Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Help Wanted!!!

Last night, I managed to spare a rare 1969 Rick 381 mapleglo from an undignified fate being parted out on eBay by Gibsonpartsdependable. I was able to secure the top bid on nearly all of the parts - the body, serial number, case, pickups, pickguard and other parts - all the stuff that matters for a vintage 381. I'm only missing a few small things, including the TRC.

This is a total longshot - but did anybody else here happen to bid on this part or anything else from this guitar ? I would be happy to buy this, or even trade other vintage Rick parts to try and get this guitar back whole again. Again, I'm primarily looking for the buyer of the TRC.

It boggles my mind that this 381 was parted out. I found the listing for this guitar when it was sold by another dealer a few months ago and it appears to be one of the nicest vintage 381s I've seen, coming from the original owner no less.... glad to keep this one together as much as I can.

I did math on this guy once and found the profit margin was razor thin... still the case I hope?

I stumbled across this old thread from four years ago. I have time to kill today, so how about a cool update?

I posted on my Instagram page visually, so I'll let the photos tell the story on how I managed to get the original TRC back on this guitar.

I love it when stuff like that falls in to place!

Now, if I could only find a transitional hi-gain bridge pickup in a similar fashion...

(I did find a non-Rick guitar with a pair of those in it once. Shoulda.)

Anyway, great score. What will you do with the spare 381?

kennyhowes wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2024 7:20 am
Anyway, great score. What will you do with the spare 381?

I sold it after a year or so. Strange guitar, it was definitely a first gen 381 dating to 1971/1972 period but the jack plate was vintage but had no serial number whatsoever and most of the parts seemed to be added in the 1980s except for the early Hi Gains. Binding was crumbling a bit as well.

Still have the ‘69 Mapleglo, though!

Wow, that’s amazing! Nice one, Collin.

Great story, but now someone has the real TRC for the Fireglo guitar you just bought and is looking for the whole rest of the guitar to mount it on...

scoobster28 wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2024 11:53 am Great story, but now someone has the real TRC for the Fireglo guitar you just bought and is looking for the whole rest of the guitar to mount it on...

Not sure that I follow what you're trying to tell me.

This Fireglo 381 left the factory many years after it was initially produced, wearing who knows what TRC (not all of the parts on it were period correct). It now wears a reissue TRC.

The point here is that the original TRC for this mapleglo 381 is back on the guitar again.