Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Following is a survey for all you owners of pre 1970 short scale 3 series Rics. If you are interested please post here or email the results to me at glen_3@hotmail.com

What is the year and month of manufacture of your 325/RM1996? (Serial number would be good but not essential)

What is the scale length from the centreline of the bridge to the lower edge of the nut? (Should be slightly over 21")

What is the body width at the maximum point? (Normally 12 7/8" - 13")

What is the body thickness?

How many pieces are visible on the top? (3 or 2)

Does the guitar have have a 'volute' on the rear of the neck/headstock? (note: Volute is a swelling of the timber shape to increase the strength of the area where the neck becomes the headstock)

Do the pickups have circular details at each end of the slot on the black bakelite section?

Does the silver case have a "Rickenbacker" logo badge on the front edge between the left catch and carry handle? Or perhaps just the two small holes which show it used to be there(as many have been souveneered through the years).

What is the finish?

Is the fretboard a light coloured "Rosewood" or a darker "Poala" timber type?

Does your it have a square, semi round, or fully rounded heel?

What type of soundhole does it have? (1 or 2 o'clock angle)

What style tuners does it have? Grover 'Statite', 'Single line' Klusons, or 'Double line' Klusons? (note: The tuner cover of a "single line" tuner has the text " Kluson Delux" in a single line horizontally down the centreline. "Double line" tuners have the text separated into two lines)

Are the 2 pickup height adjusting screws on each pickup recessed into the chrome section or are they sitting at the same level as the corner screws (note: only the middle screw is a height adjuster, the corner screws only serve to hold the pickup assembly together)

If an accent vibrato model does it have " Pat Pend" stamped into the end just above the strap screw?

If a non vibrato does it have as trapeze or 'R' tailpiece?

Are the control knobs Rogan TV, Ric plain chrome, Plain back, or metal disc insert type?

Thanks for your participation,
glen
The 325 Connection
http://www.geocities.com/vintage325/

Glen: A very comprehensive list. When the information is compiled this will make for a most interesting article.

I am wondering, whether the weight of the instrument may be important as a way of assessing the wood used. I appreciate that hardware will cause fluctuations but you needn't calculate it in grams - pounds would be fine. The type of wood used may not be evident in jetglo or other custom finishes, and not everyone is a wood expert either.

Just thought I would weigh in.

Not such a bad idea. We know that Alder was popular on the '58 models. How about the period between '58 and '64? There were a number of 310 and 315 Rics produced in that era. Perhaps we can learn something about their construction.

Regarding the question of 'tops'. Maybe we can get some to 'weigh in' and tell us how many pieces are in the tops of their '65, '66, '67 3-series full scale Rics.

My Jan. '64 model 1997 has a 3 piece top.

Thanks for that John. Here's some questions specifically for 1997 and 1998 owners.

Does it have a neck volute?

What sort of heel does it have?

Does it have the round moulding details in the pickup slots?

Is the fretboard a light coloured "Rosewood" or a darker "Poala" timber type?

Are the tuners "Single line" Klusons?

Are the 2 pickup height adjusting screws on each pickup recessed into the chrome section or are they sitting at the same level as the corner screws.

Does the silver case have a "Rickenbacker" logo badge on the front edge between the left catch and carry handle? Or perhaps just the two small holes which show it used to be there(as many have been souveneered through the years).

Go for it...

Glen: What are you seeing as a trend for the deeper vibrato ramp for the 1964 models?

My Jan. '64 does have neck volute.
Rounded heel.
Yes, dots in the pickups.
Dark fretboard.
Single line Klusons.
Recessed.
Yes.

Thanks for the update John. I've been away for most of this week and found that my email inbox was cleared by hotmail before I could read any of it, So if anyone sent anything, I'm sorry about the lack of reply. You may care to resend now that I'm back.

I havn't had a close look at the vibrato ramp issue yet Greg. I hope to contact the early '64 owners to get more feedback on this one.