Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I finally got around to looking inside, there's a lot written in there! Any insights welcome.

Greenstone wrote:I finally got around to looking inside, there's a lot written in there! Any insights welcome.

Perhaps, this will help you.

Here's the interior of my March '65 365. Note the "Mike DiFiore was here 1969". DiFiore's Music in Cleveland, Ohio was a Rickenbacker dealer back then.

fabandgear wrote:DiFiore's Music in Cleveland, Ohio was a Rickenbacker dealer back then.

I've been there many times back in the '70s during DiFiore's heyday. EVERYBODY went there, it was music gear Mecca; walls of Marshalls and Acoustic amps!

What does the 365-'R' and 365-'T' mean on these respective guitars?

Greenstone wrote:What does the 365-'R' and 365-'T' mean on these respective guitars?

It's my understanding that RIC made instruments in batches of 25 and, starting sometime in the mid-1960s, designated each instrument in a batch by an alpha number, A through Y. I have found examples in a few of my vintage Ricks.

Thanks, very cool

I received some clarification from John Hall on my theory as to the alpha letters. I was close, but no cigar.

You're on the right track. Each SPRAY SESSION had an alpha code. This was used to determine when an instrument had dried enough to move on to fine sanding and buffing.
It's not absolute though, as different supervisors had their own systems of coding and keeping track of things.

Thanks, John!