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.
Very nicely done. I was fortunate enough to have had both Rickenbackers in my youth (I'm 70 now and unfortunately I'm dying of cancer) and I can tell you the 325C58 is far superior. I also was lucky enough to have met Ron Demarino who worked on John's original Rick and he had John's original gold Pickard (cracked and messed up) and let me hold it in my hands. Here I am in my youth playing and singing 'Please Please Me' (only John's part) on my Ed Sullivan Rick 325C58. I bought it new from Elderly Music for $2,600. It was already Jet-Glo. I replaced the Vibrato with the Bigsby B5 and Bigsby Sorkin 'bowtie' bridge. Switched the beige toggle switch to black, and ordered 4 original Burns knobs from Burns of London. The problem was the Burns knobs wouldn't fit on the Rick potentiometers because the knobs were made in England which meant they were METRIC. So For $20 I had my friend drill the knobs a bit wider to fit. He had to do it very very carefully as those Burns knobs are very fragile and you could put a hole right through it. Anyway here is my finished Ed Sullivan Rickenbacker 325C58 in action in 2011. th-cam.com/video/S0pOq4tclSwn/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much for your kind comment! Frankly I probably would have grabbed a 325C58 had one been available at the time. I'm sorry to hear about your health conditions - sending good vibes for a miracle. Thanks again for watching, and have a wonderful new year!
My friend is a diehard Beatles fan, had a tribute band, and now has the American made John Lennon Casino. He would love your videos, so I must tell him.
Great Video. You totally got my attention with that shot of the small dog in your plush guitar case. Funny how some dogs instinctively know where the plushest places to lay down are.
Very well done. Is it just me, or did John seem to be slightly more careful with his '63 325 than with his '58 325? When you see him playing live with his original Ric he plays it with a studied nonchalance that almost seems like he doesn't care if he breaks it or not. Later, with his new 325, he seems to treat it with more respect. I don't know. But I do know that to attempt to replicate his playing on early Beatle songs it helps to be almost rough with the guitar. You gotta play like you just don't care.
Johns guitars were tools to him, he never took good care of them as anything else. Harrison was a guitar guy, he looked for the good stuff and took care of most of it. The sanding off of finishes later they were on drugs lol..🤣
Dude, I love your videos. This is awesome, man!!! Please keep 'em coming! I consider myself a diehard Beatles fan and I STILL learned a lot here! Amazing work-- can't stress it enough!
I've played both the original 1958 and the 1964, both reissues, and the 1958 certainly had a much chunkier 1950s style neck profile. And George bought his 450 in the USA while on a trip to visit his sister, PRE 2/7/64.
Bravo, Nick. Your research is incomparable. This vlog has been around for two years, so you can see it's taken me a while to find you. Had to put my rigs down for over two years because of vicious arthritis pain in left thumb and hand. New PT exercises, new breakthroughs in arthritis topical applications and steroid injections have given me hope. Starting back with a Squier Mini Strat which has a 21" scale length and flat 12" fret (I think) radius. John's 20" Rickenbacker gives me confidence that maybe I will be able to return to my original 25.5" Strat one day. This knowledge alone is comforting. Thanks for an excellent primer on the Rickenbacker.
A lot of folks think that Fogerty used his LP for all the leads. But suzie Q was 8:40 long, and he used the 325 on that. That's like a 5 minute lead on the 325.
@@oldrick325Yup, he used a jetglo 325 for songs like Suzie Q and I Put A Spell On You. That guitar was acquired by his brother Tom after trading three Supro guitars for it. John grew up tired with the whammy bar and eventually bought a fireglo 325 in early 69' to which he did significant modifications
Fun fact:The Rickenbacker 425 that was owned by George was actually played on 2 songs I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You but it was never used live nor as a backup guitar
I’ve wondered about this for years and gave up on any in depth information. I just now unintentionally stumbled upon this. Thanks so much for this holy grail!
Great video and super informative! I thought I was the only one crazy enough to buy a 325 Miami haha! Glad to see someone else rockin one. I was super thrown off by the scale at first, but now I love it.
According to Chris Wharton, John's guitar was painted by Charlie Bantam who used to paint cars. He painted it with black Tecaloid enamel which was the make of coach paint used on the vehicles. It certainly had several coats of paint and it took several days to complete. It was done in Birkenhead not London, sometime in September 1962.😊
Great vid. Looking forward to part 2. One thing to keep in mind is that Lennon was lazy about changing strings. If one string broke he would only change the string that broke. For those who are trying to emulate his sound that is one thing to consider.
@@ejcoppini Well, not really. I'm a personal friend of Chris Huston (formerly of the Undertakers), spent a few days on his estate. (I had built him a guitar and was delivering it, from a flight across country, and stayed a few days). We talked a lot about the Hamburg days, and the Cavern days too. Huston, McCartney, Harrison and Lennon used to pal around together, often going to Hessy's for string shopping and the like. Hessy's carried Gibson brand Sonomatics, round wound for electrics. This was the string of choice in the pre-fame days. I heard that right from the horse's mouth. If you listen to the Hamburg Star Club recordings, you can clearly hear a lot of "string squeak"; a very validating sound as to round-wounds. When they became internationally famous, with gear companies literally shoving equipment at them in hopes of endorsements, they very well may have used Pyramids. But the early days of leather and cowboy boots? They used Sonomatic round wounds.
Hello Nick, This is Dave from BGC. We messaged once or twice. I haven't been to that site in years. I'm a luthier now, full time, have my own shop.. Loved your video!
I love this kind of Beatle guitar gossip. Thank you for all the info! Still I miss a mention to George Harrison's later 360/12 with the rounded front edge that he was playing live in 1966, on which he probably recorded If I Needed Someone.
The photo at 19:45 was taken during the session where The Beatles were recording "Every Little Thing". Lennon is using his 325/12. McCartney is preparing to record his bits on Lennon's DB122 325 six string. If you listen to the released version, you can hear Paul playing the "Call" part on the DB122 and John the "Answer" part on the 325/12. McCartney, being left handed, has flipped Lennon's guitar over and is playing it upside down. Apparently he was able to play right handed guitars strung in the conventional manner. And if you look closely at some of the better quality photos taken at that session you can see that the thicker (lower) strings are on the bottom essentially confirming that. And some information regarding Lennon's Rickenbacker DB151 325/12 guitar. It actually is a 325/12 NOT a 320/12. The reason for this is either simple or complicated depending on one's point of view. When Harrison received his famed 360/12 in NYC, Lennon asked F.C. Hall to make him a 12 string version of his 325. John Hall later said that the guitar Rickenbacker manufactured for Lennon originally had the vibrato tail peice hence is was a 325/12 as per Rickenbacker's model naming specs. But the guitar would not stay in tune. So Rickenbacker replaced the original vibrato tail peice with the trapeze one before shipping it to Lennon. So Lennon's 12 string Rickenbacker is essentially a QC 325/12. Anyway, Thanks for the fantastic video. Ten out of Ten for mentioning all of John's Rickenbacker guitars. And bonus points for mentioning that George had a 425. Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Great comment! Regarding Paul playing upside-down, I'm a bit skeptical he every did that on a recording. To my knowledge, his "upside down" skill came from his youth - not being able to play on his friend's guitars made it a necessity. After that, I think he did it mostly as a novelty (see the "Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road" special). Of course we cannot say for sure, but I would be absolutely amazed if McCartney actually played DB122 on a record.
Nick, A detail that might be of interest if you ever do a revised edition of your video. The reason why John’s guitar was losing its knobs so often is hidden in the electronic configuration. For some reason, in 1958, the 2 original potentiometers installed were split shafts. Then later, 2 additional potentiometers were added but they were solid shafts. I have the exact same issues with mine. 😂
Wow, what great research work through and through. That gorgeous color photo of John on stage at the StarClub-I never knew Weissleder took that photo. Fascinating video, thanks!
The fact that you only have 4K subs is astounding, I’ve been watching you since I was 12 And I just turned 20 a few months ago. Keep doing what you do man
Wow been watching for 10 minutes and thought this was a channel with at least 50k+ subs! Keep up this amazing quality and attention to detail, this is the potential for a 100k sub channel for sure! Subbed
Great photo of John Lennon with his 12 string Rickenbacker sat down relaxing with the fret board facing /pointing up to the sky parallel to his face. This photo was used as part of a cool poster for the wall issued shortly after his death December 1980 to January 1981
Not only is your Ricky-minutiae delightfully geeky, but your production values and Mersey-esque music are spot-on. I do sync license music in the styles of various classic rock artists, but I left the Beatles alone, as they were always too far-flung. These tunes are making me rethink my position...
Well done and very comprehensive, but I'm surprised that no one mentions the actual designer of the Ric 325 (and the entire 300 series), the German luthier Roger Rossmeisl. He also worked (briefly) for Gibson, and then worked for Fender, where he designed their Thinline Tele, among others, before returning to Germany in the 70s.He continues to remain largely unknown for a luthier who designed several iconic guitars of the 50s and 60s.
Excellent video. But talk a bit about the tone and settings for different songs. That jangly Rickenbacker tone is one of the reasons I think John chose it because it is reminiscent of a banjo tone that his mother played and taught him
What’s interesting for me is that I’ve got the same hands as John had more or less, although I keep imagining they are more like those of Styx and Damn Yankees guitarist Tommy Shaw. I began learning to play in 1995 on standard-scale instruments. The only Rickenbacker instruments are held were models like the 360. It wasn’t until roughly 20 years after I bought my first instrument that I even touched a 325. It was at a fest for Beatles fans (with lots of reissues of Rickenbacker, Gretsch, Hoffner, Ludewig and Epiphone models like the ones the Beatles played). I found myself wondering how John could have enjoyed playing it, although I am definitely as much of a lead player as I am a rhythm player, unlike John. It was a much more enjoyable experience a few years later to pick up another 325 and play it when the cover band I was moonlighting with launched into “Little Child”.
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Great video, what do you think of the new Rickenbacker 350? The one with the spaced pickups. I dig them a lot
Thanks, Oscar! Personally, I think the 350s are a bit strange looking. The neck looks too long to me - probably because the body was designed for this tiny scale length. In my opinion, if players find the 325 is too small, I'd go for a normal full-scale Rickenbacker like the 330/360, as the only reason you'd buy a 325 type guitar is because the miniature factor is what makes this guitar cool. :) Not a fan of the stretched neck on the 350s!
Just my own $.02 here… I fell in love with Lennon’s 325’s when I was a young punk. Then I heard all the horror stories about playing them. Held off. Found out about 350v63’s. The quest began. Now I have one of each, 6 & 12-string. Personally, I adore them, both because of what they are and what they’re not. And also sonically. Once again, just my own take. (I knew you were dying to know.🤪)
can't believe how tiny they feel, the bigger one(360?)is a little better but still tight/narrow neck. the 360 bridge was rattly and a little fussy when i used it to record some stuff, but nothing else sounds quite like them.
Excellent.!!I Your knowledge is awesome. I bought a Ric 330 Walnut ..been waiting and looking for a long time for one I wanted, I missed a few but now it's like living in a different world of guitars.
Very informative. Excellent video. I use my 2003 Rick 360-6 for rehearsals (because I have had Spinal Fusion Surgery in 2016, so I like using light guitars for rehearsal sessions that usually run from 3-4 hours) and for certain recording sessions. I use Teles for our (DUNGAREE DOGS NYC) shows. The Rick 360-6 through my Deluxe Reverb sounds great.. without changing the settings on my effects rig, and perhaps a slight bump up on the amp's treble setting, I can get close enough to my Tele sound.. but I still get that unique Rick sound as well. Very cool. ❤❤❤❤❤
Great video, excellent presentation and very informative. BTW, I read somewhere that John used his "Miami" Rickenbacker during the Double Fantasy sessions.
Great video. I thought I knew my Beatles guitars well and am still learning stuff. Just a quick question: Where are they all now?? I read recently that his original 325 was returned to natural in 70s but given a white pick guard and John let the luthier who did the work keep the original gold one! Nice souvenir, methinks
I have 1980 360 double bound OS that I found in a defunct recording studio in Paris when they were auctioning off equipment...it was in dreadful condition. I got it for 800Euro had it refinished in the original Blue. I replaced everything on it: new mastery bridge, CTS Pots and vintage knobs, New R Tail Piece, New Pick guard and Truss Rod cover, New Grover locking tuners, new nut, re-fretted and refinished the fret board in natural finish...I hate those lacquered fret boards. I also put in new Creamery vintage Bridge and Neck PU's. The previous owner for some idiotic reason installed middle PU and when replacing the pots I disconnected it. I've never found a use for the middle PU, in fact it just got in my way ...and It was wired so that it was always hot with pissed me off even more. It's like new now but at a cost.
great video about 5 months ago my dad and i finished building a 325 semi hollow rick made from all black wood with a maple fretboard in a natural finish it's such a nice guitar our next project is a gretsch country gentleman
I know Marcelo great guy… We’ve come to the conclusion that the 58 fingerboard is Paduk not rosewood. The Bigsby was bought at Hessey’s and is not a US made Bigsby, hence the Phillips screw holding the arm down and it’s 2% smaller than a US Bigsby. Chris Huston of the Undertakers was with John when he bought the Bigsby and screwed it on right at the counter at the music store. The paint is from what I know brushed on not sprayed, it was a mess in person. The bridge is called a Sorkin bridge that came with the Bigsby. You did a great job and always listen to Marcello..😉
I believe the 1958 325 had Grover open- back stat-tite tuners and the remakes have Rick-tites but they look almost the same. And I believe that John's 1964 325 had Kluson tuners. Marcelo Ravelo Troiano would know as he knows almost everything there is to know about John Lennon's Rickenbacker. 😊
Nice job with this docu! I'm only surprised I appear to be the only one who notices you've depicted Phase 3 and 4 with the HiGain pickups and not the appropriate Toasters (which I believe only appeared after the Beatles Rick run)?
John played his 1961 Fender Stratocaster (Sonic Blue finish with Rosewood fingerboard) on it. Paul played his new Rickenbacker 4001S Bass. One of the best ways to supercharge a Rickenbacker 12 string guitar sound is to back it with a Fender Stratocaster. Jangle Chime City here we come!
Hi Nick, tanks for the great video! Could you please demonstrate the pickups configuration and electronics please? I found it quite confusing while playing one of those guitars. Thank you!
Film stock, lighting and developing process can change colour drastically. Ron DeMarino told me that Lennon's first, 325 was not "orange" at all, but pretty light natural wood. The first "new" knobs were black, silver topped. There exist a few good photos that show this on both the original natural and the same guitar when after it was painted black. The black paint was applied very crudely as if with a stiff brush. The fretboard on Lennon's 325 was, like many Ricks, finished with a very thin clear topcoat, not unfinished. This probably wore off in time from use, and as you said, finger oil and dirt darkened the now exposed wood. I've had a few guitars with a Bigsby B-5 and the black paint had flaked off them.
Totally agree. As a film photographer myself, I'm still amazed at how different emulsions produce wildly different colors. For instance, I've taken identical shots and compared - Velvia 50 is rich in color with deep red hues, whereas the same shot on Ektar 100 will have more of a blue/magenta cast. I believe Kodachrome 64 only got released in 1962, so it's likely the photographer was shooting at an even slower ASA. A flash would likely have been required, which would have further altered the colors!
@@NickMartellaro Yes, colour photographs are notoriously unreliable to show true colours. Even each individual's eyes see colours differently, sometimes wildly differently. Accordingly, the use of a colour checker, an RGB LED and a Cds photocell and other devices are necessary to know what the true colour of an object might be. Evern then, the particular light source used in taking the photograph will make a great difference. "Cold hearted orb that rules the night, Removes the colours from our sight. Red is grey and yellow white, But we decide which is right, And which is an illusion." from: "Days of Future Passed" The Moody Blues (1967)
I owned a 330/12 and even THAT was difficult to play. With the exception of the Tom Petty signature model, Rickenbacker uses the same necks on their 12-strings as they use on their 6-string guitars, so the strings are all crammed together. It’s hard to tell where one course ends and the next begins, and I found it impossible to play without muting strings (and I have average size hands). I’ve played a 325, and I think a 12-string version of that guitar would be downright IMPOSSIBLE to play. I could barely play the 6-string version.
5:57 what isn’t so great about photos like these is they’re originally in black and white, beatles fans themselves “colorize” the image, sometimes manually choosing the color themselves based on assumption. happens all the time with pre-‘65/64 shots of the lads
it most likely looked just as blonde as it did in the ‘58 photos you showed, he didn’t get that dark amber stain look till it was restored from the jetglo refinish after the beatles had broken up
great video! i want to make a question about the short scale ¿is this guitarlighter? i think that if you have to play 8-9 hours a night that is a good feature!!!
Fuck Me Nick ! I've been looking for something like this all my life. Brilliant... I'm on my 3rd video now of yours. Subscribed, liked, and that bell Rung ! Keep it up !
![JOHN LENNON'S RICKENBACKER 325 GUITARS: Reissue Models and Buying Options [Part 2 of 3]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bRmV5SIyeNQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![JOHN LENNON'S RICKENBACKER 325 GUITARS: Reissue Models and Buying Options [Part 2 of 3]](/img/tr.png)
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.
Remarkable! How cool is that?
Very nicely done. I was fortunate enough to have had both Rickenbackers in my youth (I'm 70 now and unfortunately I'm dying of cancer) and I can tell you the 325C58 is far superior. I also was lucky enough to have met Ron Demarino who worked on John's original Rick and he had John's original gold Pickard (cracked and messed up) and let me hold it in my hands. Here I am in my youth playing and singing 'Please Please Me' (only John's part) on my Ed Sullivan Rick 325C58. I bought it new from Elderly Music for $2,600. It was already Jet-Glo. I replaced the Vibrato with the Bigsby B5 and Bigsby Sorkin 'bowtie' bridge. Switched the beige toggle switch to black, and ordered 4 original Burns knobs from Burns of London. The problem was the Burns knobs wouldn't fit on the Rick potentiometers because the knobs were made in England which meant they were METRIC. So For $20 I had my friend drill the knobs a bit wider to fit. He had to do it very very carefully as those Burns knobs are very fragile and you could put a hole right through it. Anyway here is my finished Ed Sullivan Rickenbacker 325C58 in action in 2011.
th-cam.com/video/S0pOq4tclSwn/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much for your kind comment! Frankly I probably would have grabbed a 325C58 had one been available at the time. I'm sorry to hear about your health conditions - sending good vibes for a miracle. Thanks again for watching, and have a wonderful new year!
Sorry about your cancer diagnosis. How are you doing?
Aw yeah, Nick ! Just enough detail.
Now for a video of Ron Nasty's axes - What Ron used to split firewood.
My friend is a diehard Beatles fan, had a tribute band, and now has the American made John Lennon Casino. He would love your videos, so I must tell him.
Great Video. You totally got my attention with that shot of the small dog in your plush guitar case. Funny how some dogs instinctively know where the plushest places to lay down are.
Very well done. Is it just me, or did John seem to be slightly more careful with his '63 325 than with his '58 325? When you see him playing live with his original Ric he plays it with a studied nonchalance that almost seems like he doesn't care if he breaks it or not. Later, with his new 325, he seems to treat it with more respect. I don't know. But I do know that to attempt to replicate his playing on early Beatle songs it helps to be almost rough with the guitar. You gotta play like you just don't care.
I don’t think he plays like he doesn’t care about his guitar. I think he plays like he has played a lot of gigs and it’s just another gig.
@@alanoliver5762 That is true. It just seemed to me as though he played his '63 Ric with a little more care than the '58. Maybe not.
Johns guitars were tools to him, he never took good care of them as anything else.
Harrison was a guitar guy, he looked for the good stuff and took care of most of it.
The sanding off of finishes later they were on drugs lol..🤣
He dropped it and broke the headstock badly in late 1964, so he wasn’t being that careful.
Its just you.
Dude, I love your videos. This is awesome, man!!! Please keep 'em coming! I consider myself a diehard Beatles fan and I STILL learned a lot here! Amazing work-- can't stress it enough!
.+--%
17:00 . The “you can’t do that” solo always sounded cool to me
I've played both the original 1958 and the 1964, both reissues, and the 1958 certainly had a much chunkier 1950s style neck profile. And George bought his 450 in the USA while on a trip to visit his sister, PRE 2/7/64.
Bravo, Nick. Your research is incomparable. This vlog has been around for two years, so you can see it's taken me a while to find you. Had to put my rigs down for over two years because of vicious arthritis pain in left thumb and hand. New PT exercises, new breakthroughs in arthritis topical applications and steroid injections have given me hope. Starting back with a Squier Mini Strat which has a 21" scale length and flat 12" fret (I think) radius. John's 20" Rickenbacker gives me confidence that maybe I will be able to return to my original 25.5" Strat one day. This knowledge alone is comforting. Thanks for an excellent primer on the Rickenbacker.
John Fogerty from CCR is an example that it is possible play lead on a 325
A lot of folks think that Fogerty used his LP for all the leads. But suzie Q was 8:40 long, and he used the 325 on that. That's like a 5 minute lead on the 325.
@@oldrick325Yup, he used a jetglo 325 for songs like Suzie Q and I Put A Spell On You. That guitar was acquired by his brother Tom after trading three Supro guitars for it.
John grew up tired with the whammy bar and eventually bought a fireglo 325 in early 69' to which he did significant modifications
@@Apo458 So the Fireglo didn't make it onto the first two Creedence albums!
Fun fact:The Rickenbacker 425 that was owned by George was actually played on 2 songs I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You but it was never used live nor as a backup guitar
Definitely not She Loves You. He only got it from late 1963.
He did use it on a rare TV performance. But I think it was just mimicked.
He bought it from the U.S whilst visiting his Sister Louise.
I enjoyed this video. The visual comparison sections (particularly the scale section) are highly illuminating. Kudos!
I’ve wondered about this for years and gave up on any in depth information. I just now unintentionally stumbled upon this. Thanks so much for this holy grail!
Great video and super informative! I thought I was the only one crazy enough to buy a 325 Miami haha! Glad to see someone else rockin one. I was super thrown off by the scale at first, but now I love it.
According to Chris Wharton, John's guitar was painted by Charlie Bantam who used to paint cars. He painted it with black Tecaloid enamel which was the make of coach paint used on the vehicles. It certainly had several coats of paint and it took several days to complete. It was done in Birkenhead not London, sometime in September 1962.😊
Such amazing photo research - so enjoyable watching this - thank you, Nick!!
Fantastic video! Can't believe there's only 15k views at this time. It's a wonderful historical document, and you did the world a great service.
Great vid. Looking forward to part 2. One thing to keep in mind is that Lennon was lazy about changing strings. If one string broke he would only change the string that broke. For those who are trying to emulate his sound that is one thing to consider.
And do not forget the fact they used german Pyramid strings on their Ricks
@@ejcoppini Well, not really. I'm a personal friend of Chris Huston (formerly of the Undertakers), spent a few days on his estate. (I had built him a guitar and was delivering it, from a flight across country, and stayed a few days). We talked a lot about the Hamburg days, and the Cavern days too. Huston, McCartney, Harrison and Lennon used to pal around together, often going to Hessy's for string shopping and the like. Hessy's carried Gibson brand Sonomatics, round wound for electrics. This was the string of choice in the pre-fame days. I heard that right from the horse's mouth. If you listen to the Hamburg Star Club recordings, you can clearly hear a lot of "string squeak"; a very validating sound as to round-wounds.
When they became internationally famous, with gear companies literally shoving equipment at them in hopes of endorsements, they very well may have used Pyramids.
But the early days of leather and cowboy boots? They used Sonomatic round wounds.
Stellar episode Mate, great job 👏
Hello Nick, This is Dave from BGC. We messaged once or twice. I haven't been to that site in years.
I'm a luthier now, full time, have my own shop.. Loved your video!
I love this kind of Beatle guitar gossip. Thank you for all the info! Still I miss a mention to George Harrison's later 360/12 with the rounded front edge that he was playing live in 1966, on which he probably recorded If I Needed Someone.
The photo at 19:45 was taken during the session where The Beatles were recording "Every Little Thing". Lennon is using his 325/12. McCartney is preparing to record his bits on Lennon's DB122 325 six string. If you listen to the released version, you can hear Paul playing the "Call" part on the DB122 and John the "Answer" part on the 325/12.
McCartney, being left handed, has flipped Lennon's guitar over and is playing it upside down. Apparently he was able to play right handed guitars strung in the conventional manner. And if you look closely at some of the better quality photos taken at that session you can see that the thicker (lower) strings are on the bottom essentially confirming that.
And some information regarding Lennon's Rickenbacker DB151 325/12 guitar. It actually is a 325/12 NOT a 320/12. The reason for this is either simple or complicated depending on one's point of view. When Harrison received his famed 360/12 in NYC, Lennon asked F.C. Hall to make him a 12 string version of his 325. John Hall later said that the guitar Rickenbacker manufactured for Lennon originally had the vibrato tail peice hence is was a 325/12 as per Rickenbacker's model naming specs. But the guitar would not stay in tune. So Rickenbacker replaced the original vibrato tail peice with the trapeze one before shipping it to Lennon. So Lennon's 12 string Rickenbacker is essentially a QC 325/12.
Anyway, Thanks for the fantastic video. Ten out of Ten for mentioning all of John's Rickenbacker guitars. And bonus points for mentioning that George had a 425. Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Great comment! Regarding Paul playing upside-down, I'm a bit skeptical he every did that on a recording. To my knowledge, his "upside down" skill came from his youth - not being able to play on his friend's guitars made it a necessity. After that, I think he did it mostly as a novelty (see the "Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road" special). Of course we cannot say for sure, but I would be absolutely amazed if McCartney actually played DB122 on a record.
Nice breakdown of a legendary guitar and it's even more legendary player...
Absolutely loved the video! Can't wait for part two!
The level of detail here is FRIGHTENING. And amazing. Great job!
Excellent job, Nick! Keep ‘em coming!
Nick,
A detail that might be of interest if you ever do a revised edition of your video. The reason why John’s guitar was losing its knobs so often is hidden in the electronic configuration. For some reason, in 1958, the 2 original potentiometers installed were split shafts. Then later, 2 additional potentiometers were added but they were solid shafts. I have the exact same issues with mine. 😂
Wow, what great research work through and through. That gorgeous color photo of John on stage at the StarClub-I never knew Weissleder took that photo. Fascinating video, thanks!
When was the last time John used the 325? Ive heard it was on Double Fantasy. Are there any photos of him with his Rick after The Beatles broke up?
The fact that you only have 4K subs is astounding, I’ve been watching you since I was 12 And I just turned 20 a few months ago. Keep doing what you do man
Thanks, Eric! Your comment means a lot to me. Keep rocking yourself! And nice 325, by the way :)
@@NickMartellaro Thanks! I have the mapleglo 58 model, it’s thick and super light. I look forward to more vids!
Wow been watching for 10 minutes and thought this was a channel with at least 50k+ subs! Keep up this amazing quality and attention to detail, this is the potential for a 100k sub channel for sure! Subbed
The Best 325 Video Hands Down
Extremely well done video, thanks for this!
Great photo of John Lennon with his 12 string Rickenbacker sat down relaxing with the fret board facing /pointing up to the sky parallel to his face. This photo was used as part of a cool poster for the wall issued shortly after his death December 1980 to January 1981
Great video. Well done. I just purchased a 325V59 so this video is particularly informative.
Not only is your Ricky-minutiae delightfully geeky, but your production values and Mersey-esque music are spot-on. I do sync license music in the styles of various classic rock artists, but I left the Beatles alone, as they were always too far-flung. These tunes are making me rethink my position...
Terrific video! Great photos and information. 👍
I loved the video! It is great to learn more about these ricks as a rickenbacker and a beatle fan!
Love your video. I'm always interested to know more about my favorite group's gear!
1st time listener and 1st time subscriber ... Thx ...
Fantastic video! Very well researched! Do you think you’ll ever do a video on George’s Rickenbackers?
Well done and very comprehensive, but I'm surprised that no one mentions the actual designer of the Ric 325 (and the entire 300 series), the German luthier Roger Rossmeisl. He also worked (briefly) for Gibson, and then worked for Fender, where he designed their Thinline Tele, among others, before returning to Germany in the 70s.He continues to remain largely unknown for a luthier who designed several iconic guitars of the 50s and 60s.
Excellent video. But talk a bit about the tone and settings for different songs. That jangly Rickenbacker tone is one of the reasons I think John chose it because it is reminiscent of a banjo tone that his mother played and taught him
I enjoyed this totally. I have to feel sorry for the enormous amount of research involved. You sir are a better man than I.
What’s interesting for me is that I’ve got the same hands as John had more or less, although I keep imagining they are more like those of Styx and Damn Yankees guitarist Tommy Shaw. I began learning to play in 1995 on standard-scale instruments. The only Rickenbacker instruments are held were models like the 360. It wasn’t until roughly 20 years after I bought my first instrument that I even touched a 325. It was at a fest for Beatles fans (with lots of reissues of Rickenbacker, Gretsch, Hoffner, Ludewig and Epiphone models like the ones the Beatles played). I found myself wondering how John could have enjoyed playing it, although I am definitely as much of a lead player as I am a rhythm player, unlike John. It was a much more enjoyable experience a few years later to pick up another 325 and play it when the cover band I was moonlighting with launched into “Little Child”.
Great video, what do you think of the new Rickenbacker 350? The one with the spaced pickups. I dig them a lot
Thanks, Oscar! Personally, I think the 350s are a bit strange looking. The neck looks too long to me - probably because the body was designed for this tiny scale length. In my opinion, if players find the 325 is too small, I'd go for a normal full-scale Rickenbacker like the 330/360, as the only reason you'd buy a 325 type guitar is because the miniature factor is what makes this guitar cool. :) Not a fan of the stretched neck on the 350s!
Just my own $.02 here…
I fell in love with Lennon’s 325’s when I was a young punk. Then I heard all the horror stories about playing them.
Held off. Found out about 350v63’s. The quest began. Now I have one of each, 6 & 12-string. Personally, I adore them, both because of what they are and what they’re not. And also sonically. Once again, just my own take. (I knew you were dying to know.🤪)
great video and I am looking forward to the next video with sound demos.....you betcha
some very cool Beatles history and photos. Nice job.
Very informative. I learned a lot. I always liked the sound of John’s Rick. It was a major part of the early Beatles sonics.
Hi Nick. Another great video !
Also love the dog in the guitar case 😂
My cat does the same thing.
Keep rocking. Stay safe.
Perhaps the short-scale guitar resembled the banjo John learned on?
can't believe how tiny they feel, the bigger one(360?)is a little better but still tight/narrow neck. the 360 bridge was rattly and a little fussy when i used it to record some stuff, but nothing else sounds quite like them.
Excellent.!!I Your knowledge is awesome. I bought a Ric 330 Walnut ..been waiting and looking for a long time for one I wanted, I missed a few but now it's like living in a different world of guitars.
Very informative. Excellent video. I use my 2003 Rick 360-6 for rehearsals (because I have had Spinal Fusion Surgery in 2016, so I like using light guitars for rehearsal sessions that usually run from 3-4 hours) and for certain recording sessions. I use Teles for our (DUNGAREE DOGS NYC) shows. The Rick 360-6 through my Deluxe Reverb sounds great.. without changing the settings on my effects rig, and perhaps a slight bump up on the amp's treble setting, I can get close enough to my Tele sound.. but I still get that unique Rick sound as well. Very cool. ❤❤❤❤❤
Such a great video! I passionately love these details! Thanks so much!
Nicely done, Nick! I hope you'll eventually do one about John's Epiphone Casino guitar.
My favorite would be one with in jetglo with the refinished neck, Bigsby tailpiece and with the cool-looking oven knobs.
Great video, excellent presentation and very informative. BTW, I read somewhere that John used his "Miami" Rickenbacker during the Double Fantasy sessions.
I read that John used his "325v58" in the double fantasy album.
Not the 325c64...
I don't know..
cheerss!!
Great presentation! 🎸🎶✨
Great research!! Congrats!!! Wonderful video!!!
Great study Nick!
Great video. I thought I knew my Beatles guitars well and am still learning stuff. Just a quick question:
Where are they all now??
I read recently that his original 325 was returned to natural in 70s but given a white pick guard and John let the luthier who did the work keep the original gold one! Nice souvenir, methinks
the OG 1958 one is still in yoko's possession, i believe. imagine the price that will have when/if it hits the market.
@@reginaldsamtrob1716 Isn't the original Rickenbacker in a museum in Tokyo (on loan from Yoko)???
I have 1980 360 double bound OS that I found in a defunct recording studio in Paris when they were auctioning off equipment...it was in dreadful condition. I got it for 800Euro had it refinished in the original Blue. I replaced everything on it: new mastery bridge, CTS Pots and vintage knobs, New R Tail Piece, New Pick guard and Truss Rod cover, New Grover locking tuners, new nut, re-fretted and refinished the fret board in natural finish...I hate those lacquered fret boards. I also put in new Creamery vintage Bridge and Neck PU's. The previous owner for some idiotic reason installed middle PU and when replacing the pots I disconnected it. I've never found a use for the middle PU, in fact it just got in my way ...and It was wired so that it was always hot with pissed me off even more. It's like new now but at a cost.
Really enjoyed this video. Thank you ! I look forward to more subject material geared toward guitar nerds. 😂
This is a lovely video, a real homage to a legendary Guitar and indeed musician
Awesome! Great Video, great facts - thanks for doing this! Was Carnegie Hall 1964 the last time he used his old '58 live?
i love john's first 325 when it was all scratched and beaten up-so much character!
Nice work, Nick. Thanks.
Great job, very accurate information!
great video about 5 months ago my dad and i finished building a 325 semi hollow rick made from all black wood with a maple fretboard in a natural finish it's such a nice guitar our next project is a gretsch country gentleman
The third syllable is pronounced as "back", not "bok".
Loving the videos!
Great video!
Excellent video !
Incredibly informative video
I know Marcelo great guy…
We’ve come to the conclusion that the 58 fingerboard is Paduk not rosewood.
The Bigsby was bought at Hessey’s and is not a US made Bigsby, hence the Phillips screw holding the arm down and it’s 2% smaller than a US Bigsby.
Chris Huston of the Undertakers was with John when he bought the Bigsby and screwed it on right at the counter at the music store.
The paint is from what I know brushed on not sprayed, it was a mess in person.
The bridge is called a Sorkin bridge that came with the Bigsby.
You did a great job and always listen to Marcello..😉
I believe the 1958 325 had Grover open- back stat-tite tuners and the remakes have Rick-tites but they look almost the same. And I believe that John's 1964 325 had Kluson tuners. Marcelo Ravelo Troiano would know as he knows almost everything there is to know about John Lennon's Rickenbacker. 😊
I have a 325 and I’m always banging my hand into the knobs, especially the oven-type knobs. I understand why he got rid of those.
Nice job with this docu!
I'm only surprised I appear to be the only one who notices you've depicted Phase 3 and 4 with the HiGain pickups and not the appropriate Toasters (which I believe only appeared after the Beatles Rick run)?
You're the only one because you're incorrect. 😉 Look closely!
Nice work man!
I think John played the 12 on If I Needed Someone along with George playing his Ricky 12.
John played his 1961 Fender Stratocaster (Sonic Blue finish with Rosewood fingerboard) on it. Paul played his new Rickenbacker 4001S Bass. One of the best ways to supercharge a Rickenbacker 12 string guitar sound is to back it with a Fender Stratocaster. Jangle Chime City here we come!
Excellent job
Hi Nick, tanks for the great video! Could you please demonstrate the pickups configuration and electronics please? I found it quite confusing while playing one of those guitars. Thank you!
fantastic video.
Film stock, lighting and developing process can change colour drastically. Ron DeMarino told me that Lennon's first, 325 was not "orange" at all, but pretty light natural wood. The first "new" knobs were black, silver topped. There exist a few good photos that show this on both the original natural and the same guitar when after it was painted black. The black paint was applied very crudely as if with a stiff brush.
The fretboard on Lennon's 325 was, like many Ricks, finished with a very thin clear topcoat, not unfinished. This probably wore off in time from use, and as you said, finger oil and dirt darkened the now exposed wood.
I've had a few guitars with a Bigsby B-5 and the black paint had flaked off them.
Totally agree. As a film photographer myself, I'm still amazed at how different emulsions produce wildly different colors. For instance, I've taken identical shots and compared - Velvia 50 is rich in color with deep red hues, whereas the same shot on Ektar 100 will have more of a blue/magenta cast. I believe Kodachrome 64 only got released in 1962, so it's likely the photographer was shooting at an even slower ASA. A flash would likely have been required, which would have further altered the colors!
@@NickMartellaro Yes, colour photographs are notoriously unreliable to show true colours. Even each individual's eyes see colours differently, sometimes wildly differently. Accordingly, the use of a colour checker, an RGB LED and a Cds photocell and other devices are necessary to know what the true colour of an object might be. Evern then, the particular light source used in taking the photograph will make a great difference.
"Cold hearted orb that rules the night,
Removes the colours from our sight.
Red is grey and yellow white,
But we decide which is right,
And which is an illusion."
from: "Days of Future Passed" The Moody Blues (1967)
I clicked on because of the love of my life, Susanna Hoffs. She loved John Lennon and has always used Lennon style Rics
Wonderful vid!!!!
I owned a 330/12 and even THAT was difficult to play. With the exception of the Tom Petty signature model, Rickenbacker uses the same necks on their 12-strings as they use on their 6-string guitars, so the strings are all crammed together. It’s hard to tell where one course ends and the next begins, and I found it impossible to play without muting strings (and I have average size hands). I’ve played a 325, and I think a 12-string version of that guitar would be downright IMPOSSIBLE to play. I could barely play the 6-string version.
Thank you for a great work
5:57 what isn’t so great about photos like these is they’re originally in black and white, beatles fans themselves “colorize” the image, sometimes manually choosing the color themselves based on assumption. happens all the time with pre-‘65/64 shots of the lads
it most likely looked just as blonde as it did in the ‘58 photos you showed, he didn’t get that dark amber stain look till it was restored from the jetglo refinish after the beatles had broken up
Great, no words thank you so much
Very good video ! Great content .well done ! Keep it up
I did read that Jim burns the owner and designer of burns guitars personality refinished John Lennons Rick 325from natural to black
When are parts 2 and 3 coming?
IM ITCHING FOR PART 2!!!!!!!!
great video! i want to make a question about the short scale ¿is this guitarlighter? i think that if you have to play 8-9 hours a night that is a good feature!!!
Great video shocked how small they are still.
I have heard that tuning and intonation can sometimes be tricky with these. Have you found this to be true and what is the best string gauge?
Fuck Me Nick ! I've been looking for something like this all my life.
Brilliant... I'm on my 3rd video now of yours.
Subscribed, liked, and that bell Rung !
Keep it up !