1967 Rickenbacker 375 "OS" (three pickups, with vibrato) Jetglo (Black)

One of Just a few Rickenbacker 375 "OS" Guitars Made in 1967
Possibly the only one in Jetglo
1967 Rickenbacker 375 "OS" (three pickups, with vibrato)
This is most likely the only example of a Jetglo Rickenbacker 375 "OS" made between 1958 and 1968. This 15-inch-wide thin-body (just over 1 3/8 inches deep) full-size guitar weighs just 7.50 lbs. Double-bound hollow maple body with a two-piece maple top and a two-piece maple back. Single large 'unbound slash' sound hole. Three-piece maple/walnut/maple neck with a nut width of just over 1 5/8 inches, a scale length of 24.75 inches and a wonderful medium profile. Rosewood fretboard with twenty-one original jumbo frets and inlaid triangular 'crushed' pearl position markers. Headstock with white plexiglass logo plate with black lettering secured by three slot-head screws. Double truss rod. Individual 'double-line' Kluson Deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons (all stamped "D-169400 / Patent No." on the underside). Three Rickenbacker chrome bar "toaster" pickups with chrome covers and outputs of 7.59k, 7.87k and 8.34k. Two-tier white plexiglass pickguard with four screws. Five controls (two volume, two tone and one 'blender') plus three-way pickup selector switch, all on pickguard. Rickenbacker seven-sided black plastic control knobs with metal tops with black lettering. The potentiometers are stamped "137 6617" and "137 6708" (CTS April 1966 and February 1967). Rickenbacker bridge and Rickenbacker Ac'cent Vibrato tailpiece. The serial number "GF 2979" is stamped onto the double "Rick-O-Sound" and "Standard" jack plate. Inside the control cavity written in red marker is "365 OS L?". Housed in the original Rickenbacker two-latch, rectangular black hardshell case with blue plush lining and black leather ends (9.00).

When we purchased this guitar it suffered a 'neck heel' break in the shipping… We have now had this 'break' invisibly repaired - it cannot be seen with the naked eye - it can only be seen under ultra-violet light. The original Jetglo finish shows just some light belt-buckle wear on the back and a couple of 'dings' (nothing through the finish) and a few light surface marks on the top and sides of the body. The original jumbo frets show some playing wear which is mainly confined to the first eight frets. The rosewood fretboard shows some natural playing-wear also confined to the first eight frets. Overall this super rare guitar is in exceptionally fine condition with the exception of the 'invisible' heel repair.

This is one of the rarest of all Rickenbacker guitars. According to the Rickenbacker shipping records a total of just fifty-three 375 O.S. guitars were shipped between 1958 and 1968 (not including 1967 for which no records are available). Forty-six of these were finished in Fireglo or Mapleglo - six were finished in Autumnglo and one guitar from 1968 is listed as "OT" (other color). As previously mentioned, there are no shipping records available for 1967 - it is highly unlikely that more than one Jetglo 375 O.S. was shipped…

"Models 360-375-- The third division of the 1958 Thin Hollow Body Series consisted of full sized guitars with the same Deluxe features. The body shape was the same as Models 330-345 from 1958 to the summer of 1964; then it changed… The guitars from this group were the finest and most expensive of the Thin Body Capri guitars. They had neck binding, triangle finger board inlays, and body binding… In 1964 Rickenbacker changed the body style of the Models 360-375 significantly… The company achieved the new shape by rounding the top edge on the face of the guitar's body. Mr. Hall described the new look in a press release to the trade papers: "The smooth roundness avoids all that is harsh and yields flowing lines for smooth, easy playing." The new design did not allow for binding on the top front edge of the guitar, however bound tear drop sound holes became standard… Rickenbacker produced guitars with double-bound bodies on a special order basis after the new 360-375 style became standard. The factory added the suffix O.S. (old style) or w/WBBS (with White Binding Both Sides) to the model number. Later they used the shortened suffix WB. An excellent example of a post-1964 double-bound Rick hollow body was Tom Petty's 1965 Model 365 O.S. In the late 1960s, Rickenbacker made these guitars in standard and custom colors. (Richard R. Smith. The History of Rickenbacker Guitars, p. 171-176). (#2123)