Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I'm assisting Martin and Paul Kelly in putting together a comprehensive book on Rickenbacker instruments. The Kelly brothers are located in the UK and have authored the book, Fender the Golden Age -- 1954-1970.
Martin is looking for at least one lefty Rickenbacker "roundtop" 360, 365, 370, 375 to photograph for the book.
Martin will be in NYC on April 23 setting up at John Peden's studio to do photos of various Rick instruments.
If you are aware of any Rick collectors or dealers in the NYC area that might have a lefty roundtop of the type that Martin is looking for, please contact me via PM.
Thanks in advance for any assistance you may be able to provide.

libratune wrote: ... a comprehensive book on Rickenbacker instruments ....

Hmmm ... "comprehensive", eh? Odd, I haven't been contacted about my factory original one-off 450v63JG with the non-standard fret board.

doctorwho wrote:

libratune wrote: ... a comprehensive book on Rickenbacker instruments ....

Hmmm ... "comprehensive", eh? Odd, I haven't been contacted about my factory original one-off 450v63JG with the non-standard fret board.

RIC450v63JG.jpg

P9291080_crpd.jpg

Gary in the meantime, while you await your place in the book, would you mind giving us some closeup photos of the one-off? I think it is important to document this factory original here.

Gary, what's different about your fretboard?

jdogric12 wrote:Gary, what's different about your fretboard?

It's made of a wood different from others in the limited run of 450v63s. I pointed it out to John Hall at one of the local gatherings, and he said something to the effect that the factory was trying out different types of wood at the time, but that he was not aware that any had actually been used on an instrument. IIRC he called it Chinese something-or-other-wood.

Here are some more pictures that I currently have of it.

I'll try to resize some others, or dig it out and take some more. I may have a picture of Kenny H. playing it at one of the local gatherings.

I had bought this off eBay some time back, and the picture in the ad was fairly dark, so I was somewhat surprised when I got it and saw it in person (even my pictures don't do it justice).

I'm looking forward to seeing this book when it's done.

scotty wrote:I'm looking forward to seeing this book when it's done.

+!

The authors should research this Forum extensively, as we have discussed many atypical instruments that have popped up for sale here and there. . As an example, the book should mention the two 370/12v64s made in the 1990s along with the limited run from the 2000s.

doctorwho wrote:

scotty wrote:I'm looking forward to seeing this book when it's done.

+!

The authors should research this Forum extensively, as we have discussed many atypical instruments that have popped up for sale here and there. . As an example, the book should mention the two 370/12v64s made in the 1990s along with the limited run from the 2000s.

I believe that like the Fender book, this book is covering vintage Rics '60s and older.

I don't know what the cut off is.

Are they including any '70s instruments Ron?

I would imagine that your left handed '71 Jetglo 360-12 Old Style will be included?

opticnerve wrote:[ ... I believe that like the Fender book, this book is covering vintage Rics '60s and older. ...

I was hoping for something more inclusive and up top date, like Paul's (Boyer) recent bass book ... i guess that I lack imagination as to how the book would be more than a rehash of the Rittor, Bacon and Day, and Smith books that have preceded it.

Too bad this 60's 360LH (undateable due to the original jack plate being AWOL) was in trashed condition when it appeared on the local Craigslist:

doctorwho wrote:

opticnerve wrote:[ ... I believe that like the Fender book, this book is covering vintage Rics '60s and older. ...

I was hoping for something more inclusive and up top date, like Paul's (Boyer) recent bass book ... i guess that I lack imagination as to how the book would be more than a rehash of the Rittor, Bacon and Day, and Smith books that have preceded it.

Well it will be accurate, complete and in English, for starters.

The Rittor book is actually my favorite and I can’t even read it. The Tony Bacon book(s) are ok, but lack serious depth into the subject and recycle some of the same photos Bacon has been using for decades, in various other books.

The Richard Smith book may have been a valiant effort in the 80s, but his incomplete production records have spread poor information all over the internet for 25 years. There’s valuable stuff in there but it’s due time for a book that approaches the subject of Rickenbacker history accurately and completely, with modern full color photos.

The first half of Rickenbacker’s history is extremely important for the overall history of the brand and all subsequent models. Not to knock Paul Boyer’s book (I bought a copy and enjoyed it!) but many of the instruments pictured were things like COY models or reissues and much of the info was gleaned from this very forum. To cover the Rickenbacker story accurately, you need a deeper level of research, data and first-hand source material and that’s exactly what we can expect with this new book.

collin wrote:

doctorwho wrote:

opticnerve wrote:[ ... I believe that like the Fender book, this book is covering vintage Rics '60s and older. ...

I was hoping for something more inclusive and up top date, like Paul's (Boyer) recent bass book ... i guess that I lack imagination as to how the book would be more than a rehash of the Rittor, Bacon and Day, and Smith books that have preceded it.

Well it will be accurate, complete and in English, for starters.

The Rittor book is actually my favorite and I can’t even read it. The Tony Bacon book(s) are ok, but lack serious depth into the subject and recycle some of the same photos Bacon has been using for decades, in various other books.

The Richard Smith book may have been a valiant effort in the 80s, but his incomplete production records have spread poor information all over the internet for 25 years. There’s valuable stuff in there but it’s due time for a book that approaches the subject of Rickenbacker history accurately and completely, with modern full color photos.

The first half of Rickenbacker’s history is extremely important for the overall history of the brand and all subsequent models. Not to knock Paul Boyer’s book (I bought a copy and enjoyed it!) but many of the instruments pictured were things like COY models or reissues and much of the info was gleaned from this very forum. To cover the Rickenbacker story accurately, you need a deeper level of research, data and first-hand source material and that’s exactly what we can expect with this new book.

Collin, a fresh look at the source material will be welcomed. A good point about more recent data coming from online sources.

Anybody who has read Fender: The Golden Age knows that we're in for a real treat when this book is complete.

I haven't read that book, but I do have Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round the World, which is a superb book (why could Richard have done the same with his Rickenbacker book? ).

jps wrote:I haven't read that book, but I do have Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round the World, which is a superb book (why could Richard have done the same with his Rickenbacker book? ).

Even The Sound Heard 'Round the World is dated at this point. Richard wrote both of those books back in the 1980s, and large format gear books have become a lot more sophisticated since then.

Smith absolutely deserves credit for sparking interest into the history of these brands, at a time when not much had been written. But much more information is known today about every major guitar brand, along with an archive of rare, unpublished images. Plus buyers today expect a much higher production value with full color photos. If you want the ultimate example, check out Jim Elyea's massive tome Vox Amplifiers: The JMI Years.

You should do yourself a favor and check out Martin Kelly & Terry Foster's Fender: The Golden Age. Aside from being one of the best single-brand guitar books ever written, it should give you a glimpse into what we can expect with the Rickenbacker book. Martin is also working on a book detailing the history of Vox-brand guitars, a subject which has never been covered with its own book.

The Fender book came out in the mid '90s., and is a far cry better book than his Rickenbacker book.

Will be interesting to see this new book coming out,