JOHN LENNON'S RICKENBACKER 325 GUITARS: Reissue Models and Buying Options [Part 2 of 3]

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PART 1: • JOHN LENNON'S RICKENBA...
PART 3: • JOHN LENNON'S RICKENBA...
Correction: 6:57 Photo Credit - Steven Gardner
Interested in buying a Rickenbacker 325 guitar? You'll have to choose between the V-Series and the C-Series. Today, I break down the 325V59, 325V63, 325C58, and 325C64 and examine every detail for authenticity.
0:00 Intro
1:19 Rickenbacker 325V59
4:48 Rickenbacker 325C58
13:22 Rickenbacker 325V63/325C64
21:41 Environmental concerns
25:03 Rickenbacker 350V63
26:05 Cheap clones & copies
26:45 Ricken-BACK-er
Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only. All images and video footage falls under fair use laws.

[@liamgillespie3407]

In the documentary “Echo In the Canyon” Tom Petty tells Bob Dylan’s son, Jakob, it’s pronounced “BACKER” not “BOCKER.” John Hall has even said it’s “Back not Bock.” In 1933 the Ro-Pat-In company's name was changed to Electro String Instrument Corporation and its instruments were labeled simply as "Electro". In 1934 the name of "Rickenbacker" was added in honor of the company's principal partner, Adolph Rickenbacker.

[@oldrick325]

You are not alone in thinking at one time the guitar was tear-drop shaped. The Beatles cartoon in the 60's had his guitar in a tear-drop shape. Simply put as you have said, the guitar's horns just blended in with John's black suit. I thought the same as a little kid. I"m 64 now. lol.

[@rodhatley9427]

I did, too, especially when watching "A Hard Day's Night".

[@techyelliec1042]

Yeah me too

[@AliasMark69]

My mother assembled John Lennon’s, 1964 325 C-64 “Miami” Rickenbacker Guitar. My mother... Dorothy J. Tandle "Dotty" was working at (RIC) Electro Strings Rickenbacker Guitars back in February 1964 in Santa Ana California. There was only 10 employees at the time and two woman. Mom was the first woman factory worker hired at Rickenbacker. Francis C. Hall, CEO of Ric had the idea to meet with the Beatles when they came to do the Ed Sullivan Show and give them some new guitars. Mr. Hall gave Harrison a new twelve string guitar when he met them. (assembled by Dotty) When Francis C. Hall got back from N.Y., after talking to John, Paul and Ringo he had a new guitar made for John. F.C. Hall presented Lennon with a new 325 to replace his road weary 1958 one during the group's first trip to New York City. Rush shipped to the Hotel Deauville in Miami where it was used for the second performance in "Ed Sullivan Show" on February 16th. Nicknamed at the factory… “Miami Special” John used the new guitar on The Beatles second Sullivan appearance and on the group's subsequent tours and albums. The phone rang at our house at 6:10AM with the GM of Ric Ward Deaton asking if my mom could come in ASAP to work on a special rush order guitar My mother was asked to follow Lennon’s Custom guitar from start to finish. This was the Black & White semi-hollow bodied “Miami” model (serial number db122, d=1964, b=Feb.). After the wood-shop cut out the body, she sanded the body, then worked on the neck & fret board, then she assembled the guitar after the finish was applied. She did all the work herself. She did the same for many custom orders at that time. She was trained in all areas except the wood shop and finishes. She did all the sanding, fret board assembly, hand cut the pick guard, electronics soldering and put all the other pieces on John Lennon’s Custom 325. John’s 325 was the first one with the fifth black tone knob. Mom said she was surprised at how small the guitar was and asked if it was a child’s model because it is so little compared to the Ric Bass.. She liked John’s guitar because it didn’t have an f hole or edge binding to fuss with. I don’t know how long it took to assemble the guitar, but I know she said it is all that mom worked on that day in February 1964. After finishing the guitar, she gave it to the tuner/inspector. He was a good friend and gave mom a ride home three times per week. He asked my mother “Since you built it, what song would you like to hear?” My mother said…“Peanut Butter And Jelly”. That was a song she wrote and the tuner knew the cords. My mother sang the song as it was being played. SO… The very first song ever played on John Lennon’s famous 325 was a song my mother wrote about the messes I made as a child. There is a “GREEN” check mark inside the guitar. The guitar assembled in February 1964 by Dotty custom made specially for John to replace his 1958 model 325 “Capri“ was dropped and the head was damaged, later repaired.. It now hangs on display at the Rock N Roll HOF. It is priceless.

[@vayabroder729]

Beautiful story!

[@karlgrg57]

Hey Nick, I’m a big fan of all your Beatle music and totally enjoyed your educational series on the Rickenbacker guitar. Keep up the great work.

[@CeolDeamhan]

this is probably my absolute favorite video series. Helped me actually build one for myself as well!

[@carlocoles]

Nick, wow! thanks for sharing your research. I, like you, was obsessed with the 325 since I was a kid. And just like you, I would stare/study and draw the 325. I finally got one in 2019. Looking forward to Part 3.

[@TonyBillingsMusic-uh2fx]

As a kid I always thought his guitar was teardrop shaped too ! Have always wanted to own one.

[@garybryans5739]

Why do Americans call Rickenbackers Rickenbachers? Its Get Back not Get Bach. Glad I got that off my shoulders

[@joellebrodeur1015]

Same😂.

[@vayabroder729]

The earliest Ricks used the different spelling.

[@norguz7777]

I no longer say bocker and have switched to backer!!

[@southernpride2003]

I'm Southern and I've always said Rickenbacker not Rickenbocker

[@TonyFuentesTV]

Welcome back Nick! Love these videos, and your original covers! Cheers!

[@norguz7777]

Great video! I do also have very shallow tailpiece to bridge on my V63. So thanks for the tip

[@Theparadoxband]

Backbeat’s beaver knobs are very accurate and not super expensive. I use them on my c58 and they’re great!

[@joellebrodeur1015]

The v63 is built better than the c64 versions. This has been echoed by other owners. The hot toasters are stellar pups versus scatterwounds. The construction of the mid 90s 325s are stellar builds. I got back my original '96 325v63 that I sold 9 years ago. I used to string it with .010, .011 and .012.

[@TheVinylBeatles]

You took the time to focus on every detail, excellent video !

[@user-bv4xt8cp1n]

The Best Budget Quality Sounding short scale strings to buy for the Ric 325's are the Rotosound Purples, the gauges are 12, 16, 24w, 32w, 42w, 52w, the average price in the U.K. is about £7 Sterling, maybe $5 in the U.S.

[@peterlewis3715]

I think the body thickness of the V58 is the most important thing when it comes to getting the "sound" of the early Beatle recordings. The thick body really gives it a unique sound that the "Miami" does not have. Songs like I Saw Her Standing There and I Want To Hold Your Hand etc.. were recorded "pre Miami" rick.

[@lideresunidosmexico_]

Its the same with us the Hofner fans... Your story about the Rick its my same history about my German Hofner 500/1 and it will be buried with me too... great video

[@oldrick325]

Letting you know what I learned on the Bigsby from Chris Huston.. I visited Chris, and he showed me the yellowed, but still intact letter from Paul Bigsby with the Bigsby letterhead. The letter proves that the Bigsby B5 was indeed a USA model, shipped because Chris ordered one for John.. I commented in your first of the series as to the strings used. This and more I learned while staying with Chris Huston and his wife, while delivering a Les Paul Special he ordered from me.

[@guitfidle]

I know I'm late to the party here, but as a part time luthier., Rickenbackers are hard to pin info down on. I have read in some places that the fretboards were actually made from mahogany on older guitars and basses, everyone seems to have a different idea and theory. Bubinga is a controlled wood, but it is not nearly as difficult to get as "true rosewood" family woods. I have used bubinga myself, and found it to be maybe even a little tougher to work than Indian Rosewood or cocobolo, 2 of my favorites. I have recently been using purpleheart for fretboards as it is not a controlled wood, and is readily available. I did recently get some hickory (which is grown domestically and sustainably so it does not deplete rainforests) but I have not actually used it in a guitar yet. Oh, and alder for the first of John's guitars would explain why it turned amber pretty quickly. Alder is locally grown in my area, Oregon, so I have a lot of experience with it. It is definitely lighter than maple, but definitely turns amber color fairly quickly. The wood is also naturally darker color than maple straight off the mill. Fender and Squire have been making some naturally colored alder instruments lately, and they usually have an amber, almost cherry wood color. Definitely not the same as almost white maple before it takes a finish, turning it blonde.

[@ARWest-bp4yb]

I had a 325V59 in the late 80s and it was a great sounding & playing guitar, unfortunately I literally outgrew it. I now have a 350V63 and it's also a great guitar, highly recommended for those who find the 325 too small. Great review Nick!👍👍

[@54macdog]

Brilliant. So detailed and informative. Guitar Nerd Heaven!

[@user-hd7gu2fk3w]

Amazing research appreciate this review about John's guitar a beautiful tiny ikonic guitar

[@mikelarson-oo5ih]

I own 4 Rickanbacker 325 models the V59, C58, C64, and a Rose Morris 1996. The V59 and the 1996 are the two best playing out of the bunch, but the deeper body on the C58 is super nice.

[@jckistan]

I've actually been looking around for a decent 325 because I love the rhythm it makes and I want to get into music. Thanks for the great video, as well as the brilliant covers over the years!

[@Redplanetfilms1]

Been obsessed with John's guitar too. I have had a few Rick's and have played them onstage. My 330 was a nice rhythm guitar in the 80's but my 325 was too thin when I started playing heavier music in the 90's, so I sold both. I am still obsessed with John's original guitar. I believe it resides in Kyoto Japan (Does anyone know where it is today?) Pretty upset about the prices for a 325c58 with mod's and will need to win the lottery to afford it. Oh well maybe someday.

[@norguz7777]

The V63 pickups were too hot so we unwound them to about7-7.5 ohms. What a difference!!

[@2guys12strings2]

Thanks for your efforts , and extensive research!

[@ChrisOBrien666]

Regarding rosewood, my understanding is that as long as the wood was imported before a specific date, there are no problems with production. The real problem comes if you travel internationally with (or import to the US) guitars using old, now protected woods. I’ve read some stories (not sure if any of them are true though) about guitars being confiscated or held because the owner didn’t have proper documentation about production dates.

[@vayabroder729]

That issue has since been corrected; now it’s not the headache it used to be.

[@wmsollenberger8706]

Interesting, but I should point a few things in following the prescribed process of O.C.D.! lol "Bow-tie" bridges are made by Bigsby and have been since day one. Lennon's B5 came with one as they all did. There are several other suppliers that offer them as well. Another point or two... B5: Originally the mounting screw hole near the string retaining bar was not chamfered and a round head "filister" (flat) head screw was used to secure it to the body. This was later changed to a countersunk hole and a phillips oval-head wood screw. Also, all Bigsbys made up until the late 1970s had rear mounted, machined pins secured by hex screws used to attach the strings. Early on the pins and hex screws were separate but by the mid sixties were one unit. I have examples of both. The massively cheapened use of roll pins followed and are obvious as they're front mounted and do not go all the way thru the string bar, which itself is now thinner. Selmer apparently changed their early production specs in that; flat head filister screws were substituted to insure pin retention, which is a minor change as the actual holes are the same size as the hex type and most likely the same thread. The close-up in your presentation shows the (all the way through) original pattern I described & you can see the screw mounting holes on the rear of the string bar with the stings centered over them. This means it would be either a Selmer OR an original American model.

[@rewind2play]

Great video series.. well put together, interesting and informative..😊

[@sadlsore]

Nick: with respect to the Accent Vibrato rubber bumpers on the underside of the leaf spring, unless the guitar has a Jetglo finish, it’s better to use, felt pads rather than rubber bumpers, because, speaking from experience, the rubber bumpers will discolor a FG, MG, or pretty much any color finish other than Jetglo.

[@Mike-hu1gq]

Looking forward to part 3!!!!!!!!!! Soon?

[@Emhartain]

Now educate me on the 600 series. I'm not crazy about the 300's but love the look of the 600's. So much so that I bought a knock-off one today, neck-thru, all maple.... short scale, of course.. toaster pickups. and a tailpiece that will be replaced with a plain harp tailpiece. paid 360.00 and will have it in a few weeks. Will come back and let you know if it's junk or not. I can always put those parts I need on there to make it sound right.. I'm just hoping the construction is good.

[@TRICK-OR-TREAT236]

AND YES FOLKS IT REALLY IS RICKENBACKER AND NOT BOCKER.

[@TRICK-OR-TREAT236]

THE GUITAR IS A RICKENBACKER NOT A RICKENBACHER 😂 🤣 😂@@parallax3d

[@Theparadoxband]

YES FINALLY!!!!!!

[@seoigh]

it's backer, not bocker, but congrats on finding a bunch of other people who got it wrong

[@seoigh]

@@parallax3d I am talking about the pronunciation. The brand has been pronounced BACKer since the late 1950s.

[@FUBAR896]

Now I had a 1996, 325 v63 and it was impossible to intonation. Come to find out that the holes drilled in the body were too close towards the neck by about .080 thousandths. Had to slot the bridge with a machinist needle file to put it in the correct location..

[@lewistaylor1965]

I managed to get a 325V63 from Japan in 2015...It was the 1999 version but the guy had done some mods himself to try and eradicate issues that I assume he had with light strings he'd put on it that it came to me with...Hence he must have had a nightmare with tuning that he'd tried to manage with the mods...He had taken off the accent vibrato and put on a standard tail piece and he'd changed the tuners to locking tuners...Obviously this did nothing to influence his tuning issues with the light strings and I guess that's why he sold it to me (£956) in 2015 (I had to pay an extra £250 for shipping which I was not aware of making the total cost to me at £1206 before I paid out on the vibrato and tuners)...I bought the accent vibrato and some kluson deluxe tuners and some ECG25 strings from D'Addario...and no more tuning issues...I looks right now...plays well...sounds original and stays in tune for years

[@lewistaylor1965]

A big difference I noticed on the 323C58 was the neck heel where the neck meets the body...It's not chunky and symetrical like any of the other 325s including the 325C59...It is angled to meet the body shape which is a big difference...I also noticed that the 325C59s have more smooth rounded edges throughout the body and head whereas my 325C58 has sharp edges...

[@nathanpollard3368]

Surprise to see you here, Lewis. How’s your 325 build been holding up?

[@lewistaylor1965]

@@nathanpollard3368 Yeah...still kicking about...and still like to see other 325 builds...It's nice to see folks who may have taken inspiration from mine...seems so long ago now...Haven't played mine for a while since getting the 'real deal' replica from rickenbacker...Good to see you Nathan...have fun buddy!

[@vayabroder729]

Larry Davis is a luthier who is a Rick specialist in Florida. He worked on my 360/12 V64 and did a fantastic job. Look him up.

[@PoloFloresmusic]

Hey man, i just want to say congratulations. You did a great job with your research, explanation and video production, also of course, congratz on working hard to buy your very own Rickenbacker 325! I went through the exact same thing to get my very own Hofner Bass 500/1 Vintage :) Also thank you for giving your thoughts about the 350. That's the one i want to get because i'm not such a big fan of short guitars and also as you mentioned it''s not easy to use the 325 as a lead guitar. I have a question i hope you can help me with... i have seen retailers naming the 350 in 2 different ways but i can't find a difference in the model Some call it "Rickenbacker 350V63 Electric Guitar Jetglo" Other call it "Rickenbacker 350V63 Liverpool Electric Guitar - Jetglo" Do you know if there's a difference in those two or are they the same? Does the "Liverpool" bit add or extract to the guitar hardware/design? Thanks in advance and happy new year 2024!

[@jackglabere6653]

The natural finish is the best looking.

[@GooGyuelle]

John plays his 325/12 on "I Call Your Name". George is also playing HIS 12 string ...

[@williamsmyth5047]

I percieve that you are an aficianado of the Rickenbacker 325. Here are three sources for the pronunciation of the company name. Firstly, Adolf Rickenbacker, who was the owner of the company that was the first to manufacture electric guitars in August 1932, adopted the Americanized pronunciation and spelling of his surname, following the lead of his distant cousin, Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War One flying ace. The third syllable was changed from "bach" to "back". Notice that it was "back", not "bok". It is also worth noting that "bok" is not the German pronunciation. Secondly, circa 1965 there was an ad for the Rickenbacker 325, published in the UK, in which the guitar is referred to as "RICKENBACKER the Beatle backer". The pun would have failed with the "bok" pronunciation. Thirdly, John Hall, the proprietor of Rickenbacker, and son of F. C. Hall (1909 - 1999), uses the "back" pronunciation in KZbin videos. Just search under "Rickenbacker factory".

[@karmicselling4252]

Indeed. Just because, 10, 100, 1000 or even 100,000,000 million people might pronounce it Ricken-BOK-er doesn't meant that is the correct way to pronounce it. Interestingly, the vast majority of people who I have encountered who pronounce it BOK seem to hark from North America. Strange indeed, considering Rickenbacker Inc. is an American company.

[@williamsmyth5047]

@@karmicselling4252 / Many North Americans pronounce Bach as "BOK", which is not the German pronunciation. They seem to be trying to give Rickenbacker a German pronunciation, hence the "BOK" pronunciation.

[@NickMartellaro]

Thanks! I am now well aware of the correct pronunciation. However, this video was filmed before that - and unfortunately KZbin does not allow replacing the video with updated sound. I personally have the "Beatle backer" poster hanging in my office! My pronunciation was a simple flub that I carried on through 2 entire videos (both of which I filmed in advance), and I highly regret it. In fact, the large majority of the comments and message I got on these videos were about how I said the brand name - to be honest, it kind of killed my motivation to do this, which is why part 3 took a year to upload. Every day I get a new email or comment saying "NOT RICKEN-BACH-ER" - I get it. I promise I'll never make that mistake again! Now stay tuned for my video on Hoof-ner bases. ;)

[@williamsmyth5047]

@@NickMartellaro / You're a Rickenbacker enthusiast who is always learning! I look forward to hearing you say "RickenBACKer! A few years ago, I saw a video about Hofner that was all in German, and indeed I heard them say "hoof". The second syllable wasn't as clear, but it is probably pronounced "nair" with a rolled "r".

[@jeffthevideoguy23]

I had a 610/12. It was the same scale length as the 325. Kind of tough to play.

[@melancholyman96]

Hello. Do you know, if the body depth and width of the 1988 V63 and the current C64 is the same?

[@diegomayfield4751]

You going to compare the sound of the vintage vs the reissue ?

[@donaldciccone235]

Anyone here having trouble with the Sorkin "rocker" bridge? Mine won't stay up straight. I have a choice of tilting it forward or back. Is this how John's was? Or did his have a flat bottom? It it advisable to file the bottom so that it will stand up evenly?

[@melancholyman96]

It is strange that you did not mention anything about the number of anchors and the radius of the fingerboard

[@beastieboy762]

Request: Could you please cover, "Hear my Words" by Los Shakers?

[@terjeohrdegard4385]

Do you have the size of the scews! Unc or Unf? 3/16? I have a tonn of them

[@solololojr2638]

mój idealny model z wyglądu to limitowany R- 350 SH,( cena wysoka poza zasięgiem Zwykłych Gitarzystów) jakie jest Twoje zdanie?

[@user-om9ix2lh3t]

Wish they could made a 325 with a 25 " neck....

[@mikemcconville2495]

When’s part 3?

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

Most Americans seem to pronounce it Ricken-Bach-er whereas the rest of the world seem to pronounce it Ricken-Back-er. I'm fairly sure that it is Back but I don't think the guitars are going to get offended if you pronounce it the other way as long as you show them the love they deserve.

[@mtmusicgear]

Keith Williams says “Back-er.” Oh, and Rickenbacker’s own website has a pronunciation guide (BACK, not BACH). If you’re going to music nerd, do it right.

[@hstdriver6616]

Nice video, I love the detail you go into. By the way I say Ricken-BACK-er not Ricken-BARK-er. I seem to remember reading that Adolf Rickenbacker was a German immigrant to California and when WW 2 started he himself changed the pronunciation from the germanic BARK to an anglicised BACK sound. And most importantly, the Beatles themselves called them Ricken-BACK-er 😃👍

[@user-ge3oy1vl6v]

I wish I was rich enough to get a Rickenbacker 325. A real Rickenbacker is like 150k pesos in my country. 😥😥 Anyway nice video.

[@jimmyolsenschannel6263]

Word of advice: "I you want to avoid being terrorised by terrorists, don't camp on their doorstep in territories you have previously stolen from them."

[@motioncontenthouse4225]

Do we know where John’s guitars are today?

[@andoros.7017]

with yoko/sean

[@davecostello560]

He gave one of his Rickenbackers to Ringo, I believe.

[@joellebrodeur1015]

Lennon had four 325 models. His original '58 325 Capri from Hamburg, '64 Miami 325 (given before their Deauville Ed Sullivan appearance), custom 325/12 model (used mainly as a back up. He only used it on Every Little Thing and played the solo). Finally, his Rose Morris export 325 (I forgot the UK model #). He rarely used that Ric. He used during their xmas gig in '64 because he broke the headstock on the Miami 325. All guitars except the Rose Morris are with the Lennon Estate (Yoko and Sean). The Miami 325 is still on loan to the R'nR Hall of Fame. Lennon gave Ringo the Rose Morris 325 during the White Album sessions as a "I'm sorry I fucked up" present. Ringo walked out of those sessions for a time. Ringo kept the guitar for decades until he sold off a number of Beatle items a few years back. I forgot which baseball team owner bought it, Ringo's Ludwig drums used at the height of Beatlemania and a few other irreplaceable items. Lennon was never known to baby his instruments. His Rose Morris 325 was in excellent condition because he seldom played it.

[@Ghost-sp9dd]

BACK- ER NOT BHACKER

[@joellebrodeur1015]

To be fair, Adolph Rickenbacker and his distant cousin, Eddie "Flying Ace" Rickenbacker ended up Americanizing their names. These guys are Swiss, despite a German sounding name. The spelling orignally was Rickenbacher. The earliest instruments produced had that spelling. On one hand, it's correct as Bach if you have their earliest models and Back is correct for all models after Adolph sold Electro String.