Rickenbacker Model 1993 SPC

[leftybass]

Also, the designation of Peter's new guitar is somewhat misleading, although if Rickenbacker calls it a 1993SPC, that's what it is....but not really. The guitar shares most of it's features with a 360/12V64, only Peter's guitar has an f-hole rather than a slash sound-hole. The Rose-Morris 1993's had bound bodies with an f-hole, but had dot-inlays on the fretboard and were wired mono with a single jackplate.

The first of these re-issues with an f-hole was made around 1985, and they made more in the mid-late 90's, how many I dunno....Peter's guitar is unique in the sense of the finish being Montezuma Brown.

[headbanger]

I was thinking the same thing...."although if Rickenbacker calls it a 1993SPC, that's what it is....but not really." 360S/12 perhaps.

[johnhall]

Peter's guitar IS a 360/12v64 with -F- hole more or less. However, I also told Peter there were would be no company designation for it other than the 99XXX factory SKU number.

SPC means nothing more than "special" and can cover virtually anything. So, call it a 360/12v64 SPC or a 1993 SPC or a 360/12 WB SPC- whatever makes you happy.

Also, I remember only one other non-standard guitar made for my friends during the last year, an insignificant number compared to total production. I therefore find it quite specious when someone suggests that I've inconvenienced "hundreds of regular customers" suggesting that standard production had been delayed. It's even more amazing when the criticism comes from one who also stated he isn't one of these customers.

[admin]

Leftybass and Headbanger: This guitar is certainly closest to the Model 360/12V64 as has been discussed. To add the f-hole designation precisely describes the unique feature of the instrument although the overall identifier remains a bit awkward or cumbersome, the "Model 360/12V64 f-hole." It would be nice to have a model number that is more precise.

In conceptualizing this model, is it a 360/12V64 with Model 1993 characteristics or is it a Model 1993 with 360/12V64 characteristics? It would seem that it is a matter of "six of one American model or half a dozen of another UK export."

As John Hall notes the SPC identifier simply points to a special feature. As such it does not provide the reader, without further comments, with a specific image or set of parameters in which to conceptualize the instrument in question.
So the models "360/12v64 SPC, 1993 SPC or 360/12 WB SPC" all apply.

Headbanger's 360S/12 suggestion harkens back to the nomenclature of the 1946-67 period and parallels the Rose-Morris models 1998(345S),1997(335S) or 1996 (325S), for example. So the 1993 would be a 330S/12. Had a 360/12 been exported with an f-hole, presumably its model as Gerry suggests would be a Model 360S/12. As this model was not offered, we are still stuck today without a precise reference for the 360/12V64 f-hole.

While incomplete, to my way of thinking the merit of the Model 1993 SPC is that is does, in keeping with the Rose-Morris days, provide the reader with the idea that it is a 12 string guitar with an f-hole. One then has to wonder what the other special features would be, deluxe features or perhaps a vibrato? Using the 360/12V64 SPC or the 360/12 WB SPC while equally acceptable doesn't seem to create the image of an f-hole. Although incomplete, my preference is the Model 1993 SPC.

As there are not many of these instruments out there, does this question deserve all this attention? Probably not. Should there be more of these produced then it would seem fair to create a unique model number. Perhaps a single letter could be added after the model to refer to a Rose-Morris Model 1993, with the deluxe double binding and triangle fret-markers. One idea could be to call it a Model 1993D or Model 1993d, a UK export with these specific deluxe features. If something such as this were officially on the books it would remove the awarkwardness of a long description and provide a new one that precisely identifies the instrument from this moment forward.

No matter what you call it, this is a beautiful model.

[leftybass]

Peter, the genesis of your guitar started back in 1964, when Rickenbacker made a few of these guitars (at least 2 or 3).....One was demonstrated by Danny D'Lacy at the summer trade shows in 1964, another one was sent to Britain to Rose-Morris as a sample but was never adopted...it ended up with Pete Townshend, who subsequently smashed it at a later date.....

So, 360S/12 makes sense, so does 360/12V64 with f-hole, YMMV. It is a fabulous guitar, no doubt.<drool> LOL

[melibreits]

Truly a thing of beauty. I love the Montezuma Brown finish.

[leftybass]

Peter, I might also add that your guitar and others preceding it is a deluxe model, with either dual-mono or Ric-O-Sound, whereas the original RM 1993 guitars and there mid-80's re-issues were single-jack guitars....even more so, a 330/12 with an f-hole and body binding.

The examples of double-bound 360/12's with f-holes made in 1964 also had chrome-top knobs, even the one sent to Rose-Morris that Townshend played/smashed.

[njmusicman]

A cool idea would have been for Rickenbacker to make this model the "Pete Townshend Limited Edition 12-String", thereby making Townshend the only artist ever to have 2 different Limited Editions for Rickenbacker. He was known for playing the 1993 back in the 60's, would have been cool. However, considering Pete's recent troubles with the police and his computer, i doubt he'll see many endorsement offers for quite awhile.

Another idea would be to make this model the Rickenbacker "British Invasion" Limited Edition 12-string, being that the 1993 is associated with some of those classic British groups of that period. A limited edition of perhaps 250 or 500 would be cool.

[shamustwin]

British Invasion edition would be cool. Up until the '70's, when I actually purchased my first Ric, (the first I'd held or played) I thought they were English guitars.