Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Apologies if this has come up before but I'm new here...

I'm a left handed player thinking about taking the plunge and buying a nice 330/12 FG that I've got my eye on. I've noticed however, that while all the other manufacturers make "mirror image" versions for lefties Ric leaves a few things upside down - The "R" tailpiece and the shark tooth inlays on the 360 spring to mind. Its not going to stop me buying one but I have to admit that it looks a little strange!

Can anyone here enlighten me as to why this is the case?

Cheers,
Bill

Hi Bill...

RIC actually does do total 'mirror image' guitars now for lefties, it may depend on what period in time the 330/12 you're looking at was made.

From the first lefty Rickenbacker made until around 1988, a right-handed neck blank was used with dots added on the binding and a reverse nameplate/TRC. On some lefty Ricks made after the change you may find upside-down triangle inlays with a true lefty headstock, but this was changed too as time passed.

A lefty 'R' tailpiece was deemed too costly to manufacture, so the right-handed version remains the standard part.

Thanks for clearing that up John.

I think the 330/12 I'm looking at is a modern one as the headstock seems to be the "right" way must just be the tailpiece that remains upside down.

Surely there is a gap in the market there for someone!

I doubt it. A high-quality tooling job for these dies runs into 6 figures, and the market would be at most a few hundred units.

Are the deluxe inlays left handed now? That's news to me.

I'm looking at a vintage 360-12LH, and it seems to me that there is no way to make a mirror image 'R' tailpiece without 'Toys R Us' filing an infringement suit for use of the backwards R. (Ask 'Guitars R Us' how 'Toys R Us' can be...)

Hmm, I think your right Scott. I had thought I'd seen some Ricks like that, probably just a reversed pic.....the inlays are still righty, from what I can see.

And the cost of importing strings that are wound counter clock wise from Australia .. bloody ridiculous !

I'l continue to use my clockwise wound strings .

Looking for more bottom end with those down under strings is futile ..just because they ARE lower made does not equate to low sustaining booming sounds .

Good point, Larry, but consider the JANGLE from a 12 with counterclockwise-wound octave strings!

Do we make counter clockwise strings down here?? Never heard of them - bet they're only available "under the counter"!

It all sounds counter-productive to me!!

I have actually seen strings marketed as wound for left handed players. Regarding lefty inlays, I too have never had (or seen) proper lefty inlays yet. Both of these guitars of mine have lefty headstocks....

1967 360-12 JG LH

Note the 'Convertible' block route. Every lefty I have seen from this era has had it except the MapleGlow one in the Bacon book (which I also owned for many years.)

Scott, they(Bacon/Day) date the MG 360/12LH in their book to 1970, but was it '67 production as well? Maybe if it was a real 1970 made guitar that may explain why it doesn't have the block in the body...