Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hey guys,

Yesterday I went to look at a guitar... the guy said it was a 1960 Rickenbacker 6-string. He didn't have a great deal of info on it, but through my own research I identiied it as a 365 Capri... double-bound, one slash soundhole, deluxe wedge inlays, Accent tremolo in a recess, and Ric-o-Sound. Correct s/n for 1960 (2Rxxx). All that sounds pretty good...

It's Torquise, which as I understand is a very unlikely original color (almost all are either natural or sunburst from what I've read). I expected a refin, and it was. Very, very nice job, though.

I had some concerns I'll share, and would appreciate your feedback.

-White "flat" pickguard, looks like a later version... should have been gold/plexi/stepped, right?
-Knobs are larger knurled, not "oven"style. Look like genuine Ric knobs, but not what should be on there.
-Pickups look original, but the input jack has two holes (first year stereo/ric-o-sound), but only one jack.. obviously the wiring has been messed with.
-S/N plate was slightly bent and not mounted squarely on the body... in a refin, hardware is R and R'd... should have looked "factory" in my opinion, but it looked mickey-moused to me/
-Trem was missing arm, but that seems an easy fix... Also, said "Ac'cent by Paul" on it, with a pat. pend. number. I've not heard of the "by Paul" part before.
-Kluson "Deluxe" tuners looked right, as did the truss rod cover.
-Inlays looked like old plastic, not the crushed material I'm used to seeing. I am NOT familiar with a Ric this old, so maybe the plastic-looking inlay is correct?

Anyhow, my conclusion was that it was a genuine body/neck/hardware, with later pickguard and electronics, probably orignal pickups. Input jack looked screwed-with though... that's what put me off the purchase.

The case was silver with black end caps (end caps looked too new?), and had a Rickenbacker tag covered with plastic. Repro case, or original? Looked old and original inside...

Feedback welcomed. It was inexpensive enough that it might be a fair buy still... I just worried that it might be a clone/fake with some original hardware on it. ~T

The VB unit is an early "Ac'cent by Paul." Ricks came with those.

Did you take any photos? If not, get back over there and take some!!

egosheep wrote:Did you take any photos? If not, get back over there and take some!!

Or give me the address!

If the price is good, you've got a good player, or a start on a restoration.

Turquoise is not an original color for 1960. Mapleglo and Fireglo were standard.

You will not find an original wiring harness easily. OTOH, one can be duplicated with patience and the correct references.

The Klusons should be single line, with "Kluson Deluxe" stamped in one vertical line on the case.

It's tough to replate the jackplate without destroying the serial number; your plater should be sympathetic to this and should be willing to oversee the copper plating and buffing process, so as not to obliterate the number. New toaster covers are available from RIC and are identical to the old for most purposes. Stuff like strap pegs and knobs are aslso available new. The guards should be gold, but the Illinois Bronze Paint pigment is no longer used by RIC, as it tarnished...you can mix your own gold using their pigments, should you desire. The fretboard inserts sound original.

The tuners are correct, for sure. The truss rod cover and pick guard are both white. The knobs are the same as the early-60's knurled round plastic knobs. The case is also the same as the early 60's, being silver tolex with blue interior.

I think what has happened is that when the guitar was refinished, whoever did the work replaced the plastics with new/more contemporary parts to make the guitar look "newer." Bad move, but I follow the logic... it's like the person who refinishes an antique so it will "look good" again, but in doing so destroys the patina and a chunk of the value.

That said, based upon the info gleaned from you forumites, and otherimages I've compared it to, it's a 365 Capri and all seems original other than the pickguards, knobs, and truss rod cover I think Ric transitioned to the silver/blue case in '61, and this is a late '60 guitar, so it's probalby the original case.

I'm going to investigate further... those gold parts may well still be around here somewhere.