Availability and cost of least expensive 320/325 model?

[houblues]

If this info is somewhere already, please just point me to it, but I looked at least briefly and did not find it. My daughter is 9 and already coming along on guitar. She is still a beginner for sure, but becoming a more advanced one. The thing is she is small and likely always will be. I am thinking that when she advances some, the short scale of the 325 would be perfect for her. I had a 325C64 that I decided I needed to sell and put $ into other things (like a Ric 12!).

I am not looking for anything fancy (actually not looking at all yet, just trying to get info). What i'd want for her if it were economical is simply a quality player, not a museum piece. It wouldn't need to be a C series but see that is all they currently make.

Didn't they make 325s back in the 80s or 90s that were not a special series but just a regular Ric with a shorter scale? How often do those come up for sale and what is a reasonable price? Are prices escalating such that I would be better off buying soon even if she is not ready for it (knowing it would hold its value anyway)? Any insight you can give I would appreciate.

[tennis_nick]

the 80's did hold some 325's and 320's. you can get your hand on them if you watch ebay like a hawk.

Like all Ricks, they are going for higher and higher prices...

If all else fails, you can get a short scale Stratocaster that might suit her as well.

[jingle_jangle]

Eeh. The '80s 320s are up in the $1200-1500 range, from under $1K a mere 12 months ago...

You could look for the short scale Rick sleeper...the Electro ES-16. These were made from about 1965 until 1983 or so. This is a single pickup student model, and although rare, they do crop up in the $400-600 range. The Rickenbacker equivalent, the Combo 1000 is double the price when available.

Alternative, much cheaper is one of the nice li'l Squier minis, which have a 22.5" scale like the old Musicmasters and Duo Sonics. These are around $100 at most larger guitar stores. You could also look at Fender Musicmasters from the '70s, which are currently in the $500-600 range, and are good investments in any event.

[melibreits]

We got our son one of those Squier mini's for Christmas a couple of years ago--actually a really cool-sounding guitar, although it drives me crazy that the thing won't stay in tune for very long--I wish they would put better tuners on those things, so that aspiring young guitarists wouldn't get discouraged to easily....

BTW, Patrick, how do you like your Ric 330/12?

[houblues]

I just got to strum it a bit in my office before getting back to work but it plays very similiarly to my 330/6. That should not be a surprise I guess, but that seemed more than I could expect from a 12. I agree that "butter" is the right term. Very nice and thank you Melissa. I can't wait to plug it in tonight but must endure a meeting this evening first. And it won't be until Friday that I can really crank the Vox up with it. After that, I have delivery of my Janglebox to look forward to. So it's a fun week!

My daughter has the Mini as well. I put some Schaller tuners on it and use heavier strings (I forget whether they are 10s or 11s) and that seems to do the trick as far as keeping it in tune. That serves her well for now and, with a pickup upgrade, could for a long time. I really was thinking more for when she is older and wondering if the hunt for a reasonably priced short scale Ric might be a long-term project. For better or worse she has noticed her father's tendancy to run through a lot of guitars and wondered aloud what her next one will be. Nine years old and already has GAS. I'm in for a long next ten years.

Thank you to the others who have posted their thoughts already.

[houblues]

Oh and I forgot to mention this about a Musicmaster. Just last weekend I fell into a 1978 Musicmaster that still had the original hang tags on it. Not a mark other than one finish flaw that appears to have come from the factory. Definitely a "put up" guitar, which I don't have room for, so it moved along to a friend. A fun find though. And I did stick it in my daughter's hands to get a look. FWIW, the local Ric dealer suggested a Fender Mustang as another to consider.

[rkbsound]

A really good alternative, and I mean really good, is the NEW Danelctro Pro-1 Reissue. It is short scale and plays like butter. It is not the same as the previous reissues quality wise - much better - but still retains a killer price. I got mine for $250.00 and it plays like a pricier guitar. They also come in a pallette of ultra cool colors and look super cool as well. Good luck with your search!

[jingle_jangle]

Mustangs have a 24" scale, which is the same as a Jaguar, and right on the edge of long/short scale. To get a 22.5" scale youneed to go back to a '60s Musicmaster or Duo Sonic, and these are starting to command serious money, due to the Strat Halo Effect.

According to the Dano website, although the original '59 Pros had short scales, the reissues have a 25" scale.

[beatlefreak]

There's a 325 on Ebay right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rickenbacker-Guitar ... dZViewItem

[wmthor]

Several years back, I got my then seven year-old nephew a Ric Model 1000. The perfect guitar for a youngster.

[jingle_jangle]

The 325 on the Bay appears to be a reworked '80s issue. The headstock looks wider than a V or C, for starters. Price is pretty good, if that was the final sale price. It's gonna see slow action with $1300 as a starter, though.