Rickenbacker Identification Guide

Rickenbacker Finish Colors And Dating

Identify Mapleglo, Fireglo, Jetglo and other finish names, and learn what color can tell you about a Rickenbacker’s age and originality.

By Joe Dampt · Updated October 15, 2026

Back To The Rickenbacker Serial Lookup

Check The Serial And The Model Together

Dates below describe common production periods. Parts overlap between models, and reissues or replacements can resemble earlier hardware. Use several details before deciding that a part conflicts with the serial.

Natural Mapleglo Rickenbacker 360 — Mapleglo leaves the maple grain visible. Clear finish can become warmer in color as it ages.

Blue Azureglo 1968 Rickenbacker 4005 — Joe’s 1968 4005 in Azureglo. A dated example illustrates the color without establishing the date of another blue instrument.

Red Fireglo sunburst fading to a light center on a Rickenbacker 360/12 — Fireglo on a 360/12: red edges fade into a lighter center, with the maple grain showing through. The shade is an example, not a year code.

Opaque black Jetglo finish on a bound Rickenbacker bass — Jetglo is the black finish shown on this bass. Judge the body color separately from its installed pickguard and hardware.

Finishes

Use the Rickenbacker serial lookup to check the date before comparing color. Finish names describe appearance, and the same name can occur across different models and periods.

1956 to 1959Yellow-to-brown sunburst. The original Rickenbacker sunburst, sometimes called “autumnglo” before that name was formalized.

1958 to PresentMapleglo, a clear natural finish that shows the wood. Available from 1958 onward.

1960 to PresentFireglo, yellow-to-red sunburst. The red sunburst varies in shade and coverage. Replaces the earlier yellow-to-brown version.

1960 to 1980Autumnglo, red-to-brown sunburst. Discontinued approximately 1980.

1984 to ~1996Jetglo (black) with Black Hardware/Black Trim (BH/BT): All-black hardware era coincides with the paddle headstock introduction and later the Schaller tuner transition.

Common Finish Names

Name	Appearance	Dating Limit
Mapleglo	Natural maple under clear finish	Long-running finish; yellowing does not establish a year.
Fireglo	Red sunburst with a lighter center	Shade varies across periods and instruments.
Jetglo	Black	The name describes the body finish, not necessarily black hardware.
Azureglo	Blue	Compare a dated example and verify the serial and originality.
Autumnglo	Brown-toned sunburst	Compare sheen and period specifications; names and finish treatments vary.

Checking Finish Originality

Photograph the front, back, neck and headstock in indirect daylight. Include worn edges and any chips already present. Different lighting, camera settings and clear-coat aging can make the same finish look different in two photographs.

Look for finish over binding, filled holes, abrupt color changes around hardware and wear that stops at a repair. Compare the bridge and tailpiece mounting footprints when checking those areas. These are reasons for closer inspection, not proof of a refinish. Leave the instrument assembled for a Rickenbacker appraisal from photos.

Color names recur, and custom orders and later recreations complicate a date estimate. A familiar vintage color on a newer serial can be factory correct. Check body shape, binding and inlays and knobs and controls alongside the finish.

Get Help Identifying Your Rickenbacker

Send photos of the complete instrument, serial plate and the detail you want checked. Include any known repair or replacement history.

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Continue with Rickenbacker body, binding and inlay details or return to the serial lookup and dating charts.

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