Rickenbacker 360 Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitar (with Case)

zZounds' Take on Rickenbacker 360

Yesterday's Guitar? Meet Today's Guitarist
Guitarists today are a spoiled lot. While many maintain that any new design and fabrication techniques in the realm of instrument design have already been designed and fabricated (though we'd like to argue that), there seems to be little room left for innovation. As such, guitarists are liable to rest on their laurels and rely on the well-plowed paths laid out by our forefathers. Rewind 50 years, and you'd be greeted by a vastly different musical landscape. In 1958, when the 360 was first introduced by the Rickenbacker corporation, this guitar was a radical departure from anything else readily available to the guitarist, and couldn't have come at a better time. Particularly, members of the British Invasion were quick to snatch the guitar up and make good use of its inherent chiming, bright, sparkling, defined tone.

The Renegades of Handmade
Each Rick 360 is handmade in Santa Ana, California, and because of that there are relatively few 360's out in the wild. While that might mean waiting on the finish of your choice, you can also count on an added level of respect and deference when you show up to the gig or session and crack open your hardshell case to reveal your treasured 360 waiting inside.

Construction, Construction, What's Your Function?
Part of the Rickenbacker 300 series, the 360 adheres to Rickenbacker design traditions while blending in a handful of updates sure to please the guitarist of today. The first thing you'll notice is the semi-hollow design of the deluxe body. Made of Maple, the body has a rounded top edge and body back for the utmost in comfort, and is handsomely bound. Unlike most semi-hollow electric guitars, the sound hole in the 360 is a unique bound crescent moon shape, a very welcome departure from the standard violin-style f-hole. The pickups on the facade of this beauty are two hi-gain single coils of Rickenbacker design, controlled by an array of knobs and a switch on the multi-tiered plexiglass pickguard. Those pickups are wired up to two dual, stereo outputs, allowing you to split your signal in any way you see fit. The bound triple-ply Maple and Walnut neck is set into the semi-hollow body, and the 24 frets on the 24 and 3/4-inch scale length neck will make you feel right at home. The Rosewood fretboard is finished with a clear varnish and inlayed with triangle fret markers, and like many other Rickenbackers, dual truss rods ensure stable tuning and rigid neck strength for as long as you own the instrument. Speaking of tuning stability, further adorning the already handsome headstock are a set of three to a side Schaller tuners, and if you know anything about machine heads, you know that these are the tops (pun intended.)The bridge and tailpiece are an interesting duo indeed: while the tweakable 6-saddle bridge might not turn any heads, the "R" tailpiece sure will, proudly announcing that this instrument is a Rickenbacker, head to toe.

Manufacturer's Description for Rickenbacker 360 Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitar (with Case)

This guitar broke all the rules of traditional styling when it appeared amid the 'British' sound of the 1960's. Subtly updated through the years, this Deluxe hollow body with its special contour around the entire body perimeter, is still perhaps the most comfortable guitar of all. The bound body and Rosewood fingerboard, inlayed with triangular pearloid markers, provide an exceptionally attractive appearance. Stereo output is standard. zZounds is an authorized dealer of Rickenbacker products.

Body Type: Semi-Acoustic

No. Frets: 24

Scale Length: 62.9 cm (24-3/4")

Neck Width at Nut: 41.3 mm (1-5/8")

Neck Width at 12th Fret: 49.2 mm (1-15/16")

Crown Radius: 25.4 cm (10")

Body Wood: Maple

Neck Wood: Maple

Fingerboard Wood: Rosewood

Weight: 3.6 kg (8.0 lbs.)

Overall Length: 101 cm (39-3/4")

Overall Width: 38.1 cm (15")

Overall Depth: 38.1 mm (1-1/2")

Neck Binding: Yes

Fret Marker Style: Triangle

Tailpiece: "R"

Bridge: 6 Saddle

Neck Type: Set-in

No. of Pickups: 2

Type of Pickups: Hi-gain

Output Type: Mono and Stereo

Machine Heads: Schaller

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

Fireglo

Shipping Weight: 24 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 45 x 19 x 6 in

Jetglo

Shipping Weight: 23 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 44 x 19 x 6 in

Mapleglo

Shipping Weight: 23 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 45 x 19 x 6 in