Rickenbacker 325
Rickenbacker 325C64 (A reissue of the 1964 model 325 played by John Lennon)
ManufacturerRickenbacker
Period1958–present
Construction
Body typeSemi-hollow
Neck jointSet-in
Scale20+3⁄4 inches (530 mm)
Woods
BodyMaple; alder on 50s instruments & reissues.
NeckMaple; alder on 50s instruments & reissues.
FretboardBubinga (1960s–2000s), Paduak (late 1950s), Chechen (current).
Hardware
Bridge3-way
Pickup(s)Three single-coil pickups
Colors available
Mapleglo (natural), Jetglo (black), Fireglo (red sunburst)

The Rickenbacker 325 is the first of the Capri series of hollow body guitars released in 1958 by Rickenbacker.

Overview

The 325 was designed by Roger Rossmeisl, a guitar craftsman from a family of German instrument makers. Production models were 20+3⁄4 inches (530 mm) short scale, dot fretboard inlays, and a small (12+3⁄4-inch-wide [320 mm]) body. The body is unbound, semi-hollow, with an angled sound hole, and boasts "crescent moon"-style cutaways. These instruments gained prominence due to John Lennon's use of a 325 during the early years of The Beatles. Lennon's 1958 model was among the first batch made and has the pre-production feature of a solid top with no sound hole. All subsequent production short-scale 300-series Rickenbackers (310, 315, 320, 325) had sound holes until the late 1970s. This series is currently available only in "C" reissue form, although the reissues lack a sound hole to mimic Lennon's instrument.

Notable players

  • John Lennon played 325s and their assorted variants during the 1960s (Including a 12-string made to match his second 325).[1] A replica of Lennon's 325 is available as a guitar controller for The Beatles: Rock Band.
  • Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles played the 325 and its full scale variant, the model 350.[2]
  • John Fogerty played his modified Fireglo 325 on many Creedence Clearwater Revival songs and live concerts, including their appearance at the 1969 Woodstock festival.[3] Fogerty modified his model to include a Gibson humbucker pickup.
  • Maurice Gibb of Bee Gees used the 325 for all live performances between the late 1980s until 2003.
  • Multi-instrumentalist Toots Thielemans regularly played Rickenbacker guitars and his usage of a Combo 400 model inspired John Lennon, a fan of Thielemans, to take up the instrument. Incidentally, a photograph of Thielemans at a 1958 US trade shows a 325 that is likely to have been the very guitar later purchased by Lennon in Hamburg.[4][5]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rickenbacker 325.
  1. ↑ John Lennon's musical instruments
  2. ↑ Sollenberger, Kraig. "Susanna Hoffs Yesterdays... And Today". Vintage Guitar Magazine. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Fanelli, Damian (16 February 2017). "John Fogerty Is Reunited with His CCR Rickenbacker After 44 Years". Guitar World. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  4. ↑ Smith, Richard R. (1987). The History of Rickenbacker Guitars. Centerstream Publications. p. 75. ISBN 9780931759154.
  5. ↑ Crowley, John F. "John Lennon's Guitars, Part 3". Fab Guitars of The Beatles. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
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