Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Since folks seem to be interested in my 360-12 I figured I should make a thread for it and show some nice pics. This is the one I use for my avatar. I bought this in Palo Alto, CA around April 1996. As you can see it is a new style body, but with an f-hole instead of a slash:



The back has a nice figure--note the checker binding:



Standard 2 pickups, 6 saddle bridge (compensated D) with grommets instead of springs on the height adjust screws. Foam pads around the pickups. Neck PUP is short pole ~7.7k. Bridge is long pole, forgot to measure DCR. Knobs are labeled.



Standard headstock for the era:



Opening it up we find some interesting bits. Pots all date to summer of 1972. Note the Sprague orange drop tone caps. I believe they are original--nothing appears to have been reworked, though the wiring is a bit less neat than my 1964 375:



Inside the control cavity are some helpful markings:



First, in red marker is "12 EXP" and "360-2" which I guess is 360 style, two pickups, 12 string, export. In pencil are several marks. One reads "12 - S" and another "360 12 2." In cursive is the name Jill. Then there's the big sloppy "X" mark in pencil. So it looks like it was destined to be a 12-string 2 PUP export from the get go. Date code is LI--September of 1972. Another interesting bit is that the serial number is exactly one off from its twin in the registry which I gather was owned by a member in South Carolina until recently. I was born and raised in SC--moved to CA for work when I was 25. Small world!

Enjoy,
A P

Beautiful guitar Doug, but it is not an OS. OS stands for Old Style, and is bound both front and back.

Looking good, Doug

beatlefreak wrote:Beautiful guitar Doug, but it is not an OS. OS stands for Old Style, and is bound both front and back.

Thats a three-six-zero-S which is the export designation as I only recently learned. Dang ol' confusin' Rickenbacker numberin' scheme, I tellya what...

Nice Doug!


It certainly is all original---even down to the "Made in USA" text that runs parallel to the nut rather than parallel to "Rickenbacker" like all earlier 60s Rics.

Nice....

collin wrote: It certainly is all original---even down to the "Made in USA" text that runs parallel to the nut rather than parallel to "Rickenbacker" like all earlier 60s Rics.

You're right! I never noticed that until you pointed it out. My '64 has it parallel to the logo in a smaller font. I've learned a lot these past couple of days.

Sweet! I love the f-hole on the NS body.

Beautiful guitar Doug, in lovely condition.

As you may have realized, you'll probably learn more here than anywhere else...

That's a beauty Doug!

It looks like it has aged better than my 1989 V64 12!

Thanks, folks. I'm glad to have gotten it when I did. I knew it was unusual, but it seems a bit less common than I had expected.

It has some mild buckle rash on the back--indentations with nothing going thru the finish. There is one problem that goes to the wood, unfortunately. It doesn't show in the photos, but the finish has peeled away next to the binding in the cutaway on both sides of the heel. It looks like an adhesion problem and it was that way when I bought it. Other than that it really is in good shape. The original case isn't too beat up, so I suspect the guitar hasn't seen a lot of use in its 37 years. Maybe it sat in a closet for some time before it ended up in the shop where I bought it.

Like I said, I've lurked here for a while. Glad I finally posted since you've taught me a lot about my Ricks that I did not know before. I'm meeting a friend at a shop this afternoon to look at Ricks. He's played a couple of mine in the past, but recently got bitten by a new 330 MG that sang to him. He may walk away with it today. I hope I can avoid getting sucked into the purchasing vortex!

A P

Well, let's see ... You

1) own a vintage Rick
2 joined a Rickenbacker enthusiasts group
3) have a friend who has the bug
4) have posted pictures of your Rick and are discussing the esoterica with known addicts

Too late, Doug! If you slid this far down the slope I'm afraid all your mad money is henceforth spoken for. Oh well, at least you're in good company!

That's a beautiful and unusual twelver - thanks for sharing it!

Haha! Well, both of us avoided the vortex (temporarily) last evening. My buddy had just returned from a trip to upstate NY. While he was there he found a tiny shop near his home town that had a few Ricks for decent prices. He's waffling now between a FG 330 from that place or a MG 330 from out here. Both were the best sounding examples. I think he's hooked and will buy soon. He made a key impulse buy right before heading to NY--a new Vox AC30CC1 for $700(!) at a shop near his house.

As for what grabbed my attention...I'll start a new thread...