Fireglo shading-60's and current
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
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mark
Fireglo shading-60's and current
I own a 360/12v64 and 330, both in Fireglo and made in the last few years. Every picture I've seen of 60's Fireglo 300 series models have much more of a "sunburst" shading to them, simular to a Gibson Les Paul shade. When did Rickenbacker switch over to the current almost natural to red shading? When I bought my 360 there was a 60's vintage model in the shop so I was able to see the difference in person.
I think if you compare it against almost any Fireglo guitar produced within this year you'll find that the 60's shading pattern has in fact been quite well reproduced.
The pattern used to be more of each individual painter's signature but in early January, large photographs of George Harrison's twelve stringer were hung in each spray booth, with strict instructions to learn it. This was in preparation for the C Series and by now they've all nailed it perfectly.
I've also already have had one very vigorous complaint from a customer who bought one of the final 360/12V64's produced this year that had the newly revised finish scheme; he said this guitar's spray pattern was "all wrong", not having the symmetrical band around the edge as he'd ALWAYS seen before. In response I emailed him a copy of the Harrison photo and his response was something like "Oops, I guess I didn't see EVERY guitar"!
You may also be referring to yellow appearance in the middle of the guitar producing a more pronounced sunburst; this is simply the aging of the clear coat. Give the newer guitars some time and plenty of sun and they will turn, albeit more slowly as all modern paint material has additives to resist this. If we were to add yellow now, and we have experimented with that, 20 years hence you'd be complaining about the black band around the edge of your guitar.
Chalk another one up to the "You Can't Win Either Way" folder. The good thing about this situation is that it's making me seriously consider an early retirement!
The pattern used to be more of each individual painter's signature but in early January, large photographs of George Harrison's twelve stringer were hung in each spray booth, with strict instructions to learn it. This was in preparation for the C Series and by now they've all nailed it perfectly.
I've also already have had one very vigorous complaint from a customer who bought one of the final 360/12V64's produced this year that had the newly revised finish scheme; he said this guitar's spray pattern was "all wrong", not having the symmetrical band around the edge as he'd ALWAYS seen before. In response I emailed him a copy of the Harrison photo and his response was something like "Oops, I guess I didn't see EVERY guitar"!
You may also be referring to yellow appearance in the middle of the guitar producing a more pronounced sunburst; this is simply the aging of the clear coat. Give the newer guitars some time and plenty of sun and they will turn, albeit more slowly as all modern paint material has additives to resist this. If we were to add yellow now, and we have experimented with that, 20 years hence you'd be complaining about the black band around the edge of your guitar.
Chalk another one up to the "You Can't Win Either Way" folder. The good thing about this situation is that it's making me seriously consider an early retirement!
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mark
John,
Don't retire! The yellow appearance of the aging clear coat is exactly it. Don't worry, I'm sure no one would prefer a black band around the edge in 20 years. I've replaced the "aged" parts on a new guitar from another manufacturer with regular white parts as I found the "aged" parts somewhat goofy, so I apprieciate that my Rickenbacker is now, as it would have been then...or something like that
Thanks for taking the time to explain it. And thanks for exceptional instruments.
Don't retire! The yellow appearance of the aging clear coat is exactly it. Don't worry, I'm sure no one would prefer a black band around the edge in 20 years. I've replaced the "aged" parts on a new guitar from another manufacturer with regular white parts as I found the "aged" parts somewhat goofy, so I apprieciate that my Rickenbacker is now, as it would have been then...or something like that
Thanks for taking the time to explain it. And thanks for exceptional instruments.
Here's a very bad picture of my 1966 Fireglow 335. The Polaroid picture adds green and yellow tint, so the "yellowing" appears more pronounced than it actually is. I find it comparable to a new 360 Fireglow I recently saw at a Mars store. Is Whitford Holmes out there? Don't you have a '66 335 Fireglow also?http://hometown.aol.com/clovrlane/myhom ... sonal.html