The 360 body shape: has it changed again?

[trosse]

It's not only the peak of the bass side body horn that has changed... it's the hole body outline from the waist to the strap button that's been changed. My 1997 360 shares the body outline in this particular area (from bass side waist and up) with say a vintage 360 (like Georges) and many 330's - whereas newer 360's have their own not quite so dramatic and variably curved shape (that counts for 330's as well...).

The bass side body horn is definitely more pointed in a period from late 80's thruout the 90's - but the more rounded style of today is not like the original 360 new style body shape. The pointed bodies are the most Rickenbacker-like (t.m.o) - and the most "rounded" I've seen is almost Gibson 335-like in the bass side horn shape (button area).

Why guitar factories do this is a mystery to me... but it's evident that many people simply don't see the changes. And that has something to with the perception mechanisms in our brain where you have a stock of experiences - sounds, pictures, faces and much more. So when you see a Rickenbacker 360 your brain already knows what it shall look like and you only decode some overall informations in your brain - and not untill they get more detailed into design and shapes etc. most people will notice any changes. When you see a red mailbox in darkness you'll see it in black and white - but still you won't question the color being red - and that's the same mechanism. If it wasn't so your brain would probably break down "over loaded" - so it is a sort of compression mechanism of informations to save brain capacity - cleverly copied in modern computers.

[Kees]

In my opinion, people do not notice differences because they simply don't see them (yet). As a biologist I have learned that observation (seeing, hearing etc.) is something you can learn and need to be trained to do. For instance, some people will just not perceive 'background noises' such as a particular bird singing in the garden or somewhere in the sky. To me, however, the sound of a bird is something very particular that provides a lot of information; I not only hear/notice 'the sound', but often also recognize the particular bird species that produces it (because I previously learned, mostly by experience, which bird produces which sound). Moreover, the combination of various birds singing in the garden, park or city will immediately tell me what season it is.

Also, people perceive 'reality' in different ways. That is why some people perceive Pamela Anderson as a beautiful woman (which is not true, obviously) and others just don't see changes in the shape of a guitar horn or headstock: it is not a major part in their perception of the overall shape of the thing (or something!).

To demonstrate differences in perception, I am 'convinced' that the bass side body horn suddenly became more pointy somewhere around '92 and only changed again to a more rounded form in 2010, albeit not back to the original form pre-92. Also here, it is important to define what I mean exactly with 'pointy' or 'rounded', which I will not do because it's too late at night..., but I can refer to the pictures at the start of the thread.

Why does RIC do this? I would say that it's just coincidence and reflects the taste of the person in charge of the wood cutting and sanding department... (again: or something.. ).

All in all, the 360/370-new style guitars remain the most beautiful instruments ever produced!!

Kees

[trosse]

You are of course (also) right... But some of the reasons that we actually don't see all these details is, that our brains are programmed in a way so that we only need a few basic informations to state exactly what this or that is - including a Rickenbacker 360s... That's also the reason why your perception change when visiting foreign places with different environments, animals etc. In these cases your brain does not have a stock of images from the places you have never been - and therefore you begin build one - which gives you a feeling of augmented perceptive sensibility (you download new things not unlike the way computers download temporary files).

We do perceive in different ways - but that's controlled by social environment, many preferences and personal interesses etc. The way the brain store what you actually perceive is the same for all of us as are the way the brain treat the informations later. The reason why we forget our wifes name, keys and places, and our neigbours face under heavily stress has something to do with the way our brain perceive and store all kind of informations. If you are heavily stressed your brain will change to a "short circuit" mode and you lose contact with your stocked more advanced informations having acces to only basic informations.

Your are right that we must define what's pointy and what's rounded - but we'll get the answer as soon as we see pictures. And to your last comment... I do like the pointy ones - being more Rickenbackerish

- and finally Pam ... I personally think she's kind of beautiful - not because of her blond hair and big plastic boops - but because she's got something vulnerable, sweet and touchy in her appearance. I believe she's a nice person But that's another thing...

Stay tuned - and in case you ends up in a kind of blue mood then get your Rickenbacker out (12 string preferable) and play a G7sus4 chord - immediately feeling much better...

[Kees]

You are right about Pam and I stand corrected. Sorry Pam, I'll play a 12-string song for you tonight

[trosse]

You are right about Pam and I stand corrected. Sorry Pam, I'll play a 12-string song for you tonight

I'll join you with few harpish chords...

[parker_knoll]

http://elderly.com/search/elderly?terms ... er&x=0&y=0

Here you have '66, '89, 2002, 2007. i don't see a lot of difference in these photos.

[electrofaro]

Toby, have a good look at them - in the small pictures one can even just notice it, when one knows where to look.

[Kees]

http://elderly.com/search/elderly?terms ... er&x=0&y=0

Here you have '66, '89, 2002, 2007. i don't see a lot of difference in these photos.

Again, I can easily distinguish them by the shape of the big horn alone (look at the differences in the pictures at the start of the thread; you'll see the same differences in the pictures you posted).

Kees

[parker_knoll]

yeah, i can see the difference with the positioning of the scratchplate and it's relationship to the ramp

[electrofaro]

yeah, i can see the difference with the positioning of the scratchplate and it's relationship to the ramp

We don't mean that change, that's occured ages ago already. Some people didn't like that either, although I think that was a big visual improvement.

[Folkie]

Kees, et. al.,

Just about everyone who contributed to this thread has a very keen eye. Once again, I'm amazed at the expertise (and attention to detail) of the members of this forum. I always learn new things here. Thanks, everyone, for your contributions.

Robert