NGD: Rickenbacker 660/12 Tom Petty

Kylef

Got another dream guitar ticked off the list. Sold my 360/12 Mapleglo recently as I intended to get myself a c63 Harrison model...that was, until this came up. 

I've always been a fan of Tom Petty and Mike Campbell so know all about the story of how this guitar come about (starting with the Damn The Torpedos album cover). 

 The guitar is great. Doesn't ring out as much as my 360/12 did acoustically, but I'll be damned if I could tell a difference plugged in (my 360/12 also had Toaster pickups, however the Toasters in the TP are certainly hotter. This one is certainly going to be a keeper, however I still have my intentions on getting a c63. I'll certainly find one way of justifying it, even if it's to have the different neck types!

 http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p437/Kylefarrell/Rickenbacker 660-12 Tom Petty/784FC484-B920-4E27-8ACE-FD55E7706967_zpsj2xhy8gi.jpg http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p437/Kylefarrell/Rickenbacker 660-12 Tom Petty/3FDCDB5A-515C-4492-B5C4-E8DD9EF03F04_zpsuhwewlae.jpg http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p437/Kylefarrell/Rickenbacker 660-12 Tom Petty/28C87231-F0E7-4995-B138-F2BD4B3089EE_zps53qrt2lm.jpg http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p437/Kylefarrell/Rickenbacker 660-12 Tom Petty/C94D2E7E-4621-404C-86B1-F7C3EED80A6A_zps1zd22zcd.jpg http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p437/Kylefarrell/Rickenbacker 660-12 Tom Petty/7E4EE407-90F5-449A-80F1-8D04EE94CC5C_zpsrx0arniv.jpg

IvisonGuitars

Ooof! VERY nice, good score!

@PC1971 check this out...

TonyR

Congrats!

MattG

I hate rickenbackers and thats what im going to say over and over until the jealousy goes away....

bazxkr

Stunning....love the binding...not seen one of these before. There is something unique and classy about Riccys that I can't put mny finger on. They just work.......A 360 fireglo is on my bucket list. 

mart

Very nice!

Dalefty

It's Tom Petty's that alone makes it super cool. DaLefty

Basher

Very nice. I have the 660/12 which is the poor person's version of the Petty sig, relatively speaking.

Of course I'm not quite as handsome as Tom so the overall effect isn't quite the same....

Dalefty

Basher said:

Very nice. I have the 660/12 which is the poor person's version of the Petty sig, relatively speaking.

Of course I'm not quite as handsome as Tom so the overall effect isn't quite the same....

In all honesty I think it was the cut of the jacket that did it for Tom. DaLefty

Neil

That's gorgeous.

That combination of fireglo, gold plastics and checkerboard binding ....
>:D<

richardhomer

Could you record the intro to 'Free Falling' and post the clip, please?

stickyfiddle

Oh god that's awesome. Good score!

ICBM

Very nice. I had a black 660/12 until quite recently - I just didn't use it enough to justify keeping that much money tied up in it though, so sadly it had to go when I wanted another expensive acoustic.

I also found it sounded quite different from my friend's 'George Harrison' 360/12V64 - even more so when we'd swapped the pickups so he got the newer and more vintage-accurate 7K pickups and I got the 12Ks which the early V64s came with. (I later swapped the neck one back to a 7K and fitted a 'vintage cap' on the bridge one, I found the 12Ks slightly too middy.) The 360 was much more 'plunky', the 660 much more ringing, even amplified.

Sassafras

Apart from the tailpiece, I prefer the R shaped one, I think those are the most beautiful guitars ever. I nearly bought one of these years ago but the neck was too narrow for me. If I'd thought it over more carefully I would have realised that I could've adapted to it. Oh well... maybe some other time.

ROOG

lordy lordy, thats prudy.

Jalapeno

<swoon> most excellent GAS !

ICBM

Sassafras said:

Apart from the tailpiece, I prefer the R shaped one, I think those are the most beautiful guitars ever. I nearly bought one of these years ago but the neck was too narrow for me. If I'd thought it over more carefully I would have realised that I could've adapted to it. Oh well... maybe some other time.

The 660 has a wider neck - it's the 620 that has the standard Rick narrow one.

Unless you mean a 660 neck is too narrow for you, in which case you're just weird .

The R tailpiece does look pretty but they are not unknown to break on the 12-strings, and getting a new one out of Rickenbacker is the most massive pain in the bum, as well as expensive.

ESchap

Really lovely looking guitar.

Sassafras

ICBM said:

Sassafras said:

Apart from the tailpiece, I prefer the R shaped one, I think those are the most beautiful guitars ever. I nearly bought one of these years ago but the neck was too narrow for me. If I'd thought it over more carefully I would have realised that I could've adapted to it. Oh well... maybe some other time.

The 660 has a wider neck - it's the 620 that has the standard Rick narrow one.

Unless you mean a 660 neck is too narrow for you, in which case you're just weird .

The R tailpiece does look pretty but they are not unknown to break on the 12-strings, and getting a new one out of Rickenbacker is the most massive pain in the bum, as well as expensive.

I can't remember what model number but it was a 6 string and the neck was too skinny but the guitar was a beauty. Now I wish I'd bought it. Like I say, you can get used to different shaped necks. Unfortunately at the time, about 45 years ago, I didn't realise that.

dogload

Sassafras said:

ICBM said:

Sassafras said:

Apart from the tailpiece, I prefer the R shaped one, I think those are the most beautiful guitars ever. I nearly bought one of these years ago but the neck was too narrow for me. If I'd thought it over more carefully I would have realised that I could've adapted to it. Oh well... maybe some other time.

The 660 has a wider neck - it's the 620 that has the standard Rick narrow one.

Unless you mean a 660 neck is too narrow for you, in which case you're just weird .

The R tailpiece does look pretty but they are not unknown to break on the 12-strings, and getting a new one out of Rickenbacker is the most massive pain in the bum, as well as expensive.

I can't remember what model number but it was a 6 string and the neck was too skinny but the guitar was a beauty. Now I wish I'd bought it. Like I say, you can get used to different shaped necks. Unfortunately at the time, about 45 years ago, I didn't realise that.

The 610 I used to have had a ridiculously narrow neck- it was starting to make my fingers cramp. Haven't had that bother with any other Rics.

@Kylef good score! I have often looked at these and thought 'Mmmm'. Lovely things.

NervousJohn

ICBM;628959" said:

The R tailpiece does look pretty but they are not unknown to break on the 12-strings, and getting a new one out of Rickenbacker is the most massive pain in the bum, as well as expensive.

I've had an "R" tailpiece go on me. Sent it back to Rickenbacker via Rosetti and took about 2 months and £100. A more regular bum pain is restringing the thing as it's very fiddly. But I wouldn't swap it for a plain one as they just aren't as pretty to me.

Wow for the OP though. That's really nice.