So...Rickenbackers. What do I need to know?

uncledaddy

Done Gretsch guitars to death and been hitting Strats for a few years, and fancy something else. What gives with Rickenbackers?

KDS

Defo try one first, don’t buy blind. I don’t like the glossy neck finish. Look and sound great though

munckee

Quite narrow necks but have a nice sound of their own. I’m not a massive fan of the high gain pickups so would consider investing in some traditional ric type toasters.  

ICBM

Most models have narrow necks and a quirky control layout.

The classic 330 and 360 models are semi-hollow, but not as big as a 335. The 620 is solid, and very small. All of them are thinner than similar Fenders and Gibsons, with a raised neck that doesn’t angle back like a Gibson - they feel more like Fenders to play, but still quite different.

The 325 ‘John Lennon’ is also very short scale - don’t buy one of these unless you know what you’re getting! There are also other even odder models - I would stick with the 330, 360 or 620 unless you’re more familiar with them.

chrisj1602

They feel odd at first but they are awesome once you have got used to them.

blobb

They aren't cheap, and they hold their value. 

paulnb57

330s are epic! I didnt really notice the narrow neck, just got on and played it. I thought it would be one trick jangle pony ,nooo, it loves loads of gain!

Voxman

I think Ricks are iconic, not cheap of course, but are also a very marmite guitar in that players tend to either love them or hate them. Probably more suited for mainly chordal, jangly and melodic stuff, Indie, Byrds, Beatles, Paul Weller, even Tom Petty type of stuff, but not generally thought of as a rock or blues lead guitar (although I'm sure there are some players who use Ricks for this). 

I've played a few and never really got on with them. Something about the body shape, really thin wide necks, and odd control layout that I don't find comfortable. Perhaps for me one of those 'nice to have in a collection' type of guitars but as a mainly classic rock and blues guitarist, probably not something I'd be likely to reach for and play too often.  

Ricks have a loyal but perhaps a more specialised following, with Ricks not being right for everyone. Best advice is to go out and try a few to see if you gel with it and that its really for you. 

Penn

Rickenbackers are strange, built inside out and back to front. They are amazing. 

Here’s my 360:

Neil

Penn said:

Rickenbackers are strange, built inside out and back to front. They are amazing. 

Here’s my 360:

The best looking Ricky IMO.

360 in Fireglo. 

Gomers

A few thoughts from my own experience.

Early noughties 330s had much fatter necks than earlier and later variants.  

For me, the control layout makes more sense over the general Gibson style setup.

The High Gain pups benefit greatly from a good Compression pedal.  Once that’s factored in, the sound is the pure Ric sound I had in my head.  

They are quirky with the dual truss rod construction, the lacquered fingerboard, and very well constructed with the exception of the R tailpiece which is a crudely finished, stamped piece of metal.

Mine was well set up when I got it and playability was excellent.  I did need a tweak on the truss rods at one point when dead notes started to appear on the high E string but all was well after that.

Super guitars with loads of character and a sound like no other IMO.  Miss mine for the jangle, without a doubt.  Capable of a lot more though.  The 330 over the 360 for me.

ICBM

Also, with the High Gain pickups and especially the 80s/90s ones with the overwound neck pickup, it makes a *huge* difference if you put a treble pass cap on the 5th pot - the difference between muddy and bordering on unusable (except in combination with the bridge, with very little of it dialled in), and a really good neck pickup sound. Just add a 1000pF cap across the two terminals that the wires are connected to.

Funkfingers

I have the Fretboard village bicycle RIC 230 solid body with screwed-on neck. Despite this, it still manages to sound like a proper RIC. I string mine in Nashville High Tuning to simulate the classic twelve string effect.

Teyeplayer

Oh no, you’ve just started my bi-annual Ric rabbit hole. FFS.

Wazmeister

With all Rickies, the main factor is.. check the tuning.

If it stays in tune, it's a good one. If not....

Full of character, and super cool looking.

Creed_Clicks

AFAIK the latest 330 does not have a lacquered fretboard?

Jackobean

Most of the core range also transitioned to a more conventional single truss rod a couple of years ago.

oh_pollo

Creed_Clicks said:

AFAIK the latest 330 does not have a lacquered fretboard?

330's still have the lacquered fretboard. When John Hall's son Ben took over he brought in some changes and the unlacquered board was one of them (The others being going to a single truss rod, moving from 24 to 21 frets and reintroducing x-bracing rather than the sustain block) but people complained and so there are only a few transitional 2023 models that don't have a lacquered board.

p90fool

I had a 620 which I loved, although I removed the loom and built my own, which made it much livelier when using the controls. 

The one trick pony reputation and playability quirks are seriously overstated in my opinion, they play and sound like good quality expensive guitars, which is exactly what they are. 

duotone

I came across this Beatles’ Fan YouTube Channel a few months back. 

He uses the same instruments that they played during their career & does covers of their songs. There is some Rickenbacker videos that might be worth a watch.

I’ve Owned a Lot of Beatles Gear. This One Is Different.

https://youtu.be/X6DyOCnZ28E?si=P6uypLVUSzg8yb9H

toescantalk

My 330 had a neck that needed seasonal truss rodding and not very jangly or bright high gain pickups. Didn’t know about ICBM’s treble cap trick. I really tried to love that thing as always wanted a rickenbacker… Traded it up for a 350v63 with toaster pickups. Happy days!

So maybe try before you buy in case you get my old one!