Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Since Olivia is back with 22 new ricks - I looked at the 2 early 70's 360 they offer.
Both of them have bounded headstocks (which I find to be VERY appealing) and both of them have 24 frets.

How rare are these 24 frets?
How come This one doesn't have any marker on the 24th fret and this one does?

Is it possible that the MG one has original toasters or do you think they were replaced later on?

Thanks!

Gil: 24 fret Model 360s, per se, are not a rarity as they were introduced around 1969. The two which you describe, however, are unique given their binding around the headstock and the fret-marker at the 24th fret soon after the change over from 21 frets.

Having said that, I would consider the instrument that is bound at the headstock and with a fretmarker at the 24th fret a rarity and likely to sell for a handsome sum. This instrument is in all probablity a customized one as I understand that it is a tad difficult to add the shark-tooth "triangle" inlay at the 21st fret. It was, however, beautifully done in the example you cite.

Perhaps John will have more to offer by way of explanation.

These are both "transitional" guitars, made in-between the changeover from crushed pearl inlays to the type we see today, and 21 frets to 24 frets. I would say the toasters on the Mapleglo 360 are not original, but everything else on these guitars appears to be, including that odd 24th fret marker - its not the first 360 i've seen like this.

I had a '74 330 MG with 21 frets. Sold it before I realized how rare it was.

jdogric12aolcom wrote:I had a '74 330 MG with 21 frets. Sold it before I realized how rare it was.

With hi-gains, I bet. Like Babjak's and Weller's. One of my faves.

Yep. Hi gains. I put in toasters and an accent, then sold it along with all the original parts. I kick myself now, that's for sure.

This particular period of Rickenbacker history (1969-72) is one of my faves, for a lot of what was being made was what you could classify as uncommon IMHO, and some instruments outright rare, like the Mando-Guitar, or slant-fret 12-strings etc....lightshows...wild colors....

The 24-fret 360 guitars vary a good bit in some aspects such as wide/narrow pegheads, bound/unbound pegheads, tuners, toasters or high gains.......some even have a fretboard inlay at the 24th fret, which I think is really cool. Some were ordered with slanted frets as well. Neat stuff.