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

rze99

Musicwolf said:

GavRichList said:

entirely depends on age. The newer ones have allen key adjustment on the top of the pole-pieces. 

yep my 12 def has that hex adjust whcih I used to tweak the balance but not certain (can't check) my 90s 330/6 .. it may not

ICBM

Given how notoriously fragile Rick pickups are inside, I wouldn’t recommend adjusting those ‘adjustable’ pole pieces at all, and especially not if there’s nothing really wrong with the string balance.

For what it’s worth I think Rickenbackers usually sound better with a wound third string - always with toaster pickups, and usually with High Gains. If the G is too loud and clangy, I would try a wound one before trying to lower the pole piece.

Jonathangus

I'll admit Rickys have never really been on my radar and I know nothing about them, but those 360s of @ICBM and @Sporky are very lovely indeed.

rexter

I've owned two in the past - a 620 in the Blue Boy kind of sonic blue finish which must have been from the early 2000s and a 1980s 360 12 string in white and black. I got the 620 on a whim because I was really into The Exploding Hearts at the time (2006 ish I think).

I didn't like either enough to keep them for long. Something I just couldn't gel with - maybe the lacquered rosewood fretboards, but I think more just the lack of tremolo/vibrato units. I preferred the 360 as I like semi hollows and I strung it as a 6 string which worked well.

I wish I'd had the funds to be more of a hoarder/collector rather than serial buyer/seller in the past as I'm sure both would be worth easily double, possibly triple what I sold them for.

Only picture I can find is of the 360 in bad light on an od iphone! Yes... I really wish I hadn't sold that Gretsch too..

Sporky

Jonathangus said:

@ICBM and @Sporky are very lovely indeed.

We are, it's true. 

Petepassion

They can do more than jangle 
https://youtu.be/K-7J8FRr6cY?si=jJ4-jhb952pD96KJ

Paul_C

One day I'll have to take a better picture of mine  

Boromedic

Seeing as we're posting Ricky's....

Revolutions

Petepassion said:

They can do more than jangle 
https://youtu.be/K-7J8FRr6cY?si=jJ4-jhb952pD96KJ

That sounds great! What amp & any pedals for gain?

Revolutions

Loads of great songs on this compilation, and a lot of the guitars have that unmistakable jangle. Link is a youtube playlist...

Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987

26.2

Revolutions said:

Loads of great songs on this compilation, and a lot of the guitars have that unmistakable jangle. Link is a youtube playlist...

Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground 1983-1987

Yes some very cool stuff on that. Rickys were pretty ubiquitous in the Paisley/jangle scene of the early-mid 80’s. 

Petepassion

Revolutions said:

Petepassion said:

They can do more than jangle 
https://youtu.be/K-7J8FRr6cY?si=jJ4-jhb952pD96KJ

That sounds great! What amp & any pedals for gain?

Thanks,
there’s two amps there, a Matchless Lightning and my modded Marshall clone built by a Fretboarder. I’m pretty sure I’m using the Marshall clone there and a KingTone minifuzz Si. With a little delay and wah in places.

UnclePsychosis

I find myself really, really jonesing for a 620. I blame @ICBM :-) 

I do wonder if I'd get on with the neck. I suspect I wouldn't like the skinnyness.

Wazmeister

UnclePsychosis said:

I find myself really, really jonesing for a 620. I blame @ICBM :-) 

I do wonder if I'd get on with the neck. I suspect I wouldn't like the skinnyness.

I really enjoyed the next on my 620; not too slim, easy to play, and reminded me of a good Taylor acoustic neck.

ICBM

UnclePsychosis said:

I find myself really, really jonesing for a 620. I blame @ICBM :-) 

I do wonder if I'd get on with the neck. I suspect I wouldn't like the skinnyness.

Possibly - remembering that the 381 we both owned had been refretted with bigger frets, and made the neck seem (quite surprisingly) thicker. My 360 feels noticeably slimmer despite being probably about the same spec, as it's only a year older.

UnclePsychosis

That 381 was an awesome guitar...

Just a bit big for me physically. That's why I fancy a 620. But traditionally I don't like super skinny necks... 

Kris

I had a 620/12. I tried to convince myself it was a nice guitar. I sold it because the string spacing wasn't for me.

ICBM

UnclePsychosis said:

That 381 was an awesome guitar...

I do miss it. I just tell myself that if I hadn’t sold it to you I wouldn’t have later bought the 360 back off the other chap, which makes me feel less bad!

Kris said:

I had a 620/12. I tried to convince myself it was a nice guitar. I sold it because the string spacing wasn't for me.

You need a 660/12 .

Kris

ICBM said:

UnclePsychosis said:

That 381 was an awesome guitar...

I do miss it. I just tell myself that if I hadn’t sold it to you I wouldn’t have later bought the 360 back off the other chap, which makes me feel less bad!

Kris said:

I had a 620/12. I tried to convince myself it was a nice guitar. I sold it because the string spacing wasn't for me.

You need a 660/12 .

No, I've already cured myself of the 12-string guitar

Moe_Zambeek

Kris said:

ICBM said:

UnclePsychosis said:

That 381 was an awesome guitar...

I do miss it. I just tell myself that if I hadn’t sold it to you I wouldn’t have later bought the 360 back off the other chap, which makes me feel less bad!

Kris said:

I had a 620/12. I tried to convince myself it was a nice guitar. I sold it because the string spacing wasn't for me.

You need a 660/12 .

No, I've already cured myself of the 12-string guitar

Trying to tune them at a gig usually does the trick. Even worse if it’s an acoustic 12 in a rock band