Rickenbacker 360 And 370Authentication Guide

Identify Before You Compare

Models And Variants

360 / 365

Deluxe two-pickup six-strings, with fixed-tailpiece and vibrato variants.

370 / 375

Three-pickup deluxe relatives. Confirm the middle pickup was factory installed.

OS / NS

Old-style and new-style body descriptions. Inspect the actual outline and edge treatment.

F-Series

Larger full-body instruments; do not group them with ordinary thinlines.

360/12 / 370/12

Separate twelve-string construction and market; see the paired twelve-string guides.

Identify The Body Version

Photograph the top and back straight on, then the body edge from the side. A rounded top edge and bound back differ visibly from a double-bound, sharper-edged body. Our natural-finish 360 shows the rounded front and checkerboard detail at the back. These are observations about this example, not a shortcut to an exact year.

Check the outline, depth, soundhole and neck joint before accepting an OS or F suffix. A refinished body can make edge contours less obvious. An unusually rounded binding edge may also reflect sanding, so evaluate the surface and binding thickness together.

Use Inlays And Binding As Supporting Evidence

The archive guitar has large triangular fingerboard inlays and contrasting binding details. Photograph the entire fingerboard so changes in marker size, fret count and binding are visible. Later factory changes and vintage-style recreations mean one inlay cannot authenticate the whole instrument.

Inspect binding joints for shrinkage, replacement sections and separation. Examine the neck binding beside each fret for evidence of a refret. New frets can be good repair work; the question is what was changed, how neatly it was done and whether the seller describes it accurately.

Test The Pickups And Both Outputs

The five-control layout and twin-output arrangement deserve a functional test. Check the normal mono output first, then test the stereo output with appropriate equipment. An incorrectly chosen cable can make part of a working guitar seem dead. Record which output and pickup selection produced each result.

A three-pickup 370 claim needs more than a third chrome cover. Check the guard, pickup spacing and evidence of additional routing. Likewise, a 365 or 375 with a replaced vibrato should be identified from its original configuration when that can be established, not simply renamed after the hardware now fitted.

Examine The Heel, Headstock And Finish

Our rear views show why a whole-instrument photograph is useful alongside details. Follow the neck stripe and finish from the headstock to the heel. Look closely where a repair could interrupt that continuity, but do not confuse a normal wood joint with a break. Photograph suspicious lines under diffuse light from two angles.

At the body, inspect the bridge setting, soundhole edge and jackplate screws. Original paint elsewhere does not rule out local overspray or a repaired neck joint. A full appraisal should distinguish untouched finish, touch-up, overspray and complete refinishing instead of describing all four as simply original or not original.

Authentication Checklist

Keep four questions separate: is it a Rickenbacker, is the model correctly identified, is the date supported, and which parts or finishes remain original? A positive answer to one does not settle the others.

1. Record the identity. Save the complete serial photograph, model claim, measurements and any dated paperwork. Use the serial lookup only for the formats it covers.
2. Compare independent details. Check body construction, neck, pickups, tuners and controls against the same model and period. One replaced part may explain a mismatch; several unexplained conflicts need closer inspection.
3. Describe condition precisely. Separate wear, refret, replacement nut, repaired breaks, routing, touch-up, overspray and refinishing. See our photo guide to refinishing clues.
4. Inspect internally when justified. Have a qualified repairer document hidden routes, wiring and component dates if a disputed claim affects the purchase. Do not force old screws, fragile guards or an unfamiliar neck adjustment.
5. Keep uncertainty visible. “Consistent with this period” is different from a proven exact date or a claim that every solder joint is untouched. Photos can guide an appraisal; some findings require an in-person examination.

Photos For An Appraisal

Take unfiltered photographs in even light. Include the full front and back, both headstock faces, the entire serial or other markings, pickups, controls, bridge, neck joint and any damage. Add the measurements or model-specific views described above. Photograph the case, paperwork and removed parts separately.

You do not need to take the instrument apart for an initial review. If a detail cannot be seen, say so. A clear statement of known repairs and unknown history is more useful than an unsupported claim of complete originality.

Sources And Further Reading

Factory documents establish period model descriptions. Instrument-specific references help compare construction; their originality claims are not independent certifications.

• Rickenbacker June 1976 Factory Price ListLists deluxe thinlines, vibrato versions and F-series models separately.
• Rickenbacker Factory Circuit DiagramsCompare the two-pickup and three-pickup stereo circuits for the correct family.