Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi all,
just wondering if anyone can shed any light on the reason my early 80s Ricks are all various shades of Fireglo (and are they all in fact Fireglo)?

I know there were day to day variations but surely there was some basic consistency to the paint formula etc? The difference is most profound in my two 360s. Is my 360 XII just really faded? The 360 and 330 are 20 years apart but look quite similar (as does the 4001) but the variation in shades is obvious on all.

Thanks in advance. Stu

Just because they are sprayed by hand, and then factor in whatever they were subjected to for the last 40 years.

"XII?" You're thinking Fender ha ha ha ha ha

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I thought maybe that was the case but I wasn't actually sure if there wasn't another name for some of them (I've seen a finish called Autumnglo which looks similar to Fireglo for instance)?

It depends on the year generally, although that's not always the case.
A '66 has much redder burst than a '67 which is more faded Orange.
The early 80s and 81s were very red in the burst which i like.
I suppose it depends on how many times the spray gun was passed over the guitar whilst being sprayed.The 71 on the left has had a extra pass on the spray which makes it look slightly deeper and redder compared to the other one.

Also, Fireglo is susceptible to fading (especially instruments from the 60s-80s) with exposure to direct sunlight/UV.

It's not at all uncommon to lift the pickguard on an old Fireglo Rickenbacker and discover that it's an entirely different shade underneath the guard.


But what is stated above is also true, certain eras (and even years) have a very distinct shade/pattern of Fireglo depending on the person applying the finish at that time.

Great stuff. All very interesting (and some beautiful Rics in the pics), thanks.

Lots of variations with FireGlo over the years:

Pink centers, orange centers, yellow centers, dark red edges and light pink centers (affectionately known as "ClownGlo") reddish Brown, neutral "buff" centers, etc....FireGlo has seen 'em all over the years.

I just sold a 2005 360/12C63 which was pink and red, and bought a 2021 of the same model which is a beautiful red-to-orange, my favorite.

And, photographs can look decidedly different than the actual instrument, depending on the lighting when the photos are taken.

Best to see the one you're buying, before you buy it.