Anybody cares for a Laguna?

wim · Post by **wim** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 10:14 am

http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/Rickenbacker-380-laguna_W0QQitemZ7357931715QQcategoryZ41439QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Why were these discontinued anyway?

brian_l · Post by **brian_l** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:23 pm

I have always liked them, but my biggest complaint with them was the lack of the familiar pickguard assembly that the other Rick hollowbodies have.
I think this model looked a bit un-Rick like for most people. I saw a prototype of this guitar on another Rick website where it had a gold pickguard and trussrod cover. If the production models would have had these features, I think this model would have been better accepted, in my opinion.
I am not knocking the 380L, but a Rick hollowbody just doesn't look the same without a pickguard.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:41 pm

Well, Brian, it's not exactly tough to add one...

brian_l · Post by **brian_l** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:47 pm

A guard can be added without too much butchery to the guitar? If so, I may have to hunt down a used 380L and see about having a guard added to it.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:17 pm

Maybe it ahead of it's time. would it have been more popular if had a 21 fret neck, Maple body, rosewood frretboard, full width inlays and was available in FG, JG and the rest of the colorglo family. Personally, I think so. I owned one and thought it was a great guitar. The good news is that RIC could decide to build this guitar. BTW, the oil finish is the best feeling of any instrument that I've ever owned.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:28 pm

A FG Laguna would be a 360 with a piezo and new bridge. I always thought that the major distinguishing features of this guitar were half sound (piezo and bridge) and half looks (walnut).

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:31 pm

I meant to say about adding guards:

Anything you do to add a pickguard would be non-reversible, even double-sticking one on without screws, because the tape would eventually stain the walnut. So while you're drilling holes for the screws, you can also rout the opening for the controls.

I think it'd look great.

krick · Post by **krick** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 6:26 am

winston · Post by **winston** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 6:48 am

Very nice Kevin,

I suspect that the RCA Limited Edition is a very rare guitar.

krick · Post by **krick** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 6:57 am

Brian, I only know of two other RCA-SPC 12 String guitars and they are both owned by other Forum members. I have heard there were a total of 12 made.

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:30 am

Just a gorgeous looking instrument Kevin.

janglebox · Post by **janglebox** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:41 am

I love mine. Along with MB, I think these may be the most beautiful of Ric finishes.

Though this may be heresy, I'm having Matt Baker at Action Music replace the humbuckers w/toasters. Of course, I'll hang on the the humbuckers just in case.

wim · Post by **wim** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:41 am

that 12-er looks great.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 10:14 am

Steve, so you're gonna have chrome toasters on a gold-hardware guitar?

squid · Post by **squid** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 10:37 am

Just a quick word about adding a pickguard to one of these guitars. The pick-ups are set into the body of this guitar, rather than resting on top of the body as with other hollowbodied Rics. The resulting string clearance probably isn't high enough to allow for a traditional two-tiered Ric pickguard. Perhaps this is why it wasn't included on this model?

I love mine, by the way. Little by little it works its way into my sound. I don't think I could go without it at this stage. I used it about a month ago to get some serious Neil Young guitar crunch. Those humbuckers are a lot of fun.

Still can't figure out the best set-up for incorporating the piezo, though. Maybe I should run it separately to an acoustic amp? Anyone else using separate amps to get the most out of this guitar? I just feel like a single amp can't get all of the potential sounds out of this model.