IS IT Really a 325?

[email protected] · Post by **[email protected]** » Fri Oct 13, 2000 11:22 pm

I saw a 1991 325v59 advertised on e-bay today but the dot inlay on the frets started at the 3rd fret and it did'nt have a vibrato. Is this really a 325v59 or is it misaken identity

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 12:26 am

This is something that I will pass to the other experts.

when I worked at the factory ,we made the model 325 without the accent vibrato .that tailpiece was out of production for most of the time I worked there.

As to the dot at the 3rd fret.This to was a (here it is ,now it's not kind of thing) fluctuating appointment depending on who was dotting necks.
I've seen many basses from the 1970's with 3 dots at the octave!This was only done due to the error of the side dot installer and the leadman and/or the plant foreman was aked ..."What do we do?"
I remember a few blue basses(4001's) that had a center dot of red and the rest were blue.These were in 1976.Sort of patriotic.But it was not done to be that ,just cover up this mistake and make it interesting.Not really a big deal.

[email protected] · Post by **[email protected]** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 1:12 am

Thanks for the quick reply. I meant to say that the dot at the fret marker started at the 3rd fret and not at 5th. Would a 1991 325v59 have this feature when no other year did? It looks more like a 350 with gold pickguards.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 2:02 am

Not really,this dot thing could be only one ...or it could be that one batch was done this way.

Now if it had only one pickup ,that would be a 320,but this dot is no big deal.

We made lots of 'one offs ' when I was there.

There are lots of instruments from the early 1970's with green side dots,brown side dots,blue side dots and the usual black dots.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 2:03 am

make that ...if it had only one pickup LESS ,that would be a 320

admin · Post by **admin** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 11:40 am

Cook: Neither of the reissues based on Lennon's 1958 or 1964 325 Models has a dot fret marker at the 3rd fret. As these are intended, I believe, to be close to Lennon's guitars this would be correct as netiher the guitar he "purchased" at Hamburg or the one he received in Miami had fret markers at the third fret. So the observation you make concerning the 325 1991 Miami today is not unusual and expected.

As has already been said, however, earlier transitional 325s had a number of different fret markings including but not limited to: nothing on the third fret; a dot on the 3rd fret; two dots on the 5th fret; three dots on the 12th fret; and two dots on the 17th fret. While I am sure you may find an exception, from about 1958 or 1959 I don't think you will find a 325 model that has any marking on the 3rd fret. Now that I have made this bold statement, I am sure I will be shown the error of my ways and the "one offs" will get posted every which way but loose. Until then, however, I believe these comments to be reasonably accurate.

WES · Post by **WES** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 12:26 pm

Peter:
Thanks for the info that helps me more.
I think I had better explain it in more detail to get a consensus.

Advertised as 1991 325v59:
black with gold pickguards
no vibrato, it "looks like my 350v63"
has the black knobs like on the 325v63
lastly, the fret issue.

I guess that you can see why I'm confused.
I honestly belive that it is not what it says it is or it is very rare.
HELP I NEED SOMEBODY

admin · Post by **admin** » Sat Oct 14, 2000 9:04 pm

WES: In my view you are describing a Model 320 which would not have a dot marker on the 3rd fret and would have the "R" tailpiece. In any event, unless there is a Bigsby vibrato, it is not a Model 325V59. There is a good example of a Model 320 in this photo from the Rickenbacker Registration Page.

anon · Post by **anon** » Tue Oct 17, 2000 5:09 pm

I'm willing to bet that it's a 350 model with gold guards. Someone merely mistook it for a 325V59. This happens all of the time.