Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My 330 was born in March 1984, making it 20 years old next month. Is it a vintage guitar now?

Some interesting facts about my guitar:

* It has the '60s-style narrow headstock
* It was one of the last guitars made while FC Hall ran the company (for whatever that's worth)
* It's heavier than any other 330 I've ever played (8 lbs)
* The Fireglo finish is darker than most I've seen - almost like a tobacco fireglo
* I paid $590 (including the tolex'd case) for it in June 1984 ($625 with tax)

Sounds like a cool 330.... I have an '81 330 that is also really heavy and has a real dark fireglo finish; it almost looks "autumnglo" in some types of light, but is a little too reddish to be a true autumnglo. Mine has the newer-style wide headstock. You raise an interesting question: How old does a guitar have to be to be considered "vintage?"

In my state anyway, cars have to be 25 years old before you can get a historical vehicle license plate.

"Vintage" ~ "Historical" ?

I believe it's 25 years for everything except houses. 50 years at least for houses, I think.

Glenn, Melissa,
Aren't your guitars 21 fret (or 20 fret) models? I think there is a breakpoint after which all 330s are 24 fret, and I thought that breakpoint was sometime early '80s...

I have a 1980 330/12 that has the fattest (24 fret) neck I have ever played on a guitar. Is this because of the era, or are all 12s like this? My two 6 strings (1966 Rose Morris and 1998 340) both have nice thin necks.

No, my guitar has 24 frets, like all 330s from the late '70s and '80s.

Melissa - Interesting that your 330 has the wide headstock! I thought that was introduced after John Hall assumed leadership in September 1984. What's your serial number?

As far as my understanding goes, the word 'vintage' means from an defined era, which implies that even a brand new guitar should be considered 'vintage'..........2004 vintage!

This most interesting question has come up before. You can find it in the archives.

While vintage does indeed refer to a defined era, and will vary depending on the instrument in question, for me it refers to a 1960s instrument.

This is a very narrow view, of course, but at this stage in my life, a 1960s instrument is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of a Vintage Rickenbacker.

Peter....me too!!
HAHA

Gene, my 330 is a 24-fret model; it pretty much looks like any modern 330, except for the odd fireglo shading, and I think it weighs more than my 381! I just checked (it was my first Ric and had made its way to the bottom of the heap!), and I guess I was wrong about the headstock--it is the narrower type, like that on my '67 365.... Although it has some finish checking and a few dings in it, it is still a great player and a wonderful sounding guitar--the one that made me fall in love with Rickenbacker! It has a VE serial number.

That "VE" s/n corresponds to May 1982, not '81.

It's interesting that you almost never see any Rickenbacker guitars from the early '80s for sale on eBay or anywhere else. I suspect that the company was producing more basses in those days, and aside from Paul Weller, there weren't too many high profile Rick guitar players at that time.

My '84 330 is probably the best playing guitar I've ever encountered, and is built solid as a rock. I've never had to adjust the neck in 20 years of hard use, and the action is still ridiculously low.