Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It's not possible to read out of your post if the right pots do the right jobs - or if the toggle does. On all three PU Rickenbackers the toggle operates a little different than traditional - see the schematic. The volume knobs should work in the same order as the pickup positions - and the knob closest to yoy right hand is the master volume (see the manual).

If still in doubt ask here: http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum/ I'm quite sure that Rickenbacker CEO, John Hall, instantly knows exactly how they wired those guitars in the factory - there could be variations (all CEO's in the world - no matter what they manufacture could learn from him).

From time to time JH post here too btw.

20 minutes later...: After analyzing your post I've come to the conclusion that the toggle switch may have been messed with - for instance resoldered wrongly. Exactly that could make the changes of which pot that control which PU respectively - and also chance the way the toggle operates overall.

I went back to my magazine and will quote a bit more for you to see if it can help. It goes: "McGuinn also drew upon his experience with customized Ricks early in his career in specifying the customized electronics fitted to the 370/12 RM. The Byrd wiring starts with the stubby selector toggle switch, which chooses not each pickup separately but bridge and middle, all three, or neck and middle... Each pickup has a separate volume...etc...etc..." and a little later: "Ther tone control has six positions: 1-3 (without compressor) and 4-6 (with the internal compressor active)".

The article states that RM prefers position 5 as 6 is too bright. It also tells that McGuinn originally wanted only the bridge pickup but that was "too much" for Rickenbackers marketing department ) (and I certainly believe they were right - not Roger...)

If you put this new quitation together with my first quotation you almost have the complete article... all though not in the original order.

Hope it helps you.

While I haven't had the pickguard off my McGuinn in years, I'd say just turn the pickup switch 180 degrees and swap the volume controls if it doesn't strain the wiring.

BTW, here's mine.

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=185162&hilit=Fresh+pics

You can't just turn the toggle and swap the pots... the solderings won't like that and the wires ain't long enough. It's a fine hand built guitar and things must be repaired first class - if actually anything wrong...

It is difficult to do much with the wiring of the RM compressor as it consists of circuit boards and modular connections. I guess the pickups could be mounted in the wrong locations as mentioned before. Here are some pics of the RM circuit mounted in my 370/12WB:

Well - if you don't want to pull the trigger, let me know and I will....

You can go to the Rickenbacker Register and do an "advanced search" entering "RM" in the Special Features box. Ron O'Keefe and several other forum members have done a a great job of tracking transactions over the past few years and you can see some indicative statistics if you click on any particular instrument:

14 transactions
Min $3543
Avg $5428
Median $5175
High $8150
Same model, same era:

Thanks to Ron and everyone else who gathered and entered this data!

You can also do an Advanced search of this forum itself - try "370 Roger" or something similar. I saw a thread about one selling for $5,900 in December as I scanned the results but I didn't read it closely.

I don't see it mentioned anywhere here that this is an E1 model, which is to say maybe there isn't a circuit board.

Either way, it seems like a pretty simple switch of pickup leads, at the toggle switch if it's not an E1 or on the PCB connector if it is. It wouldn't even be a solder job if it has the compressor, just a matter of using a small tool or paperclip to slide the wire termination leaf out and back in to the proper place.

Seeing John Hall on this forum makes me want to ask why RIC couldn't make a vintage 370-12 without the compressor. Wouldn't have to call it 'The Byrd' model or anything like that. Just a vintage 370-12 like in the 60s (I would suspect that the answer will be that RIC already makes a 370-12 so what is the point?). I still think it would be great to make a few vintage 370-12s in the old style.

How much are you willing to pay?

Steve Gunderson wrote:Seeing John Hall on this forum makes me want to ask why RIC couldn't make a vintage 370-12 without the compressor. Wouldn't have to call it 'The Byrd' model or anything like that. Just a vintage 370-12 like in the 60s (I would suspect that the answer will be that RIC already makes a 370-12 so what is the point?). I still think it would be great to make a few vintage 370-12s in the old style.

They have in a couple of different ways.

Special limited runs for the Asian markets (V66?) were the most recent, and of course there were some RM 370/12s in the original run that were made without the compressor circuit installed, just standard controls.

Steve Gunderson wrote: (I would suspect that the answer will be that RIC already makes a 370-12 so what is the point?). I still think it would be great to make a few vintage 370-12s in the old style.

You answered your own question there. And it would be cool if Ford just popped out a few more '66 Mustangs too, wouldn't it?

I picked up an RM overrun recently. No comp. It's nice.

nice one Mr. S. Whats the year?

scotty wrote:nice one Mr. S. Whats the year?

1991. I still prefer the sharp horn species though.

godber wrote:I picked up an RM overrun recently. No comp. It's nice.

Thats nice! FWI's and CB for no extra cost!

krick wrote:It is difficult to do much with the wiring of the RM compressor as it consists of circuit boards and modular connections. I guess the pickups could be mounted in the wrong locations as mentioned before. Here are some pics of the RM circuit mounted in my 370/12WB:

Can I see more Pics of that? I couldn't find any in the register.