Rickenbacker 360/12

The Rickenbacker 360/12 is a 12-string electric guitar, a version of the 360 model. It is a semi-hollow guitar, the stock models built with a maple carved body, a 3-piece maple neck, adjustable bridge and rosewood fingerboard with triangular inlays and white plastic binding.

Mike Rutherford was known for using at least four different Rickenbacker 360/12 12-strings during his career.

The first of these was a Mapleglo natural version which he bought in the early 1970s (possibly during the Nursery Cryme era alongside a fireglo Rickenbacker 4001 bass). In one photo from around 1972/73, Mike is seen with a Mapleglo 12-string gaffer-taped to a black 4001 bass, a precursor to Mike's first double neck.

The resulting double neck, however reportedly has a different 12-string: a 1973 360/12 (serial no. ME 1661), refinished black - former finish of this is unclear. Another Rickenbacker was combined with a Microfrets 6-string bass into another double neck, which was his main instrument during the mid-1970s.

Mike picked up the Rickenbacker double neck once again during the We Can't Dance sessions in 1991, and used the 12-string half for the riff to "Tell Me Why". The song allegedly had a working title of "Rickenbacker", referering to the jangly tone of the Rickenbacker. He eventually used what looks like a Fireglo-finished Rickenbacker 360/12 WB old-style 12-string on the We Can't Dance tour in 1992, used for the "Old Medley". Or probably a similar-looking early production model of the 360/12 without the plastic inlay on the soundhole.

To this day, Mike owns another 360/12 Fireglo with the edge rounded off the top, similar to what he used on the Lamb Lies Down On Broadway tour in 1974-75.

In terms of other Rickenbackers, Mike appears to have played a 330/12 Fireglo model on "The Musical Box" during the Shepperton Studio concert in 1973. The 330 is similar to the 360, apart from the dot inlays and lack of white plastic binding on the fretboard.