I'm a newbie to this forum, but not a newbie to Rickenbackers. Over the years I've owned quite a few Rics:
1959 450 solid body with metal Ric logo - neck was like rubber - hated this guitar!
1985 360/12 Jetglo
1987 360/12WB white with black hardware
1987 1997 (I paid $900 for it in 1987 and had to wait nearly 8 months for it to be made) - I didn't like the sound of this guitar - sounded honky, and neck was fairly thick.
1964 1997 (which I bought from a lady in Las Vegas and sold for $900 to someone on this forum - Bobkat?) - had an Ireland music shop logo nailed to the back of the headstock - that guitar is a story in itself...but it wouldn't stay in tune. It's the one in the upper left on this page (http://www.rickbeat.com/photofeatures/b ... obkat2.htm). However, many of the parts are not original on this guitar.
1996 360/12WB Fireglo
1989 360/12V64 - Jetglo (still have it)
and now, most recently...
a 1964 330S with trapeze tailpiece
I will be buried with this guitar. It's the one mentioned at the beginning of this thread:viewtopic.php?f=17&t=383928&st=0&sk=t&sd=a, serial number DI199. I recently bought it on an eBay and it was described as a 1964 Rose Morris 1997, but it didn't have the standard vibrato tailpiece, in its place is a trapeze tailpiece. I actually hated the vibrato on the previous two 1997's I owned so this was exactly what I was looking for. The auction indicated that it appeared to be all original, but I hadn't heard of any 60's Rose Morris models with trapeze tailpieces (aside from the 1993). Once it arrived, I was very pleased with the condition, as you can see in the photos below, and from what I can tell, everything is original:
Until I read this thread, I assumed it was a 1997. I figured the metal Rickenbacker plate that came on the original case had somehow fallen off. Now I know why - my guitar is not a 1997, but a 330S (in the other thread someone posted that a 335S had a vibrato unit). There was never an Ac'cent Vibrato unit on this guitar. The electronics and all hardware are original. As you can see from the photos, it likely spent most of it's life in the case. It's a great player, low action, wonderful sustain, and the pickups sound amazing. Unlike the previous 1964 1997 I owned, this one actually stays in tune very well. It's a keeper! I play it through a 1961 Vox AC-15 Twin - a match made in heaven. I'll post some pics of the two together in the next few days.
I'm really curious as to how many 330S's actually made it out of the factory. I've read that some were sent off to Canada, Australia, and Italy, but I've yet to find any information online. There are none in the registry and this is the first 60's era Rose Morris model I've seen with a trapeze tailpiece (aside from the elusive 1993 12-string).
