Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

One of the great benefits of doing this Rick thing is the questions I get asked. This customer wanted an arm for a broken Accent Vibrato for his "Tatty Old Rick". Keen to help I asked for some pics and he sent over these below. I'd be happy to get an views on the exact model. The owner bought it in the early 1990s in New Zealand. The serial number decoder doesn't bring anything up. We think its a 1959 Capri 375 or perhaps 335??

Cheers
Tim

Autumnglo, '58 or '59, 330 or 335 model. The Accent is not original to this guitar, though.

I have a feeling that it may be from 1958 or early 1959, for there are no screw holes for a bridge cover---providing the bridge is original too....probably is IMO..

Case is from a later period too.......there is a possibility that if the guitar was sold much later from the factory, it may have left with that case and the Accent....there are photos of guitars in factory inventory to support this being done.

I can also see a shadow of where an upper pickguard used to sit......

I woud say it's a 1958 330/5 Capri.

Factors for 1958:

--no holes in bridge for the bridge cover
--Autumnglo not Fireglo
--no "indent" for between PUs on the top guard (though not clear from photos whether there is a top guard)
--unusually long soundhole, longer than for a '59

Agreed that Accent VB is not original to guitar; Accent wasn't introduced until late '59 and from then to '64 had a "badge" on the bottom part -- "Ac'cent by Paul."

Looks like a "roller bridge" which would mean probably a "V" in the serial no., though not necessarily issued with a vibrato.

What is the serial no? That would provide some guidance, too.

Interesting guitar, the well-played "Tatty Old Rick."

A treat to see these early models. Are there any photos of the back of the headstock?

SoundAffectsMusic wrote:The serial number decoder doesn't bring anything up. We think its a 1959 Capri 375 or perhaps 335??

Definitely a 335 because of the dot inlays.

The SN though will likely still date it when compared to other RICS already dated... Unless it was an early SN that duplicated itself in 1960.

Managed to get some more pictures...

I am willing to bet that 2V are the first part... followed by three numbers...

The Accent vibrato is definitely not original, you can see two holes, one on each side of the bracket for a trapeze tailpiece, maybe .

jps wrote:The Accent vibrato is definitely not original, you can see two holes, one on each side of the bracket for a trapeze tailpiece, maybe .

that sounds right....weren't the Accent tailpiece brackets with the "Pat Pending" stamp a feature of early/mid' 60's guitars?

This guitar would have originally come with a Kaufman Vibrola in 1958.
The Ac'cent's that replaced these early on, had a mount that matched the hinge for the Vibrola, which was also the same as the trapeze/H tailpiece, and have
four mounting screws as well as the hole for the strap button.
As stated earlier, the badge "Ac'cent by Paul" is on the early ones.
As this one has none of these features, I would venture a guess of post '63 for the TP.

Very cool guitar

It also has the longer soundhole.
Not the extra long one with the curl, but longer than the later '58s had.

Though, there have been some later 360s with this sound hole so I could be wrong, but given the bridge and upper guard, my
vote is on early/mid '58.

It looks great Tim. For sale?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!