Johnny Marr’s Rickenbacker 330/12 Fireglo

Marr acquired this guitar from Phil Manzanera, the lead guitarist of Roxy Music. In many interviews, he describes it as a 360 model, but based on photos and analysis by SmithsonGuitar.com, the guitar was actually a 330 model.

Most notably, Marr used this guitar during The Smiths’ performance on Top of The Pops in 1983 and for the main riff on “Headmaster Ritual.”

I’ve got a couple of Rickenbackers, one’s a 360 and the other’s a 330. The 360 was the old famed Roger McGuinn Rickenbacker which I don’t use that much. I haven’t used it on the last few singles anyway, although I used it on the LP.

Johnny Marr – from a magazine clipping, original soruce needed

The Rickenbacker belonged to Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music; I’m told that it was originally owned by Roger McGuinn.

Johnny Marr – from a magazine clipping, original soruce needed

Thom from SmithsonGuitar.com actually managed to dig up old photos of Phil Manzanera using the exact same guitar. By comparing the necks—both of which have unique features like fretboard binding—one can safely conclude that this is the very same guitar.

Also, for some reason, the neck on the guitar has only 20 frets instead of the usual 21. Combining this with the fretboard binding—which shouldn’t be there on a 330 model—the most likely explanation is that the fretboard was replaced and the guitar was re-fretted with an increased scale length of 25 inches from the original 24.75 inches.