Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Earlier today my son called me to say that he received a Facebook posting about a 1979 Ric 320FG that just showed up at the local Guitar Center - needles to say, we both raced down there. When I arrived he was already playing it. I came up behind him and growled: "Put the guitar down son, and nobody will get hurt." Long story short - the guitar was a beauty, in every respect - for the right place I would gladly have taken it home . . . but the $2,600 price tag was a bit too steep for my wallet at the moment.

Here is the kicker.

Hanging right next to the Ric was a 62 Gibson 335 - priced at $5,500. My son asked to play it. Plugged it in - NO SOUND! Upon careful examination, we discovered that it had a highly defective input jack, broken tone knob, and a dead neck pickup! When we reported the problems to the GC employee, he plugged the guitar in, saw that our assessment was 100% accurate, and then proceeded to simply place the guitar back on the wall.

Ouch!

I wanted to buy the Ric (did I mention it was a real beauty) just to get it away from such an undeserving home - but like a kid bringing home a rescue puppy to his parents - I don't think that my wife would have appreciated my good intentions, no matter how much I begged.

So sad!

Mike, maybe contacting the GC store manager and reporting both your finding and the reaction of the employee.

That's a hell of a deal for a '62 335. What store was this?

sloop_john_b wrote:That's a hell of a deal for a '62 335. What store was this?

+1

Inquiring minds absolutely want to know!!

I can't say for sure - but I THINK that they guy who put the 335 back on the wall WAS a member of store management . . . .

This was the Guitar Center in New London, CT.

Ah -- its an ES-355, changed pickups & other parts.

Thanks for the tip, Mike!

sloop_john_b wrote:Ah -- its an ES-355, changed pickups & other parts.

Thanks for the tip, Mike!

Yep, I see the listing.... Not bad, but a whole 'nother ball game from a 335.

Sorry for what sounds like sour grapes, but I see this thread with a 320 Fireglo for $2600, and I just have to scratch my head over why my 320 Red and 320 Silver, both priced way below $2000, have not sold for four months.

doctorwho wrote:Sorry for what sounds like sour grapes, but I see this thread with a 320 Fireglo for $2600, and I just have to scratch my head over why my 320 Red and 320 Silver, both priced way below $2000, have not sold for four months.

My guess would be that they're not "Lennon-ie" enough. Sorry that 320's aren't my bag but I'm wishing you better luck with your sale.

(laugh) Finally, someone caught on to the outrageous price of the 320. I had initially thought that if the guitar sat in the store for a while, the price might drop down to something reasonable (can you say "$1000 off the current price") - but being that it is in a Guitar Center store, where any slob off the street is free to use and abuse it, my only fear is that it will get hammered before it gets affordable.

Now, lets talk about those two 320's that are "way below $2,000" . . . .


p.s. - sorry about the 335/355 confusion . . . I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention.