Class of '66

[pacealot]

Due to a completely unforeseen set of circumstances, I have been able to obtain two guitars which have been my dream to own since I was a small child. Along with my mother's 4005 O.S. which she gigged with from 1973 until she retired from music in the '80s (and on which I learned bass - such as I ever did - after that), here they are:

The serial number of the 365 O.S. indicates that it's from March 1966 - in other words, it starts FC. Something seems particularly apt about that to me.

The 12-string is "only" FF, and thus June '66 (the month of my ex-wife's birth!) - but oddly enough, it came with the earlier style of case with no "goodie box," and the O.S. came with the later case with goodie box - ah, the vagaries of Electro....

[pacealot]

And now the whole family get to know each other....

[Danotron]

That's a beautiful family!

[opticnerve]

That's a beautiful family!

+1

[rkbsound]

I think that this was a very good year for RIC production and quality. Perhaps their peak before slowing down and changing how they did things? I have 2 '66 330 guitars and they simply can't be beat. One really is "beat" and it still is awesome. Ironically, these better guitars sell for the same or just above the price of a new one. That's called a bargain!!!

[jch]

Beautiful Fireglo goodness!

[scotty]

Absolutely stunning Congrats!

[pacealot]

Thanks, guys - one thing I didn't mention before is that they both smell just like my mom's bass! I don't know what makes the distinctive scent (maybe something in the cases?) but it's unmistakeable. Eau de Rickenbacker vintage!

I cannot express how much of a dream come true this is to have these incredible instruments. They will be played, one way or another, musical "retirement" or not....

[leftybass]

Quite a collection....I'd be a proud papa as well...!

[libratune]

Great collection.

What is the year of the two basses added to the "Class of '66"?

[pacealot]

The bass on the left is a '93 V63 which has been significantly altered parts-wise to come as close as possible to a "true" RM reissue, and the one second from the right is a late '71 which I picked up here on the forum back when I was still gigging (both that bass and my mom's have had their original jackplates removed/swapped/swiped, so I don't know for sure their "birthmonths" - in the case of my mom's, she kept the original receipt with the real SN somewhere, but I've been unable to locate it yet - some day I'll know for sure!).

(The '71 came with a RIHS in place of the original Hi Gain, so I felt little compunction in swapping it for a "real" magnetic shoe/Sérgio bobbin pickup, which sounds great. The V63 sports a real magnetic shoe and a bobbin from Dale Fortune made from a mould from one of the original "lipped" bobbins. The pickups on my mom's bass are, surprisingly, original. )

[libratune]

Cool, thanks for the info. Great set of Fireglo Ricks there!

[danm]

wow! very nice.