved one?
Thanks again, hope you enjoyed the info & that it was/is useful. Checking out that original instrument add is worth as they wrote quite a bit more too. The actual item ad description was:
"Rickenbacker Model 360 Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1967), ser. #GB-572, original silver Tolex hard shell case."
Nicely done! Question: My ‘64/65 “360” has “365” written in red pencil in the control cavity; it had a replacement non-Ric tailpiece when I got it way back when, so I’m unsure what tailpiece it originally wore. Someone told me that the model note inside the cavity didn’t necessarily specify what model the guitar was, but what the “highest” possible model could be for that guitar. Any knowledge or experience with this? Thanks again for a fine history.
In the mid-'60s, the cavity markings would show the "highest" possible model for that body as it came out of the RIC woodshop. For example, in the 330 series, you will often find "345" in the cavity as the "highest" model that could be created from that guitar, which at that point, as it emerged from the woodshop, had not been fitted with a middle pickup or vibrato. Ironically, the 345 is a rare model; most of the 330 bodies ended up as 330s or 335s.
Nicely done, Andy. In some ways the history of the evolution of the 360 encompasses most of Rickenbacker history after FC Hall took over in the mid-1950s. It was enjoyable to see photos of about 30 of my guitars used for the illustratons! I built my vintage Rick collection with examples from the mid-'50s to the mid-'70s so the collection could cover that time frame.
The documentation of slanted frets as a modernization attempt that didn't stick really shows how not every innovation resonates with players. That constant push-pull between honoring vintage specs and meeting contemporary needs is fasinating - especially how the 21-fret return in 2023 basically admitted players wanted the old approach all along. I've seen similar patterns with other instrument manufacturers where 'improvements' eventualy get walked back.
Thanks for, yet another, great piece of work.
I wanted to share with you something I discovered whilst shopping on Reverb.com last year. To me this particular information about structural/build/design is something so significant that it deserves to be added to your already amazing & exhaustive work here. The first thing I did when I discovered this, was to check & see if it was covered here. I hope you find it as illuminating & as fascinating as I did.
I am providing the link that should take you to the original item for sale post (just tried it & it worked) & I will also provide a link at the end here with the 'Seller's Reverb Store" in case you wanted to contact them directly to discuss things more/anything else. FYI-: The sellers who wrote about this are:
"Retrofret Vintage Guitars"
87 Luquer St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
(Carroll Gardens)
(718) 237-4040
And without any further ado, here is the info in question:
https://reverb.com/p/rickenbacker-360-os-old-style-1964-1969
"Rickenbacker's instruments of this period are generally more consistent in than many others but one production change is significant. Beginning in summer 1966, a channel was no longer routed for pole magnets under the neck pickup, so from that point on they have a much solider neck/body joint. As a result this example made around 6 months later has maintained a better neck angle than many earlier 300-series models, making for excellent playability."
Seller:
https://reverb.com/shop/retrofret-vintage-guitars
... and ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RetroFret#:~:text=RetroFret%20is%20an%20American%20vintage,artifacts%20from%20around%20the%20world.
* personal note: in their description of this major change they said:
"... so from that point on they have a much solider neck/body joint."
I think it would have been better to have written it as:
"... so from that point on they have a much more solid neck/body joint."
So, if anyone is looking for a 60's 360/12, apparently make it a '67 or later...
... for me personally it made me a little concerned about the Carl Wilson Signature models that I am seriously considering buying (6's & 12's) as they are supposedly based on 1965 Rickenbacker 360's!
How deeply, exactingly accurate that build is in relation to the original '65's I have no idea. I intend on contacting Rickenbacker directly asking them about their build on those Carl Wilson models & if they adhere to the earlier flawed design or follow the corrected/improved one?
Thanks again, hope you enjoyed the info & that it was/is useful. Checking out that original instrument add is worth as they wrote quite a bit more too. The actual item ad description was:
"Rickenbacker Model 360 Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1967), ser. #GB-572, original silver Tolex hard shell case."
All the best to you and yours...
Nicely done! Question: My ‘64/65 “360” has “365” written in red pencil in the control cavity; it had a replacement non-Ric tailpiece when I got it way back when, so I’m unsure what tailpiece it originally wore. Someone told me that the model note inside the cavity didn’t necessarily specify what model the guitar was, but what the “highest” possible model could be for that guitar. Any knowledge or experience with this? Thanks again for a fine history.
In the mid-'60s, the cavity markings would show the "highest" possible model for that body as it came out of the RIC woodshop. For example, in the 330 series, you will often find "345" in the cavity as the "highest" model that could be created from that guitar, which at that point, as it emerged from the woodshop, had not been fitted with a middle pickup or vibrato. Ironically, the 345 is a rare model; most of the 330 bodies ended up as 330s or 335s.
Nicely done, Andy. In some ways the history of the evolution of the 360 encompasses most of Rickenbacker history after FC Hall took over in the mid-1950s. It was enjoyable to see photos of about 30 of my guitars used for the illustratons! I built my vintage Rick collection with examples from the mid-'50s to the mid-'70s so the collection could cover that time frame.
Ron, your excellent photos of these important guitars are one of the most valuable resources we have. I couldn’t do this without them!
The documentation of slanted frets as a modernization attempt that didn't stick really shows how not every innovation resonates with players. That constant push-pull between honoring vintage specs and meeting contemporary needs is fasinating - especially how the 21-fret return in 2023 basically admitted players wanted the old approach all along. I've seen similar patterns with other instrument manufacturers where 'improvements' eventualy get walked back.
Fascinating article! Thanks so much!