Rose Morris 1998

[westaussie]

G'day to all,
I'm in Perth Western Australia and have just joined up.
Have owned my Rickenbacker for almost 40 years. It's an August 1967 and seems to be Rose Morris 1998, near as I can tell.
This seems to be the right place to find out all the finer details, if you can put up with my questions.
Pic posted below.

Vic

[opticnerve]

Hi Vic, Welcome to the RRF!

Great looking 1998 you have there! It's not a 1976...most definitely from the '60s.

You've had it for 40 years? Maybe you meant 1966?

What is the serial number?

Also, you should really put strings on it. Without string tension, the neck can be thrown out of whack.

Cheers!

[Rick2005]

Hi Vic, welcome to the forum!
Best complimets for your 345s: 1998 was number assigned to this model by "Rose, Morris" the UK distributor, and it is common opinion that only Rickenbacker instruments imported in UK during 60s can be named in this way.
As Opticnerve pointed out your guitar was made prior 1976: looks like it was made between 1965 and 1967 (?):
it could help if you post the serial number.
BTW you're right, this is the right place to find out all details:
only a matter of time and RRF experts will tell you everything about your beauty

All the best!

[westaussie]

G'day Tony,
You've got sharp eyes ........ and I seem to have temporary dyslexia. : )
It was manufactured in August 1967. s/n GH 3516.

Thanks for the tip about the strings, - I had stripped it for cleaning and took the pics then.
(If I wasn't so slack I'd have taken a later set with the strings back on.)

Vic

[westaussie]

G'day Gabriele,
Thanks to you also for pointing out my error, which I have corrected, it is August 1967 manufacture. GH 3516. The pots seem to confirm this, as they show as being stamped June '67.

Is it a 345 or a 1988? ...........
During the same period that Rose, Morris were the UK distributors, i believe they were also the Rickenbacker distributors for Australia, which is where I am. My understanding up until now, has been that all export designated 345's that were distributed by Rose Morris were designated 1998 by them. (This one has 345 EX A inside the body underneath the control plate.)
Perhaps I was wrong. : ) As you have pointed out, this is the place to learn

[opticnerve]

My pleasure to help Vic!

Gabriele, the distributor of Rickenbacker guitars in Australia was Rose, Morris Australia, so to call this guitar a Rose Morris export is correct.

Also, in regards to this guitars' lack of black knobs...I believe that silver top knobs were standard issue on exports from some point in 1967 and on. Is this correct?

[Rick2005]

Thanks Tony, I wasn't aware that Rose, Morris was distributor for Australia too.
Now the question is: did Rose, Morris numbered Rickenbacker guitar and basses exported in Australia the same way as UK?
This doesn't change nothing, but I'm just curious

[opticnerve]

Thanks Tony, I wasn't aware that Rose, Morris was distributor for Australia too.
Now the question is: did Rose, Morris numbered Rickenbacker guitar and basses exported in Australia the same way as UK?
This doesn't change nothing, but I'm just curious

Good question Gabs. I wondered the same thing myself!

Trotty...Gerry...Eden?

[Rick2005]

perhaps Collin knows the answer....

[westaussie]

Also, in regards to this guitars' lack of black knobs...I believe that silver top knobs were standard issue on exports from some point in 1967 and on. Is this correct?

You may well be right, I have seen others of similar vintage with the silver top knobs over the years, - there are two 1998's on the registry here, both older than mine by a few months, both with seven sided silver top knobs. They may even have started to change over in 1966, - there is a 1966 345 advertised at Fretted Americana with silver topped knobs.

[gellkeller]

Thanks Tony, I wasn't aware that Rose, Morris was distributor for Australia too.
Now the question is: did Rose, Morris numbered Rickenbacker guitar and basses exported in Australia the same way as UK?
This doesn't change nothing, but I'm just curious

My 1999 is DK567 and was originally purchased in Australia so I would say the numbering is the same for Australia. I assume you mean the serial numbering and not the model numbering?

There seems to be a number of RM's hiding in Western Australia.

[opticnerve]

Thanks Tony, I wasn't aware that Rose, Morris was distributor for Australia too.
Now the question is: did Rose, Morris numbered Rickenbacker guitar and basses exported in Australia the same way as UK?
This doesn't change nothing, but I'm just curious

My 1999 is DK567 and was originally purchased in Australia so I would say the numbering is the same for Australia. I assume you mean the serial numbering and not the model numbering?

There seems to be a number of RM's hiding in Western Australia.

Come out, come out whever you are!!!


Hi Brett, We're talking model numbers. Did RM Au and RM UK have the same model number system?

I would imagine that they were the same.

[JakeK]

Hi Vic, very nice 1998 you have there! There really should be somes strings on that guitar. Then you can rock out!

Might I suggest these:
http://www.pickofthericks.com/categorie ... r-Strings/

or these:
http://www.tone-man.com/pyramid.htm

They are close to the Maxima strings your 1998 was shipped out with.

[collin]

perhaps Collin knows the answer....

Yes, in the 1960's, the only two places where you would buy a "true" Rose Morris (ie...distributed by the Rose Morris company) was either the UK or Australia.

Same numbering system.

It stands to reason that they did switch to silver-topped knobs by '67, but I've heard that they stopped using Rose Morris as distribution in 1966, in which case your guitar would simply be a 345S (which is still a rare export model).

Lovely guitar, btw.

[Woodie]

Gorgeous guitar. Probably not worth much without the vibrato handle, though. I'll take it off your hands for $800 USD.