Tell me about the neck sizes on late 60's 3xx series Ricks

Early years of Rickenbacker Guitars prior to and including 1972

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fireglo67

Re: Tell me about the neck sizes on late 60's 3xx series Ricks

Post by fireglo67 »

chucksimms wrote:I've had (and still have) a number of vintage Ricks and the slimmest necks by far I've played are on the 360 O.S. guitars; my '66 is pretty robust but the '68 and '69 are the slimmest of ANY guitar I've ever played from any maunufacturer. If you're feeling flush with cash that's the way to go though they are routinely the most expensive of the general production '60s Ricks (other than one off's, imports or a few other holy grails).
+1!

Going back to my 'modern' 330's after playing my '68 370 was a shock. The '68 has the slimest/fastest neck I've ever played on a guitar.
Drew816
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Re: Tell me about the neck sizes on late 60's 3xx series Ricks

Post by Drew816 »

Thanks for all the input and replies guys!

The one guitar I was looking real closely at looks like a gem but man for nearly $4k I'm having a hard time making a commitment. I know, that's generally what a 360/365 is going to cost in the open market but that doesn't make it any easier. If I KNEW this guitar was 'the one' I'd pull the trigger but I'm afraid it might show up with a neck that's dare I say 'too small.' Over time I had three late 60's Gibson SG Specials (two P-90's) and they were killer guitars but their tiny, ultra thin necks and the 1 9/16th nut widths drove me mad. That same nut width on the much fatter 335's I had from that same era were a joy to play (I still own two of them from back in that time frame) but IF the Rick shows up with a neck the size of the Special, ahahaha!

Can any of you directly compare those late 60's Specials to the late 60's Rick's were discussing? If the 330's of this era have a fatter neck than the 360/365s then maybe that's what I need to focus my search on; but man for me the 360/365 with the Sharktooth inlays is THE THING!

Then again I've been eyeing up vintage Fender Jazzmasters for a long time too, decisions, decisions...

On the guitar I've been looking at, if the seller would come down on the price a few hundred and I had 48 hours or more to review I'd probably do it but as it stands I'm just hanging tight; and grinding my teeth all the way!
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k43rover
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Re: Tell me about the neck sizes on late 60's 3xx series Ricks

Post by k43rover »

Drew816 wrote:Thanks for all the input and replies guys!

The one guitar I was looking real closely at looks like a gem but man for nearly $4k I'm having a hard time making a commitment. I know, that's generally what a 360/365 is going to cost in the open market but that doesn't make it any easier. If I KNEW this guitar was 'the one' I'd pull the trigger but I'm afraid it might show up with a neck that's dare I say 'too small.

I think $4k is just too much in today's market. I bought a mint 365 last year for $3,300 (pictures attached) and I've seen plenty 360/370 series guitars go on US eBay in the $3k to $3.5 range over the past 12 months. Just be patient and you will score the guitar of your dreams for the right money. If you're not so bothered about condition, you'll get a player for much less on the right day. Don't buy from a dealer, just wait for a bona fide private seller on eBay.

However, while you're waiting I would certainly recommend that you get your hands on some '60's Ricks if available at local dealers and do some road tests of a cross section of '60's models. Like I said before, if you're worried about the necks being too slim then a 330/340 may well be the way to go. Even if you can't get hold of any locally to try, if you buy a nice eBay 360/370 for the right price and then don't get on with it when it arrives you will still be able to resell and get most, if not all, your money back; I don't see much downside if you take that approach....
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Drew816
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Re: Tell me about the neck sizes on late 60's 3xx series Ricks

Post by Drew816 »

So though the guitar I was looking at was overpriced I made a pitch for it anyway; why, it was a true Closet Classic, like brand new because it basically was brand new only from 1967. The original owner knew the guys at the shop and would restring the guitar and strum it as he'd been doing since he got it as a teenager in 1967; but he really couldn't play and so there's next to no wear and no marks on the guitar. Yeah I know, driven by a little old lady to church on Sundays; I hear you. BUT if you saw the pictures I think you'd agree, this thing looks brand freaking new!

So I agree to overpay for it and the shop says cool; oh, but we have another local guy that's interested so we want to give him the first opportunity. Come ON already, so they finally get a hold of this guy and he's PO'ed because he thought they were holding the guitar for him but he wants to trade a bunch of stuff for this guitar and not buy it outright. Plus the guitar is on consignment so if they agree to trade stuffs towards this guitar the shop has to front the money to pay off the original owner. What a hassle, why not just take my CASH, ahahahH!! So I'll know on Monday whether they pass on this guys offers to trade but knowing that he's a 'local' he'll probably beg, borrow and steal (lay away) or some **** to get it.

I should have been a jerk about it and demanded he just take my money like he agreed to do but... I guess we'll know on Monday but I think this one is gone. Oh well, time to restart the search I guess.

Oh, and the neck measured 1 19/32nds at the nut 1.59", 0.85 at the 1st and 0.865 at the 12th; heck YEAH! Sounds great for my tastes.

Y'all have a good one!
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jps
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Re: Tell me about the neck sizes on late 60's 3xx series Ricks

Post by jps »

Hmm, so the shop would rather take a bunch of stuff in trade rather than the money, eh? There is something here that is not on the up and up if this is just a guitar on consignment, IMHO. I did pro camera sales when I lived in Los Angeles in the '80s; money talks....etc.

If the guitar speaks to you the money spent on it is whatever it is worth to you, I am sure many of us have been there before. I'd go back to the shop with money in hand and ask them if the guitar is there to be sold, and there is no money already on the table from someone else, why the delay to sell it to you.
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Dasher
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Re: Tell me about the neck sizes on late 60's 3xx series Ricks

Post by Dasher »

I've just measured my '64 1998 RM - it's 1 19/32" at the nut - by Vernier Calliper. It's strung so difficult to get an accurate depth.
I have two Gibsons that I play regularly - a 1990 LP Std and a 2000 ES 175. The neck profile on each is much flatter than the "classic 1960" shape (as found on a LP "classic). These two Gibson necks are very similar to each other - so close in fact that it's difficult to tell them apart when playing them. There is a world of difference between the Ric and these. I haven't measured the Gibson yet - but I will tomorrow. The Ric neck feels so much narrower and rounder in profile - measurements don't do this difference justice. Further up the neck, the Gibsons just have so much more real estate. Bending on the Ric neck, even right up the scale, is very very limited.

When I bought the Ric I was 19. I lacked the finger strength that I have today but my fingers were much more slender then!

I still love the Ric feel - but I use them both very differently.

I didn't realise that you could get a 335 as narrow as yours - I've certainly never played one that felt that narrow, whereas the Ric always feels narrow!! I've played quite a few Heritage 335' that are supposed to be "60's" in profile and they still feel much wider than my 1998. I've never played a 60's Ric that I've considered anything but tight on space.

Hope you find one - but give it a good play first, and take your 335 along with you.
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jps
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Re: Tell me about the neck sizes on late 60's 3xx series Ricks

Post by jps »

Dasher wrote:Vernier Calliper.
I think I knew him in high school! :lol:
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Dasher
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Re: Tell me about the neck sizes on late 60's 3xx series Ricks

Post by Dasher »

I think that mine dates from High School - hence the imperial measurement! - It's more use as a guessing stick than as a precision tool these days!
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