Model 325 and RM 1996 Fret Markers

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Apr 25, 2001 4:18 am

I am wondering why the Model 325, and its relative the RM 1996, did not have a dot fret marker on the third fret. There is plenty of room for one. A nice example of a Model 1996 is shown below, thanks to Joe Hardman.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Wed Apr 25, 2001 11:48 am

No answer on this one for you, but on a similar
note[pun intended] why doesn't the V63 bass have 3 dots past the octave instead of 2 ?

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Apr 25, 2001 3:25 pm

Well Don I guess the crowning touch is that we are neck in neck on this question. I am going to fret over this one for sure. Stay tuned.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Wed Apr 25, 2001 5:25 pm

Oh, Peter, you're such a "nut"[bakelite,of course]

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Apr 26, 2001 12:18 am

Don: I suppose it was bound to come out sooner or later.

scoobster28 · Post by **scoobster28** » Thu Apr 26, 2001 3:58 am

Don't get strung out over it.

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Apr 26, 2001 11:10 am

Ben: Perhaps you are right after all. I'll wait and cross that bridge when I come to it.

Mark-T · Post by **Mark-T** » Thu Apr 26, 2001 7:07 pm

Sounds like all you guys
went out and got "well tuned"
when you started this mess....

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Apr 27, 2001 2:13 am

Don: Do you suppose that the absence of the fret marker on the 3rd fret of the short scale instruments was an attempt to differentiate them from full scale instruments? Did it have some functional value in identifying a short scale instruments in photos or was it purely aesthetic?

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Fri Apr 27, 2001 11:48 am

Peter, we're talking stuff designed in the 50s,
if that has anything to do with it.Hey, Martin has put double fingerboard dots on more than just the 12th fret before.Why??Who knows!!??

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Apr 27, 2001 12:14 pm

Dr: Lennon's first Model 325 was made in the 1950s and we know an awful lot about it. I am convinced that further digging will yield some important information. Let's get to the bottom of it. It's a "bout" time.

glen_l · Post by **glen_l** » Fri Apr 27, 2001 5:57 pm

I find the dot markers (or rather lack of) to be a good way to differentiate full scale and short scale rics when viewing pics. It seems to be one of the few consistant things about Rics. Short scale Rics generally have no dot on the 3rd fret and only one dot at the 12th (rather than 2 as on full scale Rics) My thought is that it might have been to prevent the shorter neck looking too crowded. This could, of course, be total ****.

Another thing to watch out for re: dot markers is 3 dots on the 12th fret. If you see this on a Ric you can be almost certain it's an early one. Late 50's to very early 60's. Quite predominant in '57/8.