Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I bought this guitar a few years back and am wondering about it's authenticity. I've never seen another 370 with a converter comb. The pickups, harness and pots (26th week of '67) look right to me, but there are extra holes under the converter comb and the middle pickup.
The serial # is GL 4730 making it a December 1967.

Any opinions will be appreciated.

Wow, I think I need another two cuppas o' joe before I draw any conclusions on that one; hard to say, at least for me. The solder joints look pretty much original, except for maybe one of the p/u leads, but it's hard to tell. Was a converter comb even available as an accessory separate from the guitar back then? Pretty cool and unique guitar, in any case. Congrats on the find!

This pic shows what's under the converter comb and the middle pickup. Under the comb there are two extra holes...one counter sunk (with some red finish in it) and a smaller hole just above it. The counter sunk hole looks similar to the one made at the bridge pickup where the body is routed for the pickups pole pieces. Under the middle pickup, there are two extra holes
(one on each side) drilled next to the holes used to mount the pickup.

Original or not, there is a LOT of stuff going on on that guitar, that's for sure!

Hi Tony.....I looked at your guitar for a while at the MARF event, and that middle p/up has sure been on that guitar a long time for sure. I don't see why they couldn't have made a guitar like that, all the wear on it seems to be consistant as I recall.

Where does the white/red wire go to....ground?

leftybass wrote:Hi Tony.....I looked at your guitar for a while at the MARF event, and that middle p/up has sure been on that guitar a long time for sure. I don't see why they couldn't have made a guitar like that, all the wear on it seems to be consistant as I recall.

Where does the white/red wire go to....ground?

Hi John, Yes, you're right about the middle pu looking like it's been there for a long time. Actually, all three pickups (and screws) look to me like they were never removed and show consistent wear and patina. I really didn't want to go messing around and removing the pickups for that reason, but I really wanted to see what was underneath.

Those extra holes are a concern though.

The white/red wire is the ground.

Take care!

Are all of those pots 500K?

Tony, have you e-mailed Rickenbacker service to see whether they can check if it left the factory as a 376/12, a 366/12, or a 370/12?

Very cool!

jwilli wrote:Are all of those pots 500K?

Hi John, Sorry, I've always been a bit electronically challenged.

I just got my first multi-meter last year.

How can you tell?
The value in not stamped on the casing.
Don't you have to unsolder the pot to get a reading?
Here's the complete pot code... 31056 137 6726

Thanks much!

Tony

doctorwho wrote:Tony, have you e-mailed Rickenbacker service to see whether they can check if it left the factory as a 376/12, a 366/12, or a 370/12?

Hi Gary,
No I haven't. Does anybody remember a fairly recent (I think) post/topic...someone was trying to get his early '70s 370-12 w/Mcguinn wiring authenticated? He didn't get far. From what I understand, someone over at Rickenbacker would have to go searching through dusty old boxes to find the paper record...very time consuming I'm sure.

opticnerve wrote:Don't you have to unsolder the pot to get a reading?

Not neccesarily, just measure across the two outside lugs to get the reading, if one of these lugs isn't connected to anything you will get an accurate reading. If both sides are wired than follow the wiring on either side to see if there is a natural break (e.g. a switch in the open circuit position,) and if there is just measure as above. Don't forget to 'zero' your meter before you measure.

leftyguitars wrote:

opticnerve wrote:Don't you have to unsolder the pot to get a reading?

Not neccesarily, just measure across the two outside lugs to get the reading, if one of these lugs isn't connected to anything you will get an accurate reading. If both sides are wired than follow the wiring on either side to see if there is a natural break (e.g. a switch in the open circuit position,) and if there is just measure as above. Don't forget to 'zero' your meter before you measure.

Thanks Peter!