Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

This is my first post NEWBIE alert. I just picked this up it is my first Rickenbacker. I've been mainly at Gretsch talk and The Gretsch Pages. I am going to try to repair and salvage this guitar. It has been robbed of all its original parts. The first pic f inside the control cavity shows a signature in pencil that looks like the name Jaye and then 345T. I sent a pic to Rickenbacker and am hoping they will tell me something if they can. Anybody got any idea as to what year this 345 is? Can you believe the idiot that did this with a drill bit and a dull saw and zero wood working skills? I have ordered from Ric the pickguard and wiring harness. I have the knobs, Kluson tuners, and the Ric bridge. Haven't decided on the pickups yet any advice there on pickups would be helpful. Thanks in advance to any Ric expert that responds

First, this post makes me very sad. There seem to have been a recent spate of 'people' ruining or disrespecting vintage Rickenbackers. I'm not a restoration/repair expert, so I'll limit my comments to things I have a clue about. P.S. You may want to also post your message to another Forum on this site '"Vibrola" Rickenbacker Technical Forum: By Paul Wilczynski' which is focused on repair/restoration questions.

rcboals wrote:Anybody got any idea as to what year this 345 is? Haven't decided on the pickups yet any advice there on pickups would be helpful.

Do you still have the original jack plate? If so, the serial number on the plate should inform you of the manufacture date of this guitar. The serial number decoder is here:
http://www.rickenbacker.com/service_serials.asp

From your photos, this appears to be a 21-fret guitar, so I'll hazard a guess it is a 60s guitar and consequently vintage reissue toaster pickups will be the right ones for this guitar:
http://boutique.rickenbacker.com/PICKUP ... p_504.html

Best wishes - hope you can restore this instrument to its original glory.

Hi Raye,

It's nice to see you here from the GDP. For, starters, besides the "classy" hack job mod that was done, are you sure it's a 345? A 345, would be the 3-pickup version of the 330, with the vibrato tailpiece. If you have the original toaster pickups, I would would say, use those. They are very highly rated (unless you prefer Hi-Gains like I do). Paul Wilczynski (username jingle jangle), is the guy to get in touch with. If anybody can help you get a butchered Ric in decent working order, it's him.

Hard to tell, but it looks like a three-piece top, so it's 1965-1966 330 or 365 model. Take a photo of the butt-end stap button hole to tell which model. It was originally fireglo.

It's a bummer to see that, but it's fixable. Gotta plug those routes with new maple, sand it down to match and then re-route the proper pickup routes. Then you can refin in a solid color, or veneer the entire top and do a transparent finish (but that's a lot more technical and time-consuming).

Hope you didn't drop a lot of money on it. How is the neck condition, fret wear etc?

I'm in with Collin on this one. 330s and 340s of this vintage are rarer than the deluxe models (at least these days). This would be worth saving; if you're really committed make sure the neck angle is OK and do a reset if necessary.

Just an observation: Why the flip are so many butchered Ricks painted metallic blue? Is it the #1 amateur meatball spray can color or what? Is ReRanch doing a special on '66 Malibu Marina Blue/'66 GTO Tyrol Blue? Inquiring, jaded minds want to know...

Oh, yeah. This begs to be Fireglo once again!!!

jingle_jangle wrote:Just an observation: Why the flip are so many butchered Ricks painted metallic blue?

It's hideous - even the truss rod adjustment nuts are painted blue! The cavity has "345-T" written in it. What does the "T" signify?

jingle_jangle wrote:I'm in with Collin on this one. 330s and 340s of this vintage are rarer than the deluxe models (at least these days). This would be worth saving; if you're really committed make sure the neck angle is OK and do a reset if necessary.

Just an observation: Why the flip are so many butchered Ricks painted metallic blue? Is it the #1 amateur meatball spray can color or what? Is ReRanch doing a special on '66 Malibu Marina Blue/'66 GTO Tyrol Blue? Inquiring, jaded minds want to know...

Oh, yeah. This begs to be Fireglo once again!!!

I agree it's worth saving as well, and wonder as well, what is up with the metallic blue; this is the third or fourth vintage Rick I've seen painted that metallic blue; Graham's anchor-heavy early 4001, a Capri of Darryn's, IIRC, maybe it was GG's as well, not sure.... and one other 330, IIRC.

*"345T" in the control cavity is an internal factory designation that doesn't necessarily reflect the model the guitar was finished as; this guitar is obviously a two p/up model, unless you find a small wiring rout and two pickup mount holes under that blue finish.

This guitar is begging to go to Paul W's shop for a re-finish ! !

8mileshigher wrote:This guitar is begging to go to Paul W's shop for a re-finish ! !

+1. These sad cases are his specialty.

More Pics for fun as I move along. This one is really butchered pretty bad. I am pretty sure I'm going to paint it black, the fire glo finish is beyond my expertise. I will make it a 345 with three pups since it does say 345T in the cavity. It most likely was a 330 two pup model. I need to find a good deal on some toaster pups. On the Tremolo I'm leaning strongly to the Bigsby B-5 any thoughts on that? The Ric vibroto reminds me of the not very efficient Japanese knock off Teiscos etc of the 60's. This guitar will never be a collector but it can be a great player and a desirable guitar to own once again. Here is a you tube link a 1966 345 for what I hope to end up with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEuV6A097pM

jingle_jangle wrote:Just an observation: Why the flip are so many butchered Ricks painted metallic blue? Is it the #1 amateur meatball spray can color or what?

LOL! It does seem to be a popular choice. I've had 2 like this

rcboals wrote: The Ric vibroto reminds me of the not very efficient Japanese knock off Teiscos etc of the 60's.

You just haven't played a good one!

Really, the signt of a B-5 bolted to a Rickenbacker looks out-of-place, at least to my eyes. Yes, even that John Lennon guy's guitar.

Doesn't look too bad under the paint though, great project.



p.s. +1 on metallic blue. I bought a seemingly perfect, but rattle-can metallic blue '66 330 basket case a couple years ago on eBay.

IMO the Rickenbacker vibrato is not very good. Tuning stability goes right out the window, whilst the B5 is a very reliable, stable system. The Rick vibrato can also ruin the finish underneath it.

I'm currently working on a 480 that's going to have a Bigsby B5 on it. A buddy let me play his Gretsch and I got hooked. But whether you go with the Bigsby or the Ric vibrato, I'd suggest you get a roller bridge for it.

I love a good spray can sally!!