NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
NGD: Polynesian in the House!
I am now the proud owner of the fabled 1958 Rickenbacker Polynesian 325/Combo -- the guitar so rare it has no serial number! Also discussed here: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=405381
I acquired this guitar from the same seller in Japan from whom I acquired the V87 Longbody short scale Capri, via a trade of non-Rickenbacker vintage guitars from my collection. Thanks to Adam Tober of Expat Guitars in Tokyo for facilitating these transactions. Both guitars are shown reunited, below, with a standard-scale 1958 335 added for, erm, scale!
Not much else I can say that hasn’t been said about this guitar, except that in person it’s a little gem, nice and light, wonderful to look at, plays well. Unique in that it closely resembles the 850 Capri body style with German carve top but has a semihollow body with a thin piece of plywood glued to the back, covering even the neck tenon (which shows on an 850). With its short scale and three-toaster configuration, it seems more akin to a 325 Capri than a Combo. It may have been an experiment, incorporating the features of each as Rickenbacker transitioned from Combos to Capris beginning in late ‘57, early ‘58. Wiser heads than mine have weighed in on this guitar and its significance in the prior thread. I have nothing new to offer about its history.
So there you have it.
And no, I am not taking the back off so you can see what’s inside!
For more photos of this guitar, see Register entry at: http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... p?id=26244
I acquired this guitar from the same seller in Japan from whom I acquired the V87 Longbody short scale Capri, via a trade of non-Rickenbacker vintage guitars from my collection. Thanks to Adam Tober of Expat Guitars in Tokyo for facilitating these transactions. Both guitars are shown reunited, below, with a standard-scale 1958 335 added for, erm, scale!
Not much else I can say that hasn’t been said about this guitar, except that in person it’s a little gem, nice and light, wonderful to look at, plays well. Unique in that it closely resembles the 850 Capri body style with German carve top but has a semihollow body with a thin piece of plywood glued to the back, covering even the neck tenon (which shows on an 850). With its short scale and three-toaster configuration, it seems more akin to a 325 Capri than a Combo. It may have been an experiment, incorporating the features of each as Rickenbacker transitioned from Combos to Capris beginning in late ‘57, early ‘58. Wiser heads than mine have weighed in on this guitar and its significance in the prior thread. I have nothing new to offer about its history.
So there you have it.
And no, I am not taking the back off so you can see what’s inside!
For more photos of this guitar, see Register entry at: http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... p?id=26244
Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Man, Ron, you're racking 'em up! You only had reissue short scales, and now you have two vintage. What's next, a RoMo 1996?
In all seriousness, this is a fine looking guitar. No doubt the instrument that would inspire the German Carve of the 381. Is it next-through? How do your two vintage short scales compare to each other, despite have the same neck, number of pickups, vibrato bar and wiring configuration?
In all seriousness, this is a fine looking guitar. No doubt the instrument that would inspire the German Carve of the 381. Is it next-through? How do your two vintage short scales compare to each other, despite have the same neck, number of pickups, vibrato bar and wiring configuration?
Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Wow! Just wow!
Congrats Ron!
Congrats Ron!
...Dean
Never, ever drool on your surf shirt. It wrecks the solo.
660/12FG, 350V63/6FG, 620/6JG, 360WB/6DBG, Dingwall C1 #001, Prestige Heritage Elite FM
Never, ever drool on your surf shirt. It wrecks the solo.
660/12FG, 350V63/6FG, 620/6JG, 360WB/6DBG, Dingwall C1 #001, Prestige Heritage Elite FM
Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Wow... amazing. So awesome that this guitar ended up in forum hands.
I'll be right over to take it for a test run, Ron!
I'll be right over to take it for a test run, Ron!
Great Ramp In My Opinion.
Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
+1!!!bitzerguy wrote:Wow! Just wow!
Congrats Ron!
- Ontario_RIC_fan
- Advanced Member
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Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Brilliant Congrats! I wondered what could be cool enough to justify getting rid of Capri's for...
Brian Morton
A Rickenbacker Fan
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
=========================
67 FG 625
74 JG 4000
76 JG 430
77 JG 620
77 JG 320
79 MG 450
79 JG 4001
80 FG 620/12
81 BG 480
91 JG 610
02 BG 620
78 TR7
83 TR25
A Rickenbacker Fan
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
=========================
67 FG 625
74 JG 4000
76 JG 430
77 JG 620
77 JG 320
79 MG 450
79 JG 4001
80 FG 620/12
81 BG 480
91 JG 610
02 BG 620
78 TR7
83 TR25
Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Me too.Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:Brilliant Congrats! I wondered what could be cool enough to justify getting rid of Capri's for...
Now I know!
Congratulations Ron
- 8mileshigher
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NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Congrats ! That is real special !
- rickendelic
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Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Congrats Ron, wow!
Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Wow, Ron---it's incredible. Massive congratulations on this one!
- 8mileshigh
- Senior Member
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Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Congrats Ron. That must have taken some haggling! Glad to see it back in the USA. Not quite the UK, but closer
I'd love to see it in person one day, at a MARF maybe?
I'd love to see it in person one day, at a MARF maybe?
Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Congratulations Ron.....You have been quite busy the last few months..!! Some great great acquisitions.
Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Congrats Ron, Wow!
- sloop_john_b
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- deaconblues
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Re: NGD: Polynesian in the House!
Love this guitar! Congrats.