1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Setup, repair and restoration of Rickenbacker Instruments

Moderator: jingle_jangle

User avatar
Dom
Member
Posts: 347
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:22 am

Re: 1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Post by Dom »

Hello old thread! Long story short, I wanted to build my main guitar so any progress I made on this guitar was before I got my Red 350 which quickly became my main...to the point that I had to use 2 different tunings so as not to have my 370WB feel jealous. Anyhey, life got in the way of getting this one done but like all things, that is changing & I moved to a place where I can finally work & play.

The 350's body is bound but not fully sanded so this may still be a good point to hit reset...or upgrade. If you saw my German Carve post you'll know I got smitten with a rewound horseshoe a while back. That Carve guitar got a serious knock during our move that chipped the paint badly so it needs a sanding and respray...got me thinking...fill in the middle pickup of the 350 and add the horseshoe.

Talk me out of this! A 24 fret checker bound AFG 350 with an overwound freaking 1936 1.5" horseshoe...it keeps sounding awesome enough to do! Here, I'll start: The tongue of the neck goes right up to the neck pickup at a point where I may have to rout a notch at the very end for the pickup. True, but it doesn't look like it threatens stability in any way. What about just routing for the horseshoe alone in a chambered body guitar? Now you're cutting into areas that were once isolated. It may require adding maple blocks to keep the main chambers separate. We haven't even talked about plugging the mid pickup rout...OK, use a section of similar grain from the warped back & plug it...then veneer or not to veneer is the question...and it's kinda late for veneer since you already bound the thing. You could go vintage turquoise with a gold guard & call it a day or just not mind the plug & stick with AFG since you have a serious tone machine either way.

I had initially wanted a wider neck so I tried out a wider aftermarket neck in another guitar & even built one with a tongue extension & ultimately decided no, I prefer a Rickenbacker neck. This means I either find one out there in the Net or use the one from the scratched up 330. Committing to that means I will build a 27" or 28" neck for a baritone 330. The Universe craves one of those too. Anymeow...
User avatar
Dom
Member
Posts: 347
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:22 am

Re: 1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Post by Dom »

https://imgur.com/a/CPDh64D

Talk me out of it...
pauleway
New member
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2019 1:36 pm

Re: 1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Post by pauleway »

Dom,

Do yourself a favor and put that beautiful checkerboard binding on the front, AND the back of the guitar.
Definitely AFG, and "f" sound hole! Now that is what I call the perfect 350 Ric!!! :D :wink:
User avatar
scoobster28
Veteran RRF member
Posts: 696
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2001 1:16 pm

Re: 1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Post by scoobster28 »

Dom,
If you want the horseshoe then go for it. It is your guitar. Make it what you want!
User avatar
8mileshigher
Senior Member
Posts: 4871
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 12:34 pm

1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Post by 8mileshigher »

Dom --- it's always a pleasure to read about your projects and see the pictures.
Are there many original Horseshoes mounted in hollow guitars ?
User avatar
Dom
Member
Posts: 347
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:22 am

Re: 1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Post by Dom »

8mileshigher wrote:Dom --- it's always a pleasure to read about your projects and see the pictures.
Are there many original Horseshoes mounted in hollow guitars ?
Thanks, just wish I had the tools, time & $ to complete them all! Then again maybe this guitar was just waiting for the right pickup.

You bring up a good point, early horseshoe “Spanish” electrics were acoustics...I’m not sure if Electro Spanish bodies were sourced from Harmony or National. I see Paul also did a 360F with a single shoe that is even closer to the neck than I’m going. That’s two points I can check off the list. I think this is happening. I picked up a horseshoe mounting plate from Chris at POTR. Needed one for ages! Oh and a big yes to the back binding...& figured maple. So far no one’s talked me out of it...
...I guess now I gotta see this through.
User avatar
Dom
Member
Posts: 347
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:22 am

Re: 1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Post by Dom »

Saw the 4005xc...beautiful...confirmed my dream bass in reality. Time to learn to build a bass neck for that 330 & get these done.
User avatar
Dom
Member
Posts: 347
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:22 am

Re: 1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Post by Dom »

I really liked this black ‘91 330...Scratchy as its been nicknamed. I added a tort pg, & black trim & clanged away. Now here it is stripped and waiting for the neck to be pulled. Kenny and I traded 330’s and it’s been a fun guitar to just let loose on. It shows it. This is as clean as it can get.
https://i.imgur.com/RW78jDw.jpg

I’ve been super hesitant to rip apart such a fun guitar. So much so that I tried to cut corners and use a substitute neck for the 350. Yup, wrong. So here we are five millennia later going with my original plan to swap necks & build a shortscale bass neck for the 330. Scratchy will die so two Phoenix may live.

https://i.imgur.com/D0ih6vt.jpg
Here’s the 350 in front of the 330...very cool to see how closely related these really are. I almost want to see a 330 painted with a 350 inside it. Center line needs to be reglued but fortunately that is the only issue from my wrong turn. Everything else can be turned around. Next step is to cut the finish at the neck joint get out the heat blankets and remove the back & neck. No pressure.
User avatar
jdogric12
Rick-a-holic
Posts: 10853
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 6:00 am

Re: 1991 Rickenbacker 350 complete rebuild

Post by jdogric12 »

Dom wrote: I almost want to see a 330 painted with a 350 inside it.
I looked at the pictures before I read your post and it took me a second to realize that the thing I was looking at was NOT the thing you describe in this quote^ :!:
Post Reply

Return to “"Vibrola" Rickenbacker Technical Forum: By Paul Wilczynski”