Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Well, as some of you already know, my 381/12V69 BBR finaly arrived. All in all, I'd say it wasn't worth the wait.
It's a subjective thing to be fair, but I thought it could be better. Not worth the "discussion" with the wife as it
was unvailed either. Here's a photo or two....
Having said that, it's likely to be for sale....

What don't you like, the color or the guitar itself?

John: What does it sound like?

John are you unhappy with the General outcome of the guitar or is there any Areas that give you a sense of displeasure.As this is YOUR guitar you have the final say if your not happy fine it belongs to you.

I think it's BEAUTIFUL.... What's not to like?

John: Please contact me when you decide to sell it.

Gang-
You're right in that it is a beautiful guitar. Sound is big and warm like a deep body should be.
Neck feels like any newer Rick 12; D profile.
My point of contention is mainly the wood is a let down.
I've owned several 381's that have made this one plain. True; one doesn't
normaly buy a Rick for figured wood. I guess if I wished for that I should have
talked to a company in Maryland.
Yet, I still feel that the 2+ year gamble(having passed on many a finer 381/12) was not
worth it. If I had seen this one in a store I would have passed it by.
The lesson here is that I'll never buy one of these sight unseen again.
Caveat emptor(did I even spell that right...?)

Sounds good, looks good, is good.

I hate to be the voice of dissension here (or perhaps it's the voice of agreement) - but, even allowing for the fact that the photos look a tad washed-out, the back of this guitar does not look good. I don't know if it's meant to be bookmatched, but that's not even close. If I'd waited two years, and spent this kind of money, I'd be disappointed too.

It's been my experience that camera angles and lighting play a big role in whether a bookmatched piece looks, in fact, well-matched. In some cases, you actually have to see the wood in person and move it under the light, to capture the symmetry of the "flip". This could very well be one of these cases.

I love my Monte Brown 318V69/6, and its grain is nowhere near as nice as the grain on this 12er.

I concede that the figuring on this one isn't as dramatic as Some (most?) of the Mapleglo 381s I have seen, but it's a darn beautiful guitar to me! Just my opinion, too, but the extreme figuring that is 'appropriate' for a Mapleglo 381 probably would not actually look that good in a burst (in this case BBR, but even Fireglo, for that matter).

Agreed 100%, Doctor...

You see; this is very subjective. To me, a real deep figure looks good under a translucent color.
There are a few 360W's out there with highly figured tops and backs that are quite stunning.
Oh yeah, the back of this guitar is not bookatched at all.
Sorry about the washed out photos; was trying in vain to get any figure to show at all.

Thanks for the clarification, John.

I still think it's stunning, breathtaking...

Me too

I'm amazed how quickly 381's sell for when they come up for sale,
i thought everyone just wanted regular 330/360's

There one minute, gone the next!