Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I just acquired this for Peter Levett, and this is a bit of a conundrum. From what I can gather this is a B series 360BWB with the knobs replaced with vintage style ones, and the Kluson tuners replaced with Schallers, but there is no evidence the tuners have been swapped out. A normal 360WB does not have a bound soundhole, nor does it have toaster pickups, both of which this guitar has.

Whad'ya know?

An early 80's 360/12 with soundhole binding (first guitar on the page). Another. Pickups could have been replaced, of course.

What year is it, Jeff?

September '86.

sloop_john_b wrote:An early 80's 360/12 with soundhole binding (first guitar on the page). Another. Pickups could have been replaced, of course.

Okay, I was going by a RIC catalog photo. So, the pickups, knobs and tuners may have been changed out. Hmm...

1986 would put it kinda late to be a B series guitar.

I think it's just a lefty `86 WB with toasters and vintage style knobs. Those things were available then. I've never seen a lefty 12 with an upside down headstock. Has anyone else seen this? Didn't I read somewhere that RIC didn't make raised letter lefty TRCs?

paologregorio wrote:Didn't I read somewhere that RIC didn't make raised letter lefty TRCs?

That's correct, plexi only.

A normal 360WB does not have a bound soundhole, nor does it have toaster pickups, both of which this guitar has

the 360WB's had bound soundholes, it would be the exception to find one without that binding...

jsm610 wrote:

A normal 360WB does not have a bound soundhole, nor does it have toaster pickups, both of which this guitar has

the 360WB's had bound soundholes, it would be the exception to find one without that binding...

I was going by the photo in the RIC catalog. So, there is at least one out there, somewhere.

I seem to remember that the 360/12OS models did not have a bound sound hole. When that model was renamed "WB" they had the binding. Forgive me if that isn't right but that's how I remember it.

jps wrote:

jsm610 wrote:

A normal 360WB does not have a bound soundhole, nor does it have toaster pickups, both of which this guitar has

the 360WB's had bound soundholes, it would be the exception to find one without that binding...

I was going by the photo in the RIC catalog. So, there is at least one out there, somewhere.

It depends on the year. Some of the 70s and very early 80s WB models do not have a bound sound hole.

My 11/84 built WB has a bound soundhole, and came with toaster p/ups, but I ordered it with the toasters. Toasters, or "Vintage style 'chrome bar' pickups" as they were called then, were newly available from RIC in the early 80s.

Send an e-mail to Rickenbacker service and see if they can look it up and find out what it left the factory as.

I need to call RIC anyway so I will ask them.

My .02: I would say that it is a 360/12WB, LH, FG, and possibly VP (vintage p'ups option) which was available at the time I believe.

Other than the knobs I think that it is all original.....