There are a lot of Rickenbacker terms and abbreviations that are just second nature to folks who have been around a while but can be confusing or not clear to people newer to the Rickenbacker world. So please find following a glossary of these terms and abbreviations that you may (or may not!) find useful. This list was originally compiled in 2022 with the assistance of Ron O’Keefe.
1 o’clock/2 o’clock f-hole: Used to describe the vertical orientation of the f-hole on guitars thusly equipped, with 1 o’clock being the more vertical of the two. Click HERE to learn more about f-hole orientation.
6/12 converter: Produced between 1966-68, a lever on the face of the guitar slid a “comb” under the strings that engaged, pulled down, and muted the octave strings on a 12 string guitar, allowing you to play only 6 strings. Of limited utility, it did not last long. Models with this converter ended in -6, and the 450/12 (456/12), 330/12 (336/12), and 360/12 (366/12) were all offered in this form. Click HERE to learn more about the 6/12 “convertible guitars”.
12k Toasters: Toaster pickups made from the early 80’s to early 00’s wound to around 12k ohms. 60’s vintage toasters (and modern scatterwounds) are closer to 7.5k ohms. Also referred to as “hot toasters”, they were reissued and officially referred to as such on the 480XC in 2021. There were no toaster pickups available between 1974 and the introduction of the 12k toasters.
AC: The 4003AC, a Signature Limited Edition bass guitar designed by/for Al Cisneros of Sleep. Click HERE to learn more about the Signature Limited Edition models.
Accent Vibrato: a simple, surface-mounted vibrato fitted to many vintage guitars. Functions similarly to the Gibson Maestro Vibrola. Factory-fitted vibrato model numbers ended in -5, so a 330 with a factory vibrato was designated a 335. Also fitted to some vintage reissue models.
AFG: Amber Fireglo, a Color of the Year finish. Click HERE to learn more about the Color of the Year.
AG or ATG: Autumnglo, a standard factory finish. 70’s AG and WAL are often confused with each other. AG was satin and WAL was gloss. Click HERE to learn more about standard factory colors.
Astro: An inexpensive kit guitar manufactured in 1963 for Christmas sales. Did not share any Rickenbacker parts or cosmetics/design. Click HERE to learn more about the Astro kit guitar.
AZ or AZG: Azureglo, a standard factory finish. Click HERE to learn more about standard factory colors.
BB: Blue Boy, a Color of the Year finish. Click HERE to learn more about the Color of the Year.
BBR: Blueburst, a Color of the Year finish. Click HERE to learn more about the Color of the Year.
BG: Burgundy/Burgundyglo, both a standard factory finish and a Color of the Year Finish. Click HERE to learn more about standard factory colors and HERE to learn more about the Color of the Year.
BH/BT: Black Hardware (metal)/Black Trim (plastics).
Blackstar: Black painted 4003 with black painted fingerboard and black hardware/black trim.
B-Series: Circa 1982-84 guitars “inspired” by Beatles guitars. First “reissue” guitars but NOT historically accurate.
Blend knob: The small fifth knob found on many guitars. It serves as a neck pickup volume equalizer. You try to describe it better!
Capri: the grandfather of modern semi-hollow body Rickenbackers, produced from 1958-1960. Body shape slightly changed in 1961; this “new Capri” shape lives on in today’s 330. Correct model nomenclature for Capri guitars is “330 Capri”, “365 Capri”, etc.
Checkered binding: 2 ply binding found on some vintage-era guitars; outer ply is white, inner is alternating black & white squares. Also found on some modern vintage reissue, limited edition, and special run guitars.
Chickenbacker: Chinese Rickenbacker counterfeits. Usually fairly poor quality and easy to spot.
Ci or Cheyenne v.1 – first model 4004 made circa 1992 with walnut body wings and maple through neck with dot markers and two HB-1 pickups.
Cii: or Cheyenne v.2 – a model 4004 with gold hardware and flamed maple body wings front and back over a walnut core; originally issued in special colors: trans red, blue, green in addition to standard colors.
COA: certificate of authenticity often issued with signature limited edition models/special runs bearing the serial number and the item number of the limited run.
COY: Color of the year. Between 2000-2006 Rickenbacker produced offered a limited edition color that could be ordered on any model but only during each color’s year. Many of which were actually produced in later years due to factory backlog/batch schedules. In order they were: Sea Green (2000), Desert Gold (2001), Burgundy (2002), Montezuma Brown (2003), Blue Boy (2004), Blueburst (2005), Amber Fireglo (2006).
Combo: Designation for early solidbody (or weight-relieved) guitars. Correct model nomenclature is Combo 400, Combo 850, etc.
CNC: Computer Numerical Control, a method for automating control of machine tools through the use of software embedded in a microcomputer attached to the tool. RIC began producing the wooden parts of guitars and basses via CNC machines in 1996.
Cresting Wave: the body shape utilized on 400/600 series guitars; the upper cutaway is shaped like a…wave that is cresting and about to break. Introduced circa 1958. The 4000-series bass shape followed the same design language.
Crushed Pearl Inlays: from around 1964-1973 the triangle fretboard inlays on deluxe models were made from sheets of crushed mother of pearl. Some newer limited edition models use a modern version of this material.
C-Series: the third (circa 2005) iteration of vintage reissue models. The 360/12C63 is considered, and the most accurate replication of the George Harrison guitar to date. The 4001C64 reissue has a reversed headstock; the rarer C64S has a zero fret and mods to the body to resemble McCartney’s 1964 4001S as modified.
CS: The 4001CS, a limited edition signature guitar based on Chris Squire’s modified 1964 Rose Morris 1999.
CV: Conversion varnish, a two part polyurethane catalyzed finish used on Rickenbackers since the early 60’s. Has been a UV cured formulation since circa 2010.
CW: The 360CW and 360/12CW, limited edition signature guitars based on a 1965 360/12 played by Beach Boy Carl Wilson. Features very accurate vintage construction and a heavily figured maple top and back.
DCM: Dark Cherry Metallic. Exclusively available on 75th Anniversary models. Some issue with this paint has caused finish problems on a large number of guitars: either excessive checking or “gummy” finish.
Deluxe Models: deluxe features (usually) include triangle inlays, body and/or soundhole binding, and stereo wiring. “Standard” models (usually) have dot inlays, no binding, and mono wiring.
DG: Desert Gold
Exploding Tailpiece: Over time string tension can weaken the R tailpiece causing it to crack and break, usually on the crossbar where it fits into the bracket. Most common on 12 string and black powder coated tailpieces. Not as common as you probably think, but more than it should be.
FG: Fireglo
First Gen Higain Pickups: Higain pickups made from circa 1968-73 with exposed threaded pole pieces. Sound quite different from subsequent versions.
FL: Fretless.
F Models: “Full body” hollow-bodied guitars with a more traditional “jazz guitar” single cutaway shape and 17” wide body. Two very different versions were produced, the first between 1958-1961 and the second between 1967-19668. Proper model nomenclature is 360F, 335F, etc.
Gap-Tooth Bridge: Prior to mid-1973, the 4001 bridge was made of cast aluminum had a gap in the bar between the A and D string as part of the casting process. Later bridges for the 4001 and 4003 were made of zinc and had no gap.
German Carve: A traditional German luthiery style that is almost impossible to describe without an accompanying picture. Look at the edges of a Combo 600/800 or 381V69 to see a German carve.
GC: Guitar Center, once a primary RIC dealer that ordered a number of limited edition instruments.
GF: The 230GF, a limited edition signature guitar designed by/for Glenn Frey of the Eagles.
GH: The 360/12GH, a Guitar Center limited edition guitar based on a 1965 360/12 played by George Harrison. Similar to the CW, but without the heavily figured wood or checkered binding. NOT a signature edition.
Glueglo: A vintage 4001 bass in Mapleglo produced between 1969-1972 where the acetone used for the binding caused the black dye in the checkerboard binding to bleed into and discolor the wood around the edges of the guitar. This color bleed could occur on all colors of guitars produced during this period, but it is only especially noticeable on Mapleglo examples.
Goodies: Vintage features on a transitional-era guitar.
HB1: Humbucking pickup introduced in the late 80’s. Most notably appeared on the 650, 4004, and John Kay and Susanna Hoffs Signature Editions.
Higain pickups: Higains are single coil pickups that first appeared on the 381 in 1969 and gradually replaced toasters on all guitars between 1971-1974. Wound hotter than the toasters they replaced (thus the name), specs have changed subtly across the years. Recognizable by their black tops and “button” pole piece covers. (except first gen Higains, which have exposed threaded pole pieces). Newer versions have polepieces with hexagonal top holes for height adjustment via Allen wrench.
Horseshoe pickup: the first Rickenbacker pickup, used on guitars from the 1930s until the late 1950s; basses until the late 1960s; and steel guitars until the early 1970s. Instead of a magnetic base or pole pieces, the coil is surrounded by two horseshoe shaped magnets with the strings actually running between the top of the magnet and the coil. The pickup cover on modern Rickenbacker basses imitates the look of the horseshoe pickup. The “horseshoe magnets” found on vintage reissue basses are cosmetic only.
JG: Jetglo
JK: The 381JK, a limited edition signature guitar designed by Steppenwolf’s John Kay and inspired by his 1968 381.
JL: Limited edition signature guitars inspired by John Lennon’s 325. Models include the 325JL, 355JL, 355/12JL.
John Hall: Rickenbacker owner, Chairman, and CEO. Purchased from his father, F.C. Hall in 1984. Son Ben Hall is factory manager, and ex-wife Cindalee Hall is CEO RIC International.
JPS: Jetglo Pearlstar
Kauffman Vibrola. Offered on Rickenbacker guitars from the 30’s to the late 50’s, the first commercially available vibrato unit. Lever moves spring-loaded unit side to side to provide a note bending effect and quickly detune your guitar. Famously on (and quickly removed from) John Lennon’s 1958 325.
Laredo: model 4004 with maple through neck and solid maple body wings, chrome hardware and HB-1 pickups.
Lawsuit Era Guitars: 70’s-80’s (mostly) Japanese Rickenbacker (and Gibson and Fender…) copies. Often high quality, and NOT counterfeits (ie not branded “Rickenbacker”).
Lennonize: To modify a 325 to match a specific time period in the history of John Lennon’s oft-modified 1958 325. Mods may include additions of a Bigsby VB, Sorkin compensated bridge and various control knobs.
Lightshow: Produced circa 1970-1971, The 331 and 4005LS removed the top from a 330/4005, filled the guts with Christmas tree light bulbs—with different colors responding to different frequencies—and covered it back up with a translucent top. Powered by an external transformer.
Limited Edition: a guitar made only in a specific quantity or for a specific, limited period of time.
LK: The 4004LK, a limited edition signature bass guitar designed by/for Motörhead’s Lenny Kilmister.
MB: Montezuma Brown
MG: Mapleglo
MID: Midnight Blue
Moonglo: A very dark red sunburst produced in very limited numbers in the late 1960 the formal designation is Autumnglo.
Neck Reset: The process of removing and replacing the neck of a semi-hollow guitar to adjust the neck angle. Commonly required on 1960s 12 strings as time and string tension gradually pull the headstock and neck up.
Neck Weight: A lead weight inlaid into the back of the fingerboard on 1970s basses. Purpose was to eliminate “dead spots” on the neck.
New Style: The 360 style guitar changed from a flat double-bound top to a rounded “New Style” top with back and sound hole binding in 1964.
Noir: Guitars with a Matte Black finish, black hardware, black trim, and checkerboard binding.
Oven Knobs: Brown Bakelite knobs with a gold diamond top used on many 50’s models. Also called stove/cooker/TV knobs.
OS: “Old Style”. 360 style guitars made after 1963 and before circa 1971 with a flat bound top, as opposed to the rounded “New Style” top.
Paddle headstock. The large headstock design on 6-string guitars used on non-reissue models from 1984-2007. Introduced as the company transitioned away from Kluson tuners. Looks like a boat paddle.
Poured inlays: From circa 1973-2008, triangle fingerboard inlays on deluxe guitars were made from a mixture of pearlescent powder and resin that were poured as a liquid and cured in place. Early 1973 models had full width inlays, but this was quickly changed to bordered triangles. Full width inlays were re-introduced in 2008 for all deluxe models.
PT: The 1998PT, a limited edition signature guitar inspired by the Rose Morris 1998s played (and smashed!) by Pete Townshend. The first limited edition signature guitar.
Redneck: Red painted 4003 with red painted fingerboard and black hardware/black trim.
Register: The rickresource.com register of guitars. Information on and pictures of thousands of guitars.
Rickenbuckers: HB1 humbucking pickups
Rickysounds Nut: A 12-string nut produced by UK Dealer Rickysounds that increases the space between string pairs by narrowing the space between paired strings and moving the E strings closer to the edge of the fingerboard. Given Rickenbacker’s relatively narrow neck width, many people find these nuts make their guitars easier to play
Ric-O-Sound (ROS): Stereo wiring found on deluxe guitars. Requires a stereo cord to be plugged into the guitar’s ROS output jack and sent to external splitter box, allowing the neck and bridge pickups to be sent to different signal chains.
RM: The 370/12RM, a limited edition signature guitar based on Roger McGuinn’s modified 370/12. May also refer to Rose Morris.
Rose Morris: Rickenbacker’s UK distributor in the mid-1960’s. Semi-hollowbody RM models featured “f-hole” soundholes instead of slash/cat’s eye. RM models and their closest US equivalents are 1995/315; 1996/325 (although the original 325 hads no soundhole); 1997/335; 1998/345; 1999/4001S. The 1993 had no US equivalent, the closest being a 330/12 with a bound body. All RM models were Fireglo. Also referred to as RM and RoMo.
RRF: The rickresource.com forum. A wealth of Rickenbacker information.
Serial Number or SN: Found stamped into either the output jack plate, the bridge plate, or neck plate (depending on model). Can be used to determine the year/month produced for guitars made after 1960.
Set Neck: Cheaper to produce than a through body neck, the neck on a set neck guitar is glued to the body. Found on most Electro/Ryder guitars, and 70s-80s 4000 basses.
SF: Slanted Frets. Offered as an option on semi-hollowbody guitars from 1970-71 and on the 481 from 1974-1979, frets (and nut and bridge) slant down slightly from the high E to low E string. NOT fanned, scale length is the same on each string. Designed to make chording easier. Did not catch on.
SG: Sea Green
SH: The 350SH, a limited edition signature guitar designed by/for Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles.
Shadow: limited run model 4003 in mid-‘80s ordered by Guitar Center; Jetglo with BH/BT, checkered body binding; and black dot position markers
Short-Scale Guitars: Models 320/325, 900/950, 1000, and ES-16 feature a 20 3/4” scale, as compared to the 24 3/4” scale found on most other Rickenbackers. Also referred to as 3/4 scale guitars (which is mathematically incorrect!).
Signature Limited Edition: A limited edition model either inspired by a model/specific guitar closely associated with a particular artist or designed by/for that artist. Usually features the artist’s signature on the pickguard and a COA.
Silver-Top Knobs: Black plastic control knobs with 7 prominent coved ribs, a flared skirt, and flat top with a silver disc and white indicator dot on top. Specific control is printed on silver disc (Bass Volume, Treble Tone, etc). Used on most guitars from the mid 60’s-mid 2020. Blend knob is smaller and unlabeled.
Skunk stripe: Shedua or Walnut center strip found on 3 piece bass necks (circa 1971-1985 basses and 2022-present basses)
S Models: Domestic versions of export style Rickenbackers typically made from surplus stock after Rose Morris batches had shipped. 335S, 330S/12, 360S/12, 4001S etc.
SPC: Special. A model with special features (custom color, binding, extra pickup, etc) usually sometimes produced for a specific dealer. Has also been interpreted to mean “special pickup option”, such as what appears as a 1998 Rose Morris reissue (three pickups) is classified by RIC as a 1997 SPC.
Slotted Headstock: By routing two vertical slots into the headstock, a second set of tuners can be installed sideways, allowing 12-string Rickenbacker headstocks to be much shorter than most. Starting in 2005, these slots went through the headstock for non-reissue models.
Standard Models: Standard models features (usually) include dot inlays, no binding, and mono wiring. “Deluxe” models features (usually) include triangle inlays, body and/or soundhole binding, and stereo wiring.
Tail Lift: Over time, string tension can pull the tail of a bass bridge up and away from the body. Most common on 70’s-mid 80’s basses, but all bass guitars with the post 1973 zinc bridge are susceptible. Click HERE to learn more about tail lift.
Toaster Pickups: Vintage style single coil pickups that look like the top of a toaster.
Through body neck: most solidbody Rickenbackers are made with a neck that runs all the way from the headstock to the tail of the guitar, with wings glued onto either side to create the body.
TP: The 660/12TP, a limited edition signature guitar loosely inspired by the 1963 620/12 featured on the cover of “Damn The Torpedos” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. That guitar actually belongs to Heartbreaker Mike Campbell. Issued with checkered body binding and gold pickguards In FG and JG.
Transitional: Guitars made circa 1971-74 that have both vintage and modern spec elements.
TRC: Truss rod cover. Backpainted plexiglass on vintage and reissue guitars, injection molded with raised letters on modern guitars.
Tulip: Early solidbody guitars featured oddly shaped cutaways that gave the body a tulip-shaped silhouette. Tulip models include the Combo 400/450, 900/950, and 1000. Over time the cutaways of the 1000 and 450 tulips changed, with one interim style now referred to as a “half-tulip”.
Tuxedo: White painted guitar (360/4003) with white painted fingerboard and black hardware/black trim.
Vintage: In general, pre-1973 instruments, built before significant spec changes ended.
Vintage Knobs: Black plastic control knobs with 7 prominent coved ribs, a flared skirt, and a slightly domed top with a white indicator line on top. Used on many vintage guitars, most reissues, and on all production since 2021.
Vintage reissue guitars: modern guitars designed to mimic vintage models. The B-Series (circa 1982) was followed by the V-Series (circa 1985), which was followed by the current C-Series (circa 2005). Each subsequent series has been more accurate than the one it replaced. Model numbers in the V and C series end in VXX or CXX, where XX (sometimes loosely!) represents the model year being replicated (ie, the 360/12C63 is copy of the 1963 360/12).
Vintage specifications: model-appropriate vintage specs may include 21 fret necks, toaster pickups, crushed pearl inlays, neck pickup location, checkerboard binding, thinner top thickness, internal “x” bracing
VB: Factory installed Accent style vibrato on non-reissue guitars
VP: Vintage pickups, ie factory installed toaster pickups on non-reissue guitars.
V-Series: the second reissue series (circa 1985) and the first serious attempt to recreate vintage specifications.
WAL: Walnut finish, NOT wood. 70s WAL and AG are often confused with each other. WAL was gloss and AG was satin.
WB: With Binding (also known as WBBS, With Binding Both Sides). Post 1971 non-reissue 360-type guitars with a flat 330-style top and bound edges. Pre 1971 guitars with these features are referred to as OS. Also can refer to 4005 basses with a flat and bound top.
W-Series. 330/360/4003 style guitars with bodies made of walnut instead of maple.
Winfield: Winfield Vintage, a manufacturer of many reproduct