1982 Rickenbacker 360 in White w/paisley option
So this unique guitar was one of very few produced back in the early 80's for the Japanese market-- a Model 360 in white-on-white (a few white Model 330's were also produced at the same time, are similarly very hard to find, and command top prices). Somewhere along the line, this guitar made its way to Australia where it lived before I finally brought it back to its home in the USA. I was quite taken by its aged (i.e., yellow/"Custard-Glo") finish and honest playwear, along with its rarity. Trouble is, the Aussy guitar dealer who sold it to me, and should have known better, shipped it in a non-original case, poorly packed inside, and WITH NO OUTER GUITAR BOX, only a case wrapped in bubble wrap... Yes, you read right, and all the way from Australia too. When I saw the "package" sitting on my front porch, my heart sank immediately because I knew what I'd find inside; and, yes... The neck had been broken during shipment.
Anguished, I contacted the seller; he offered to have me simply ship it back to him for a refund. Trouble is, I really loved the look of this rare guitar... After much thought and consultation, I decided to keep the guitar with an appropriate deduction in price because of the break. He agreed. I sent her off to a local luthier who came highly recommended. After looking at her for about 10-15 minutes, he said there were no heel problems, just the neck, which could be cleanly and strongly repaired, and then refinished. He said that because it was not the typical and often more troublesome horizontal break, but a vertical one, it could be much more straight-forwardly glued and clamped back together--original wood on wood--and then refinished. I agreed...
Some months later, I got her back from the "hospital" with a freshly restored neck--solid as a rock (I've added some before and after pics). The neck is nice and straight, with just a hint of relief; no fret issues; low, clean action (.04 at the 12th fret); "Mastery bridge for Rickenbacker" came on the guitar, and it's truss rods remain fully functional. Speaking of truss rods, the luthier feared he might have to remove the fingerboard to make sure the trussrod channels did not collect any glue during the repair process. Indeed, I concurred with this, and he seriously considered it. However, it ended up that he created a clever tool which he used to repeatedly reem the trussrod channels clean of any glue which may have accumulated there during the gluing process. Once the neck was dry and stable, he reinserted and reset the trussrods, and viola.
In my opinion, this guitar--once thought better off dead--now looks and plays fabulous. It's been an odyssey, but I really like this piece, both playing her and looking at her on the wall. You won't find another of these early 80's whites any time soon. $3999
Anguished, I contacted the seller; he offered to have me simply ship it back to him for a refund. Trouble is, I really loved the look of this rare guitar... After much thought and consultation, I decided to keep the guitar with an appropriate deduction in price because of the break. He agreed. I sent her off to a local luthier who came highly recommended. After looking at her for about 10-15 minutes, he said there were no heel problems, just the neck, which could be cleanly and strongly repaired, and then refinished. He said that because it was not the typical and often more troublesome horizontal break, but a vertical one, it could be much more straight-forwardly glued and clamped back together--original wood on wood--and then refinished. I agreed...
Some months later, I got her back from the "hospital" with a freshly restored neck--solid as a rock (I've added some before and after pics). The neck is nice and straight, with just a hint of relief; no fret issues; low, clean action (.04 at the 12th fret); "Mastery bridge for Rickenbacker" came on the guitar, and it's truss rods remain fully functional. Speaking of truss rods, the luthier feared he might have to remove the fingerboard to make sure the trussrod channels did not collect any glue during the repair process. Indeed, I concurred with this, and he seriously considered it. However, it ended up that he created a clever tool which he used to repeatedly reem the trussrod channels clean of any glue which may have accumulated there during the gluing process. Once the neck was dry and stable, he reinserted and reset the trussrods, and viola.
In my opinion, this guitar--once thought better off dead--now looks and plays fabulous. It's been an odyssey, but I really like this piece, both playing her and looking at her on the wall. You won't find another of these early 80's whites any time soon. $3999
