Short Takes: 1992 Lefty RCAs

Complete set of 1999 RCA Special Run guitars, all in left hand

While many of the details have been lost to time, what we know for sure is that in 1992 RCA Records asked Rickenbacker to produce a “number” of special guitars for them to present (perhaps as Christmas presents) to artists who had reached some (probably platinum) sales level. The models produced included the 360, 360/12, 4004, and the one-off doubleneck you see above. One left handed version of each was built, and here they all are in one place!

Now the guitars that were part of this RCA run are interesting in several ways. Most notable is the fact that none of these guitars were currently in the Rickenbacker line.

If you were to describe the RCA 360 in today’s context you’d probably call it “a 360W with HB-1 humbuckers, dot inlays, checkered back binding, and gold plastics with the RCA/Nipper logo on the upper guard,” and you’d be right. But the 360W wouldn’t appear for another 23 years. In fact, there were NO walnut semi-hollowbodies made before these guitars. They were the first.

Custom RCA pickguard

John Hall has said that these guitars served as the 380 Laguna prototypes, and I guess that could be true in the sense that these were walnut and the 380L—which debuted three years later in 1995–was also walnut, but there was a pretty significant difference between the two.

The production 380 featured a top mounted bridge similar in concept to the ones found on the 650 guitars—which had themselves launched in 1992. The deck height of these bridges is quite a bit lower than the standard Rickenbacker 6 saddle adjustable bridge. Which meant the pickups had to be recessed into the body a bit instead of top-mounted, and neck set at a slight “downward” angle as the picture below shows.

380 Laguna side view. Note neck angle.

OK, we’re veering off target here. Let’s just say that my guess is that they were already “playing around” with the idea of a walnut bodied semi-hollow guitar. I mean, walnut was already in the shop for the then-new 650s. So they built these to be something “special” for RCA, and then these guitars PLUS the 650 geometry combined to create the 380L. Pure speculation, mind you.

There’s no mystery about the RCA 4004 bass, though. While the 4004 didn’t officially launch until 1993, they pretty clearly took a few preproduction 4004 Cheyennes and gave them some special cosmetics. Easy peasy.

And then there’s the doubleneck beast—One of one EVER, and left handed to boot. Not technically part of the RCA run, in John Hall’s words:

“The one and only doubleneck instrument like this was made for Rocky Ryan, then president of RCA/Nashville, presented to him by his staff as a Christmas gift. They were unhappy that we charged them $3000 for this totally custom instrument.

Essentially it was a cross between a 4004 Cheyenne and a Dakota guitar.

Did I mention it was left handed?”

There is no better way to refer to it than a cross between a 4004 and a 650. Think of it as a modern 4080, with the body wings made of walnut and maple through necks, gold hardware, HB-1 pickups, and gold hardware with no pickguard.

Another smaller batch of instruments was produced in 1993–no doubleneck this time!—with different art on the pickguard.

The 1993 RCA pickguard

To see any RCA guitar is an uncommon experience. To see a complete set of the 1992 “production” 360, 360/12, and 4003 is ridiculously rare. To see a complete set INCLUDING the doubleneck AND all left handed? This is it. When this collection breaks up, it will likely never happen again. Thanks to the owner—who wishes to remain anonymous—for providing the picture.