Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi everyone,
I am new to this site and I'm looking for some help finding out information about my newly acquired Rickenbacker 330.

So I went to an estate sale earlier this month and on my way out I nonchalantly asked if there were any music instruments they hadn't pulled out and the lady politely asked me to wait as she went into the closet and pulled out a silver case. When opened it, much to my surprise was an older Mapleglo Rickenbacker 330. I took it out and inspected it and for the most part the instrument is in great shape with usual playing wear. She informed me that it was her husbands and she forgot to pull it out for the sale and gave me an incredible price where I couldn't walk away. I quickly grabbed it without trying to attract attention even though I was shaking in absolute disbelieve at what I found. Later at home I took a closer look and found some strange things about it.
First let me say I am a younger musician but have some knowledge of Rickenbacker guitar because I work in the music industry. I respect them as an instrument but wouldn't call them my instrument of choice, however that all changed. I cleaned the pots, changed the strings and did a full set up and it is literally the best rhythm guitar I have ever played. Period.
Upon bring the instrument home I realized a few strange things about it:
Firstly, there is no serial number on the jack plate as usual with Rickenbackers, in fact the jack plate does not even look like other Rickenbacker jack plates but when I removed it there was only the one set of screw holes that lined up with the one on it (the jack plate is very long and this does not have stereo output, it is also not chrome jack plate but rather an older discoloured copper it appears).
Secondly, there's some sticker under the laquor on the back of the headstock. It says Model 330 but it closely resembles the 360 shape (I know the two models are close in appearance).
Thirdly, on the back of the truss rod cover hand written says "model 335" in what seems to be wax pencil.
Lastly, the pick guard has some weird cut out around the neck pickup and it doesn't line up with the neck pickup. There appears to be no modifications to the guitar, if there is they were professionally done! So basically I'm looking for some info about the guitar. One person said it looked like a mid 60's based off of the Kluson tuners on it.
Any help would be appreciated as far as why there is a sticker on the back of the headstock, how can I date the instrument and where can I get a tremolo bar to fit the tailpiece. I'm less than a hundred dollars into it so I wouldn't mind putting some money into it but in all honesty this has become my main rhythm guitar and I find the guitar suits me as is; it has so much character to it!
I will post more pictures once I figure out how to post more than one. Thanks for everyone's help and God Bless!

Here's another...

One more before I have to head out to work....

Is the whammy bar handle in the case pocket? ER, sorry, I mean the Accent vibrato bar handle. . .

It doesn't sound like it from your description. Someone here may have one for sale, or you can either buy a new replacement, or a period correct 60s era replacement from Winfield Vintage, IIRC.

Cool find.

Your guitar is a "335" instead of a "330" because it came factory-equipped with an Accent vibrato tailpiece. When a "330" is factory-equipped with an Accent Vibrato tailpiece, the factory designation is "335"; any Rick guitar factory-equipped with a vibrato tailpiece is given a model number that ends in "5" instead of "0," or at least that was the practice until this decade, IIRC, when the factory switched to "VB" as in "330 VB."

Evidently there are a few 330s out there with the SN on a sticker on the back instead of the jack plate. the jack plate might be a replacement, or it might just be an oddball jack plate; Lennon's first Rick had a long jack plate like you describe with just one single output jack. The chrome plating might have worn or flaked off, revealing the brass underneath; chrome parts are first plated with a layer of brass when the triple plate method is used, IIRC.

Oh, by the way; a lot of folks mistakenly think Ricks are only good for rhythm, but you should be able to play some smoking-hot leads on your Rick 335, and even employ the whammy bar, if it's in the case.

Cool guitar Frankie....

It is definitely a MG 335.

As to the blank Jackplate a number of these had a sticker on the back of the headstock... Two other 330 models (with this anomaly) have surfaced this year. One story says they were produced for the 1965 NAMM event.

Check the numbers on the pots inside for an approximate dating...

+1. Definitely after `64 since it has the rounded, rather than squared-off, neck heel.

I think the upper guard is just they way that RIC cut them back then; that guard looks normal for the period to me.

paologregorio wrote:Oh, by the way; a lot of folks mistakenly think Ricks are only good for rhythm, but you should be able to play some smoking-hot leads on your Rick 335, and even employ the whammy bar, if it's in the case.

The whammy bar wasn't in the case but fortunately it did include some nice case candy! I've heard the same thing about Rics not only being for rhythm but I find the flat wound strings are way harder to bend and play quick leads on than the usually strings. I don't really want to swap out the strings because I'm very satisfied with the sound I'm getting now with the flat wounds, is there much of a difference?

emobim wrote:

paologregorio wrote:Oh, by the way; a lot of folks mistakenly think Ricks are only good for rhythm, but you should be able to play some smoking-hot leads on your Rick 335, and even employ the whammy bar, if it's in the case.

The whammy bar wasn't in the case but fortunately it did include some nice case candy! I've heard the same thing about Rics not only being for rhythm but I find the flat wound strings are way harder to bend and play quick leads on than the usually strings. I don't really want to swap out the strings because I'm very satisfied with the sound I'm getting now with the flat wounds, is there much of a difference?

I've never really played with flat wounds but a lot of guys who play with flats do bends. I think it has a lot more to do with the way the guitar is set up and the age of the strings; if a string set is old, it will be much stiffer to play and bend, even if the set still seems "good." My Ricks all have dead flat necks and low action, both of which make for easy string bending, and I try to keep the string sets reasonably new and "fresh."

In any case, congratulations on your guitar! That's quite a find!

emobim wrote:I'm less than a hundred dollars into it so I wouldn't mind putting some money into it but in all honesty this has become my main rhythm guitar and I find the guitar suits me as is; it has so much character to it!

Less than a hundred dollars? Really?

winston wrote:

emobim wrote:I'm less than a hundred dollars into it so I wouldn't mind putting some money into it but in all honesty this has become my main rhythm guitar and I find the guitar suits me as is; it has so much character to it!

Less than a hundred dollars? Really?

Yeah, the lady was really nice about it and when she recognized me from playing at the church on weekends she just about gave it to me. What would a guitar like this go for now? I'd be surprised if it fetches more than $1500. It's in great shape but the finish is all checked, wouldn't that hurt the value?

Man! These sticker head Ricks are all coming out fast!
I'd say it could easily go for $2500USD.

Sticky subject... friendly PM sent regarding what I mean. Welcome, Frankie!

So, your real name is Frankie Crisp?

Just so everybody knows:
There's more to this story than I typed up. About 2 weeks later I saw her at church and mentioned to her I was very satisfied with the instrument and that it was worth much more than what I paid for it. She said she understood and that her husband always told her how much it was worth. I then offered some sort of compensation to her but she wouldn't hear of it. She was there with her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. Upon talking to the family I found out they were big fans of a close friend of mine so the following Monday I took a ride out to his house and brought the family some sort of compensation.

I left this part out because I didn't find it necessary to include details on my profession.

I don't see the problem here...
He got a great deal on a Rick, and is obviously extremely thankful for it. Trust me, If I saw a 60's 335 I would totally be happy to purchase it for all the money I had.

Welcome to the Forum By the way.