Prob a good bit of opportunity on this one regarding accuracy, but was fun to read.
Ex: '95 the acoustic 12's were V based on how you've defined them... There's also the 655 that I don't think I saw mentioned... etc. Feedback not meant to be critical - love all your posts.
PLEASE correct me lol. I want this to be as authoritative a reference as possible! I pull together the details I can verify to the best of my ability—but I know others know more.
Website is my primary resource, but I have a few that are missing there. Some I just don’t have like 1970. V means never made “production” models—could be prototypes and preproduction examples, could not. Z means no more production after that point
Makes it hard to group with that definition.. in my mind if it was sold to the public it was production. IE: were the '58 325's prototypes and preproduction examples, depending on how you count yes, they're all different, some more than others.... Were they production models - well they were all sold to the public, so yes. or no... There were other models made, but never sold to the public, they're prototypes or pre-prod. There's other models that were never made period - they're V.
There were also guitars where the warranty card was stamped 'not for sale as new', but they were sold to dealers and then sold. they're production models in my mind, you could buy them. I did.
the 4005's made in the 90's - were they production models? JH has called them 'new production models'; admittedly it was in a different context...
To me the key question is this: did it go into a price list? That shows an intent to sell at scale. Of course you’re gonna sell off prototypes and preproduction models if that is the case—and if they exist. If you never make any more (or any)…that’s vaporware.
This is a great read, and it must have been quite a project to put it all together and sort it all out! Surely, I wonder, no production did not exactly mean no availability, right? Specifically in the case of the 4005's in the 70's I'm guessing there were enough on hand in the warehouse and no need to do another production run for new orders, until orders caught up at the end of the decade. If true, then there would be a fine line between a zombie and an albatross...
“Sitting on the shelf” in bulk since then? My understanding is that they made and shipped to order as opposed to make to stock. Maybe you made an extra in case something went wrong, but it wasn’t a case of the orders came in and they pulled them off the shelf…please correct me!
Very interesting. As to the '50e Combo 650, there's an example on p. 90 of the Kelly book - the young cowgirl is playing one - but her hand is covering the place where a neck PU would be, so it's not clear what's going on there.
That was a fun read!
OCD is a blessing and a curse!
Prob a good bit of opportunity on this one regarding accuracy, but was fun to read.
Ex: '95 the acoustic 12's were V based on how you've defined them... There's also the 655 that I don't think I saw mentioned... etc. Feedback not meant to be critical - love all your posts.
PLEASE correct me lol. I want this to be as authoritative a reference as possible! I pull together the details I can verify to the best of my ability—but I know others know more.
And q: V means they never sold it or never made it? and Z means they didn't make any or didn't sell any?
you're using the catalogs on the RIC site or do you have all of them?
Website is my primary resource, but I have a few that are missing there. Some I just don’t have like 1970. V means never made “production” models—could be prototypes and preproduction examples, could not. Z means no more production after that point
Makes it hard to group with that definition.. in my mind if it was sold to the public it was production. IE: were the '58 325's prototypes and preproduction examples, depending on how you count yes, they're all different, some more than others.... Were they production models - well they were all sold to the public, so yes. or no... There were other models made, but never sold to the public, they're prototypes or pre-prod. There's other models that were never made period - they're V.
There were also guitars where the warranty card was stamped 'not for sale as new', but they were sold to dealers and then sold. they're production models in my mind, you could buy them. I did.
the 4005's made in the 90's - were they production models? JH has called them 'new production models'; admittedly it was in a different context...
Words are hard. :P
To me the key question is this: did it go into a price list? That shows an intent to sell at scale. Of course you’re gonna sell off prototypes and preproduction models if that is the case—and if they exist. If you never make any more (or any)…that’s vaporware.
And words ARE hard lol
This is a great read, and it must have been quite a project to put it all together and sort it all out! Surely, I wonder, no production did not exactly mean no availability, right? Specifically in the case of the 4005's in the 70's I'm guessing there were enough on hand in the warehouse and no need to do another production run for new orders, until orders caught up at the end of the decade. If true, then there would be a fine line between a zombie and an albatross...
Rickenbacker has always been make to order. No finished products sitting in the warehouse. Leftover parts? Absolutely. Whole guitars? Nope.
That's not correct, I have a bunch of whole guitars from the 60's and 50's that were sold new in the 80's.
“Sitting on the shelf” in bulk since then? My understanding is that they made and shipped to order as opposed to make to stock. Maybe you made an extra in case something went wrong, but it wasn’t a case of the orders came in and they pulled them off the shelf…please correct me!
We're prob saying the same thing.
Finished 60's guitars/basses 'sitting' and being sold in the 70's w/ 70's SNs - yes
50s/60s guitars/basses 'sitting' and being sold in the 80s/90s w/ 50s/60s SNs - yes
And both of those scenarios with 'finished' meaning sprayed, with HW/ pots put on at the time of sale. Yes.
And bodies sitting, and the sprayed and HW added at time of sale - sure.
Doing runs of production to put in inventory in the warehouse - no. So not 'sitting in bulk'.
Very interesting. As to the '50e Combo 650, there's an example on p. 90 of the Kelly book - the young cowgirl is playing one - but her hand is covering the place where a neck PU would be, so it's not clear what's going on there.