Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

For those of you who didn't catch this on ebay a few weeks ago......this is a really cool 1980 solid body 320.
The seller claimed to have spoken with Mr. Hall when he purchased this guitar and was told that this was/is
the prototype for the 350SH. You can also see this guitar on page 222 of the Smith Rickenbacker book. Whether
it's a Hoffs proto or not it is at the very least an interesting solid body 320 prototype. Incidentally it's in fabulous
condition 30 year old guitar or not. Certainly a one-of-a kind!

Craig the bridge looks like it is off the base plate and a bit to the right in that photo. Is that just an optical illusion or is my observation indeed valid?

Well see....that's part of the prototype....they were experimenting with an off center bridge.
Good call Brian.....I can't believe I didn't see that.....I obviously just got the guitar. Thanks
for catching that.....I'll need to get the camera back out......got trick or treaters first though!!

Great Score Craig...

Please lets have a flood of pictures!!!

I'd love to see more of her...

Very, very cool piece. Why prototype though? Special order I'd say. Checkered binding was available as an option in '80.

Cool guitar, but the seller is mixed up if he's claiming that an `80 320 is a prototype for the SH model. Susanna Hoffs was an unknown member of a hip but mostly unknown band playing small LA clubs going by the name of "The Bangs" back in 1980, and Susanna was still playing a full scale 360 NS at the time. CB was an available option back in the day by special request.

http://www.thebangles.com/gallery/viewe ... y_id=31299

I was suspicious of that claim ( the Hoffs claim) but it is pegged as
a solid body 320 proto in the Smith book. Now.....when Rickenbacker was
in the process of coming up with the Hoffs model, maybe they could have
referred to this particular instrument for some cues or something but I agree
with you Paul.

Oh, and Brian.....I should have several more pics up on my website later today.
You can see them at www.coolguitarz.com

greetings, craig. fyi...i noticed the trc has been changed since the foto in smith's book on p. 222. it was a shorter one with the point even with the "g" string tuner post originally. you should have two holes near the point around that post.

wittyair wrote:I was suspicious of that claim ( the Hoffs claim) but it is pegged as
a solid body 320 proto in the Smith book. Now.....when Rickenbacker was
in the process of coming up with the Hoffs model, maybe they could have
referred to this particular instrument for some cues or something but I agree
with you Paul.

Oh, I'll bet RIC definitely looked to it for style cues wrt the binding. How cool that it's a solidbody 320-different!

Beautiful with that checkerboard binding.

Excellent pictures... Thanks for sharing Craig...

Does it sound much different then a regular 320??

Brian

Wow.... That's a really sweet-looking guitar. Nice one, Craig!