Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi All

was wondering if i could get some advice, i recently bought a 1963 615. Its obviously been restored, the neck, body, tuners and vibrato seem to be original.
The truss rod cover, pick ups and input jack aren't.
So, I'm planning on by some vintage toasters to replace the ricky hum buckers that are in there now (even though they do sound great).
The two things i was hoping i could get some advice with is:
1: is there a way to get a definitive year/month without the input jack plate being original?
2: the current TRC is not original, but it also falls short and you can see a little of the truss rods, dosent go all the way to the nut by about 5 or so mm's, is there anywhere i can buy one or a template somewhere to re create one? Ive tried the TRC from my 330 but different size.

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks

Hi Harry,

Sounds like a nice guitar, post some pics if you can.

1.) It's impossible to nail the exact month without the serial number on the input jack plate. But everything pre-1965 was a very transitional period and features changed a lot. We might be able to determine a more specific period based on the guitar's specs (fretboard/inlays, headstock shape etc.).

2.) Is the TRC a vintage 60s item or a modern reissue? TRCs from 1964-1972 should all generally fit the same 'footprint' but the earlier TRCs are longer and won't fit the same. I'll also add that there isn't any place online to source a template for the TRC because that would be endorsing forgeries. The RRF is definitely not the place where you'd find that sort of thing.

If there's a parallel gap between the TRC and nut, I'm guessing the replacement TRC was screwed into the top hole. Is there now a second set of two new screw holes on the bottom side (which would be covered up with the original size TRC)?

Hi Colin,

Thanks for your reply!
I've attached a few pics - as you can see from the TRC, is a really badly made one, so no extra drill holes, it looks like a bit of clear plastic with a white printed paper behind it, hence why i want to replace it ASAP.
To be fair i got it an a great price and it sounds amazing, its just perfect for my band, but want to change a few things like the TRC and get some vintage toasters too.
Hope the pics are clear enough.

Harry

That looks like an awesome guitar!

Guzzitd63 wrote:That looks like an awesome guitar!

Thanks David, it really is - been using a 330 for about 5 years and started using this live recently and it sounds and feels great.

Nice guitar, Harry. Those are cool and real 'sleepers' in the vintage Rickenbacker world (even 625 models), they sound basically the same as the semi-hollow 330/360 and typically sell for much less. And they're rarer!

I see what you mean about the TRC, that does look like a pretty bad homemade job.

I would actually venture a guess that your guitar is from a later date than 1963. In fact, if the parts on the guitar are original, it would have to be post-1964 (the Kluson tuners shown are known as 'Double-Line' since there are two lines on the back of each that read "Kluson Deluxe" and these were introduced around Jan/Feb 1965. Prior to that date, there was only one line on each tuner, aka "single line Kluson").

The other big clue is the headstock shape. Prior to 1964, the headstock was noticeably wider and more exaggerated, which did usually mean a larger TRC. For reference, see the only other 1963 615 model in the RRF registry, and compare the headstock shape to yours:

http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... lebrity%3D

Just thinking logically - the RRF registry is usually a good sampling of what was produced each year (though absolutely not a complete record). 615s were fairly rare throughout the 60s, but the biggest batches were in '64 and '67. If the tuners are original on yours, I'm inclined to think it dates to 1967

http://www.rickresource.com/register/in ... celebrity=

One other way to potentially date the guitar (or at least the components on the guitar) are the CTS potentiometer date codes. If the parts are original, those codes will at least tell you the guitar isn't any older than that date -- though parts did sit in bins for some time and the actual build date could be many months later than the pot codes will tell you. Here's a tutorial on that:

http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/rea ... _codes.php


Good news though - it's MUCH easier to find a white TRC from 1964-1972 than a '62-63. I would keep my eyes peeled on eBay for awhile until one comes up, the 'footprint' is generally the same, or close to the same, for all six-string TRC from '64-72, so this should be a drop in replacement. They usually go for around $200 when they pop up for sale.

Also, did you buy the guitar locally in Australia?

There's always the outside chance that it's a '65 Rose Morris 1995 model.

These were export models that were basically identical to the non-export 615, but were sent to a distributor called Rose Morris, who operated in England and Australia only. The only difference to the 615 is a small metal "Rickenbacker" tag on the case, and the knobs are usually all-black. But that's easily changed.

Again, it's not likely since the 1995 was not a popular model, but worth considering since you're in Australia.

Here's a TRC that should perfectly fit your guitar (and it's from a reputable seller and RRF member):

https://reverb.com/item/11622937-ricken ... er-2-white

If the 615 is from 1967 that TRC would be perfect given it is a '67 TRC.

collin wrote:Also, did you buy the guitar locally in Australia?

There's always the outside chance that it's a '65 Rose Morris 1995 model.

These were export models that were basically identical to the non-export 615, but were sent to a distributor called Rose Morris, who operated in England and Australia only. The only difference to the 615 is a small metal "Rickenbacker" tag on the case, and the knobs are usually all-black. But that's easily changed.

Again, it's not likely since the 1995 was not a popular model, but worth considering since you're in Australia.

Hi Colin,

cant thank you enough for this info!! really appreciate it.
To answer your question, i was born and raised in Australia, but been living in london the last 10 years, so i bought that guitar over here recently, all my ricks I've bought over here actually. I seem to remember Ricks been way more expensive down under, although that could have changed now.

so if its not a 63, but something between a 64-67, I'm still pretty happy, its a lovely guitar and the price was great for what it is. And your right, I've been using a 330 for the last 5 years and i consider it a big part of my bands sound, so i was a little worried about changing models, but even with the Ricky humbuckers, it still sounds like a Ricky! The only thing I'm still working on, is getting feedback back out of it, i guess thats the difference with a solid body but ill keep at it.

So with the TRC, as long as its from a 6 string between 64 and 72, is should be right? Does that apply to any model between those years?

collin wrote:Here's a TRC that should perfectly fit your guitar (and it's from a reputable seller and RRF member):

https://reverb.com/item/11622937-ricken ... er-2-white

wow these things aren't cheap are they??
is it possible to contact the seller directly?

glass_onion wrote:
Hi Colin,

cant thank you enough for this info!! really appreciate it.
To answer your question, i was born and raised in Australia, but been living in london the last 10 years, so i bought that guitar over here recently, all my ricks I've bought over here actually. I seem to remember Ricks been way more expensive down under, although that could have changed now.

so if its not a 63, but something between a 64-67, I'm still pretty happy, its a lovely guitar and the price was great for what it is. And your right, I've been using a 330 for the last 5 years and i consider it a big part of my bands sound, so i was a little worried about changing models, but even with the Ricky humbuckers, it still sounds like a Ricky! The only thing I'm still working on, is getting feedback back out of it, i guess thats the difference with a solid body but ill keep at it.

So with the TRC, as long as its from a 6 string between 64 and 72, is should be right? Does that apply to any model between those years?

No problem, glad to help.

Really, Occam's razor would point toward the guitar being a '64 or '67 based on the number produced during those years, and I would guess 1967 out of the two.

If you take the pickguard off and look at the pots, what are the date codes shown on any of them? It should read something like "137XX22" the two digits in the middle ("XX") would indicate the year, 64, 67 etc. The last two digits are the week of that year it was produced.

None of this affects the value, really. Even if it was a '63 the demand for this model isn't incredibly high within the Rickenbacker world (which is maybe a good thing, since they're great guitars and still affordable).

Any six-string TRC from 64 through 72 should more-of-less fit the footprint. However, after 1968 things got a bit screwy. More specifically, the "Made in USA" became printed parallel to the nut and for awhile the model number of the instrument was also printed in the same area, whether it was a 330, 615, 4001 or whatever.

glass_onion wrote:

collin wrote:Here's a TRC that should perfectly fit your guitar (and it's from a reputable seller and RRF member):

https://reverb.com/item/11622937-ricken ... er-2-white

wow these things aren't cheap are they??
is it possible to contact the seller directly?

I guess, but we're talking about production numbers that are FAR less than Gibson or Fender from the same era. It's a rare piece, in that respect and the central feature of any Rickenbacker. To me, that's well worth the price for a proper TRC and ultimately it raises the value of your instrument by the same amount or even more.

Even if it's just a piece of plastic, so is a white 1959 Les Paul M-69 pickup ring, and those are $10,000 each!

The seller is David Kim, who used to frequent this forum. You can email or call from the info on his RRF profile here:
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1991

collin wrote:Even if it's just a piece of plastic, so is a white 1959 Les Paul M-69 pickup ring, and those are $10,000 each!

(.....rifles through shoebox full of 1959 Gibson parts......................)

collin wrote:The seller is David Kim, who used to frequent this forum. You can email or call from the info on his RRF profile here:
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1991

David is a great guy, buy with condidence from him.

Do you have any video links to your band? I’d love to see that guitar in action!

rkbsound wrote:Do you have any video links to your band? I’d love to see that guitar in action!

Sorry for the late response, just got back from xmas holidays.
i dont have any links with the 615 as I've only played one show with it, which happened to be our album launch a few weeks back.
But here are some links with my 330, when i have some live clips with the 615 ill post them, have a couple of shows coming up in Jan.

This is our last single, How Will I Know?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzq1nkaLTrM

And these were there first 2 singles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inKpS3Y3oK0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRbDOzjXNKM