The Rickenbacker 360 is an electric, semi-acoustic guitar made by

Rickenbacker Rickenbacker International Corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. The company is credited as the first known maker of electric guitars – a steel guitar in 1932 – and today produces a rang ...

, and part of the Rickenbacker 300 Series. The instrument incorporates many features standard on Rickenbacker guitars, including a three-ply maple/walnut neck, shallow headstock angle, a thick rosewood fretboard finished with clear conversion varnish, and double truss rods. The 360 also features stereo or mono output, a body with Rickenbacker's "crescent moon" cutaway shape and rounded top edge and bound back, and an "R"-shaped trapeze tailpiece. A twelve-string version of the 360 (

Rickenbacker 360/12 The Rickenbacker 360/12 is the Rickenbacker company's 12-string variant of their 360 electric guitar model. Mainly known for producing " jangly" sounds, it was among the first electric 12-string guitars. The 360/12 was given worldwide attention ...

) is available. A three-pickup version of this model is also available, the 370. George Harrison of

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

had been extensively using an earlier style 360/12 (closer resembling the 330/12 model), but retired it immediately from stage performances upon receiving the new style 360/12 (having rounded cutaways and top edge) in August 1965. The first recording by The Beatles of this new model 360/12 can be heard on the song

If I Needed Someone "If I Needed Someone" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by George Harrison, the group's lead guitarist. It was released in December 1965 on their album '' Rubber Soul'', except in North America, where it appeared on the J ...

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...

, of

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

, played a 12-string Rickenbacker 370. The six-string Rickenbacker 360 model is the principal guitar of artists such as

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his ca ...

and Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace. The 360 was once produced with slanted frets for "a natural finger angle," but negative response led Rickenbacker to switch back to perpendicular frets.

Features

*No. Frets: 24 *Scale Length: *Neck Width at Nut: *Neck Width at 12th Fret: *Crown Radius: *Weight *Overall Length *Overall Width *Overall Depth

External links

360 model information at Rickenbacker International Corporation
Rickenbacker guitars Semi-acoustic guitars 1958 musical instruments {{electric-guitar-stub