Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Found this clip of Gerry Marsden and his Gen-U-Ine early 360/12...

TAMI Show '65.

Wow - I never knew that Gerry & The Pacemakers and The Everly Brothers ever appeared/played together! Great clip, thanks for sharing that, Tony!

Great! Looks like it was before he cut the end of the headstock off.

Is that the same 360/12 that is pictured on the back cover of the Smith book?

I might be wrong, but I believe Gerry sawed off his headstock in preparation for taking his 360/12 on an American tour in 1965. I think the TAMI Show was taped during that tour, so it should already be shortened. I've seen British TV footage shot prior to the American tour that shows no damage. I've also seen footage from US TV (Ed Sullivan perhaps), where the bare wood on the headstock is visible. Before I knew the story, I thought that it was a strip of masking tape on the headstock.

Hey, an idea for RIC's Artist Series guitars- the Gerry Marsden 360/12V64!

Kevin: Yes, that's Gerry's on the back of the Smith book. One and the same.

Great stuff! Thanks!

Great stuff, thanks Tony. Gerry Marsden cut the top of the headstock off around 1979 before a tour of New Zealand and Australia. Gerry says in his autobiography 'The Rickenbacker couldn't be the same again, so I took it on tour with me and traded it in in New Zealand for a different guitar.' A good luthier could still get it back pretty close. It was last seen in NYC.

This clip has several seconds of just the headstock in question...

This Clip

Larry: Gerry cut the headstock in 1979? I'm sure that Peter has posted pictures from a performance in NYC in 1965 that clearly show the shortened headstock.

Thanks Tony. Randy, in Gerry's autobiography he says "I'd kept mine proudly for about 15 years." Then just before heading out for a tour of Australia and New Zealand he made a custom case for his Rickenbacker. It was too small and he totally lost his cool and cut the tip of the headstock off!

Larry, have you ever seen any pics of him with the guitar since the early days of him owning it? That would be cool if any would turn up from the 70s....

Larry: I'm not normally one to argue and I haven't read Gerry's book, but that 1979 date flies in the face of everything I've ever read or heard about that guitar. If you look under 'Rick Artists' and June 22, 2005 you will see a previous discussion about this guitar. I'm certain that I have seen the bare end of the headstock in videos of his American TV appearances during 1965 (Hullabaloo, Shindig, Ed Sullivan, etc). I always wondered what I was seeing on the end of his headstock (i.e. masking tape? glare?). Many years later I read the story about sawing the headstock in 1965, as he packed his gear for the American tour, and it all made sense. If I can find any clear photos in any of my archives, I'll scan and post them.

Gerry's story is at least a little bit of fantasy, though the evidence of his actually having done it is clear. He said later that it was then a "backer" as part of the logo had been cut off. That of course is not possible as it was a righty guitar. Cut off the top and you're left with more of a "Ricken".

Judge for yourself:

Looks chopped off to me.....