Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

This is something that has puzzled me ever since I read the Richard Smith Rickenbacker book. In the appendix where it lists the yearly production runs for each model I was shocked to see how few guitars were actually manufactured and shipped during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Even for some of their most popular models like the 360 and the 625 there were a few years where only a handful of guitars were made. The famous George Harrison 360/12 was one of only two made in 1963 and there weren't that many more the next year. After the Byrds hit big in '65 you start seeing the numbers climbing toward 1000 - wow! Now explain to me how any company could have stayed in business with production output figures like these? Or am I reading something incorrectly?

So, only 36 360/12 OS were ever produced. These would be like the holy grail to me. I wonder who has them or if anyone knows to whom they belong? I'll probably never see one, let alone own one. I treasure my 360/12C63.

audiodrome wrote: I was shocked to see how few guitars were actually manufactured and shipped during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

You'd be more amazed if you'd looked through the invoice file.........

The Smith book totals are widely disputed.

Smith added the totals to his book without consulting us, and didn't realize he didn't have all the records, which at that time were stored at two separate locations and in no particular order. Other than checking with us first, it's not really his fault.

Overall, the numbers are seriously low. It's funny when the book says there's only three of something in a given year . . . and eight are out on display at a vintage guitar show. Happens a lot.

Today the records are on file in one place and sorted by date. While one COULD tabulate these, to do so accurately would take far more time than Smith spent on the entire book, even with the computer tools he didn't have back then.

johnhall wrote:Overall, the numbers are seriously low.

And that's what all the wonderful fuss is about, especially here...

johnhall wrote:Smith added the totals to his book without consulting us, and didn't realize he didn't have all the records, which at that time were stored at two separate locations and in no particular order. Other than checking with us first, it's not really his fault.

Overall, the numbers are seriously low. It's funny when the book says there's only three of something in a given year . . . and eight are out on display at a vintage guitar show. Happens a lot.

Today the records are on file in one place and sorted by date. While one COULD tabulate these, to do so accurately would take far more time than Smith spent on the entire book, even with the computer tools he didn't have back then.

I've heard that those figures are inaccurate before and the more I think about it that makes sense. After February '64 there must have been literally thousands of orders for Rick guitars for at least two years, and in the book they list production on the most popular models (the 330/335) as a few hundred. When the 12 string appeared in A Hard Day's Night again I suspect thousands of orders were received. I'd love to know what the actual totals were.

johnhall wrote:Smith added the totals to his book without consulting us, and didn't realize he didn't have all the records, which at that time were stored at two separate locations and in no particular order. Other than checking with us first, it's not really his fault.

Overall, the numbers are seriously low. It's funny when the book says there's only three of something in a given year . . . and eight are out on display at a vintage guitar show. Happens a lot.

Thanks for clearing that up! Those numbers in the book never made any sense to me so I've always wondered about that. I figured that someone here had to know the real scoop!