Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I just found a nice 360 JG from 1973 that has a headstock that I have never seen on (pictures of) 360's from that period: it is much slimmer than the usual fat headstocks (with grover tuners) from that period, it carrier Kluson (type) tuners, and seems very similar to the versions from the 65-70 period. In the various Rickenbacker books I did find pictures of similar headstocks on early 70's 330's and 620's, but never on 360's.

Do you think the headstock on the 1973 360 may not be original?

Thanks and best wishes,
Kees

Hard to say without a clear point of reference....I'd say try to post a pic or two so we can see what it looks like....if there are no obvious mods, chances are it's original, they were done both ways.

Kees wrote:I just found a nice 360 JG from 1973 that has a headstock that I have never seen on (pictures of) 360's from that period: it is much slimmer than the usual fat headstocks (with grover tuners) from that period, it carrier Kluson (type) tuners, and seems very similar to the versions from the 65-70 period. In the various Rickenbacker books I did find pictures of similar headstocks on early 70's 330's and 620's, but never on 360's.

Do you think the headstock on the 1973 360 may not be original?

Thanks and best wishes,
Kees

You have to look at 1970-1973 as a transitional period. There are no absolutes. Some had 21 frets, some had 24 frets; occasionally they had checkered binding; occasionally they had small BOUND headstocks; sometimes higains, sometimes toasters.

I think it's more likely that it's just a period-correct anomaly and not a replaced headstock.

sloop_john_b wrote:You have to look at 1970-1973 as a transitional period. There are no absolutes. Some had 21 frets, some had 24 frets; occasionally they had checkered binding; occasionally they had small BOUND headstocks; sometimes higains, sometimes toasters.

My favorite period of Ricks, they tried so many weird things.

There's even that one 360 with a super-skinny inlay at the 24th fret...

leftybass wrote:Hard to say without a clear point of reference....I'd say try to post a pic or two so we can see what it looks like....if there are no obvious mods, chances are it's original, they were done both ways.

Here's a picture.

Thanks for the input,
Kees

Looks great to my eye, no issues to be seen......a good honest one.

Nice guitar Kees!! Looks real to me... What is the Serial Number?

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:Nice guitar Kees!! Looks real to me... What is the Serial Number?

Thanks! It's MK 5350..

Best wishes,
Kees

Kees:

The Serial number checks out - they were doing a few 360s that month. Several others are in the register.

The more paddle like headstock and the change to Grover tuners seems to have come around 1975.