Ever seen a '58 345 or 375 with standard controls?

glen_l · Post by **glen_l** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 1:07 pm

Just wondering whether anyone has ever seen or knows of a '58 345 or 375 (3 pickup models) with standard 4 controls. I guess you'd include 340 and 370 here as well.

There are '58 2 pickup models out there, but it seems that the few '58 3 pickup fullscale models I know of have combo controls.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:20 am

Yes Glen these models are certainly out there. Here is one good example of a 1964 Model 375 from Bacon and Day.

tblair · Post by **tblair** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:46 am

I think Glen's talking specifically about '58s. The three pickup models seemed a lot more common in early '58 when they were alder with funky features than later when they stabilized the design.

I believe the Smith book says something about a 375 produced in December of '58- either it was the first 375 or last guitar of the year. ...something like that- but it should've had the standard four knobs.

glen_l · Post by **glen_l** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:06 pm

Thanks for the replies on this. It's an interesting pic you put up Peter. The book does say it's a '64, but it has all the appointments of a 50's model. Perhaps that's a typo in the book. This 375F could well be a '59.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:08 pm

Anthony: Thanks for keeping me focused. I will be watching for 1958s with these features.

My not so quick recovery would be that if RIC produced instruments as late as 1964 with these features, then it is likely that they did this in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:17 pm

Here is a blond Model 375 which is apparently from 1959.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:27 pm

Glen, there very well may not be any...so far I can only come with two bona-fide 1958 Rickenbacker 365's that have 4 knobs. One is David's 365F, and that guitar had only two knobs when first presented.

The only 3 p/up Rickenbackers with 4 knobs I can find in pics so far are 325s, and I suppose all 28 of those had two knobs to begin with...Apparently one 325 had two knobs AND two switches....cool.

glen_l · Post by **glen_l** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:55 pm

I don't know if I've seen a kauffman used on a Ric later than '59. The Accent by Paul vibrato makes it appearance sometime in '59. Even on the F size guitars they had that elongated hook section with the musical notes cut into them.

That one Peter posted seems likely to be a late '58 or early '59.

I know of just a few two pickup models from '58 with 4 pots, but so far I havn't had one definite sighting of a 3 pickup, 4 control Ric, that isn't a 325.