Rickenbacker Model 360/12 Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Santa Ana, CA, serial # FH-2731, Fireglo red sunburst finish, maple body, laminated maple neck with padouk fingerboard, original silver tolex hard shell case.
This is a truly beautiful example of the Rickenbacker Model 360-12, cosmetically about the nicest we have seen. This is one of the absolute classic 1960s American guitars; in the middle of that decade the unique sound of an entire style of music centered around it. A mainstay of the California company's line from 1964 right up through to the present, the 360/12 is the instrument that really put Rickenbacker on the map as a modern guitar maker.
The Model 360-12 was the Deluxe style of the Rickenbacker 12-string, with triangle crushed pearl inlay on the bound fingerboard, a round-top back-bound body and bound sound hole. It remains virtually an icon of the '60s, synonymous to many with the sounds of the folk-rock era as well as more recent "jangle" styles.
The Rickenbacker 360 in general is one of the sharpest-looking and most distinctive-sounding of all American guitar designs, and kicked off a wave of popularity for the electric 12-string in 1964-6 that had every other maker trying to catch up. This 360-12 has a serial number indicating it was made in August 1966. This makes it part of the second generation Rick 12 with the rounded top design introduced in spring 1964, which is the most recognizable version. The body and neck carry a very deep and vibrant iteration of the classic red sunburst "Fireglo" finish.
At the time this one was made there was a 6 month to a year dealer waiting list for this model, which the company struggled to keep up with. The list price in 1965-6 was a whopping $524.50, plus $55 for the Deluxe case. One production alteration right at this time is significant -- beginning in the summer of 1966, Rickenbacker no longer routed a channel for pole magnets under the neck pickup, so guitars from that point on like this one have a much solider neck joint.
Guitars identical to this were used in 1965-6 by George Harrison of the Beatles, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, al Nichol of the Turtles and countless others in the 1964-70 period, and maintain a timeless "60s cool" factor to this day. Despite all the other electric 12-strings made since, the Rickenbacker 360/12 has remained the single dominant instrument of this type for over 60 years now. This is the nicest we have ever had and a must for anyone who desires the unmistakable sound and look only the original 360/12 can provide.
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) deep. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a superbly clean guitar overall, beautifully original and showing only very light wear. The finish overall shows only very small scuffs and dings (mostly on the headstock edges) and a bit of wear to the sides of the neck. It maintains great rich color to the super vibrant Fireglo sunburst. Really this guitar shows only pretty limited use over the past 58+ years. All hardware is original and complete except for later larger screws securing the itself usually missing bridge cover. The pickups and wiring are all original with pots coded to late 1965 and early 1966: 6546 and 6608.
The original frets show only very light wear, the neck is nice and straight; there is no evidence of the common Rickenbacker fingerboard fretboard separations. The guitar is still strung with an older set of red-silked flatwound strings; these show some corrosion in spots but still sound exactly period correct; only the octave G is a replacement (the broken original is still in the case). The guitar is complete in the original silver HSC with the blue Rickenbacker polish cloth in the pocket and an old yellow Rickenbacker 6-string box. Overall Excellent + Condition.
