I was born in 52 and feel pretty old. My brother was born in 42 and is headed fast for 70. He would have been 14-15 in 56-57. Are there any Rick guys that were around during the factory day's of 56-57? If they were 20 then they are mid to late 70's now. It seems that there should be some somewhere to question about a 56-57 model solid body electric with a weird serial number and all original parts.

I guess no one wants to admit they are a hundred years old, HA!

Your guitar is certainly very old, not many members can probably help you that
much. I've been on the forums 2 years and believe your guitar dates as the oldest one that has shown up in that time that I know of. That's not to say that someone may not know something about this early model. It maybe very hard though, I have not seen Mr Hall make a post lately, but, I somehow feel he maybe one of the very few that my be able to help you ascertain the model or any info about this guitar.

Do you have pictures?

Hi Treehousecollections, if you go the history tab, literature archives, years 55, 56 and 57 do you see a guitar that is the same as yours or similar. Wow it may be one of the earliest combos, there are 400, 800, 850 and some others, but have a look and compare the photos to your guitar.

Very cool axe....................What does it sound like????

Oh, I just noticed when you made the initial post 2010

OK, you must know what model it is by now! You have an old guitar and your sense of humour is a bit cracked up too!

Hi I come in here from time to time and one answer is the pictures of her broke down into pieces :
http://s993.photobucket.com/albums/af54 ... 1956-2010/

The 850 shown is not mine just there for comparison.
The plate does not help much , but a man named Tony Blair, probably helped me more than anybody. He had a great collection and his 850 was beautiful. I think he might have kept it for sure. I don't know about the rest.
I found out that the pots dated in later 1957 so it was made after that date, depending on how many pots were on hand. Every thing on it is authentic, so it was determined by experts that, first no one would have even been able to get all of them at that time. If they somehow did they would have bought more and copied a model everyone wanted then. The price for a guitar like it at the time would have not been much, as the 850 was around all the way into the early sixties, brand new. It had two pickups. I have been told that model numbers in the fifties and early sixties were not very consistent and someone either made a custom with a handstamped jackplate or it was made of parts that went on other guitars earlier and later. Several guys believe that by the numbers there were possibly 147 made. I really doubt that, because they would have shown up by now. Consistently it came back as made in 57-58-59. Some of the later 850's had two toasters on them and a trapeze tailpiece like mine. Most likely mine was made between the 850 and the 325, as the same parts as minr was used on both. Mine had the headstock shape of the 325 instead of the 850. With the number being C6147 I have gotten different answers. A combo made in 56 with 147 made. A combo 6 147 made. There was one more I can't remember. She is alone currently until another one shows up or someone in the world recognizes her. I will be showing her before too long all in one piece shiny as a mirror. I still haven't bought an amp. I think I might get a Carvin V3 micro- multi wattage. It really sounds good for a small amp. which is all I need. Thanks for looking. sorry for the delay, I will try to do better. For some reason my email didn't notify me of activity on the forum.

Thanks that was not up awhile back. The 650 shown in 1957's catalog is close. The headstock is right the body is right. Mine has a trapeze tailpiece and the 650 a stop tailpiece. Mine has the small pickguard of the 325. Both the 650 and 850 had the large pickguard. The 650 shown had a single horseshoe and mine a single toaster. Interesting thing about the 650 are the two toggles for one pickup. Help me keep looking my name on here is easy to remember. I am not a guitar collector. I work with driftwood and old weathered trees that have almost rotted away. I do some other stuff with antiques. My shop is The Treehouse.