Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Forgive the double-post... I'm new here and just posted this in the "Guitars" section without reading all the headers first... this is obviously the more-appropriate forum:

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 identified it as a 365... 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 plastic, knurled/ribbed, not "oven"style. Look like genuine Ric knobs, but not what should be on there?
-Pickups look original, and 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... I think the plate got bent when it was off the guitar.
-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 original pickups. Input jack looked screwed-with though... that's what put me off the purchase.

The case was silver tolex 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... owner said it was original.

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... those inlays scared me. Are they right? ~T

As I understand it the 360 shape changed in 1961. I think the triangle inlay markers were full width on the old style & "sparkly"--not looking like the cloudy plastic ones beginning in the mid 70s. I have seen pickguards that were 1 tier on some old ones but that could be that they cracked the top one & took it off. I think '61 & before the 360 pickguards are gold. I snagged a couple pics to show the body shape transition. Photos of the instrument in question would lead to definitive answers.

Lots of questions there, but you've answered most of them yourself.

The Capri inlays were plastic. Starting in 1961 (see pics below) the crushed pearl inlays (CPIs) were introduced. Then they stopped (the George Harrison 360/12 OS FG 1963 had plastic inlays, too). Then the CPIs started up again in 1964 and were a standard "deluxe" feature on the 360/370 models until the early '70s, and when the inlays went triangle (on guitars, anyway) they were plastic once more (maybe pearloid is the better term, but you get the idea).

I wouldn't be too concerned about the bent jackplate. Probably could be straightened out. All the early Ac'cent VBs had an "Ac'cent by Paul" badge, which vanished around 1963/64 (you can see it on the 1963 guitar pictured below).

The case is a repro, perhaps older (from the early '90s) and the "Rickenbacker" plate (with plastic cover still on it) is proof of that. The original case for a Capri would likely be covered in gray/green oilcloth with red lining.

Would love to see a pic of the Turquoise refin Capri. Funny how Turquoise, Cloverfield Green and even Jetglo were standard finish colors on the '50s Combos, but when it came to Capris all the original finishes were transparent -- ATG, MG or FG.