Mystery Rickenbacker Guitar

leesh · Post by **leesh** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:31 pm

But what I'm saying is what if there was some error in inventory or some digit got transposed somewhere along the way. The plate might be right, but what if they recorded it incorrectly? Andy Babiuk's book is filled with actual 60's invoices that show guitar errors from pretty much every manufacturer....not a bad thing...it's just that mistakes happen.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:00 am

The Combo 850 is a solid-body, set-neck guitar. The only portion of the guitar that is hollowed out is the control cavity.

Most of these that you see have a horseshoe pickup in the bridge position, not a toaster top; most of them have two knobs and two switches, not four knobs. Alder was used for the body in most if not all cases....

As David McLaughlin stated earlier(he has four Combo 850s) the guitar seems to be late 1958 or early 1959 production....the guitar has most of the charectaristics of the period, i.e. no lacquer on the fretboard, inlay material and style, neck/peghead shape, finish, control type and knob placement. If it was something that was new-made in 1963 I think the guitar would have a much different look to it.

glen_l · Post by **glen_l** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:42 am

C8145 could possibly translate

C - Combo
8 - '58
145 - number in the combo sequence that year

In this era the first digit (a number preceding the letter), would usually identify the type of Combo. eg. 4C7273 was a Combo400 from 1957, and was the 273rd instrument in the combo sequence for that year. 85C8135 was a Combo850 from 1958, 135th in that combo sequence for that year

In this case, being a non standard combo, this first identifier could simply have been left off. Just a thought. Although it would be quite late '58 as it has 4 pots, a two tier guard, trapeze tailpiece, and holes in the bridge for a cover.

I noticed that Radio Tel shipped Combo850 serial# 85C8130, instrument #130 in the Combo sequence, in October '58.

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:50 am

The C8145 serial number I think is pretty logical. The C, from what I've read, does stand for Combo and the 8 represents the model series. Or the eight could stand for the year as Glen posted I suppose.

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:50 am

The C8145 serial number I think is pretty logical. The C, from what I've read, does stand for Combo and the 8 represents the model series, as in 800. Or the eight could stand for the year as Glen posted I suppose.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:53 am

I agree with Glen. Not sure that they would have necessarily called this an 850. Why? No horseshoe pickup. My opinion and I can change it if anyone can come up with something better, lol.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:13 am

This is a time when I miss John Hall's input on the Forum.

glen_l · Post by **glen_l** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:21 am

Page 9 of the Rittor book shows a very similar '58 Combo guitar, although it has single tier pickguard, combo controls, and dot inlays. They choose to call it a Combo850, but then again I recall several other mis-designations by the authors.

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:33 am

On page 148 of Smith's book it talks about a rare Rick Model 850, in special sunburst made in November of '58. This 850, according to the invoice, had inlays on the fretboard and complete body binding. It also had two bar pickups, one in place of the horseshoe.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:40 am

There are pics of another Combo Rickenbacker similar to this one in the Smith book, it is decribed as a 'Rare Walnut-bodied Combo 850', on a stand behind a sitting Jerry Byrd at a trade show around 1959. It has two toasters as well, but only 2 knobs...

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 4:41 am

Stan, I think you're on to something.

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:16 am

Mmmmmm.........Did anybody mention the Polynesians combo 850. That had toasters?

glen_l · Post by **glen_l** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:25 am

Looks like they did make a small number of these type that seem to link the combo and capri, back in '58. And yes, I think we've found the relatives of the Polynesian. It originally was a 2 pickup modle like these. I wonder did they all have the unusual neck to body arrangment?

tblair · Post by **tblair** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:52 am

What is the 'neck to body arrangement'? The goofy way (for Rickenbacker) it's glued in? That's normal for 850s.

I don't think this one was finished up with old parts, as it doesn't have the carve on the back near the neck (the binding wouldn't have really worked with the carve)- it looks to have been started with the end result in mind.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:18 pm

Also, have you seen another 850 with a walnut/mahoghany stripe down the middle of the neck?