Recently Purchased 381/12v69 Questions

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lazerdriver
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Recently Purchased 381/12v69 Questions

Post by lazerdriver »

I recently bought a used 381/12v69 and I am going through my usual period of hypercritical evaluation of what I got. I would be interested to hear some opinions on this...

Here is the guitar. It was listed as "mint" condition. I would say that is mostly a fair assessment, although I have some doubts on a few things:
Image

The first things I noticed is at the neck joint there is a significant amount of either wood filler (or wood glue). It is smooth so it appears to be underneath the clear coat. It made me a little suspicious though. Has the joint been repaired or the neck been reset? Or do they sometimes come from the factory like this? Kind of a sloppy job wherever it came from:

Left front
Image

Right front
Image

Right back
Image

Left back (looks ok here)
Image

For comparison, here is another maplelgo 381/12 currently on ebay. The image is a bit blurry, but I think I see similar filler on the left side neck joint of that one too. Is this common on the mapleglo finishes and you just don't see it on the solid finish models?
Image

Also, some of the fret ends appear to be filed at an angle on the right side of the fretboard, but not the left. Why would that be? Maybe a DIY'er attempt to file sharp fret ends?

Right side
Image

Left side
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Other than that the finish is nearly flawless. It plays really nicely. Tunes perfectly (thank you 12-saddle bridge!). I think the nut may have been replaced with a slightly wider spaced one, or they just put different nuts on the 381/12. I can actually play stuff on it that I cannot play on my 2002 360/12, which has the wider version of the Rickenbacker nut that I put on a few years ago. The nut on the 381/12 is definitely spaced different than the one I put on my 360/12. I measure 5mm between the 5th / 6th string pairs and the 4th / 3rd string pairs. On my 360/12 nut it is 4mm for both:
Image

Lastly, the neck profile is a little bit thinner, not quite as round as the 360/12, which I like. I wasn't aware this model had a different neck profile. Is that true of the 381/12?
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collin
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Re: Recently Purchased 381/12v69 Questions

Post by collin »

Nice guitar, it looks exactly like it did leaving the factory.

There has been no repairs or issues at the neck. That's simply the joint edge where the neck and body meet, it's normal to have glue/grain filler at that spot. Hard to say about the frets, other than I can't imagine they've been touched considering the rest of the guitar is totally intact.

Without trying to sound flippant about it -- just relax and enjoy your guitar. It's a beauty! :)
lazerdriver
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Re: Recently Purchased 381/12v69 Questions

Post by lazerdriver »

collin wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:26 pm Nice guitar, it looks exactly like it did leaving the factory.

There has been no repairs or issues at the neck. That's simply the joint edge where the neck and body meet, it's normal to have glue/grain filler at that spot. Hard to say about the frets, other than I can't imagine they've been touched considering the rest of the guitar is totally intact.

Without trying to sound flippant about it -- just relax and enjoy your guitar. It's a beauty! :)
I don’t take it as flippant at all, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I go through this every time I get another guitar…obsession with details I guess.

I looked at some of the old sold listings on Reverb and for the ones where you can see the neck joint several had the same thing. Some were better, others similar to mine, so it is what it is. I’m pretty happy with it overall. Not a scratch or dent to be found anywhere considering it is a 2010. And seems to be setup pretty well too.

I will take your advice and just enjoy.
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collin
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Re: Recently Purchased 381/12v69 Questions

Post by collin »

lazerdriver wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:28 am
collin wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:26 pm Nice guitar, it looks exactly like it did leaving the factory.

There has been no repairs or issues at the neck. That's simply the joint edge where the neck and body meet, it's normal to have glue/grain filler at that spot. Hard to say about the frets, other than I can't imagine they've been touched considering the rest of the guitar is totally intact.

Without trying to sound flippant about it -- just relax and enjoy your guitar. It's a beauty! :)
I don’t take it as flippant at all, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I go through this every time I get another guitar…obsession with details I guess.

I looked at some of the old sold listings on Reverb and for the ones where you can see the neck joint several had the same thing. Some were better, others similar to mine, so it is what it is. I’m pretty happy with it overall. Not a scratch or dent to be found anywhere considering it is a 2010. And seems to be setup pretty well too.

I will take your advice and just enjoy.
It's a beauty! I'm not always a huge fan of mapleglo but the 381 is a major exception, I think these guitars look superb in mapleglo, the understated nature of that model balanced out by the double German carve, and all the deluxe trim.

They're one of the best looking modern guitars you can buy today, in my opinion. Wish my '69 381 was also a 12-string like that!
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jdogric12
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Re: Recently Purchased 381/12v69 Questions

Post by jdogric12 »

Very cool LD! What year?
lazerdriver
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Re: Recently Purchased 381/12v69 Questions

Post by lazerdriver »

It is a 2010
lazerdriver
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Re: Recently Purchased 381/12v69 Questions

Post by lazerdriver »

I am considering converting this to a 6-string. I have a 360/12, modified with 12-saddle bridge, and a recently purchased 660/12. So I'm not sure I need three Rick 12-strings, and I do not have a Rick 6-string. I have a little trouble playing the 381 compared to the other two, due to worsening arthritis. I could put a wider space nut on it, or just sell it. But it is so unique looking compared to my other guitars that I have a hard time convincing myself to part with it at this point in time.

Has anyone ever converted a Rick 12 to a 6, and if so were you pleased with the results? Are there any problems with doing this? Is it sacrilege to do so? :) If I did do the conversion I would have it done by a luthier as I don't want to mess with cutting slots on a new 6-saddle bridge. And I suppose I could always convert it back if I ever decided to sell it.
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