370 vrs 360

[qmoder]

This is probably a dirty topic. But has anyone ever made a 360 into a 370?

[jingle_jangle]

Sure. Happens all the time.

[qmoder]

No kiddin really?

[bails]

Does Roger McGuinn count as 'anyone'?

[qmoder]

Bails I don't think that you've quite grasped the lunacy of what I'm saying. I am not asking if anybody plays a 370. But has anybody ever made a 370 out of a 360?
I have a 370/12 in Jetglo. I want a 370/6 in Jetglo to match. I am thinking of a texas chainsaw event.

[sloop_john_b]

Bails I don't think that you've quite grasped the lunacy of what I'm saying. I am not asking if anybody plays a 370. But has anybody ever made a 370 out of a 360?
I have a 370/12 in Jetglo. I want a 370/6 in Jetglo to match. I am thinking of a texas chainsaw event.

Well, actually McGuinn did do that originally. But even mortals add the 3rd pickup all the time, ain't no big thing.

[bails]

Roger McGuinn is easily the most famous 370 player ever, and his did in fact begin life as a 360 which he later asked Rickenbacker to convert to a 370.

I much prefer the look of a three pick-up Rickenbacker and, as a result own both a 340 and a Rose, Morris 1998. I do seem to be in the minority if the register is anything to go by...

[qmoder]

Well I thought you fellas were joshing me. But you learn something every day. I had sorta heard it the opposite way around. However no hard evidence was ever offered. All I heard about it was that his signature guitar was a 370 with the checkerboard binding (which is cool) and the onboard compressor along with the byrd wiring. But in fact so the rumor went all he ever used on the recordings was the bridge pickup.
Its nice to know I'm not alone in wanting a 370 though.
Fact is I already have and 03 360/6 in Monty Brown. I have a weakness for the Ric three pickup guitars too. They just have a special look to them like a Six Pack Mopar. So I had decieded to get a 370/12 string and since the odds of getting a Monty one is pretty slim. I thought that a Jetglo one with all the white guards, truss rod cover, and binding had to be a pretty cool three pickup Ric.
I had thought about 350/12 in Jetglo too. But the binding, F hole, Shark Finn inlays, and larger body of the 370 was too much of a draw for me. Not only that but I kinda wanted to get a six string to match it too (its a sickness). After all there's not much sense in getting another six string if its gonna be another same for me 360 just in another color.
I really got lucky and got the 370/12 in Jetglo. But I'm not having much luck finding a 370/6. So that is what is driving me to this madness. I know I can mount the pickup. I do all kinds of crazy mods that I want to my lesser guitars all the time. But I realize that it will probably lower the value of a Ric. That and it seems like a hersey.
But I am so tempted. I already have some extra highgains even. Somebody help me!!!!!.

[jingle_jangle]

I wouldn't hesitate to modify a newer 360 into a 370 if the sound was what I wanted. I'd also do the 5th knob/middle pickup volume control in a heartbeat! I would, however, think twice about doing this to a vintage Rick; it's irreversible due to the routing and/or drilling necessary.

A funny thought: Umm, a flat-magnet pickup, some screw heads glued into place in the center holes (no drilling), and some foam double-stick tape, and you could have your cake and eat it, too...use foam pickup cushions and nobody would be the wiser...soldering is always reversible.

Seems like a Hershey to me, too, especially in Monte Brown!

[qmoder]

No I wasn't thinking of a vintage Ric at all. But sooner or later they all become vintage. Roger Mcquin probably thought the same thing LOL.. There are some new 360/6'er's floating around. I rather like the wiring in my 370 just fine. The mixing control of the fifth knob allows a lot of lead way in getting different sounds no problem'o.
I'll try and hold a while longer. But this is getting mighty tempting to just grab one and yank out the dremel.

[jingle_jangle]

NOT the Dremel. This "tool" is responsible for more bodge jobs on guitars than anything else. Using this will surely mess with your resale value. Shall I tell you about the otherwise fine vintage Ricks that I've had to restore, reversing the previous owners' Dremel butchery? With a simple Forstner bit and a drill press (pillar drill), you can relieve a body for magnets in a much cleaner,way that is closer to how the factory did it in days gone by. (Nowadays it's a CNC operation).

And, Dan, you haven't really heard flexibility of tones in a 3-pickup Rick until you've tried one with the 5th pot mod.

[qmoder]

Ah but I dearly love that Fiberglass cut off wheel. You know zig, zig, sig, Heil heritage microphones LOL..
But you know you might have something there. I was just taking those extra Highgains out of the padded envelope I've got em stored in. It look like to me all I need to drill a hole for the wires and thats it. I suppose if you sank them down much however those little strip magnets would need relief.
Whats a Forester bit? I guess you realized by now I'm and ameutur at work working. I guess its a bit more involved than building a model ship LOL.
You'll have to send me a file on the master volume control wiring some day so I can hear the sounds that I'm missing at this very moment on my 370/12.

[jingle_jangle]

http://www.toolstation.com/images/libra ... /29932.jpg

[teb]

I added a third pickup to both my twelves, but I didn't think I was getting much bang for my buck sound-wise with the stock 370-style wiring - even with Ric-O-Sound, so I rewired them.



The 360/12WB has a toaster at the neck and a converted, toaster-covered high-gain at the bridge. The added middle pickup is another toaster. At first, I had it rigged with another small 3-way toggle switch that would mix the middle toaster in with either the neck pickup, the bridge pickup or turn it off. I liked it better than the stock system (a bit more sound versatility) but I still didn't think it was doing exactly what I wanted it to do, so it was back to the drawing board. I run a JangleBox most of the time, but it was cutting the low end a little more than I liked, so I dumped the second toggle and wired the middle pickup independently. Now the neck toaster and bridge high-gain pickups run through the standard 5-knob configuration and to the normal jack. The middle pickup runs to a volume pot with a sixth knob and then to a mono jack where the R,O,S, stereo jack used to be. If I plug a standard mono cord into the normal jack, I have a regular 360 - but one with the toaster/high-gain pickup combo. Most of the time I use a double Y-cord and plug into both jacks. The neck/bridge circuit goes to the JangleBox and then to one channel or one amp and the middle pickup circuit goes to a different channel or a different amp. By using the sixth knob, I can mix in as much of the pure unadulterated middle pickup sound (and unfiltered low end) as I want. In my opinion, it works wonderfully.

The 330/12 is similar, but wired slightly differently as it only has one jack. It has toasters at the neck and bridge positions, the standard 5-knob circuit and runs to the tip part of a stereo jack, which replaced the mono jack. The middle pickup is a converted high-gain on it's own circuit with a volume pot and sixth knob and it runs to the barrel portion of the same stereo jack. Plug in a mono cord and you have a stock 330 with twin toasters. Plug in a stereo cord (Y-cord or through a splitter) and you have the middle pickup available to run to a different amp or channel and mix in as desired. I only record for fun these days, but I'll generally stereo wire the twelve into two tracks with one track being the clean middle pickup circuit with a minimum of effects. It comes in handy when I want to dilute something I've done on the other track with a bit more clean sound.

Those who believe that it's a sin to modify a Rickenbacker would likely be shocked and offended by my mods, but I bought them to use and they do get used a lot. They still look great and it's hard to argue with the sounds they can produce. Here are five short clips (all of the 360/12WB) stuck together to show some of the variation I've used. When I'm gone, they probably won't go to a collector or a purist - they'll just go to somebody who wants a couple of REALLY good Rickenbacker twelve-strings.

http://webpages.charter.net/tbradshaw/M ... es%20A.mp3

[admin]

Cool looks, creativity and improved functioning to boot. Who could ask for more? Well done, Todd.