Please Help I.D. This Rare Rickenbacker 12 String

Chicken Wing · Post by **Chicken Wing** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:13 pm

Never saw one like this beautiful 12 string. I know it's from the early '80s and was an artist's endorsement guitar. Any help? Thanks!

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:27 pm

WHAT THE WHAT

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:30 pm

I have never seen another like it. Wouldn't be surprised if it was the only one.

collin · Post by **collin** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:32 pm

What the ?!

That is actually pretty cool, it's a true 360/12 WB.

I'll bet JH knows the story on this one, looks early 1980s?

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:39 pm

collin wrote: looks early 1980s?

No doubt! Can you give us the two letters in the serial number, Richard?

Ontario_RIC_fan · Post by **Ontario_RIC_fan** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:40 pm

Chicken Wing wrote:Never saw one like this beautiful 12 string. I know it's from the early '80s and was an artist's endorsement guitar. Any help? Thanks!

I would say it is from before John Hall buying the company in 1984... Bet it is 1980 or 1981.... What are the letters and numbers on the jackplate (where the guitar plugs in??) that will date it.

Looks like a prototype or one off like the solid body 320 from 1982...

How does it play?

collin · Post by **collin** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:46 pm

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:
I would say it is from before John Hall buying the company in 1984...

You do know he was actively involved with the company prior to acquiring it in 1984, right?

JakeK · Post by **JakeK** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:52 pm

Very fine specimen here! Note the roller bridge on it. I'd say '79 at the earliest, '82 at the latest.

8mileshigher · Post by **8mileshigher** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:59 pm

Is this an Old-Style new style model ? ?

Or a NS WB ?

Ontario_RIC_fan · Post by **Ontario_RIC_fan** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 7:05 pm

collin wrote:
Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:
I would say it is from before John Hall buying the company in 1984...

You do know he was actively involved with the company prior to acquiring it in 1984, right?

Well I know only what he has shared in places like this.... If John was running the company in 1982 or 1983 there certainly would not have been a B Series!

From what I know John studied computer science in the 70s and was running a computer development company... He certainly was involved as the lovely catalogs for 1975 and 1981 were mostly his design or so I gather... The 490 with its modular electronics was his design too or so I have heard...

But FC Hall had a few policies that were different then when John and his wife took over - like one offs' made to order...

Again I wasn't there - and everything I have gleaned is second hand - so I certainly defer to whatever John Hall wants to share...

godber · Post by **godber** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 8:26 pm

Interesting guitar. I'll go 1983, 360/12 NS WBBS. Lovely spray pattern.

Chicken Wing · Post by **Chicken Wing** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:32 pm

Hi guys- it's my friend's guitar. He was signed by a record company in the early 1980's and was given this as an endorsement. The first 2 letters of the serial number are WY. 12 string w/double binding.

It's a great player. My buddy is the original owner. I'm trying to identify it for him.

Thanks!

Richie

Ontario_RIC_fan · Post by **Ontario_RIC_fan** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:38 pm

Chicken Wing wrote:Hi guys- it's my friend's guitar. He was signed by a record company in the early 1980's and was given this as an endorsement. The first 2 letters of the serial number are WY.

Thanks!

Richie

The W suggests 1983.

The next number is the month - A being January, B for February through to L in December.

Never heard of the second letter being a Y for a guitar - Rickenbacker amplifiers used the other letters

Could he be confusing the Y for an i?

Chicken Wing · Post by **Chicken Wing** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:41 pm

1983 sounds right....double bound 12 string.....I'll look again at the jackplate tomorrow. He tells me it's WY. I knew it was '80s by the pickups, but I am not a Rickenbacker expert so I turned to you guys! Thx!

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:54 pm

I know that this guitar is rare but Toshio Sagabe emailed me once that he had found a lightshow with a body like this at the factory........it wasn't in a finished state and I don't know if it ever was finished.

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