Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Not sure where to post this, but there is an eBay auction (281087034037) for a FireGlo 325 with a story about Lennon's own FireGlo 325 which I have never heard. For example, I never heard about a Rickenbacker salesman on tour with the Beatles with an inventory of guitars, nor that he dropped his regular 325 in Miami.

I would be interested in people's comments.
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BIDDING ON A VERY VERY RARE 325V63 MIAMI

THATS RIGHT, A 325V63 NOT A 325V64

IT WAS A SPECIAL ORDER GUITAR.
THESE 325V63's WERE RICKENBACKERS FIRST REISSUES OF THE 325's SINCE THE EARLY 1960's AND ALL WERE BLACK.
THEY WERE MADE FROM 1995 UNTIL 1999. THE ONE I'M SELLING ( RELUNCTLY ) BEING A 1999 SPECIAL ORDER IN FIREGLO.
THEN ALL WERE DISCONTINUED BY RICKENBACKER!

THE STORY OF THE 325 FIREGLO's GO BACK
WHEN JOHN LENNON DROPPED HIS BLACK RICKENBACKER IN MIAMI. IT WAS UNPLAYABLE AND RICKENBACKER
COULDN'T LET JOHN GO ON STAGE WITH A DIFFERENT GUITAR AT THAT TIME.
SO RICKENBACKERS SALESMAN, WHO WAS WITH THEM ON THE TOUR, HAD A SUPPLY OF 325's AND 360's IN TOW WITH HIM.

ONLY HAD THE 325 FIREGLO WITH HIM AND GAVE IT TO JOHN FOR THE TOUR UNTIL THEY HAD A BLACK ONE SENT TO GIVE HIM.

RICKENBACKER MADE ONLY 50 OF THESE AND ENDED PRODUCTION TO KEEP IT UNIQUE (WHICH WORKED)
MOST FIREGLO 325's ARE ROSE MORRIS 325 MIAMI'S OR 325V64 RICKS WITH THE UGLY F HOLES
THE U.S. ALSO MADE A 325V64 FIREGLO WITH THE F HOLE.
THE 325V63 FIREGLO'S ( THIS ONE ) ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, LET ALONE STILL NEW!
ALL F HOLE FIREGLO'S RUN IN THE $3,000.00 RANGE.
THIS IS A 325V63 (1 OF 50) FIREGLO's WITHOUT THE F HOLE.

Nope.

To my knowledge...

eBay nutjob wrote: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIDDING ON A VERY VERY RARE 325V63 MIAMI

THATS RIGHT, A 325V63 NOT A 325V64

IT WAS A SPECIAL ORDER GUITAR.
THESE 325V63's WERE RICKENBACKERS FIRST REISSUES OF THE 325's SINCE THE EARLY 1960's AND ALL WERE BLACK.
THEY WERE MADE FROM 1995 UNTIL 1999. THE ONE I'M SELLING ( RELUNCTLY ) BEING A 1999 SPECIAL ORDER IN FIREGLO.
THEN ALL WERE DISCONTINUED BY RICKENBACKER!

THE STORY OF THE 325 FIREGLO's GO BACK
WHEN JOHN LENNON DROPPED HIS BLACK RICKENBACKER IN MIAMI. IT WAS UNPLAYABLE AND RICKENBACKER
COULDN'T LET JOHN GO ON STAGE WITH A DIFFERENT GUITAR AT THAT TIME.

The above is pretty much accurate, except that he forgot the B Series in '82, and got the dates of the V Series wrong. The FG 325v63s are indeed rare, but not unheard of.

There was no exclusive agreement that the Beatles use Rickenbacker guitars. John just liked the 325 and didn't want to be without an electric guitar.

Also, the guitar was not dropped in Miami, but at the Hammersmith Odeon in London during the Beatles' 1964 Christmas show.

eBay nutjob wrote:SO RICKENBACKERS SALESMAN, WHO WAS WITH THEM ON THE TOUR, HAD A SUPPLY OF 325's AND 360's IN TOW WITH HIM.

Rickenbacker had a salesman who traveled with the Beatles? Laughably untrue.

eBay nutjob wrote:ONLY HAD THE 325 FIREGLO WITH HIM AND GAVE IT TO JOHN FOR THE TOUR UNTIL THEY HAD A BLACK ONE SENT TO GIVE HIM.

Actually, Rose Morris, the UK Rickenbacker distributor, gave Lennon a standard-line '64 1996. WITH f-hole. And Lennon's original black '64 325 was repaired and returned to him.

eBay nutjob wrote:RICKENBACKER MADE ONLY 50 OF THESE AND ENDED PRODUCTION TO KEEP IT UNIQUE (WHICH WORKED)

No. Rickenbacker does not release production records. The reason these are rare is that FG was a non-standard color for a 325v63.

eBay nutjob wrote:MOST FIREGLO 325's ARE ROSE MORRIS 325 MIAMI'S OR 325V64 RICKS WITH THE UGLY F HOLES
THE U.S. ALSO MADE A 325V64 FIREGLO WITH THE F HOLE.

Incorrect. F-holes are extremely sexy. Also, there is no 325v64 model (perhaps he is confused because of the 1996 R.I.s?)

eBay nutjob wrote: THE 325V63 FIREGLO'S ( THIS ONE ) ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, LET ALONE STILL NEW!
ALL F HOLE FIREGLO'S RUN IN THE $3,000.00 RANGE.
THIS IS A 325V63 (1 OF 50) FIREGLO's WITHOUT THE F HOLE.

Blah blah blah.


Sounds to me like this guy knew half of the story and just made up the rest.

There are very few ugly F-holes in the world.... and RIC certainly never produced one.

It always irritates me when someone makes up stories to drive up the price of an auction regardless of make or model.

brammy wrote:There are very few ugly F-holes in the world.... and RIC certainly never produced one.

Oh, sorry, brammy,
I have to do this.
Rickenbacker invented sexy f-holes, the "slash" ones.
The RoseMorris-f-holes are, in contrast, embarrassing. At least to me
They are in it for the money.

Wolfgang
p.s.
it was a good idea to produce the small 3/4-Capri (one of the best looking guitar models ever) without an f-hole.
But, yes, I know, many do like the RM -f-holes.

wolfgang wrote: The RoseMorris-f-holes are, in contrast, embarrassing. At least to me
They are in it for the money.

"In it for the money" huh?

I think you'll find...most of us like the F-hole. Personally I'm not much of a fan of the slash soundhole.

Different strokes.......and RIC caters to both sides of the market, so they're just as much "in it for the money" on slash soundholes and Beatle reissues.

hello collin,
my remarks were related to the late 50s (invention of the Capri) and mid 60s, when the originaly Rose Morris Capris were made.
The conventional f-holes, as far as we know, were made under the pressure of Rose Morris, and were not a genuine Rickenbacker design feature.


When it comes to reissues, RIC was pioneer in making the V-series (including the 1996) and, even better, the C-series.
And we are very happy with it. You can't get a better replica than the C-series, resonably priced.

And, yes, I do like the Rickenbacker design.

Wolfgang

wolfgang wrote:hello collin,
my remarks were related to the late 50s (invention of the Capri) and mid 60s, when the originaly Rose Morris Capris were made.
The conventional f-holes, as far as we know, were made under the pressure of Rose Morris, and were not a genuine Rickenbacker design feature.


When it comes to reissues, RIC was pioneer in making the V-series (including the 1996) and, even better, the C-series.
And we are very happy with it. You can't get a better replica than the C-series, resonably priced.

And, yes, I do like the Rickenbacker design.

Wolfgang

In no way was Rickenbacker "pressured" into putting f-holes on 325s -- the f-holes were already there. F-holes started way back in '58 before the Rose Morris era.

The sum total of vintage 325s with solid tops, to my knowledge, would be the first 6 or so in '58 and two in '64. All the rest, including US models, came with f-holes.

And Rickenbacker as a vintage reissue pioneer? Only after Gibson and Fender in the early 80s.

Richard R. Smith
The History of Rickenbacker Guitars
1987 Centerstream Publishing

p.107 pic lower right side:
"This 1958 325 in the foreground had a traditional F sound hole. ..."
p.191 pic on the right
"This 1964 Model 360/12 had a traditional F sound hole while most other 1964 examples had slash shaped sound holes."

Text p. 191: "The 360/12 displayed at the 1964 N.A.M.M. show was different This guitar had white guards, a double-bound body, triangle inlays, and an F shape sound hole. Its flat tailpiece and controls were the same as George's earlier model, but it had chrome top knpbs."

Are there any other, non RM-Capris with conventional F holes?
Wolfgang

wolfgang wrote: Are there any other, non RM-Capris with conventional F holes?
Wolfgang

There sure are:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~glen325/325.html (second half of the page)

and:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~glen325/325_2.html

and many of these are US models, not Rose Morris:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~glen325/325_4.html

O.K., you are right. Many conventional sound holes . I'm depressed.

Wolfgang

wolfgang wrote:O.K., you are right. Many conventional sound holes . I'm depressed.

Wolfgang

Don't worry, plenty of Lennon reissues to choose from!

Having owned a 1996 reissue, I can say the soundhole gives a nice sound unplugged.

hello Dan,
depite my short fat fingers, I like my 325V63 (pickups downwound to 2.5 kOhm) very much. But unfortunately it has the 10* fretboard radius instead of the barré-frendly 7.25 inch. But I cannot afford a 325C64 or a 325C58. A nice C58 in maple glow...

Very interesting to hear that the 1996 gives a nice (louder?) unplugged sound.

Wolfgang

I've owned the 325v63, 325c64, 325c58, and 1996 at one time or another.

If you're ever able to afford one, there is a huge difference between the V series and the C series. C series 325s are lighter and have much better resonance. The 7.25" radius is also nice.

My favorite is the c58. It's just the coolest reissue ever. The neck is chunkier too, a U shape.