When Did Rickenbacker Discontinue the VN Option?

woody · Post by **woody** » Tue May 03, 2005 4:58 am

OK, Gary. Give me a day or two to dig 'em out. I'm thinking late 80's-early 90's. John/Bob can you help?

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Tue May 03, 2005 5:52 am

Woody, when you find that price list, be sure to send us a copy as we (and the computer) seem to be missing that one.

BobKat · Post by **BobKat** » Tue May 03, 2005 7:15 am

I have never seen a price list with that option. I wish I had; I would have ordered up a few.

I am not even sure that the VN was ever an official, or unofficial, nomenclature as defined by RIC. Very probably the VN was an extrapolation by the author of the book. If RIC had produced such an instrument it would probably have been tagged with "SPC" as in the case of the RCA guitars, the 21-fret 370/12s that were floating around in the '80s and '90s (McGuinn overruns, most) and the Tuxedos. Ditto the 1997s with 3 pickups.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue May 03, 2005 10:29 am

In the latest Japanese book (mook) 'I Love Rickenbacker 12 Strings', there is a Fireglo round-top 360/12 that has a VN/VP designation beside it. It is a 21-fret 360/12, very similar to a 360/12CW but the book dates it far before those guitars came out...That may be where all this is coming from..

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Tue May 03, 2005 10:48 am

I have read references on the forum on a number of occasions to this book, I Love Rickenbacker 12 Strings, published, I assume, in Japan. Is it (still) possible to get a copy of this book here in the states?

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Tue May 03, 2005 11:31 am

Stan, I doubt you'll find it here but you won't be missing much either. Given it was done without official cooperation, and that the publisher's experience is with mooks about bikes, it's not exactly what you'd call authoritative.

woody · Post by **woody** » Tue May 03, 2005 12:05 pm

Bob, I'm not aware of the SPC designation being used before the early 90's, and the overruns we both love are all after they closed the RM series. The VN option pre-dated SPC. And why the 1997SPC wasn't called an 1998 still baffles me. In any case, I'll be digging through my stuff tonight for the list of prices and options.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue May 03, 2005 1:00 pm

Mooks?

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Tue May 03, 2005 1:20 pm

Cross between a magazine and a book. It's a Japanese thing.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue May 03, 2005 1:33 pm

Ah! So. I have a collection of these on various nefarious topics.

(Motorcycles, VWs, etc.)

BobKat · Post by **BobKat** » Tue May 03, 2005 3:12 pm

The Tuxedo was designated SPC in the late '80s.

BobKat · Post by **BobKat** » Tue May 03, 2005 3:14 pm

John, of course I can not read Japanese, but the book appears to contain intervoews with you and some other factory folks (your father too if I recall, I can not find the copy I have). How was that done without official cooperation? Were they simply lifted from other sources?

Cooperation or not, great pics. And here in the U.S., the Smith book is not that great and the Bacon book, great but incomplete.

I await THE Rickenbacker book.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Tue May 03, 2005 3:48 pm

And I hope JH will be writing an autobiography. In his "spare" time, of course!

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Tue May 03, 2005 4:55 pm

Wrong book, Bob. They were talking about "I Love Rickenbacker 12 Strings", not "Rickenbacker- Pioneer of the Erecteric Guitar".

It's getting less and less likely that I'd write anything- at least anything Rickenbacker related. Some ill informed (and ill mannered) folks have made it simply too controversial or contentious to make that a pleasant experience. Nevermind that in many cases I was there and/or actually played or own the instruments!

It's been my intention to begin the publication of much of our archival records coincident with our 75th anniversary next year but I'll not do it to have certain know-it-alls pick it to death. It'd be better to wait until the 100th anniversary when it will be appreciated.

I've actually have been writing a very loosely autobiographical novel for some years now but it probably couldn't be published in my (or at least my wife's) lifetime!

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Tue May 03, 2005 5:11 pm

JH: Given that the material will be historic and factual, clowns who pick it to death will be showing their ignorance and inability to accept the truth.

If they disagree with decisions made by yourself and your father over the years then stiff cheddar - it happened!! RIC hasn't fallen in a screaming heap because of it!

Please don't leave it for 25 years - I'll be ashes by then!!