Help to identify the strange scratch plate???

[Rick.N.Baker]

Hi,

I am wondering if someone here could shed some light on this guitar I have found for sale in Sweden, where I am currently living, it is a 1976 330 Ricky but it has that unusual scratch plate in a walnut finish, I have been offered it for 12000 sek (about a 1000 pounds)
but I have never seen one with a walnut finish on the scratch plate, obviously this makes me wonder how much else has been played about with. Anybody know of any Rickys produced with this as standard?

Thank you very much.

[collin]

Hi Wayne, welcome!


The scratchplate (pickguard) is not original. It is likely a remade version, which I have seen done before a couple times. Not a terrible modification at the end of the day.


The guitar, however, is a bit strange. Great deal, especially for that part of the world, and my thoughts are that the guitar is actually a lot older than 1976, due to the 21 frets (Ric guitars had switched to 24 frets earlier in the 1970's).

Possibly a late 60's or very early 70's 330, with 21 frets and plexi truss rod cover? Given the mods, it could be a composite of parts over different years, and its impossible to determine from one picture without taking the guitar apart for a better look.

Nice guitar for the price, though.

[doctorwho]

It appears that it has the smaller "1960s" headstock, too ... but so does my 1981 460.

As Collin says, good price for one with the older features.

[Rick.N.Baker]

Hi, thanks guys. I haven't actually seen the guitar in person so to speak, so I guess I will make the short trip to go and take an initial look and get the serial number etc and see if it has been modified in any obvious ways other than the scratch plate, which I would probably swap back to an original if I bought it.
Is there anything else I should look out for on the guitar that may be a problem later on?
I have never owned a Rickenbacker but have always wanted one and this one seems to be quite a good price for here in Sweden and also compared to the ones back home in England.

[doctorwho]

On an older one such as that, you should check that the bridge height isn't as low as it will go. If it's flush with the bridge mounting plate, it is likely that the neck will need to be reset in order to get good lower action. Then again, if it plays fine ...

[Rick.N.Baker]

Thanks. The one thing I am concerned about with older guitars like this is pitting on the fret board, is that a big expensive job to get it back to original condition on these guitars?