The cynics are gathering, the hate is building. My advice: don’t watch. Nobody forces you to. Really, in the nicest possible way, go and watch something you like, like is very short.
I bought my Rickenbacker from a guy on eBay (had never tried one) and honestly if I picked it up in a guitar shop I'd have ran a mile! It felt almost toy-like and I thought a pickup was broken (damn 5th knob!). It was a 370 with the 3rd pickup wired to the neck. But I was committed, I put away my Strat for a few months, and over time fell in LOVE with the instrument. Yes it's not for Eric Johnson licks but it wasn't built for that. Johnny Marr is the obv player that comes to mind. Sometimes it's good to get away from lead playing. Over time I went and bought another one! A 330. Good explanation on the controls John. Too many reviewers can't be arsed to look that one up. Keen to see your jazzer attempt on it with the neck pickup tone rolled off!
The Beatles, Smithereens, Peter Buck, Paul Weller, Dave Gregory... A jetglo 360 was my first electric in 1989, and though I've had other brands over the years, I've had more Rics than any other. They just do a different thing that's magic to me. 😁
I recently went to check out a Custom Shop SG. They actually had 2. While I was taking a break to decide which one to purchase I found my Rickenbacker 350 V Liverpool. I heard all the stories about the nut width and lacquer on the fretboard. Neither is an issue for me. And I do play a good mix of chords and lead. It reminds me of maple with the laquer. Mine isn't sticky and it's new. I'm extremely happy with my decision! And it sounds like nothing else. My .02
I have a wonderful old 481. Oddest neck ever. Narrow fingerboard and big baseball bat neck profile. This sounds like a bad combination until you play it. I've also had friends play it and they all have the same reaction. Weird but wonderful. And being an increasingly old guy with a little arthritis in my hands, it's very theraputic to play. It also has the lowest action of any guitar I own. And it's amazingly stable. I love her!
Thanks for taking the time to give an AWESOME review on my new baby, it’s perfect for my 60s band , lots of jingly jangly rhythm. And of course you made it sound sublim . ✌🏻❤️🎵
Take note TH-camrs (and guitar players in general). This is what you do when you demo something like a Rick that has a strong association to some famous band. Play YOUR style with it. Pretend the Beatles and Tom Petty never existed. When you demo an SG, pretend AC/DC never existed. And ignore all the amateurs who cry in the comments “How can you demo a Rick and not play the Beatles?!? Fail!!” This is a Great demo, 👍🏻👏🏻
Just want to let you know i always really enjoy your videos and look forward to them everyday for months now. Anyone that is as skilled and adept at the instrument as you are will always have something useful and interesting to listen to.
They 24 fret thing came about as a structural change to make the neck joint more stable. That said, they have begun making 21 fret necks again. One more thing I have noticed in my experience playing Rickenbacker’s is that for some reason I have found in general, the 360 to be much easier to play.
One of my friends and old roommates is a real Beatles expert, and has played Rickenbacker's forever. I had many ocassions to try his 12 and 6 string models. I never liked the way they felt, like they had too much metal on them. But, they did that jangly thing that no other guitar seems to be able to do. Absolutely fantastic for that 60s rhythm and 12-string vibe. You've got a way of playing that makes every guitar sound distinctly like you. Without seeing it, I never would have guessed you were playing a Ric. 😮
A polarizing brand, for sure. I've never heard anyone play lines like yours on a Rick before, and it's obviously not impossible. Those who swear by them do so for the tonal variety on offer, not ease of play. But their formula is changing of late - less lacquer on the 'board and more generous nut width ( thank god). As a USA resident, I want to thank The Beatles for their huge part in extending the life of the Rickenbacker and Gretsch shops.
"...less lacquer on the 'board and more generous nut width ( thank god)." Wow! I've been waiting for both those changes, try keeping semi-aware, but, TBH, your statement is (great) news to me. Where are you hearing this? (I'm already aware of the 660 models, with wider nuts, but they're rare as hen's teeth as the saying goes, lol.) I wish they'd just do a global spec change, or at least offer 'upgraded' ones, and make them easy to find. Just curious. TIA.
My, this was pleasant to wake up to. As an old guy who got his first guitar in '66 due to having seen The Beatles on Ed Sullivan two years earlier (took that long to save up the money) I've only played two Rics in my life. JNC did a very good job of displaying the blend knob function. In the Nov. '87 issue of Guitar Player, George Harrison said that his Ric had this fifth knob "that never seemed to do anything". Gotta wonder what George was or wasn't hearing. Maybe his was broken.
7:40 Having played hundreds of guitars I’ve noticed a general rule that the smaller the nut width, the better the guitar sounds when strummed. I wonder if that’s partly why the Rick is such a good strummer.
I had a Rc 6 string a long time ago. It was cool as hell but I didn't like playing lead on it either. I've had several Rics though the years, but I eventually just settled on a 12 string and a bass. Love'em both.
I used to draw rickenbackers in my school books and dream about them as a teenager- loving the Jam and early who and the Beatles (obvz) When I finally got one in my late 20s I thought it was real pig to play and couldn’t really understand how it could be anyone’s main guitar ( i have one like you have here and a Pete Townshend signature one that has 3 pickups and an F hole)… they are beautiful though - I recently dragged one out again and tried really hard to get on with it but I think how I play now just doesn’t suit them at all. It’s amazing that someone like Guy from Fugazi plays one too- seems the most mismatched guitar in history but he does great stuff on his one and is cool AF
I have had a 360 model for 20 plus years and it is an acquired lead taste. I play a full detuned step down, so it bends a little better. It takes an ebow well. Thanks for all the videos.
9:03 - 9:20 is what Rickenbackers are made for! Before Britpop, there was a resurgence in the early to mid 80s in both the US and UK among certain types of indie, alternative, and of course jangle-pop bands. I know, if you're under 50 it must be pretty difficult to imagine a time when R.E.M. and The Smiths (at least in the US) were fairly obscure indie bands rather than genre- and era-defining juggernauts, but that was the case in 1983/1984 when I started playing. It can be pretty difficult at their price point to justify buying a Rickenbacker unless you simply must have THAT sound. And even then, I think it's fair to say that it is more of an emotional rather than practical need. They are not particularly versatile, they are not good lead guitars, they sound best either completely clean with a compressor or with just the slightest bit of Vox or Fender edge-of-breakup sparkle. But if you've got the cash, already have a Fender and a Gibson style guitar to cover all your practical needs, and you feel the pull of the Rickenbacker, nothing else can scratch that itch.
Yes, the tone and volume are backwards from what a Gibson player would expect... but unlike a Gibson, at least the volume knobs work properly when both pickups are on.
A friend lent me his Ric 360 for a few weeks / months in the early 80s. A joy to play rhythm on. Did you know Ric had a slanted fret option on some of their models to make barre chords more comfortable and barre changes faster? Even in late 60s / early 70s.
they want to be played like an acoustic, almost. they bring out a style of playing you probably otherwise wouldn't think to do if you are accustomed to other brands -- they are arpeggio machines. that was some beautiful playing, by the way
I have the exact same guitar. It’s truly unique and has great tones especially when using the blend function. I don’t take it to band as it won’t fit in my gigbag.
I had to watch this twice to get the knobs set in my head , for what you played it sounded alright I guess but I don't think think you explored with it enough to show where you could take it. That's not a criticism John maybe I was expecting a broader example of what it was capable of rather than how it suited your style of playing...that treb volume and tone/ bass volume and tone configuration between the bridge neck and both pups sounds like it could have a way wider application than you showed especially with the fifth knob only working on the neck pup. I think the Rickenbacker needs at least 30 minutes of exploring and I'm glad you kept it basically clean , not many people do that. Thanks.
You can thank the likes of Johnny Marr, Peter Buck, Guy Picciotto, Ed O'Brien and Dave Gregory for creating interesting guitar parts with Rickenbackers. From my experience I like how this guitar has an anti virtuoso vibe as in you can't do any traditional blues or classic rock leads/riffs. I get that same feeling when I play a Jazzmaster/Jaguar.
For a guitar not suited to lead playing, that was some lovely soloing on the intro! I think I play a Rick once many years ago and also had the impression it was not a good guitar for lead playing; in particular, I think I found it very hard to bend the strings. I watched you pretty carefully on the intro, and I don't think you did any bends!
12 string rickenbackers are even janglier! They are nearly impossible to play accurately because of the narrow nut width. There is one solidbody, the 660/12, which has a slightly wider nut (the model made famous by that Tom Petty Damn the Torpedos album cover), and it's pretty awesome for jangle afficionados
That model came from Tom and mike campbell getting Rick to do the wider fretboard for tom's signature model. The one on the album cover is a 330, one of the 1st ones made. That story you can find from Mike Campbell.
The cynics are gathering, the hate is building. My advice: don’t watch. Nobody forces you to. Really, in the nicest possible way, go and watch something you like, like is very short.
I think you're correct in saying it's not built for lead playing. I've played only the twelve string version, and found the string spacing to be too narrow for easy finger-picking, or for flat picking lines even. To me ,these guitars are more a reproduction of the qualities of an acoustic, just finished electrically for general pop band use behind vocally dominated songs. The odd melodic single note line is probably easier than on the twelve-string, and your less bendy passages are ideal for a rhythm guitarist/lead vocalist (Tom Petty?), where otherwise they might probably be using a Tele. For an Hawaian shirt-wearing hotel afternoon entertainment band guitars like these seem ideal, because, as you noted, they can replace what would otherwise be an acoustic strumming track. Their design was always a little too flashy art deco for me, but you can't argue with their crisp clear rhythm sound, especially for the bighter, more poppy sounding styles.
This one is a 330/6. The 660/12 and 1993plus has wider fingerboards so they are both pretty easy 12 strings to play with the extra 1/8” for the string spacing.
That sounded fantastic. The distinction between rhythm and lead playing actually became a bit redundant because you could hear the sound of string and touch in both. Nothing synthetic sounding about that set up. I guess the feel may be unfamiliar, but didn’t affect execution noticeably. Like most “different” guitars I guess it doesn’t “do Strat”, but you’ve got one of those 😊.
I one saw a 330 cartwheeling along the front of the stage at Reading, Wellar had had enough of the partisan crowd, shame because they were ace. The new ones won't have the lacquer on neck, they are using the excuse of emissions.
I've been in love with the sound and idea of Ricks for half a century, but can never afford them. However when I picked one up in a guitar shop ten years ago I just didn't like the feel of it. The neck was too uncomfortably sticky glossy.
Supposedly the newest models do not have lacquered fingerboards anymore, unless a reproduction model, like a 360 12v or c64. The 660 models were a result of Tom Petty and Mike Campbell getting them to do a wider fretboard. But the one on the Cover of Damn the Torpedos is a, and most likely, one of the 1st ones, that somehow Mike Campbell had found. So it was the Tom Petty signature model that started the wider Fretboards on ONE MODEL. It is surprising that Rick does not try to build a newer particular model. They are a NOSTALGIC guitar company more or less.
@@joellebrodeur1015 A friend of mine just got about 6 month's ago a 4003s model with an unlacquered fingerboard. Did you get the information from their website, or forum? If so, well it is had to post any links, that go off ytube. They usually get flagged and taken down now. You Could be Right.
@@ksharpe10yea they only did unfinished fretboards for less than a year, as most fans wanted the finished fretboard. Thats straight from Ben Hall. If you want a guitar with an unfinished neck, they still make the walnut model with unfinished body and fretboard.
@@Jeffcatbuckeye And that Walnut models got light maple fingerboards, that would look kinda of Dirty real Fast, for sure. Yeah Ben Hall is the son, who runs the plant manager role now, I think John just Ceo's it now I guess.
The guitar player of the first band I was in, a looong time ago, part exchanged his Harmony Meteor for a Rick. It was the small bodied black one like Lennon used to play. We couldn't understand why he had bought it---It sounded horrible.
John, you should start recording some of your own songs professionally and get on Spotify so people can get some of your music! I love to listen to your guitar music instrumentals and would definitely download your songs! I play guitar and look forward to your videos on TH-cam.
@@ReverndoK-th2dt you mean the looper pedal? I mean that’s just a common thing. They make millions of them. You play the rhythm, press it to record, then it plays your rhythm, and then you can play lead over it simultaneously.
No clue where he has the tone set plus that’s mostly just the bridge pickup….accentuated more by an EL84 amp….accentuated further by a compressor…accentuated even more with a 12 string.
Sixties Rics have lower output brighter sounding "toaster" pickups Seventies onwards have Hi Gain pickups which are sort of like Lower output P 90s with a lot of mids which can be a bit dark and beefy especially on the neck So you have to set your amp differently to get the jangle and yes Ac 30 top boost is ideal for this😎👍
@@neilbruce8291 they still make guitars with vintage spec toasters…you can buy them as well and swap them in. The new 1993Plus I bought is 6.7k output for each toaster.
Always wanted one but I just can't get past how narrow the neck is, for the life of me I don't know why they don't fix that. I guess they sell enough of them so why bother.
The nut width is the same as a tele or Strat. It’s really only an issue for SOME people on the 12 string models. Even then, some people are fine with a modified nut increasing the string spacing. If you want a wider neck, they do make wide necked models with the 660/6, 660/12, and 1993Plus/12.
I might own one if it wasn't for the Nitro of a mess finish. I don't want to be paranoid about every thing a guitar comes into contact with ruining it and the guitar finish and maybe even inside a case's material. No thanks, plus the apparently perpetual waiting list and the Mysterious pricing that's apparently never listed either. Whatever...
Rickenbacker hasn’t used nitrocellulose for a finish since the 50s. They have been entirely polyurethane up until the mid 2000s when they switched to UV catalyzed polyester finishes, which are the best in the business. No nitro. MSRP price list has always been available via their website site, which is currently being rebuilt. Dealers tend to offer better deals than MSRP though. Waiting can be a thing though, especially dependent upon which guitar you are going after. I had a pre-order for a 1993Plus from Sweetwater in July, 2022….when they made a batch, Sweetwater didn’t get any, until Dec 2023. Luckily, I found an even better deal at Dave’s Guitars in Wisconsin from the 1st batch, and was able to get it in May, 2023, so 10 months. The 1993Plus is a bit more scarce model, so if you want a 330 or 360, you should be able to find them, or the wait will be less than a couple months usually.
I love Rickenbackers AND this intro piece !!!!....they have that very iconic, distinctive sound all their own like Ovations acoustics do...but in terms of using them too play lead...well George Harrison, Roger McQuinn, Mike Campbell and others have... Tim Pierce is having some big fun with one that is for sale at Norm's Rare Guitars in Los Angeles. th-cam.com/video/lXgRauL1r2k/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-QeRGA-7aXC4L5ax
Tomorrow: "Why I've sold all my guitars and am playing only Rickenbackers from now on"
Next week: “Why I’ve sold my Rickenbacker and have gone to Harley Benton…”
The cynics are gathering, the hate is building. My advice: don’t watch. Nobody forces you to. Really, in the nicest possible way, go and watch something you like, like is very short.
@@Arthur_My_Dear they can like the video and still crack jokes you sick absolutist
John Cordy 110,000 followers. Fixed gear hater 0 followers. Enough said
@@simond4106that means nothing.. Simon Daws 1 follower.. Enough said.
I’ve refretted two of my Ricks with medium tall frets for easier/faster bends/chording.
I bought my Rickenbacker from a guy on eBay (had never tried one) and honestly if I picked it up in a guitar shop I'd have ran a mile! It felt almost toy-like and I thought a pickup was broken (damn 5th knob!). It was a 370 with the 3rd pickup wired to the neck. But I was committed, I put away my Strat for a few months, and over time fell in LOVE with the instrument. Yes it's not for Eric Johnson licks but it wasn't built for that. Johnny Marr is the obv player that comes to mind. Sometimes it's good to get away from lead playing. Over time I went and bought another one! A 330. Good explanation on the controls John. Too many reviewers can't be arsed to look that one up. Keen to see your jazzer attempt on it with the neck pickup tone rolled off!
The Beatles, Smithereens, Peter Buck, Paul Weller, Dave Gregory...
A jetglo 360 was my first electric in 1989, and though I've had other brands over the years, I've had more Rics than any other. They just do a different thing that's magic to me. 😁
I recently went to check out a Custom Shop SG. They actually had 2. While I was taking a break to decide which one to purchase I found my Rickenbacker 350 V Liverpool. I heard all the stories about the nut width and lacquer on the fretboard. Neither is an issue for me. And I do play a good mix of chords and lead. It reminds me of maple with the laquer. Mine isn't sticky and it's new. I'm extremely happy with my decision! And it sounds like nothing else. My .02
I have a wonderful old 481. Oddest neck ever. Narrow fingerboard and big baseball bat neck profile. This sounds like a bad combination until you play it. I've also had friends play it and they all have the same reaction. Weird but wonderful. And being an increasingly old guy with a little arthritis in my hands, it's very theraputic to play. It also has the lowest action of any guitar I own. And it's amazingly stable. I love her!
That’s amazing. Your kid looks just like you man. Being a Dad is awesome. So is playing guitar. You’re a lucky dude.
Rickenbacker’s sound beautiful. As always, your performance was outstanding.
Thanks for taking the time to give an AWESOME review on my new baby, it’s perfect for my 60s band , lots of jingly jangly rhythm. And of course you made it sound sublim . ✌🏻❤️🎵
Take note TH-camrs (and guitar players in general). This is what you do when you demo something like a Rick that has a strong association to some famous band. Play YOUR style with it. Pretend the Beatles and Tom Petty never existed. When you demo an SG, pretend AC/DC never existed. And ignore all the amateurs who cry in the comments “How can you demo a Rick and not play the Beatles?!? Fail!!” This is a Great demo, 👍🏻👏🏻
Just want to let you know i always really enjoy your videos and look forward to them everyday for months now.
Anyone that is as skilled and adept at the instrument as you are will always have something useful and interesting to listen to.
They 24 fret thing came about as a structural change to make the neck joint more stable. That said, they have begun making 21 fret necks again.
One more thing I have noticed in my experience playing Rickenbacker’s is that for some reason I have found in general, the 360 to be much easier to play.
One of my friends and old roommates is a real Beatles expert, and has played Rickenbacker's forever. I had many ocassions to try his 12 and 6 string models. I never liked the way they felt, like they had too much metal on them. But, they did that jangly thing that no other guitar seems to be able to do. Absolutely fantastic for that 60s rhythm and 12-string vibe.
You've got a way of playing that makes every guitar sound distinctly like you. Without seeing it, I never would have guessed you were playing a Ric. 😮
A polarizing brand, for sure. I've never heard anyone play lines like yours on a Rick before, and it's obviously not impossible. Those who swear by them do so for the tonal variety on offer, not ease of play. But their formula is changing of late - less lacquer on the 'board and more generous nut width ( thank god). As a USA resident, I want to thank The Beatles for their huge part in extending the life of the Rickenbacker and Gretsch shops.
Both brands can be idiosyncratic, but that's part of their mystique...you either dig it, flaws and all, or you quickly move on
"...less lacquer on the 'board and more generous nut width ( thank god)." Wow! I've been waiting for both those changes, try keeping semi-aware, but, TBH, your statement is (great) news to me. Where are you hearing this? (I'm already aware of the 660 models, with wider nuts, but they're rare as hen's teeth as the saying goes, lol.) I wish they'd just do a global spec change, or at least offer 'upgraded' ones, and make them easy to find. Just curious. TIA.
I play Rics exclusively. Even more polarizing, both of mine are short scale (320 and 325).
Stunning John it still is YOU, great job playing in the Opening.
Dude the leads on that thing sound sweeter than the rhythm, i never even gave these a second thought but this guitar sounds killer!
Kudos to you for ripping some lead on that thing.. They are not easy to play.
My, this was pleasant to wake up to. As an old guy who got his first guitar in '66 due to having seen The Beatles on Ed Sullivan two years earlier (took that long to save up the money) I've only played two Rics in my life. JNC did a very good job of displaying the blend knob function. In the Nov. '87 issue of Guitar Player, George Harrison said that his Ric had this fifth knob "that never seemed to do anything". Gotta wonder what George was or wasn't hearing. Maybe his was broken.
Neve heard a "Rick" sound so good!!!
7:40 Having played hundreds of guitars I’ve noticed a general rule that the smaller the nut width, the better the guitar sounds when strummed. I wonder if that’s partly why the Rick is such a good strummer.
I had a Rc 6 string a long time ago. It was cool as hell but I didn't like playing lead on it either. I've had several Rics though the years, but I eventually just settled on a 12 string and a bass. Love'em both.
I used to draw rickenbackers in my school books and dream about them as a teenager- loving the Jam and early who and the Beatles (obvz)
When I finally got one in my late 20s I thought it was real pig to play and couldn’t really understand how it could be anyone’s main guitar ( i have one like you have here and a Pete Townshend signature one that has 3 pickups and an F hole)… they are beautiful though - I recently dragged one out again and tried really hard to get on with it but I think how I play now just doesn’t suit them at all.
It’s amazing that someone like Guy from Fugazi plays one too- seems the most mismatched guitar in history but he does great stuff on his one and is cool AF
I have had a 360 model for 20 plus years and it is an acquired lead taste. I play a full detuned step down, so it bends a little better. It takes an ebow well. Thanks for all the videos.
Hey that's cool for such a vintage vibe to have 24 frets. Wouldn't have thought so. Also great access to those high frets. Interesting.
I just read they switched back in 1970 to 24 frets. That is surprising!
They went from 21 frets to 24 frets in 1970. As of 2024, they just went back to 21 frets.
9:03 - 9:20 is what Rickenbackers are made for! Before Britpop, there was a resurgence in the early to mid 80s in both the US and UK among certain types of indie, alternative, and of course jangle-pop bands. I know, if you're under 50 it must be pretty difficult to imagine a time when R.E.M. and The Smiths (at least in the US) were fairly obscure indie bands rather than genre- and era-defining juggernauts, but that was the case in 1983/1984 when I started playing.
It can be pretty difficult at their price point to justify buying a Rickenbacker unless you simply must have THAT sound. And even then, I think it's fair to say that it is more of an emotional rather than practical need. They are not particularly versatile, they are not good lead guitars, they sound best either completely clean with a compressor or with just the slightest bit of Vox or Fender edge-of-breakup sparkle. But if you've got the cash, already have a Fender and a Gibson style guitar to cover all your practical needs, and you feel the pull of the Rickenbacker, nothing else can scratch that itch.
Versatility is in the hands...
Unknown hinson put the "not a lead guitar" myth to rest....
Yes, the tone and volume are backwards from what a Gibson player would expect... but unlike a Gibson, at least the volume knobs work properly when both pickups are on.
A friend lent me his Ric 360 for a few weeks / months in the early 80s. A joy to play rhythm on. Did you know Ric had a slanted fret option on some of their models to make barre chords more comfortable and barre changes faster? Even in late 60s / early 70s.
The sticky fretboard feel goes away if you leave the guitar out of the case.
they want to be played like an acoustic, almost. they bring out a style of playing you probably otherwise wouldn't think to do if you are accustomed to other brands -- they are arpeggio machines. that was some beautiful playing, by the way
I have the exact same guitar. It’s truly unique and has great tones especially when using the blend function. I don’t take it to band as it won’t fit in my gigbag.
When you learn how to work a Rickenbacker there is nothing better!!
Muddy buddy. When you dial that bass down some it reminds me of an acoustic plugged in sound.
What IS that lovely chord progression at 9:03 ?! Do you mind if I pinch it?! 🙂
What unique beautiful sound. Made famous by so many different classic rock bands, especially the Beatles. Still relevant IMHO
To me, I associate them more with The Byrds.
I had to watch this twice to get the knobs set in my head , for what you played it sounded alright I guess but I don't think think you explored with it enough to show where you could take it. That's not a criticism John maybe I was expecting a broader example of what it was capable of rather than how it suited your style of playing...that treb volume and tone/ bass volume and tone configuration between the bridge neck and both pups sounds like it could have a way wider application than you showed especially with the fifth knob only working on the neck pup. I think the Rickenbacker needs at least 30 minutes of exploring and I'm glad you kept it basically clean , not many people do that. Thanks.
You can thank the likes of Johnny Marr, Peter Buck, Guy Picciotto, Ed O'Brien and Dave Gregory for creating interesting guitar parts with Rickenbackers. From my experience I like how this guitar has an anti virtuoso vibe as in you can't do any traditional blues or classic rock leads/riffs. I get that same feeling when I play a Jazzmaster/Jaguar.
For a guitar not suited to lead playing, that was some lovely soloing on the intro! I think I play a Rick once many years ago and also had the impression it was not a good guitar for lead playing; in particular, I think I found it very hard to bend the strings. I watched you pretty carefully on the intro, and I don't think you did any bends!
12 string rickenbackers are even janglier! They are nearly impossible to play accurately because of the narrow nut width. There is one solidbody, the 660/12, which has a slightly wider nut (the model made famous by that Tom Petty Damn the Torpedos album cover), and it's pretty awesome for jangle afficionados
That model came from Tom and mike campbell getting Rick to do the wider fretboard for tom's signature model. The one on the album cover is a 330, one of the 1st ones made. That story you can find from Mike Campbell.
They also make the 660/6 and 1993Plus/12 with the same wider neck
Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys uses several Rickenbacker's.
The cynics are gathering, the hate is building. My advice: don’t watch. Nobody forces you to. Really, in the nicest possible way, go and watch something you like, like is very short.
From the Byrds and the Beatles to Tom Petty and REM...so iconic
I think you're correct in saying it's not built for lead playing. I've played only the twelve string version, and found the string spacing to be too narrow for easy finger-picking, or for flat picking lines even. To me ,these guitars are more a reproduction of the qualities of an acoustic, just finished electrically for general pop band use behind vocally dominated songs. The odd melodic single note line is probably easier than on the twelve-string, and your less bendy passages are ideal for a rhythm guitarist/lead vocalist (Tom Petty?), where otherwise they might probably be using a Tele. For an Hawaian shirt-wearing hotel afternoon entertainment band guitars like these seem ideal, because, as you noted, they can replace what would otherwise be an acoustic strumming track. Their design was always a little too flashy art deco for me, but you can't argue with their crisp clear rhythm sound, especially for the bighter, more poppy sounding styles.
I've always wanted one, hopefully one day I'll be able to get one.
I’ve played several, some were very uncomfortable and some nice to play
I had a Rickenbacker 650 years ago, which had a huge maple neck and mini-humbuckers. It was a bit different to the usual. I regret selling it now
650 years ago??!!
@@jakolleemodel 650 lol. Now discontinued. It actually had a similar wider neck to some of the current day wide necked variants.
@@Jeffcatbuckeye wow, I really misread that, lol!
As a Rick player, this is a very fair assessment of the guitar.
The magic of the 12 string is a joy 🎸👍
Not for the faint hearted to play though 😃
This one is a 330/6. The 660/12 and 1993plus has wider fingerboards so they are both pretty easy 12 strings to play with the extra 1/8” for the string spacing.
Indeed, I have a 360/12, can't beat that sound, but forget bar chords, open chords only, wonderful sound too! :)@@Jeffcatbuckeye
ooh, there's a nice chime to that.
That sounded fantastic. The distinction between rhythm and lead playing actually became a bit redundant because you could hear the sound of string and touch in both. Nothing synthetic sounding about that set up. I guess the feel may be unfamiliar, but didn’t affect execution noticeably. Like most “different” guitars I guess it doesn’t “do Strat”, but you’ve got one of those 😊.
I one saw a 330 cartwheeling along the front of the stage at Reading, Wellar had had enough of the partisan crowd, shame because they were ace. The new ones won't have the lacquer on neck, they are using the excuse of emissions.
New ones still have polyester finish. They only briefly discontinued doing it for less than a year in 2022.
I've been in love with the sound and idea of Ricks for half a century, but can never afford them. However when I picked one up in a guitar shop ten years ago I just didn't like the feel of it. The neck was too uncomfortably sticky glossy.
Magic! That's all I can say.
The Baby❤
Its the ceramic pickups that make them so different compared to most guitars.....but they are far too overpriced
That sounds so good.
Supposedly the newest models do not have lacquered fingerboards anymore, unless a reproduction model, like a 360 12v or c64. The 660 models were a result of Tom Petty and Mike Campbell getting them to do a wider fretboard. But the one on the Cover of Damn the Torpedos is a, and most likely, one of the 1st ones, that somehow Mike Campbell had found. So it was the Tom Petty signature model that started the wider Fretboards on ONE MODEL. It is surprising that Rick does not try to build a newer particular model. They are a NOSTALGIC guitar company more or less.
Not true. The did the unfinished fretboards for a short time and quickly discontinued it.
@@joellebrodeur1015 A friend of mine just got about 6 month's ago a 4003s model with an unlacquered fingerboard. Did you get the information from their website, or forum? If so, well it is had to post any links, that go off ytube. They usually get flagged and taken down now. You Could be Right.
@@ksharpe10yea they only did unfinished fretboards for less than a year, as most fans wanted the finished fretboard. Thats straight from Ben Hall. If you want a guitar with an unfinished neck, they still make the walnut model with unfinished body and fretboard.
@@Jeffcatbuckeye And that Walnut models got light maple fingerboards, that would look kinda of Dirty real Fast, for sure. Yeah Ben Hall is the son, who runs the plant manager role now, I think John just Ceo's it now I guess.
The guitar player of the first band I was in, a looong time ago, part exchanged his Harmony Meteor for a Rick. It was the small bodied black one like Lennon used to play. We couldn't understand why he had bought it---It sounded horrible.
John, you should start recording some of your own songs professionally and get on Spotify so people can get some of your music! I love to listen to your guitar music instrumentals and would definitely download your songs! I play guitar and look forward to your videos on TH-cam.
Lovely guitars ❤
Fancy Nathan is in the house. I'm going to call you Fancy Nathan now.
i've played a couple rics. the necks feel like plastic to me.
i have a feeling you're daughter will become a guitarplayer : )
your
what did you connect it to?
He said a pro reverb
@@Jeffcatbuckeyeok, but there is also a multi-effect, I don't think it's just the sound of the amplifier
@@ReverndoK-th2dt you mean the looper pedal? I mean that’s just a common thing. They make millions of them. You play the rhythm, press it to record, then it plays your rhythm, and then you can play lead over it simultaneously.
no, I'm not referring to the loop, but to the sound. It seems that in addition to the loop there is something else, perhaps a pedal board.
It sounded so... normal. It's your normal every day tone, just a tiny bit warmer. No "Beatles shimmy magic". Perhaps that was their AC30's?
No clue where he has the tone set plus that’s mostly just the bridge pickup….accentuated more by an EL84 amp….accentuated further by a compressor…accentuated even more with a 12 string.
Sixties Rics have lower output brighter sounding "toaster" pickups
Seventies onwards have Hi Gain pickups which are sort of like Lower output P 90s with a lot of mids which can be a bit dark and beefy especially on the neck
So you have to set your amp differently to get the jangle and yes Ac 30 top boost is ideal for this😎👍
@@neilbruce8291 they still make guitars with vintage spec toasters…you can buy them as well and swap them in. The new 1993Plus I bought is 6.7k output for each toaster.
Are they as over rated and expensive as Gibsons ?
Nope
Always wanted one but I just can't get past how narrow the neck is, for the life of me I don't know why they don't fix that. I guess they sell enough of them so why bother.
The nut width is the same as a tele or Strat. It’s really only an issue for SOME people on the 12 string models. Even then, some people are fine with a modified nut increasing the string spacing. If you want a wider neck, they do make wide necked models with the 660/6, 660/12, and 1993Plus/12.
This guitar seems to make you play better, as in you can’t just fall into cliche licks and that.
I might own one if it wasn't for the Nitro of a mess finish. I don't want to be paranoid about every thing a guitar comes into contact with ruining it and the guitar finish and maybe even inside a case's material. No thanks, plus the apparently perpetual waiting list and the Mysterious pricing that's apparently never listed either. Whatever...
Rickenbacker hasn’t used nitrocellulose for a finish since the 50s. They have been entirely polyurethane up until the mid 2000s when they switched to UV catalyzed polyester finishes, which are the best in the business. No nitro.
MSRP price list has always been available via their website site, which is currently being rebuilt. Dealers tend to offer better deals than MSRP though.
Waiting can be a thing though, especially dependent upon which guitar you are going after. I had a pre-order for a 1993Plus from Sweetwater in July, 2022….when they made a batch, Sweetwater didn’t get any, until Dec 2023. Luckily, I found an even better deal at Dave’s Guitars in Wisconsin from the 1st batch, and was able to get it in May, 2023, so 10 months. The 1993Plus is a bit more scarce model, so if you want a 330 or 360, you should be able to find them, or the wait will be less than a couple months usually.
Always wanted a Ric bass, but $$$
liking commenting subscribed.
I love Rickenbackers AND this intro piece !!!!....they have that very iconic, distinctive sound all their own like Ovations acoustics do...but in terms of using them too play lead...well George Harrison, Roger McQuinn, Mike Campbell and others have... Tim Pierce is having some big fun with one that is for sale at Norm's Rare Guitars in Los Angeles. th-cam.com/video/lXgRauL1r2k/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-QeRGA-7aXC4L5ax
They always sound a bit out of tune to me the same as some Gretsch guitars not sure why.
It looks like a hungry Pacman. Don't get eaten...
JUST SAYING,,,, FROM A LESSON POINT OF VIEW,,,,,,,PLAY ALONG WITH JNC AND LEARN HEAPS OF GUITAR FROM 6.50 ON,,,,,,,,,,THANKS JC
Don't like the sound. Looks cool.
Day 30 of asking for ALL the backing tracks to be uploaded to Patreon! I will give you $100 if you do this!
never gotten the hype about these guitars. I dont wanna bitch about it too much but damn is that thing ugly.
bc jangly Beatles and Byrds
Not my cup o tea but that's why
The proper word to use is "classic".
(aka Fugly)
Yea I’m going to have to disagree. I see them as some of the most beautiful and timeless guitars out there.
@@Jeffcatbuckeye you do you bro
I think its ugly and it sounds bad. So 60's