350 or genuine 355 - how to tell?

harvey49 · Post by **harvey49** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:09 pm

I could be in the running for a maple Rick listed as a 350, with bigsby arm, gold pickguard and stove type knobs. As I don't have a lot of knowledge about 355's I thought I'd see if some kind soul out there could enlighten me.

Is there any way to tell from photos whether the guitar is a 350 with mod's or a genuine 355? Would knowing the serial number confirm this or only when it was made?

I believe the slope on a 350, where the tailpiece is fitted is slightly less than that of a 355, but would it be noticeable from a photo?

And last but not least, it appears to be is reasonable nick, so what would be a fair price if it was a genuine 355 - or if it is a 350 with extras?

Love to hear from you experts out there as these guitars are like hen's teeth here in Australia, (almost impossible to find!!!!!)

Ron

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:19 am

Ron: I am not aware of a run of Model 355s with a bigsby and gold pickguards in any finish. I believe that you are describing a modified Model 350.

One can never rule out customized instruments, however, and perhaps John Hall will be able to comment in more detail.

As to price, it would be important to know what we are dealing with here before commenting further. How many frets?

roadrunners · Post by **roadrunners** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 8:11 am

yea, but certainley one who would have ordered a custom rick 355 wouldnt have gone so low-key with the custom modifictations.....as in why order it custom and not include some really rare things...does this make any sense to anyone else but me?

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:03 am

Perhaps Alex, however, I suspect that this is a Model 350 with modifications. The Bigsby on the 350 is not something you see every day and may have been done through a custom order at some point. I would really like to know when this instrument was made and see a photo or two.

harvey49 · Post by **harvey49** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:07 am

Thanks for the replies fellas, the guitar has 21 frets. Initially I was thinking that the person selling this guitar mightn't really know what they were selling, now I'm getting the feeling they do! This concerns me as I've heard it's rather difficult to do a good job of fitting a Bigsby arm to a 350 and from the photos supplied it's hard to tell what sort of job has been done. Pity I can't look at it before buying! Any other clues?

harvey49 · Post by **harvey49** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 5:41 pm

Done again!!!! I keep missing out, I don't think I'm destined to own a 350. They say patience is a virtue, but how long do you have to wait?

Anyway thanks to those who responded

Ron

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 8:55 pm

Ron, when you finally get one, you will treasure it forever. Stay Strong!

rob · Post by **rob** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:54 pm

Well, at least you know that if it were a "fake" 355, you wouldn't be dissapointed that you've been had, spending all that money. If it were me, I'd much rather wait this one out for a chance on something I know is the real deal. If I bought something on a fake advertisement, I feel I would be even more dissapointed than if I passed it up.