Mr. Hall

[eggman]

Dear Mr. Hall,

Please bring the 360 WB back into regular production. They are your most visually striking guitar and one I've always wanted.
Those double-bound 360's are a sight to behold. I realize that you've got the vintage model, but could you manage to make even a limited run of more moderately priced 360 WB's? I'll bet they'd sell like M&M's!

Respectfully,
Larry Carroll

[sloop_john_b]

I'd buy one in Azureglo.

[johnhall]

"moderately priced 360 WB's". Ha!! That's a good one.

Binding and moderately priced are mutually exclusive terms, especially when you say double binding.

[brammy]

Am I right that a double-binding would have to be on the 330 model (ie: the pre-64 360) like pictured here?

A modern 360 (with rounded edges) could only be have a single white binding.... correct?... or am I cunfused as usual?

[ozover50]

You've got it right, Kent!

[tony_carey]

You're right Kent. The picture you have posted is a 360WB-12. I like the WB's, but the double binding & large headstock seem to be at odds with each other.

John's right Larry, double binding & moderately priced are also at odds with each other! Nice idea though.....

[ozover50]

"These dreams........" Heart

[eggman]

Mr. Hall,

Perhaps I'm incorrect in assuming that a 360 WB with Hi-Gain p/u's, "R" tailpiece and Schallers would be less expensive than your current vintage '63 offering?

Respectfully,
Larry Carroll

[tony_carey]

Larry, I can't see that it would be less expensive to produce than a 360V64 is. (OK the C series is something else). The R tailpiece has got to be more expensive than a trapeze & I would imagine that the cost of toasters & hi-gains are similar. Machine heads I would also assume would be similar & wouldn't think that there would be much in a 24 or 21 fret neck. It is my understanding that the binding is the really expensive thing to do....& you can understand why by looking at Dales pics of the process in the vibrola section.

[jingle_jangle]

...and you go broke buying rubber bands, too!

Binding is the most labor-intensive part of finishing a guitar. Routing the slots, butting or mitering the joints, bending it around those sharp horns, gluing it into place, scraping it flush, etc., etc.

[eggman]

Mr. Hall,

Thank you for answering my question. And thanks to everyone else here for helping clear up this matter for me.

Respectfully,
Larry

[lawton]

This is interesting to me as someone who's owned/owns a 325C58 and a 325v63. Neither guitar has any binding, but neither guitar (except for Guitar Center's insanity last September) was/is available at any sort of decreased price (and I don't expect that will be true of the 325C64). It's not that I mind this as a 325 player -- I love the 325s and don't feel that I've paid more than their worth -- but it's interesting to consider that Rickenbacker might be making a bit more profit on these guitars than on some of the others (again, not a bad thing -- we want Rickenbacker to make money and stay around!).

[tony_carey]

Lawton, I would guess that the R&D & re-tooling to manufacture a C series to the accuracy to which they aspire, would be a LOT higher than adapting a production model....

[jingle_jangle]

Lawton, with all due respect, I think that this is a moot point that would lead to another pointless cost discussion.

Any manufacturer sets his trade prices by taking his cost to build, in materials and labor, adding whatever other burdens are attached to the product, adding his desired profit margin, and tossing in a fudge factor.

RIC stays closely to this formula, making their guitars affordable legends with awesome DNA and unbeatable history. There are direct ties to all of this in that, though modernized, the guitars retain their characteristic sound, classic playability, and legendary quirks.

The whole research project and retooling on the historic line has to be recovered somehow, and I for one feel they are worth every penny and then some. They absorb a lot of time and effort. And it takes guts and commitment to produce something like the 325C58, warts and all, as it is a playable museum piece of heirloom quality.

[lawton]

Paul, as I said in my post -- "I love the 325s and don't feel that I've paid more than they're worth."



As guitars go generally I like neck binding and something other than dot inlays. Somehow those preferences don't seem to apply as regards my feelings about the 325s!