Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It exists!

I have dreamed of a 360/12 with a 660/12 width neck. Right now on Gbase through TrueTone Music there is a supposedly one-off custom made by Rickenbacker wide neck 360/12 made for a member of America. Alas, for $4999 smacks it's just a little outside my price range. Not to hip on the white color either but a neat guitar/idea none the less.

Oh, heart be still! Full inlays, trapeze, VP's, AND checkered binding...I think I could overlook the white, maybe?

This has got to be pretty collectable? Does anybody know more about this guitar?

Here is the description:

"This is a VERY special guitar indeed. A 1993 Rickenbacker 360 ONE OF A KIND!!!! We scored this one from Gerry Beckley from the band America. It was custom built for Gerry in 1993 and has an extra wide neck ala the Tom Petty neck profile. Finished in white, toaster top pickups, and beautifully adorned with checkerboard binding on the back. The white parts (pickguard, truss rod cover etc) are also included in the case. Also comes with a letter of authenticity from gerry himself. This is your chance to get in on this one of a kind piece of rock & roll history!!! "

Wow!

Now that's one I haven't seen before.

Kind of a Ric "White Falcon" vibe.

Very cool.

I wish the rest of us could get one like this!

From looking at the FWI, headstock profile and routing, along with the Kluson tuners, it looks like a 660/TP style neck was fitted to the body at the factory.

paologregorio wrote:From looking at the FWI, headstock profile and routing, along with the Kluson tuners, it looks like a 660/TP style neck was fitted to the body at the factory.

It has 24 frets, though. Really cool guitar!

This is the holy grail for a few 12-string players at this forum.

sloop_john_b wrote:

paologregorio wrote:From looking at the FWI, headstock profile and routing, along with the Kluson tuners, it looks like a 660/TP style neck was fitted to the body at the factory.

It has 24 frets, though. Really cool guitar!

True. Unique. I didn't catch that until afterwards.

JakeK wrote:This is the holy grail for a few 12-string players at this forum.

Me being one of them.

There is a forum member (sorry, forget who) who has (or had) a 360/12 in MG with a normal 1.75" neck.

I'd sell my soul for that guitar.

Since that White one is a one-of-a-kind neck, your next best bet for more finger room is to maximize the spacing on string placement and nut grooves on the standard 360-12 neck by contacting luthier Mark Arnquist up in Seattle for his "mods". His spacing technique does make a difference -- of course its not converting your 360 neck to the width of a 660 neck... but many find Arnquisting your 360-12 neck improves your playability.
Regards
Rich

firstbassman wrote:
I'd sell my soul for that guitar.

As I recall he was asking a few thousand over that last time it was up for sale.

8mileshigher wrote:Since that White one is a one-of-a-kind neck, your next best bet for more finger room is to maximize the spacing on string placement and nut grooves on the standard 360-12 neck by contacting luthier Mark Arnquist up in Seattle for his "mods". His spacing technique does make a difference -- of course its not converting your 360 neck to the width of a 660 neck... but many find Arnquisting your 360-12 neck improves your playability.
Regards
Rich

Or, you can order a 12-string nut from Rickenbacker, and have a local luthier fit and install it. Rick has made the wider spacing used in 330/12s, standard across the entire range, including the bound-neck 360s. So, the replacement nut from the Rick boutique already has the wider-spacing. It's a long story, but you'll pick up another .060" in width between the top and bottom E strings...it doesn't sound like much, but it's a big difference in playability. And, this is something that any competent luthier can do for you.

jingle_jangle wrote:Or, you can order a 12-string nut from Rickenbacker, and have a local luthier fit and install it. Rick has made the wider spacing used in 330/12s, standard across the entire range,

Absolutely Paul. A good point.

But I think that Arnquist's mod though (having only seen photos of it) goes even beyond the new RIC nut.

I mean his spacing goes way out there practically over the binding.

firstbassman wrote:

jingle_jangle wrote:Or, you can order a 12-string nut from Rickenbacker, and have a local luthier fit and install it. Rick has made the wider spacing used in 330/12s, standard across the entire range,

Absolutely Paul. A good point.

But I think that Arnquist's mod though (having only seen photos of it) goes even beyond the new RIC nut.

I mean his spacing goes way out there practically over the binding.

I don't pretend to know too much about this issue as I have a TP, however, before I coughed up the funds for for it I did try a 620/12. And for my 20 minute test-drive I found it frustratingly difficult to fret cleanly. Anyway, I found an Arnquist link here with comparative photos, and an interesting discussion on the corporate forum here. I'd have to wonder how often you'd roll off the base E frets with the Arnquist nut. But if an innovative nut can transform a 1.63"/12, I'd consider a potential roll-off a worthwhile side-effect.

I had the chance to play Rich's 360/12 with the Arnquist mods last week (thanks Rich ); it played nicely and I didn't have any trouble with the strings falling off the edge or anything like that. The spacing was nice. I like the 12 string spacing on my own 381/12 just fine, and have no problem playing the guitar, but the modded spacing was nice on Rich's guitar.

IMHO I still think there is a place in this world for a 360/12 wide neck but I realize all the issues with RIC doing that. The least of which in offering a version to compete with a guitar that has been their bread and butter for decades, probably not a big market.

So Paul W, how insanely expensive would it be to "Fankenstein" a 360 body with a 660/12 neck? For starters you would need a 360 and 660/12 to take apart. Have you ever done that before?