Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

In searching for a 325C58 for my friend last week, I discovered that there are very few left to buy - anywhere!

After a pretty extensive internet search, I only found 2 - one at Fullers in Houston; they received 4 guitars a week ago, and sold them out in one week @ $3,070.00 each (my friend got the last one). Chicago Music Exchange has one JG left in stock, and they want full list price - $3,839.00. The salesman told me that this price may even be increased soon.

If you have one, take good care of it!

$3,839. That is double what I paid for mine. In fact, that is only a little bit more that what I paid for both the MG and JG models.

Remember when GC was blowing them at at about a grand?

ken_j wrote:Remember when GC was blowing them at at about a grand?

Thanks for reminding me. Now I can go sulk for the rest of the evening.

ken_j wrote:Remember when GC was blowing them at at about a grand?

I wish I did remember this...

ken_j wrote:Remember when GC was blowing them at at about a grand?

Yes, I remember walking into a GC in about 2003 and playing a Jetglo c58 blowout. Itt was the weirdest guitar I ever played and it had really skinny strings on it. I remember thinking, "Who in their right mind would pay $799 for this thing?"

sloop_john_b wrote:
Yes, I remember walking into a GC in about 2003 and playing a Jetglo c58 blowout. Itt was the weirdest guitar I ever played and it had really skinny strings on it. I remember thinking, "Who in their right mind would pay $799 for this thing?"

That's *exactly* what I did. I didn't know any better...

So, what is the difference between a 325C58 and a 325C64?

tomt3 wrote:So, what is the difference between a 325C58 and a 325C64?

C6

Mateybob wrote:

tomt3 wrote:So, what is the difference between a 325C58 and a 325C64?

C6

There's a used MG - with a small ding - listed on the 'bay today. $3,100 or Best Offer.

Let's see what happens...!

Tom, it takes a while to catch on to the sense of humor here ...

Presuming that your question is bona fide:

tomt3 wrote:So, what is the difference between a 325C58 and a 325C64?

Actually, the "C" designation is commonly seen as meaning mean something like "circa", or maybe "clone" as in "circa 1958" or "clone 1964". (Note however that the official word from John Hall on the RIC site is that "C" stood for something with 11 letters, and after lots of guesses he declared "callipygian" the winner.)

Before "C' there was "V" as in V59, V63 etc., commonly thought (by me, anyway) to mean something like "vintage", and before "V" there was "B" which might have been intended to mean "sort-of-Beatle-like". The "B" models are not faithful reissues of the instruments that the Beatles used, although they do have fans. They do bear some resemblance to the Beatle's instruments and they also have some interesting features (bound soundhole if you are into those) if you are not looking for historical accuracy. In the company's defense, the "B" models were introduced before John Hall was in charge. The "V" models are more accurate, and the "C" models are even more faithful.

The lore as I understand it is that the C58 model is very close to the guitar that John Lennon purchased in Hamburg, Germany in 1960 (it was shipped to Germany in 1958, thus the "58") and before his modifications. The C58 is available in Mapleglo (or Jetglo), has a Kauffman Vib-rola vibrato, "oven" knobs, etc. After John Lennon bought the guitar it was later refinished in Jetglo, the vibrato was changed to a Bigsby and the knobs were changed to "Burns" knobs", so there are not that many photos with him playing the guitar in its as-purchased condition.

The C64 is very close to John Lennon's second 325 Rickenbacker which he was given in 1964 (the "Miami") - it is Jetglo, and has an Accent vibrato. There are lots of other historical details which are not visible at first sight.

A picture (or two) is worth a thousand words:

http://www.rickenbacker.com/model.asp?model=325C58MG
http://www.rickenbacker.com/model.asp?model=325C64

But if you like the thousand words, you can do a comparison on the RIC website here: http://www.rickenbacker.com/model_compa ... e=Electric - just click on the appropriate boxes for the 325C58 and the 325C64.

There is history on John Lennon's (and George Harrison's and Paul McCartney's) Rickenbacker guitars at Bjorn Erikssson's Rickbeat page here:
http://www.rickbeat.com/beatles/beatles.htm

There is a ton of history on the real 325s at Glen Lambert's 325 Connection web page:
http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/~glen325/
http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/~glen325/

"callipygian" Now I want C series guitar or bass....

emac.

weemac wrote:"callipygian" Now I want C series guitar or bass....

emac.

I think you'll find that it was me that originally suggested "callipygian". I'm still waiting for my prize.

Cool....so, does anybpdy have a Callipygian C6 for sale?