Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My 320 dates from Aug. 82. Do I have the smaller or the larger headstock? I have the last photo for comparison but I'll be danged if I can say with certainty which one I've got.
I'm leaning toward smaller but can someone say for sure?

You have the smaller headstock (luckily!) Same as my Dec. '81 320

IMO, the large gumby headstock is terrible...and nice only on 50's style Rics- c58's and Capri's and only because they are historically accurate.

Cheers,
-Collin

Thanks, Collin, I'm happy you said that. The difference is subtle to one who just hasn't seen enough ricks in person
When else did they use the larger?

Defnitely not a Gumby. If the guitar has the old style Kluson type tuners, then it's not a Gumbyhead, with the exception of the C58, I think.

The '50s headstocks are nothing compared to the REAL Gumbys from the '70s...

Here's a real Gumby from the '81 catalog.

'50s headstocks aren't typically considered Gumbys...they came way before the era of Grover tuners.

an 05 330 currently in my possession is a MUCH bigger headstock than a 78 370, so 70's weren't that bad.

dpowell wrote:Here's a real Gumby from the '81 catalog.

'50s headstocks aren't typically considered Gumbys...they came way before the era of Grover tuners.

cf75x-5.jpg

Very true.

tennis_nick wrote:an 05 330 currently in my possession is a MUCH bigger headstock than a 78 370, so 70's weren't that bad.

I think 70s guitars still had the small headstock for the most part, didn't they? I thought Grovers, along with the larger, "Gumby" headstock, only came in after Klusons were unavailable.

They made guitars in the 70s?

jdogric12aolcom wrote:They made guitars in the 70s?

They were in disguise as basses!!

Does the small headstock on my '82 330 make its butt look fat? I sort of think so! I know that the big headstocks are seen as sort of gross but now I think that on the hollowbody Rickenbackers they're more in proportion with these pretty big guitars. The large-ish head on my '06 330 looks pretty right, I think. Likewise I'm coming around the to the big, more-Bigsby-like head on the '72 Stratocaster. Headstock sizes seem to evolve sort of like lapel and tie widths, hemlines, and heel heights. Hmm, there's a term paper...

hmmm... Gumbyhead.... always learning something new at the RRF.

Does a 1999 340 have a Gumbyhead... inquiring minds want to know?

tbplayer wrote:hmmm... Gumbyhead.... always learning something new at the RRF.

Does a 1999 340 have a Gumbyhead... inquiring minds want to know?

Yep...I think they only switched back to smaller headstocks in '06 or '07.

Here's a modern 340 JG with the small headstock at Dave's Guitar:

I think they all look like Gumby...