My two unique rics

[seanyfitz]

1966 Ric 330 was purchased used from the now defunct Dr. Guitar in Garden City Michigan in 1986 or 85. I paid $300 for it. After looking for a Ric for many years I finally gave up and went to by a Fender Tele I had seen at another store. When I got there , it was gone. I stopped at Dr Guitar on the way home and the owner said,"I have something for you." It was a butchered 1966 330. The original bridge and tail piece were gone and replaced with an all in one bridge/ tail piece which had promptly fallen over when the strings were tensioned and a cheap trapeze was installed . The guitar was originally Fire Glo but was refinished natural. I know this by the slight Fire Glo overspray in the sound hole. The top and internal base of the neck had been routed for humbuckers which destroyed the structural integrity at the neck and the neck was slowly pulling up as this was not a complete neck through body guitar. Slowly I found a used Ric Bridge and Pickups (who knows, maybe they were the originals.) I finally figured out the neck and installed a maple puck in the neck position pick up hole after socking two small screws into the back to pull back the neck, giving the rigidity back to the guitar and improving the sustain by remaking the neck to top connection. I repaired and replace a couple frets myself. I installed a gibson SG style Bigsby like the type John Lennon did. I love playing this guitar and every time I play out people always comment on how great it sounds, and when my friends play it they fall in love. I had a fire in 1992 and I was able to grab it running out of the apartment.

1966 Ric 360 ( says 365 in red wax pencil under the pick gaurd. It was purchased used from Wonderland Music in Dearborn Mich for $399 around 1987. I had gone in to look for an amp. While walking through the door I turned to friend and said,"why are we going here, they never have anything cool?" Turns out they had a Jet Glo Ric 360 which I promptly bought.
It was near mint!! In 1992 I had the above mentioned fir and unfortunately could not rescue this guitar from damage. All plastic and inlay material was melted. Pickups were destroyed and the High E side of the neck was charred and the top fire damaged. A crack I had always been able to hear but not see opened up in the top. I cried. I decided to try and save it. after sanding of the burn, and charred neck wood A friend and I appoxied the crack and clear coated the guitar. The Burn looked really cool under the clear coat. I redid the inlays with a mixture of poly-resin and blue/gold iridescent paints. I replaced the frets with larger ones. The neck is a full mm narrower at least at the nut because of all the burned rosewood that had to be removed. I recently purchased a nut and new Klusons from you. I had the nut sectioned but had to re do it even further. I play violin so close together strings aren't a big deal. I actually filed my own frets and did okay. I plays pretty well, for an amateur job. I just ordered the electronics from you (had to get the left handed set cause your temporarily out of the right, and have been for sometime). It has a gold plexi pick guard. It is a blast to play and although I wish it was still mint like when I got it, there is something very special about it and I am glad to have strings on it after 16 years.

Sean Fitz

[collin]

Hey Sean,

they sound awesome- with history as well! Glad you saved them both from destruction in that fire.

Post some pics and let's see!

Cheers,
-Collin


ps....we're not Rickenbacker, nor run by/affiliated with Rickenbacker- that's the other forum!

[1965]

How slight is the overspray on the 330? No Ricks should have any paint in the soundhole, it's a tell-tale sign of a refin. The 365 means that guitar originally had a vibrato on it. Shame about the fire.

[ken_j]

Welcome Sean. Are you still in the Detroit area? There are a number of forum members from the big D.

[seanyfitz]

Hey there guys, (or Gals and guys) The over spray is very light, on the 330, just barely there, just a few drops, but the guitar was FG until a member of the Incurables got hold of it and decided he wanted to go John Lennon's casino on it. He stripped it, and routed it for humbuckers, Ykes. It had a Bill Lawerence in the Bridge position and a cheap lespaul knock off in the neck. The guitar has bracing under the top and the neck only goes in aways, not all the way through. The routing of course destroyed the link between the body and neck. I fixed it sort of with a maple insert. It now has a High Gain in the Neck and a Duncan soap Bar in the bridge. The guy attempted to install a Badass Bridge on it and the bridge wouldn't stand up to the string tension, hence the trapeze tail peice. It's got a gibson Bigsby and a ric roller bridge I found rummaging.
As for the 360, he 365 marking under the pick guard are interesting because the guitar has an R tail peice. I wonder if the factory changed it's mind, or the customer added it or the music store switched it back in 66. I know nothing about the different K Values of the Ric pick ups I have acquired from Ric and the parts bins. I'm not even sure they are all real Ric toasters. The original toaster pickup and a Ric Humbucker I installed in the 360 got melted in the fire, but I'm reinstalling the undamaged Toaster that was in the bridge position originally and another toaster at the neck.

Someday I hope to own a 59 330

[seanyfitz]

Pictures soon,
P.S. That Burgandy Glo 320 in the forum is freaking beautiful!

[doctorwho]

Welcome, Sean!

[chefothefuture]

How slight is the overspray on the 330? No Ricks should have any paint in the soundhole, it's a tell-tale sign of a refin. The 365 means that guitar originally had a vibrato on it. Shame about the fire.

There are many Ricks out there with the wax marking not matching the hardware. There are even wax markings that do not match the color.
That does not mean the guitar was altered.
The 60s were a turbulent time at Electro String, so there are a lot of inconsistencies.

Same goes with over spray in the sound hole.

[seanyfitz]

Ken, I'll be playing Lager House Saturday, so I'll be playing them. Sean

[jdogric12]

Are you the bassist Sean Fitzgerald that moved from Tampa to Minnesota? This is J Dog from IRWO.

[sloop_john_b]

Welcome Sean - I cannot wait to see photos of these!

[seanyfitz]

Anybody have any wiring photos of 360 wiring for reference as bot these rics have been seriously altered? I'd like to get them closer to original.

[ken_j]

Look here: http://www.rickenbacker.com/service_g_schematics.asp

[seanyfitz]

Thanks for the link. I am not so good with the soldering pencil, so I was looking for an actual photo of the proper way to do it and even the proper wire to buy. I wired up one of the fire damaged pickups to a jack and it worked so that was a nice surprise. Thanks again.

[seanyfitz]

How slight is the overspray on the 330? No Ricks should have any paint in the soundhole, it's a tell-tale sign of a refin. The 365 means that guitar originally had a vibrato on it. Shame about the fire.

There are many Ricks out there with the wax marking not matching the hardware. There are even wax markings that do not match the color.
That does not mean the guitar was altered.
The 60s were a turbulent time at Electro String, so there are a lot of inconsistencies.

Same goes with over spray in the sound hole.

Well, I just took of the pickgaurd on my 330, and underneath is 345 partially scribbled out. Obviously they changed there mind on this one too, as it only ever had two pickups.