Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have a '66 360/12. I know the 2 characters above the Ric-O-Sound jack indicate the year and month of manufacture. But what do the digits mean below the other jack? I've read that they are supposed to be 2 or 3 digit numbers and they indicate a "ranking". I have 4 digits. What is a "ranking"? Thanks.

Thorne: Before late 1999, the digits below the jack represent the instrument's unique number and generally indicate the order in which the guitar was manufactured.

From late 1999 on, the first two digits below the jack indicate the week the guitar was made and the remaining digits after these first two represent the unique number for a particular instrument.

Thanks, Peter. That's kinda what I suspected and the fact that mine has 4 digits fits with the fact that some 1600+ were made of my model in 1966. Thorne

In that era, the numbers keep cycling over and over, and in some years the numbers went backwards. You simply can't infer anything from these as the only intent is for the number to be unique when combined with the prefix.

More recently, a random "bias number" is added by the software which creates the serial number tags to further insure the uniqueness and proprietary nature of the numbers.

John - I know what you say is true of Gibson serial numbers (per what I've read elsewhere). What makes you say that about Ric guitars? And by "prefix" I assume you mean the 2-character year-month code? Thorne

Thorne - John is the CEO of RIC, I think he ought to speak with some authority on the subject of what his company is doing with serial numbers

Thorne, I don't remember you having such a wonderful sense of humor. How's Rose?

Nigel
The Eggmen

I was unknowingly 2nd-guessing the CEO of Ric?That's good for a laugh.

Hi Nigel. We are all well, thanks.