Silly 325 story

[studiotwosession]

Around ‘87, I was living in LA. I was working in the mailroom at a business and I got to know one of the messengers who delivered to us. She was a guitarist and we got to talking and it turns out she had a 60s jetglo 325.

We struck up a friendship and I visited her one day over near griffith park to check it out. Seems to me it was a mid 60s model, with an f-hole but really the remarkable thing is it had what appeared to be stock gold hardware (I remember the pickups most of all. The gold was faded but it definitely was there.)

I also remember her telling me the shop she bought it at, which was up on Sunset and had a reputation, and I think still has a reputation, for being expensive (this was just a few years after the whole “vintage guitar” thing had started, I recollect.)

Anyway, I remember her saying she had paid $800 for it. And that seemed like a fair chunk of change at the time. Does anyone know if any other Ricks turned up with that option?

I also remember, regrettably, that one of her favorite bands was Van Halen. Which of course makes no sense.

[beatlesgear]

It does exist, I'm pretty sure I've seen gold vintage hardware in the cage lock-up, near the packing area down on the factory floor. I have no idea when they started acquiring that type of hardware, I'm sure somebody floating around out there might have a better idea as to when Rics started to turn up with gold pick-ups, tailpieces, etc.

[leftybass]

It looks as though one of the Banjolines pictured in the 1968 catalog has gold hardware on it.

[studiotwosession]

Cool. In all I've read and seen on 325s, it's the only one with gold hardware I've heard of.

[karl_teten]

I saw a 70's jetglo 4001 with gold hardware in Houston back in 1990.

[rick12dr]

As well, I seem to recall seeing a Rick Banjoline w/ gold hdwe. in the old Rick showroom at 201 E. Stevens around '70 or so.