For me, it’s simply price that stops me playing one. Love the look, love the sound (clean and driven), love the heritage, love that most of my heroes played one. But I’ve never been able to justify the £2.5k+ price point.
Yep. This. I honestly think the day they create a more affordable, even like 1,000$ guitar, they're gonna invigorate a new generation of players to pick em' up.
For me, it’s price that stops me from owning a lot of guitars! One thousand US dollars is about as high as I will go when buying a guitar. Anything over that they can stick it where the sun don’t shine.
I think it's because they're expensive, don't make import models, feel weird compared to Gibsons and fenders, and were never that popular outside of a handful of big artists so there aren't many used ones out there. I think Gretsch was in a similar boat but they started making more accessible models and now they're all over the place.
@@fargeeks Apparently Rickenbacker doesn’t have set retail prices for their guitars (only suggested list prices) so dealers can set their own prices as long as they’re not advertised, so that they can be sold based on availability. Honestly, if that means you could potentially get a good deal on a Rick, I can sorta see the benefit in that.
If you want to play Rockabilly - you need a Gretch - No other electric guitar has that “Wall of Sound” needed to create the true sound of Rockabilly. And no other guitar benefits from the Bigsby like a Gretch. The most versatile guitars are the Gibson ES 335, Chuck Berry, BB King, Steve Howe of Yes, Eric Clapton in his Cream days - and the Les Paul, Slash of Guns N’ Roses, Ace Farley of KISS, and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. The Rickenbacker 360 12 string semi hollow body has that chimmy sound that that made The Beatles and the Byrds pick it up and later, Tom Petty and his Lead guitarist. There are many guitarist that play Stratocasters. But for me, the Strat doesn’t come into its own unless Jimi Hendrix is playing. He’s the only guitarist that needs a Strat.
This guitar sounds great. Partly it’s because of all the reverb and delay you have going on, but also because the tone is rich with overtones, uncompressed and dynamic. This is especially an advantage when you play rhythm guitar, a lost art these days where most guitarists think two notes a chord will make 😊.
Every Ric I've played was just lovely. Really fell in love with a vintage 330 that I got to try earlier this year, but alas. I didn't have several thousand on hand. Ric very much has its own thing going, and the price and the fact that it's "different" than a Fender or Gibson puts people off.
I must admit, while you're grimacing and demonstrating the issues you have with the guitar, all I can think about is how wonderful it sounds! @@TheStudioRats
As a 45 year owner of a 1974 maple 360 model I can't attest to them being terribly well built. The bridge is weak and will start buzzing as the screw ends lose their knurl and fall out of the hole. The neck needs to be set up differently than other guitars. It has 2 weak truss rods in the neck. To adjust the neck you can't just tighten or loosen the tension. You have to bend the neck with your hand and tighten or loosen each truss rod. If you don't do this you can unseat each truss rod and then have to replace them. I have the tremolo tailpiece on my guitar. It isn't the best for maintaining tuning, using the tremolo or not. The guitar is too pretty and feels fragile so it never gets gigged. It does record well though. I have never cared for the stereo feature.
I've been playing for 55 years and never once have I heard a bad sound come out of any Ricky. My good friend had a brand new 360 12 that I used to play with a 50 watt amp with the master at 10 through a Tube Screamer while my slide was a light bulb. Heavenly sounds.
The best use of the blend knob is to blend the tone of the neck pickup with the bridge pickup when you have it in the middle position. It's like a resonance control like that, blending in your perfect amount of low end. On another point, I've had my Ric nearly 30 years and it's never been unstable in it's tuning, quite the opposite. And lastly, if you don't think it does well with gain, just give The Smithereens a listen. 🤷♂️
..That is exactly correct! Owned 3, 360/12s, one a Harrison model, a 1988 doublebound Fireglo..didnt exactly do it for me like my 2 older 1967 360/12s..I too bad to sell one. a Mapleglo, for a house payment or two..Wish I had it back..Still have my orig Fireglo, sounded front Deluxe 360/12; we met Me F.C. Hall, he helped us get a dealer in Orange CA, then back to Santa Ana. to pick out my 360/12..We got 10% off, Dad paid with ctedic card, was a present to me..Yes, I've still got it. Lots of gigs on it!
I’ve played the same Ric 350 for 40 years. It’s never let me down. It always stays in tune. It takes pedals very well (I especially like a RAT with the Ric). I’ve had no playability issues at all, and doing bends is no problem. It’s like a thoroughbred, once you know how to ride it, you’ll have no other. The light weight (the 350 has a very small body) and a full dual scale neck, so when you’re up by the 12th fret you still have half the neck to go! Mine came with three of those “high gain” pickups. However I removed 2 of them, and replaced them with a Ric humbucker and a Ric “toaster” pickup (toaster/bridge, high gain/middle, humbucker/neck). I also added a Bigsby and a roller bridge. So I had access to a wide range of tones. In fact, during many gigs, people would comment to me how the Ric cut through the mix so well. That’s playing everything from heavy distortion, blues, and even slide. Rics rule!👍
Sounds like effects mostly. I'd like to hear it straight into a known clean amp like a Deluxe or AC30, with no tone rolled off on guitar or amp. Good educational narrative. Great overdrive sound, I enjoy how the drive retreats as the loudness dissipates, and the clear clean reasserts itself. Thank you.
To me, they're a guitar that does one thing really well. That's great if you want that one thing, not so much if you don't or if you want/need something more versatile. When you couple that with the fact that they have some ergonomics that are generally considered quite cumbersome, I can see why they're niche instruments.
I love both my Ricks. Hands down the best rhythm guitars I've ever owned, and when I solo on a Rick I keep it short and sweet. Moreover, I find audiences love the vibe and gravitate to the sound of an old friend. All I see is grins and smiles, transcending generations as people enjoy themselves. It's why you play. 🎈
Ditto. I have a 360 and 330 and wouldn’t trade them for anything. When I track rhythm I try to vary in choice of guitars but so frequently end up with one of the Ricky’s in my hands. Clean to filthy they just sound so good.
I love mine too. My comments above are similar to yours, Rickenbackers (especially with toasters) just fill out a nice space in a band, and they can absolutely be used to play leads- they just are not fat, but kind of a lean trebly timbre that cuts through the mix. Good example of this the late great Peter Banks when he was in Yes.
I have 3 Ric guitars. I absolutely love them. Production of them is modest, so even in dealer's shops, there's maybe one or two on the rack. The guitars are stigmatized with the "jangle pop" genre... but I've played everything from Punk to Country on mine.
For sure, RICs are versatile instruments. You can play a lot of different styles with them. But they excel at the jangle and chime, particularly the 12 string models. Nothing can produce a sonic landscape like a RIC 12 can.
I have a 1968 Rick 370 with the toaster pickups. It’s fantastic. It does take gain really well. Sounds awesome through an AC30 - all your REM tones are right there. Also handles fuzz pedals great. Smithereens, Fugazi - Rics with gain
@@attentiondeficitsquirrel7660 lol I think you misunderstood the intended meaning of the onomatopoeia there.... To say I like REM is an understatement. No hate from me. Trust me.
@@chrispodesta8105 sorry brother. I was just having a conversation with some friends about if you could have any band play in your backyard whether they’re alive or dead who would it be and a friend of mine chose REM. Everyone thought he was crazy for even mentioning them. This was followed by tons of criticism of both his taste in music and of REM themselves so I guess I’m still in defending REM mode.
I'm one of those weird guitar players who love low-gain pickups and the tones you got in this video are kind of everything I love. There is a giant, warm, resonant sound with the chambered Ric bodies that this video exemplifies beautifully (Especially around 5:30. You're also making me want a Tonex now because that Matchless model sounds superb!). The one complaint that I have is that the tuning/intonation often seems dodgy. I hear it on this video on -some- chords you play, but not all. I have a 330/12 which comes with a 6-sadde bridge and never seems in tune to me. I purchased an aftermarket 12-saddle bridge which I haven't put on yet, so I hope that helps. There's nothing like the tone, though. If you like it, you love it. If not, it's just not for you. It's a very specific guitar, both tonally and feel-wise (not to mention visually). It's not going to be a Swiss Army knife like a Strat or a Tele, which I could probably use for any guitar gig. It's always going to impart that Rickenbacker sound and because of their feel, you will always play it like a Rickenbacker.
I agree that they are not like all the other brands. But last I checked, there is a pretty long waiting list for a particular Ric you want. I still see indie bands play these all the time. Kevin Parker does wonders with one.
@@bigtimehikingguy4976 I don't know enough to have a worthwhile opinion on this, b. Even if it's nothing but a 'must post something + must overstate to get comments'' exercise, I'm grateful to have heard that tone. I'm easily entertained. Best regards from Nottingham
Expensive; narrow frets, etc. i loved my McGuinn signature 370RM 12 and owned a few 330’s which were great. The Jam, XTC, Tom Petty and REM reinvigorated them in the late 70’s & early 80’s.
It's funny because of all the "problems" talked about, it's not like Gibson has fixed tuning problems in all their years of making electric guitars. And if they try, everyone says they want the old version.
I agree. The Rickenbacker sound, particularly the 12 string, is unique. It's quite easy to distinguish between a Rickenbacker 12 and any other guitar, including any other 12 string electric guitar. Gretsch guitars do not produce distinctive sounds in the way Rickenbackers do. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a Gretsch and a Guild electric. The Fender Jaguar sounds like many other guitars too. Fender's distinctive sound is the Stratocaster Bridge and middle Pickup "Out of Phase" sound and the Telecaster Bridge pickup sound. Lots of guitars out there but none sound like a Rickenbacker 12. Greco made some decent clones but even those sounded a little different because they weren't strung the same way as the RICs are.
The 5th knob (blend) deserves a lot more praise! It can also blend between the two pickups when both are selected..which comes in very handy when using the stereo feature. Spending some time exploring the 5th knob can unlock a whole new world of tonal possibilities in a Ric.
The blend knob has always been my favorite knob on a Rick guitar. I would leave all other controls wide open and use the blend as an overall tone/contour shaper.
A friend of mine, when I was still a kid, had a Rick 12 string, similar to his idol, George Harrison. He let me noodle on it occasionally through his Fender Twin Reverb, and I was dead envious of his available cash to own such great equipment, but I was also really knocked out by how rich the tone was with that setup.
I have a Rickenbacker 330. I do agree that the vintage style frets take the most getting used to. In the end, it took me about a month of regular playing to adapt. Other than that I have no issue with how the guitar player is whatsoever. I also find that I really like how mine sounds over driven. I have fenders, and Gilson’s and a couple of Grestch’s and I’m used to switching between them with no issues. Perhaps that has helped me with the Rickenbacker, but it is a really great guitar.
Had a 1982 Ricky 330 24 fret neck. I played mostly rhythm at the time. Had that guitar 30 years and had to sell it for a house payment. Regretted it ever since. Had great intonation all around and I have a very picky ear. Sure, it’s not great for leads, unless you’re John Fogerty, but it was a gem. I miss it.
Adding to the difficult bends topic is the long portion of strings behind the bridge. That’s a problem common to other guitar models, of course. The longer is the string behind the nut and the bridge, the more you’ll have to travel to reach the target pitch during bends, because some of the energy from your fingers is lost in those two portions of string (which increase tension together with the playing part of the string, during bends)
The playing at 5:30 with the ringing open B and E strings -- what I always called "the R.E.M. chord shapes" because of how prevalent they are on Chronic Town and Murmur -- is the sound that made me HAVE to have a Rickenbacker. This was THE sound of a certain niche of 80's "college rock" (which would later be rechristened as "alternative") bands like R.E.M., The Smiths (first album at least), Let's Active and many others. No, they are not good for fast lead guitar playing. If you are a PRS player, you will think that anyone who chooses a Ric must be out of their mind. But if you are a fan of other quirky, "difficult" guitars like the Jazzmaster or Jaguar, the Ric will reward you with tones that you can't even come close to reproducing on any other make of guitar. Also, for what it's worth, Mastery also makes a bridge for Rickenbackers and yes, I installed one on mine as well as my Jazzmaster and Jaguar. Concerns about price are totally fair, even if they can be explained by Rickenbacker never having modernized their manufacturing process. As much as I love the look of the 360, I absolutely couldn't justify the $1000 price difference (this was five years ago) over a 330 model for literally only cosmetic differences and the ric-o-sound dual output jacks.
Thank you Paul for the video. The Rickenbacker in it's own element is a gorgeous sound! Your style of playing ,such as those lovely chord changes and your lead work, are so soothing to listen to. Reminds me how in the Bible when King Saul was troubled by an evil spirit he would call for David to play on his harp for relief. Quite a while ago Eric Johnson stole our hearts with "Cliffs of Dover," I think the world needs you to step up to the plate with a song that is peaceful and so full of beauty that it would motivate people to seek to be a loving to each other as possible!
What an excellent presentation. I have a Rickenbacker and I don't use it much but o do love the sound because it is quite different to anything else. Thanks for the explanation and your playing is exquisite.
Yeah, narrow neck all the way up with low frets and lacquered board. Just its own thing that I suppose might or might not appeal, depending on what you’re used to. Didn’t suit me. But like I said, I loved the sound of it so getting rid of it wasn’t an easy decision.
Man, that is a lovely clean sound. I never have liked their body styles on their guitars although I love their basses. But it does sound pretty damn good
I disagree about the tuning issue. I could get my 330-6 out of it’s case after a month or two and it would still be in tune. Nice video and great playing though.
Yes, the break angle on Ricks is far shallower than on Gibsons, it's why Ricks aren't as notorious for headstock cracks in the way Gibsons (especially SGs) are. If Ricks have tuning stability issues it's far more likely to be the long stretch between the bridge and the tailpiece. I adore my rics (a 6 and a 12,) and play them every day, but I agree with the vid that there are some things they're better for than others, and some styles they suit more than others.
Seems like Gibson is just bad at it. I always say Gibson should hire Paul Reed Smith or someone from there to improve their QC. Likewise, they should hire someone from Rickenbacker to consult about how to have the guitar stay in tune.
I have a ric 340 with the extra pickup, and I find it hugely adaptable to all kinds of styles. It just has a sound that really cuts through, especially when you get your head around working the knobs out! My only real quibble is the narrowness of the low end of the neck. I love it though, use it all the time live, and in the studio, and would never part with it! Long live the Ric! Sounds particularly cool through a crowther hotcake.
Nothing like a beautifully set up Rickenbacker! Some of the most beautiful sounding and aesthetically pleasing guitars ever made. New bands like Blossoms, Fontaines DC, The Molotovs, Alvvays, Tame Impala, all use RIC’s extensively.
Sometime in the 1960s Rickenbacker sold guitars under the name Electro. I believe they were sold in department stores as a starter set with a small amplifier also branded electro. A dear friend gifted me with the set his father bought him (he never played it). It was the model 425 cresting wave solid body. The headstock has a square piece of metal with the “Electro” logo.
I own this exact guitar. I’ve spent a lot of money on its setup. Intonation wise it’s a total plank and nightmare. I can bend it a 1/2 semitones out of tune by putting pressure on the neck. Love to know how intonation is on this even when you are just playing simple chords on the first 3-4 frets
Rickenbacker is small company that sells every single guitar they make in any given year. For me, it's always been their 12 strings. I have two 330--12s, and love them both. Ricks are quirky guitars. You have to adjust to them. They will not adjust to you. but if you make the effort, the sonic rewards are many. They've stuck with their traditional business model, and it works for them.
I've been in two all or mostly Rickenbacker bands, currently in one now: the guitarist plays a Rick as does the bassist. They do sound amazing and with Rickosound the guitar can sound as if two guitars are playing as the amps and effects can be set quite differently from one another. They're amazing instruments. Btw I'm not a guitarist, I hit things with sticks in rhythmic fashion.
You are the spine of the band. Without your drumming...they don't exist. I love Rickenbacker sound, sounds like sunshine. Not when LEMMY plays, but i love the guy,he played only Rickenbacker basses,saw few photos before MOTÖRHEAD, he had some other bass, HAWKWIND era?
@@anfrankogezamartincic1161 Yeah I wouldn't accuse Lemmy of sounding like sunshine either, haha. I'm not sure what he played in Hawkwind though I have seen a picture of him playing a Gibson Explorer back then.
@@anfrankogezamartincic1161 Lemmy played sometimes a Thunderbird, and there are pictures from the studio when he played other basses. But his go to was the Rick. Although, they changed the pickups I think.
Rickenbacker 360's fell out of favor when The Byrds fell out of favor with commercial radio. I bought my used 366-12 in 1975 when everyone in Detroit played Les Pauls unless they played Stratocasters. I recorded with mine for over 45 years. Roger McGuinn and I both had no trouble bending strings and they were both 12 string electrics. Maybe the demonstrator here has sticky fingers. The creep who stole mine in 2021 had sticky fingers. I'm still looking for him. ☠☠☠
I bought my model 330 when I was totally ignorant about Rickenbackers. I like it. But if I could go back...I'd hold out for a 360. Sadly, the musicians I've played with over the years haven't facilitated the 12 string sound it has to offer. It does sound gorgeous.
I still say some of the best slightly overdriven tones recorded are in the 90s REM records. I believe these were just a Ricky into a vox. I'm not even a big fan of REM just remember the recordings sounding great
Nice demo. Yes, saw The Beatles on TV in '64 and knew of The Byrds later. After trying to play guitar since '72 when i was 15 (gigged some) i only played one Ric, a wave crest solid in fire glow after about a year. Bought a book and that was it,,,the Susana Hoffs model looked good,,,,so did she ;) Thanks for the memories.
Agree with all that. Susannah Hoffs was a total fox and has aged like the very best of wines. It always seemed a little perfect sort of justice that her and RIC managed to come up with what I think is the very best looking RIC of them all - the 350-SH. They genuinely complement each other = timelessly beautiful.
This almost made me yearn for my 330. 92 Mapleglo with a black guard and hardware. Great sound - just like in the vid here. Mostly played clean into a Fender Deville amp (that felt like it was bolted to the floor at the end of a gig). It was my main guitar for 15 years but then slowly I found that other guitars were getting all the airplay. Eventually it was sold to help funding a Martin. Like I said it almost made me yearn for it, then I remembered that for the last years I had it it basically stayed in its case and even when out on the rack my hands drifted past it to other toys. No - it’s better off with someone who will play it like it deserves and I got something fantastic to replace it.
I’ve loved Ricks since I started listening to the Beatles years ago and now seeing modern bands/musicians use them, I’m considering purchasing one myself
Peter Buck played his 6's and 12's on every REM album. That's a ton of great songs and sounds/arpeggios. He had his JetGlo 360 stolen and though the thief asked for a million dollars, Peter offered him 10,000 or 30 years in Jail for extortion..
@@Scott__C I think his negotiating skills may be - though sadly the OP didn't enlighten us with how that all worked out! Anyone know if PB got his hands back on his 360? There's still hope - one of Paul McC guitars turned up after several decades after being nicked from a van in London in the early 70s in the embryonic days of Wings.
The fretboard also does not get much wider as you towards the bridge, as ‘normal’ guitars so. I recently got a solid body 620 and it is great - the neck is a very comfortable profile to me and at least for what I play on it, the lacquered fretboard is not the issue I thought it would be.
Great video and great question. I get it - for YEARS I struggled with the appeal of these instruments. Expensive, kind of "weird" feeling, and typically are to actually play - on the occasions I'd get my hands on one I didn't like it. Then, like literally six months ago, I "got it". A guy I know at a music store saw me come in and literally threw one in my hand. I think it was a late 70s, 22 fret, and while the neck is narrow, I liked the sounds of the pickups. It felt like a "jazz" guitar, though others played it and I could hear it doing the rock thing wonderfully. Then literally a day after that I went into another music store and a young friend of mine had dropped everything to buy a more modern one. This was 24 fret (which I typically avoid) though it had a lot of the charm and versatility of the OG. Honestly I get it - they're cool instruments with a lot to offer.
I knew someone who had a Rick 2001 bass. It had an awesome sound like no other bass. It had "twangy" overtones that made stand out instead of just filling the bottom end like a Fender..
My dad always described it as a "snarling" quality, very noticeable in some of Chris Squire's tones It happens because Rick basses have a cap removing a lot of bottom end from the bridge pickup You can mod a Jazz bass to do the same thing, which becomes its own take on the sound, but doesn't match the Rick
..I think You meant the Rick 4001..I have one, bought used in1978, Fireglo, studded pickups..sounds wonderful..punchy as he'll. Decent hinrnd when both pickups are on!
Actually, that guitar sounds awesome...Fell out of favor is a catchy title for your video but as you can see from the comments a lot of people still love them. I have several guitars in several brands I was showing them to my granddaughter the other day. She wants to learn to play guitar. When I opened the case for the Ric her eyes lit up and she said "That one is awesome" She is 16, so maybe a new generation of Ric players is coming...
Maybe they stop lathering the fingerboard then, it's a well known fact it's death to harmony lead playing. If I owned one, I'd remove the lacquer first thing, and substitute an oil. Don't care if value drops, I could play it much better then.
..I surely hope so!! I still have my orig. Fireglo deluxe 360/12..Have played many a Beatles, Byrds, Who, Wilburys song on it during gigs, usually they a 60s Fender SuperReverb Amp..nothing shy of awesome!!..That shimmering, twinky jangle!!
@@caiusmadison2996 I think no one should buy a guitar because it's supposed to go up in value or anything. If you like and you need to modify it to suit you, do it.
People tend to forget early Pete Townsend and Paul Weller ROCKED their Rickenbackers! I’ve used with Marshall JMP/ AC-30 and Deluxe Reverb cranked ( also with a vintage Gretsch) and it rocks!!!
Cool looking guitars for sure. We can all thank Leo Fender (I mean sure Stradivarius knew this) for realizing that the strings needed to go straight as possible to the tuner.
I have a 4005/F Converted to a fretless.... .... My case in point to you is say what you want. You made that Guitar SING....I've played with a lot of guys' Who' played tthese particular models Those exact guitars ..you made it sing....❤❤❤❤
Price might be high, but personally, I think that they sound incredibly good. I own the John Lennon model and a 330 semi hollow and also quite a few Fender guitars (Mustang and Strata). But the Rickenbackers are my absolute favourite. If you've never played one, you really have to check them out once. Fantastic instruments. Reall really special.
I have two LP standards, two Teles, a Strat and an old 60’s Stratatone (my first guitar). But would like to add a Rickenbacker. The price is the issue.
I think you are wrong in your assertion that Rickenbacker guitars have fallen out of favour. Just look at the average cost of a decent second hand Rickenbacker guitar on places like Reverb etc. Their resale values would suggest they are still very popular. If you mean they aren't used by many prominent musicians anymore. Well that's an easy one. It takes a certain level of patience and skill to master playing a Rickenbacker guitar, especially the 12 string models. Many modern musicians simply don't have the skill to get the most out of such instruments. Playing the usual LPs, Teles, Strats or clones thereof requires a lot less skill to get a decent sound out of them. Hence their popularity at all levels of the spectrum. Anyways, RICs have been around for many decades with little change. They are works of art. They will appreciate in value over time so the idea that they are expensive is a subjective one. Buy a RIC, look after it properly, and you most likely will sell it for more than you bought it several years down the track. And anyone who doesn't appreciate the RIC sound should listen to this ... th-cam.com/video/2tHLj2zNDRw/w-d-xo.html Pretty much sums up why RICs really have no peer. Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Rickenbacker winds their neck and bridge pickups to the same Ohms/output. The neck pickup sounds louder because of the placement (closer to the neck). Most guitar companies compensate for this by winding their bridge pickup hotter. What the blend knob is doing when you are in the middle position is rolling off the output so it matches the bridge pickup or allows the bridge pickup to become more pronounced. Their higain pickups are built similar to a P-90 and have a fat single coil sound. They also wind their pickups to around 11 Ohms… which is definitely on the hot side. They have no problem driving an amp or any type of pedal so I have no idea what the reviewer is talking about.
Well said idk, why Paul here saids that the Rickenbacker 360 doesn't have good overdrive tone, it has a good overdrive tone, mainly the Amp is responsible for overdrive if he used like a Fender, Vox, Marshall or Orange Amp the tone will be good. If he use a different brand im not sure about their curcuit and their tones.
This is one of those guitars that is just one of a kind. I remember when I was learning guitar, and I saw Peter Buck from R.E.M. using one, and I've wanted one ever since. My biggest gripe with this guitar (and the brand, technically), is that they are so expensive (~$2000).
One of the main reasons why they aren't as popular is because the cost of admission is higher. Not just the cost of the guitar, but there is no alternative. Unlike fender and Gibson and many other brands, there is no Indonesian version. And so if you want the guitar you have to know in advance that you really wanted. You can't just get the cheaper Indonesian version and then upgrade to the US version.
I always use mine, as I also found the amp that achieves the sound I like. It’s a perfect match. I find my 🎸 easy to play btw. And it stays in tune really well, too.
I love my 330 Fireglo. Problem is, its so finicky when playing live. Some nights it just wouldn't stay in tune, felt like I was either loving it. Or fighting it. Its still used on some recordings, but I was able to get a similar enough sound through my Japanese Fender Mustang that actually consistently works.
I've played a re-fretted Rick a couple times. The lacquer was removed and the frets were a lot taller/wider. It made for a fantastic experience. Still sounded like a Rickenbacker. I understand why Rickenbacker still builds their guitars with a lacquered fingerboard and low frets. It's how they were built and that's what people want.
Yeah, people would freak out if they changed the fretboard. My understanding is that they briefly removed the blend knob (which I personally have no use for) and the reaction was not good. I love my 360 and it's unique sound and look, but it's far from the first guitar I reach for.
Very good overview. Unfortunately they have this hard playability for lead stuff and don't take overdrive well. But if you want to play really beautiful sounding clean and crunchy rhythm like strumming chords, it's exactly the guitar you need. You won't achieve this on a Strat or Les Paul in the same quality.
Thanks for demystifying the Blend knob! Informative vid that'll help me get a little bit more out of my 330-12 (which does indeed only really come out a couple of times a year for studio stuff!)
They're "high gain" in comparison to Rickenbacker's original "toaster" pickups. To most of us who love Rickenbacker, the lower output (7k ish) toasters are THE Rickenbacker sound.
The toasters are the Ric sound if you’re into the 60’s Ric tones. If you’re into Buck, Marr and Weller etc., the high gains are the Ric sound. Different eras of iconic Ric players w/ different tones.
Also note that the toaster pickups have 2 versions. The earlier years had 7.5k ohm resistance and the newer versions are around 12.1 to 12.5 respectively , also there was a .oo47 uf capacitor wired in series from the bridge pickup on the pre mid 80s models which cut some midrange,, increasing the Jangle This was an attempt presumably to increase the versatility of the sound for a more modern application. Higher gain less treble which in my humble opinion was a mistake but if you listen to the tones of the earlier vintage Rick's you can definitely tell the difference. I own a 64'360V12 reissue and rewired the electronics and replaced the toaster pickups to vintage specs. Of course I saved all the old parts to hold the original value but it's the tone that makes this guitar so special to me. I'm never planning to sell this beauty but one never knows...
I love the guitar and I believe that Kevin Parker from tame impala uses one. Would love to see Rick’s have more of a resurgence and a lower price tag too
Ricks are great rhythm guitars. Not comfortable for general lead use but great for rhythm and arpeggio playing. Think of John Lennon strumming his 325 or Roger McGuinn of the Byrds. I had a George Harrison Model 12 string for many years and it was a great investment! That being said , Rickenbacker really needs a new line of modern guitars if they are ever to grow out of their niche. Nothing sounds like a Rick!
I guess "high gain pickup" as a description is relative to the time period used. Rickenbacker switched from their low output toaster pickups (~7K) to their "high gain" pickups in the late '60's. I was surprised to hear your comments on the low output of the high gain pickups. According to Rickenbacker specs the high gain measure about 11.2K - 12.5K. So, with vintage Fender Strat pickups coming in around the low 6K's and Gibson PAF's coming in around the low 8K's, they certainly are much higher gain than those. Admittedly, they are not the high gain ceramic monsters of today's metal, but in the day they were definately "high gain".
I love my ric 381 with toaster pickups for different reasons. Its far from the easiest guitar to play or the most versatile sounding thing, but it just feels and looks so freaking cool! I cant help but pick it up and play, and i love its unique sounds. Fantastic video btw, this one of the best ric demos out there! I would love to see a video on setting up your ric for optimal tone and playability:)
One of my first quality guitars was a Rickenbacker 620 Fireglow. Being 17 years old in the late 70's, it was quite a challenge finding Rickenbackers in music store. This did not deter me. I drove up to the factory and walked right in. I was met by the head of factory operations who asked why I was there. I told him I wanted a 620 but could not find one to purchase. He walked away and brought out one of the head luthiers who made the guitars. He asked me what color I wanted and what kind of action I liked. He said he could have it ready for me in a few weeks. I put down the money and waited. I went back to the factory 2 weeks later and both of them met me personally in the entrance lobby. Then the head of guitar manufacturing brought out my new guitar which he had made himself in a nice new Rickenbacker case. It was perfect. That guitar was one of the best I ever owned.
As to the subject of why Rickenbacker guitars fell out of favor, I couldn't help but notice over the years that hardly any heavy metal guitarists play Ricks. I vaguely remember seeing Glenn Buxton from Alice Cooper playing one once, but that was as close to high amplification as I ever saw one get. Having said that---they do have a very dreamy quality to their tone, and would be appropriate on rock ballads
Great explanation on a topic I’ve always wondered about. I believe the skinny neck / nut width is another reason players prefer other brands. Too bad no small builder has made their own take on a modernized Rickenbacker.
Probably because you buying a Rickenbacker for the name...if it was a Rickenbacker type guitar but ultimately Not a real USA Rickenbacker...most people wouldn't buy it...myself included..because rightly or wrongly...for better or worse...its a Rickenbacker...they look great...sound great..theyre quirky..and cool...and if I was better paid by my miserable tight fisted employer I'd buy one in a heartbeat...not really to play...ive got my strats...Telecaster ..Gibson les Paul junior...epiphone casino for that lol...no just to look cool next to my Vox. And roland jazz chorus amps..lol...
@@pistolgoo Surprisingly, neither the Duesenberg or the Fano RB6 mentioned by @globalnova appear to come with the toaster style jangly single coils that Rickenbackers are famous for.
They're also extremely cute. They look like cartoon guitars, with a candy coating. And they sound great. I still don't know why they're not as popular as they used to be, other than the fact that they're expensive, and they were popular more than twenty minutes ago, which is apparently too old for anyone just starting a band now.
The reason is the same as why people don’t play gibson: the price. They don’t make affordable models for young people, you can hardly find them in a local shop music store to test them out, they rarely make updates on their guitars so that’s why people invest their money in Epiphone and Fender. They can start with either of them and stick with one brand because of how nice and affordable their products nowadays
I absolutely love the sound you get from this Rick, but like most of the others that have commented I always wanted one but could never afford one! I have played them before and do find playing lead is much more difficult than I would have thought. The sideways frets were supposed to have been made to give better playability and tuning to the guitar, but they seem to be more difficult to play higher up the neck like you mentioned! Nice reverb you are using---what is it?
I bought a chickenbacker for about 350. Naturally it has some issues. Nevertheless, I've got it setup reasonably well and I'd say it captures the real Ricky tones fairly well.
I always liked their shape and style and I always wondered why they couldn't have produced a solid body version with hot humbuckers and a locking tremolo.
In fact they did in the 80's. It was called the Hamburg model. It had a fixed bridge; no tremolo arm. I owned and gigged one back in the 80's. It was very affordable compared to the 360 and even the 330 model, close to half the price. The neck was identical to a 330 however, w/ 24 frets covering 2 full octaves
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For me, it’s simply price that stops me playing one. Love the look, love the sound (clean and driven), love the heritage, love that most of my heroes played one. But I’ve never been able to justify the £2.5k+ price point.
And then the fear to take it to a gig where you might have it stolen...
Yep. This.
I honestly think the day they create a more affordable, even like 1,000$ guitar, they're gonna invigorate a new generation of players to pick em' up.
For me, it’s price that stops me from owning a lot of guitars! One thousand US dollars is about as high as I will go when buying a guitar. Anything over that they can stick it where the sun don’t shine.
Its also pretty ugly guitar and doesn't have steller reputation
@@KennedyIvy Agree to differ I’m afraid :) Think it’s a thing of retro beauty!
I think it's because they're expensive, don't make import models, feel weird compared to Gibsons and fenders, and were never that popular outside of a handful of big artists so there aren't many used ones out there. I think Gretsch was in a similar boat but they started making more accessible models and now they're all over the place.
I heard they do not even give you a price when you browse them
@@fargeeks Apparently Rickenbacker doesn’t have set retail prices for their guitars (only suggested list prices) so dealers can set their own prices as long as they’re not advertised, so that they can be sold based on availability.
Honestly, if that means you could potentially get a good deal on a Rick, I can sorta see the benefit in that.
Ovation needs to use that strategy, they're still making that same Glenn Campbell guitar
You want to get laughed out of the room, show up with an ovation.
If you want to play Rockabilly - you need a Gretch - No other electric guitar has that “Wall of Sound” needed to create the true sound of Rockabilly. And no other guitar benefits from the Bigsby like a Gretch.
The most versatile guitars are the Gibson ES 335, Chuck Berry, BB King, Steve Howe of Yes, Eric Clapton in his Cream days - and the Les Paul, Slash of Guns N’ Roses, Ace Farley of KISS, and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.
The Rickenbacker 360 12 string semi hollow body has that chimmy sound that that made The Beatles and the Byrds pick it up and later, Tom Petty and his Lead guitarist.
There are many guitarist that play Stratocasters. But for me, the Strat doesn’t come into its own unless Jimi Hendrix is playing. He’s the only guitarist that needs a Strat.
I don’t care if they are hard to play or unpopular. They sound incredible.
Fred Sonic Smith thought so - his 450 sounded Amazing!
In my opinion. No pickup is as nice as a ric. No pickup of any kind
Must be missing something as it all sounded absolutely fabulous! Love the sound of Rics
When you were saying it doesn’t handle gain well, I thought that overdrive sound was pretty killer.
Johnny Ramone was known to play a rickenbacker from time to time
Lol. I thought the same.
This guitar sounds great. Partly it’s because of all the reverb and delay you have going on, but also because the tone is rich with overtones, uncompressed and dynamic. This is especially an advantage when you play rhythm guitar, a lost art these days where most guitarists think two notes a chord will make 😊.
I own two Rickenbacker guitars and they handle overdrive/distortion/fuzz better than every other guitar I have.
"Doesn’t handle gain well" said Paul Weller NEVER :-D
Every Ric I've played was just lovely. Really fell in love with a vintage 330 that I got to try earlier this year, but alas. I didn't have several thousand on hand. Ric very much has its own thing going, and the price and the fact that it's "different" than a Fender or Gibson puts people off.
I have a 2023 360, has zero tuning stability issues and love the lacquered neck haha
I
The sound of that thing just gives me gooseflesh. It’s so lovely. Of course, half the credit for that goes to the player.
Gooseflesh?
It means goosebumps. I think the Brits and Aussies use that term. @@professorweedington4962
ive never heard anyone call it gooseflesh 😭 we say goosebumps where im from
All you’re doing is making it sound beautiful, it is an awesome guitar and the unique sound is making me ecstatic😅
Glad you enjoy it
ME TOO -- LOVE THE SOUND OF IT
I must admit, while you're grimacing and demonstrating the issues you have with the guitar, all I can think about is how wonderful it sounds! @@TheStudioRats
As a 45 year owner of a 1974 maple 360 model I can't attest to them being terribly well built. The bridge is weak and will start buzzing as the screw ends lose their knurl and fall out of the hole. The neck needs to be set up differently than other guitars. It has 2 weak truss rods in the neck. To adjust the neck you can't just tighten or loosen the tension. You have to bend the neck with your hand and tighten or loosen each truss rod. If you don't do this you can unseat each truss rod and then have to replace them. I have the tremolo tailpiece on my guitar. It isn't the best for maintaining tuning, using the tremolo or not. The guitar is too pretty and feels fragile so it never gets gigged. It does record well though. I have never cared for the stereo feature.
Important points. Especially the neck problem.
All of the above!
Rickenbacker has switched to a new single truss rod system. Only the older models forced you pull the neck down and set the rod where it was needed.
A 38. Revolver caused it
The Truss rod design was changed from 1984 onward. There's still 2, but they can move the neck on their own now.
I've been playing for 55 years and never once have I heard a bad sound come out of any Ricky. My good friend had a brand new 360 12 that I used to play with a 50 watt amp with the master at 10 through a Tube Screamer while my slide was a light bulb. Heavenly sounds.
It sounds great to me. I've played the same '69 Tellie all my life, but if I were ever to consider a second guitar I'd consider a Rick.
The best use of the blend knob is to blend the tone of the neck pickup with the bridge pickup when you have it in the middle position. It's like a resonance control like that, blending in your perfect amount of low end. On another point, I've had my Ric nearly 30 years and it's never been unstable in it's tuning, quite the opposite. And lastly, if you don't think it does well with gain, just give The Smithereens a listen. 🤷♂️
Yes ! Rick through a Marshall!
..That is exactly correct! Owned 3, 360/12s, one a Harrison model, a 1988 doublebound Fireglo..didnt exactly do it for me like my 2 older 1967 360/12s..I too bad to sell one. a Mapleglo, for a house payment or two..Wish I had it back..Still have my orig Fireglo, sounded front Deluxe 360/12; we met Me F.C. Hall, he helped us get a dealer in Orange CA, then back to Santa Ana. to pick out my 360/12..We got 10% off, Dad paid with ctedic card, was a present to me..Yes, I've still got it. Lots of gigs on it!
@@samburkes7552 Cool story, Sam. Could I possibly borrow your Dad for a little while?!
I’ve played the same Ric 350 for 40 years. It’s never let me down. It always stays in tune. It takes pedals very well (I especially like a RAT with the Ric). I’ve had no playability issues at all, and doing bends is no problem. It’s like a thoroughbred, once you know how to ride it, you’ll have no other. The light weight (the 350 has a very small body) and a full dual scale neck, so when you’re up by the 12th fret you still have half the neck to go! Mine came with three of those “high gain” pickups. However I removed 2 of them, and replaced them with a Ric humbucker and a Ric “toaster” pickup (toaster/bridge, high gain/middle, humbucker/neck). I also added a Bigsby and a roller bridge. So I had access to a wide range of tones. In fact, during many gigs, people would comment to me how the Ric cut through the mix so well. That’s playing everything from heavy distortion, blues, and even slide. Rics rule!👍
I love em'.. just honestly can't afford them..
I agree, once I got the 24 fret 350 I stopped playing any other guitar. I agree, set it and it stays set. Such a fun little race car.
Partly proves the point that the Rick stuck in the past and with modification the guitar becomes even better.
@@hw2508 well the humbuckers are Rickenbacker, and Lennon had a Bigsby on his second 325, so if theyre stuck in the past, I’m all for it!
@@TR4Ajim No offence. No problem with adjusting stuff to your needs.
Sounds like effects mostly. I'd like to hear it straight into a known clean amp like a Deluxe or AC30, with no tone rolled off on guitar or amp. Good educational narrative. Great overdrive sound, I enjoy how the drive retreats as the loudness dissipates, and the clear clean reasserts itself. Thank you.
To me, they're a guitar that does one thing really well. That's great if you want that one thing, not so much if you don't or if you want/need something more versatile. When you couple that with the fact that they have some ergonomics that are generally considered quite cumbersome, I can see why they're niche instruments.
Well said. They are clunky looking.
exactly the point. Anyone whose played a rick or a rick bass knows that, you really gotta love that sound to put up with that instrument lol
IMHO the basses are better in those regards than the guitars.
TBH I was thinking more about the fact that many players aren't fond of the necks.
So what is that one thing they do well?
I love both my Ricks. Hands down the best rhythm guitars I've ever owned, and when I solo on a Rick I keep it short and sweet. Moreover, I find audiences love the vibe and gravitate to the sound of an old friend. All I see is grins and smiles, transcending generations as people enjoy themselves. It's why you play. 🎈
Well said
Ditto. I have a 360 and 330 and wouldn’t trade them for anything. When I track rhythm I try to vary in choice of guitars but so frequently end up with one of the Ricky’s in my hands. Clean to filthy they just sound so good.
I love mine too. My comments above are similar to yours, Rickenbackers (especially with toasters) just fill out a nice space in a band, and they can absolutely be used to play leads- they just are not fat, but kind of a lean trebly timbre that cuts through the mix. Good example of this the late great Peter Banks when he was in Yes.
I have 3 Ric guitars. I absolutely love them. Production of them is modest, so even in dealer's shops, there's maybe one or two on the rack. The guitars are stigmatized with the "jangle pop" genre... but I've played everything from Punk to Country on mine.
I love the 360 12.
Stigmatized? Jangle pop is fucking awesome!!!
@@RandomNonsense1985 I like it too.... but a Ric can do more than that... that's all I meant by that.
For sure, RICs are versatile instruments. You can play a lot of different styles with them. But they excel at the jangle and chime, particularly the 12 string models. Nothing can produce a sonic landscape like a RIC 12 can.
I have a 1968 Rick 370 with the toaster pickups. It’s fantastic. It does take gain really well. Sounds awesome through an AC30 - all your REM tones are right there. Also handles fuzz pedals great. Smithereens, Fugazi - Rics with gain
"all your REM tones right there."
Hnnnnnngh 🥴
@@chrispodesta8105what’s with the REM hate? They were a great band.
@@attentiondeficitsquirrel7660 lol I think you misunderstood the intended meaning of the onomatopoeia there....
To say I like REM is an understatement.
No hate from me. Trust me.
@@chrispodesta8105 sorry brother. I was just having a conversation with some friends about if you could have any band play in your backyard whether they’re alive or dead who would it be and a friend of mine chose REM. Everyone thought he was crazy for even mentioning them. This was followed by tons of criticism of both his taste in music and of REM themselves so I guess I’m still in defending REM mode.
@@attentiondeficitsquirrel7660
I've been in that mode frequently since about 1999 myself so I get it, hehe.
I'm one of those weird guitar players who love low-gain pickups and the tones you got in this video are kind of everything I love. There is a giant, warm, resonant sound with the chambered Ric bodies that this video exemplifies beautifully (Especially around 5:30. You're also making me want a Tonex now because that Matchless model sounds superb!). The one complaint that I have is that the tuning/intonation often seems dodgy. I hear it on this video on -some- chords you play, but not all. I have a 330/12 which comes with a 6-sadde bridge and never seems in tune to me. I purchased an aftermarket 12-saddle bridge which I haven't put on yet, so I hope that helps.
There's nothing like the tone, though. If you like it, you love it. If not, it's just not for you. It's a very specific guitar, both tonally and feel-wise (not to mention visually). It's not going to be a Swiss Army knife like a Strat or a Tele, which I could probably use for any guitar gig. It's always going to impart that Rickenbacker sound and because of their feel, you will always play it like a Rickenbacker.
Great sounding tone and natural sustain.
I agree that they are not like all the other brands. But last I checked, there is a pretty long waiting list for a particular Ric you want. I still see indie bands play these all the time. Kevin Parker does wonders with one.
Am not a musician, but that's a _gorgeous_ sound - despite the drawbacks.
he's completely overstating any "drawbacks" that might exist. This is just content creation - nothing more.
@@bigtimehikingguy4976 I don't know enough to have a worthwhile opinion on this, b. Even if it's nothing but a 'must post something + must overstate to get comments'' exercise, I'm grateful to have heard that tone. I'm easily entertained.
Best regards from Nottingham
Expensive; narrow frets, etc. i loved my McGuinn signature 370RM 12 and owned a few 330’s which were great. The Jam, XTC, Tom Petty and REM reinvigorated them in the late 70’s & early 80’s.
Johnny Marr too
It's funny because of all the "problems" talked about, it's not like Gibson has fixed tuning problems in all their years of making electric guitars. And if they try, everyone says they want the old version.
They’re definitely not for everyone and they’re not easy to play but to me absolutely no other guitar has such a singular unique sound.
Gretsch is equally distinctive. In a different way .
@@michaelmoon8856 and Guild..
Fender Jaguar has a unique sound so.. wrongggggg
I agree. The Rickenbacker sound, particularly the 12 string, is unique. It's quite easy to distinguish between a Rickenbacker 12 and any other guitar, including any other 12 string electric guitar. Gretsch guitars do not produce distinctive sounds in the way Rickenbackers do. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a Gretsch and a Guild electric. The Fender Jaguar sounds like many other guitars too. Fender's distinctive sound is the Stratocaster Bridge and middle Pickup "Out of Phase" sound and the Telecaster Bridge pickup sound.
Lots of guitars out there but none sound like a Rickenbacker 12. Greco made some decent clones but even those sounded a little different because they weren't strung the same way as the RICs are.
The 5th knob (blend) deserves a lot more praise! It can also blend between the two pickups when both are selected..which comes in very handy when using the stereo feature. Spending some time exploring the 5th knob can unlock a whole new world of tonal possibilities in a Ric.
We used to call a Rickenbacker guitar a Ricky; where did this Rick and Ric bullshit come from?
@@melvynobrien6193it can have more than one nickname
@@CapraObscuraPlenty of Americans call them Ricky. Settle down.
The blend knob has always been my favorite knob on a Rick guitar. I would leave all other controls wide open and use the blend as an overall tone/contour shaper.
A friend of mine, when I was still a kid, had a Rick 12 string, similar to his idol, George Harrison. He let me noodle on it occasionally through his Fender Twin Reverb, and I was dead envious of his available cash to own such great equipment, but I was also really knocked out by how rich the tone was with that setup.
i have a twin reverb 76 and just use a danelectro 12 string works fine for me. dont have thousands to blow on a 330/12
I have a Rickenbacker 330. I do agree that the vintage style frets take the most getting used to. In the end, it took me about a month of regular playing to adapt. Other than that I have no issue with how the guitar player is whatsoever. I also find that I really like how mine sounds over driven. I have fenders, and Gilson’s and a couple of Grestch’s and I’m used to switching between them with no issues. Perhaps that has helped me with the Rickenbacker, but it is a really great guitar.
Had a 1982 Ricky 330 24 fret neck. I played mostly rhythm at the time. Had that guitar 30 years and had to sell it for a house payment. Regretted it ever since. Had great intonation all around and I have a very picky ear. Sure, it’s not great for leads, unless you’re John Fogerty, but it was a gem. I miss it.
I had to sell my Guild D50 and Guild Starfire for a house payment too😢
@@lawrencerasmus Sucks, don’t it?
Adding to the difficult bends topic is the long portion of strings behind the bridge. That’s a problem common to other guitar models, of course. The longer is the string behind the nut and the bridge, the more you’ll have to travel to reach the target pitch during bends, because some of the energy from your fingers is lost in those two portions of string (which increase tension together with the playing part of the string, during bends)
The playing at 5:30 with the ringing open B and E strings -- what I always called "the R.E.M. chord shapes" because of how prevalent they are on Chronic Town and Murmur -- is the sound that made me HAVE to have a Rickenbacker. This was THE sound of a certain niche of 80's "college rock" (which would later be rechristened as "alternative") bands like R.E.M., The Smiths (first album at least), Let's Active and many others.
No, they are not good for fast lead guitar playing. If you are a PRS player, you will think that anyone who chooses a Ric must be out of their mind. But if you are a fan of other quirky, "difficult" guitars like the Jazzmaster or Jaguar, the Ric will reward you with tones that you can't even come close to reproducing on any other make of guitar. Also, for what it's worth, Mastery also makes a bridge for Rickenbackers and yes, I installed one on mine as well as my Jazzmaster and Jaguar.
Concerns about price are totally fair, even if they can be explained by Rickenbacker never having modernized their manufacturing process. As much as I love the look of the 360, I absolutely couldn't justify the $1000 price difference (this was five years ago) over a 330 model for literally only cosmetic differences and the ric-o-sound dual output jacks.
Thank you Paul for the video. The Rickenbacker in it's own element is a gorgeous sound! Your style of playing ,such as those lovely chord changes and your lead work, are so soothing to listen to. Reminds me how in the Bible when King Saul was troubled by an evil spirit he would call for David to play on his harp for relief. Quite a while ago Eric Johnson stole our hearts with "Cliffs of Dover," I think the world needs you to step up to the plate with a song that is peaceful and so full of beauty that it would motivate people to seek to be a loving to each other as possible!
What an excellent presentation. I have a Rickenbacker and I don't use it much but o do love the sound because it is quite different to anything else. Thanks for the explanation and your playing is exquisite.
The Rick 330 I owned had the most amazing pickups I've ever heard (same ones as in your 360). So much better than Strat single coils.
I should add that the neck/fretboard design made it nearly unusable, which is why I reluctantly sold it after about a year.
@@poesybeatwas it too thick or too thin or something like that? I have always wondered why some people didn't end liking Ric necks
Yeah, narrow neck all the way up with low frets and lacquered board. Just its own thing that I suppose might or might not appeal, depending on what you’re used to. Didn’t suit me. But like I said, I loved the sound of it so getting rid of it wasn’t an easy decision.
@@poesybeat I see. Thanks a lot for your reply :) sorry you had to sell it in the end :/
Man, that is a lovely clean sound. I never have liked their body styles on their guitars although I love their basses. But it does sound pretty damn good
Check out the 480 model that came out in 73....its got the bass style body
I disagree about the tuning issue. I could get my 330-6 out of it’s case after a month or two and it would still be in tune. Nice video and great playing though.
I hardly ever have to retune my 350 and it has the same peg board.
My 2016 330 and 2019 360 stay in tune quite well. A lot better than my Les Pauls. Maybe I don’t bend as much either on the Rics, to be fair.
You beat me to it. I was about to say if you don’t bend the strings, you won’t have tuning problems with the Rickenbacker.
Yes, the break angle on Ricks is far shallower than on Gibsons, it's why Ricks aren't as notorious for headstock cracks in the way Gibsons (especially SGs) are. If Ricks have tuning stability issues it's far more likely to be the long stretch between the bridge and the tailpiece.
I adore my rics (a 6 and a 12,) and play them every day, but I agree with the vid that there are some things they're better for than others, and some styles they suit more than others.
Seems like Gibson is just bad at it. I always say Gibson should hire Paul Reed Smith or someone from there to improve their QC. Likewise, they should hire someone from Rickenbacker to consult about how to have the guitar stay in tune.
I have a ric 340 with the extra pickup, and I find it hugely adaptable to all kinds of styles. It just has a sound that really cuts through, especially when you get your head around working the knobs out! My only real quibble is the narrowness of the low end of the neck. I love it though, use it all the time live, and in the studio, and would never part with it! Long live the Ric! Sounds particularly cool through a crowther hotcake.
Nothing like a beautifully set up Rickenbacker! Some of the most beautiful sounding and aesthetically pleasing guitars ever made. New bands like Blossoms, Fontaines DC, The Molotovs, Alvvays, Tame Impala, all use RIC’s extensively.
REM's early stuff was a lot of Rick as well.
NONSENSE
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers used Rick's a lot
Tom Petty approves this post!
I love how Alvvays marries the Ric REM/Byrds jangle with noisy shoegaze.
For me, the Rickenbacker is what the best of the 60s sounds like❤
Sometime in the 1960s Rickenbacker sold guitars under the name Electro. I believe they were sold in department stores as a starter set with a small amplifier also branded electro. A dear friend gifted me with the set his father bought him (he never played it). It was the model 425 cresting wave solid body. The headstock has a square piece of metal with the “Electro” logo.
Those are great guitars, absolutely a true Ric.
Regardless of the gripes you seem to sense about the difficulty of playing the example guitar - you make it sound gorgeous to my ears.
I love my Rick 330. They truly sound unique.
I own this exact guitar. I’ve spent a lot of money on its setup. Intonation wise it’s a total plank and nightmare. I can bend it a 1/2 semitones out of tune by putting pressure on the neck. Love to know how intonation is on this even when you are just playing simple chords on the first 3-4 frets
Rickenbacker is small company that sells every single guitar they make in any given year. For me, it's always been their 12 strings. I have two 330--12s, and love them both. Ricks are quirky guitars. You have to adjust to them. They will not adjust to you. but if you make the effort, the sonic rewards are many. They've stuck with their traditional business model, and it works for them.
I've been in two all or mostly Rickenbacker bands, currently in one now: the guitarist plays a Rick as does the bassist. They do sound amazing and with Rickosound the guitar can sound as if two guitars are playing as the amps and effects can be set quite differently from one another. They're amazing instruments. Btw I'm not a guitarist, I hit things with sticks in rhythmic fashion.
You are the spine of the band. Without your drumming...they don't exist. I love Rickenbacker sound, sounds like sunshine. Not when LEMMY plays, but i love the guy,he played only Rickenbacker basses,saw few photos before MOTÖRHEAD, he had some other bass, HAWKWIND era?
@@anfrankogezamartincic1161 Yeah I wouldn't accuse Lemmy of sounding like sunshine either, haha. I'm not sure what he played in Hawkwind though I have seen a picture of him playing a Gibson Explorer back then.
@@anfrankogezamartincic1161 Lemmy played sometimes a Thunderbird, and there are pictures from the studio when he played other basses. But his go to was the Rick. Although, they changed the pickups I think.
Rickenbacker 360's fell out of favor when The Byrds fell out of favor with commercial radio. I bought my used 366-12 in 1975 when everyone in Detroit played Les Pauls unless they played Stratocasters. I recorded with mine for over 45 years. Roger McGuinn and I both had no trouble bending strings and they were both 12 string electrics. Maybe the demonstrator here has sticky fingers. The creep who stole mine in 2021 had sticky fingers. I'm still looking for him. ☠☠☠
i don't know anything about guitars but that was a great video and helped me understand something.
I bought my model 330 when I was totally ignorant about Rickenbackers. I like it. But if I could go back...I'd hold out for a 360. Sadly, the musicians I've played with over the years haven't facilitated the 12 string sound it has to offer. It does sound gorgeous.
I still say some of the best slightly overdriven tones recorded are in the 90s REM records. I believe these were just a Ricky into a vox. I'm not even a big fan of REM just remember the recordings sounding great
I have noticed exactly the same thing. And I would extend your statement to 80s REM Rickenbacker tones.
Fantastic review. I don't care what flaws this guitar has I WANT one
Nice demo. Yes, saw The Beatles on TV in '64 and knew of The Byrds later.
After trying to play guitar since '72 when i was 15 (gigged some) i only played one Ric, a wave crest solid in fire glow after about a year. Bought a book and that was it,,,the Susana Hoffs model looked good,,,,so did she ;)
Thanks for the memories.
Agree with all that. Susannah Hoffs was a total fox and has aged like the very best of wines. It always seemed a little perfect sort of justice that her and RIC managed to come up with what I think is the very best looking RIC of them all - the 350-SH. They genuinely complement each other = timelessly beautiful.
This almost made me yearn for my 330. 92 Mapleglo with a black guard and hardware. Great sound - just like in the vid here. Mostly played clean into a Fender Deville amp (that felt like it was bolted to the floor at the end of a gig).
It was my main guitar for 15 years but then slowly I found that other guitars were getting all the airplay. Eventually it was sold to help funding a Martin.
Like I said it almost made me yearn for it, then I remembered that for the last years I had it it basically stayed in its case and even when out on the rack my hands drifted past it to other toys. No - it’s better off with someone who will play it like it deserves and I got something fantastic to replace it.
I’ve loved Ricks since I started listening to the Beatles years ago and now seeing modern bands/musicians use them, I’m considering purchasing one myself
Peter Buck played his 6's and 12's on every REM album.
That's a ton of great songs and sounds/arpeggios.
He had his JetGlo 360 stolen and though the thief asked for a million dollars, Peter offered him 10,000 or 30 years in Jail for extortion..
He always had very thick strings on his 360. Even flatwounds in the early days.
I think Peter Buck is vastly underrated.
And a lot was on a Telecaster to begin with and then on a Les Paul from Document onwards.
@@Scott__C The only people that under rate him are metal heads
@@Scott__C I think his negotiating skills may be - though sadly the OP didn't enlighten us with how that all worked out! Anyone know if PB got his hands back on his 360? There's still hope - one of Paul McC guitars turned up after several decades after being nicked from a van in London in the early 70s in the embryonic days of Wings.
I love my two Rics. Both Fireglo. A 330 and a 660-12!
The fretboard also does not get much wider as you towards the bridge, as ‘normal’ guitars so. I recently got a solid body 620 and it is great - the neck is a very comfortable profile to me and at least for what I play on it, the lacquered fretboard is not the issue I thought it would be.
Great video and great question. I get it - for YEARS I struggled with the appeal of these instruments. Expensive, kind of "weird" feeling, and typically are to actually play - on the occasions I'd get my hands on one I didn't like it. Then, like literally six months ago, I "got it". A guy I know at a music store saw me come in and literally threw one in my hand. I think it was a late 70s, 22 fret, and while the neck is narrow, I liked the sounds of the pickups. It felt like a "jazz" guitar, though others played it and I could hear it doing the rock thing wonderfully. Then literally a day after that I went into another music store and a young friend of mine had dropped everything to buy a more modern one. This was 24 fret (which I typically avoid) though it had a lot of the charm and versatility of the OG. Honestly I get it - they're cool instruments with a lot to offer.
I knew someone who had a Rick 2001 bass. It had an awesome sound like no other bass. It had "twangy" overtones that made stand out instead of just filling the bottom end like a Fender..
My dad always described it as a "snarling" quality, very noticeable in some of Chris Squire's tones
It happens because Rick basses have a cap removing a lot of bottom end from the bridge pickup
You can mod a Jazz bass to do the same thing, which becomes its own take on the sound, but doesn't match the Rick
..I think You meant the Rick 4001..I have one, bought used in1978, Fireglo, studded pickups..sounds wonderful..punchy as he'll. Decent hinrnd when both pickups are on!
Man, you make that guitar sound so fluid and wonderful.
Actually, that guitar sounds awesome...Fell out of favor is a catchy title for your video but as you can see from the comments a lot of people still love them. I have several guitars in several brands I was showing them to my granddaughter the other day. She wants to learn to play guitar. When I opened the case for the Ric her eyes lit up and she said "That one is awesome" She is 16, so maybe a new generation of Ric players is coming...
Yeah, and if it was that bad, they'd be out of business or blowing them out for half price.
Maybe they stop lathering the fingerboard then, it's a well known fact it's death to harmony lead playing. If I owned one, I'd remove the lacquer first thing, and substitute an oil. Don't care if value drops, I could play it much better then.
..I surely hope so!! I still have my orig. Fireglo deluxe 360/12..Have played many a Beatles, Byrds, Who, Wilburys song on it during gigs, usually they a 60s Fender SuperReverb Amp..nothing shy of awesome!!..That shimmering, twinky jangle!!
@@caiusmadison2996 I think no one should buy a guitar because it's supposed to go up in value or anything. If you like and you need to modify it to suit you, do it.
Very nice job explaining the blend knob. Great playing, too.
I’ve never wanted a Rickenbacker guitar before hearing this. That tone sounds wonderful! I’d always associated Rickenbackers with jangly guitar tones.
Roger McGuinn with 12-string Ric!
People tend to forget early Pete Townsend and Paul Weller ROCKED their Rickenbackers! I’ve used with Marshall JMP/ AC-30 and Deluxe Reverb cranked ( also with a vintage Gretsch) and it rocks!!!
You say jangly guitar tones like it’s a bad thing 😁
What a gorgeous sounding instrument. Well played!
Cool looking guitars for sure. We can all thank Leo Fender (I mean sure Stradivarius knew this) for realizing that the strings needed to go straight as possible to the tuner.
it`s never too late to get your GED
I have a 4005/F Converted to a fretless....
....
My case in point to you is say what you want. You made that Guitar SING....I've played with a lot of guys' Who' played tthese particular models Those exact guitars ..you made it sing....❤❤❤❤
Price might be high, but personally, I think that they sound incredibly good. I own the John Lennon model and a 330 semi hollow and also quite a few Fender guitars (Mustang and Strata). But the Rickenbackers are my absolute favourite. If you've never played one, you really have to check them out once. Fantastic instruments. Reall really special.
I have two LP standards, two Teles, a Strat and an old 60’s Stratatone (my first guitar). But would like to add a Rickenbacker. The price is the issue.
I think you are wrong in your assertion that Rickenbacker guitars have fallen out of favour. Just look at the average cost of a decent second hand Rickenbacker guitar on places like Reverb etc. Their resale values would suggest they are still very popular.
If you mean they aren't used by many prominent musicians anymore. Well that's an easy one. It takes a certain level of patience and skill to master playing a Rickenbacker guitar, especially the 12 string models. Many modern musicians simply don't have the skill to get the most out of such instruments. Playing the usual LPs, Teles, Strats or clones thereof requires a lot less skill to get a decent sound out of them. Hence their popularity at all levels of the spectrum.
Anyways, RICs have been around for many decades with little change. They are works of art. They will appreciate in value over time so the idea that they are expensive is a subjective one. Buy a RIC, look after it properly, and you most likely will sell it for more than you bought it several years down the track.
And anyone who doesn't appreciate the RIC sound should listen to this ...
th-cam.com/video/2tHLj2zNDRw/w-d-xo.html
Pretty much sums up why RICs really have no peer.
Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Rickenbacker winds their neck and bridge pickups to the same Ohms/output. The neck pickup sounds louder because of the placement (closer to the neck). Most guitar companies compensate for this by winding their bridge pickup hotter. What the blend knob is doing when you are in the middle position is rolling off the output so it matches the bridge pickup or allows the bridge pickup to become more pronounced. Their higain pickups are built similar to a P-90 and have a fat single coil sound. They also wind their pickups to around 11 Ohms… which is definitely on the hot side. They have no problem driving an amp or any type of pedal so I have no idea what the reviewer is talking about.
Well said idk, why Paul here saids that the Rickenbacker 360 doesn't have good overdrive tone, it has a good overdrive tone, mainly the Amp is responsible for overdrive if he used like a Fender, Vox, Marshall or Orange Amp the tone will be good.
If he use a different brand im not sure about their curcuit and their tones.
This is one of those guitars that is just one of a kind. I remember when I was learning guitar, and I saw Peter Buck from R.E.M. using one, and I've wanted one ever since. My biggest gripe with this guitar (and the brand, technically), is that they are so expensive (~$2000).
I love Peter Buck's use of the Rickenbacker especially on the first Chronic Town EP and Life's Rich Pageant
Me too! I saw REM in about 1984 in a small club. Man, he played the shit out of that Ricky.
@@duranfriendlystudiosassoci1351yes! I can listen to chronic town on repeat for hours. That sound had me hooked. Still love it
A friend of mine has a 12 string 360. We often jam in psychedelic/shoegaze style and it sounds fantastic in that context.
The defining sound of Ride's "Nowhere" album!
One of the main reasons why they aren't as popular is because the cost of admission is higher. Not just the cost of the guitar, but there is no alternative. Unlike fender and Gibson and many other brands, there is no Indonesian version. And so if you want the guitar you have to know in advance that you really wanted. You can't just get the cheaper Indonesian version and then upgrade to the US version.
I always use mine, as I also found the amp that achieves the sound I like. It’s a perfect match. I find my 🎸 easy to play btw. And it stays in tune really well, too.
So what amp is it?
Sounds very good, clean. But also with the overdrive I like the sound.
Looks amazing Strikingly beautiful in person sounds tight glad you pronounce it right
Don’t handle overdrive well: Proceeds to sound fucking mega
I love my 330 Fireglo. Problem is, its so finicky when playing live. Some nights it just wouldn't stay in tune, felt like I was either loving it. Or fighting it. Its still used on some recordings, but I was able to get a similar enough sound through my Japanese Fender Mustang that actually consistently works.
I've played a re-fretted Rick a couple times. The lacquer was removed and the frets were a lot taller/wider. It made for a fantastic experience. Still sounded like a Rickenbacker.
I understand why Rickenbacker still builds their guitars with a lacquered fingerboard and low frets. It's how they were built and that's what people want.
Yeah, people would freak out if they changed the fretboard. My understanding is that they briefly removed the blend knob (which I personally have no use for) and the reaction was not good. I love my 360 and it's unique sound and look, but it's far from the first guitar I reach for.
Love this sound OVER anything today.
Very good overview. Unfortunately they have this hard playability for lead stuff and don't take overdrive well. But if you want to play really beautiful sounding clean and crunchy rhythm like strumming chords, it's exactly the guitar you need. You won't achieve this on a Strat or Les Paul in the same quality.
Think again: th-cam.com/video/Os5jgQTEIvc/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for demystifying the Blend knob! Informative vid that'll help me get a little bit more out of my 330-12 (which does indeed only really come out a couple of times a year for studio stuff!)
They're "high gain" in comparison to Rickenbacker's original "toaster" pickups. To most of us who love Rickenbacker, the lower output (7k ish) toasters are THE Rickenbacker sound.
The toasters are the Ric sound if you’re into the 60’s Ric tones. If you’re into Buck, Marr and Weller etc., the high gains are the Ric sound. Different eras of iconic Ric players w/ different tones.
Also note that the toaster pickups have 2 versions. The earlier years had 7.5k ohm resistance and the newer versions are around 12.1 to 12.5 respectively , also there was a .oo47 uf capacitor wired in series from the bridge pickup on the pre mid 80s models which cut some midrange,, increasing the Jangle
This was an attempt presumably to increase the versatility of the sound for a more modern application. Higher gain less treble which in my humble opinion was a mistake but if you listen to the tones of the earlier vintage Rick's you can definitely tell the difference.
I own a 64'360V12 reissue and rewired the electronics and replaced the toaster pickups to vintage specs. Of course I saved all the old parts to hold the original value but it's the tone that makes this guitar so special to me. I'm never planning to sell this beauty but one never knows...
I love the guitar and I believe that Kevin Parker from tame impala uses one. Would love to see Rick’s have more of a resurgence and a lower price tag too
Ricks are great rhythm guitars. Not comfortable for general lead use but great for rhythm and arpeggio playing. Think of John Lennon strumming his 325 or Roger McGuinn of the Byrds. I had a George Harrison Model 12 string for many years and it was a great investment! That being said , Rickenbacker really needs a new line of modern guitars if they are ever to grow out of their niche. Nothing sounds like a Rick!
Absolutely. I love my Ric 620 for playing rhythm. For lead, my Affinity Tele is a much better choice.
John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival used a Rick for many of his lead guitar parts.
I guess "high gain pickup" as a description is relative to the time period used. Rickenbacker switched from their low output toaster pickups (~7K) to their "high gain" pickups in the late '60's.
I was surprised to hear your comments on the low output of the high gain pickups. According to Rickenbacker specs the high gain measure about 11.2K - 12.5K.
So, with vintage Fender Strat pickups coming in around the low 6K's and Gibson PAF's coming in around the low 8K's, they certainly are much higher gain than those.
Admittedly, they are not the high gain ceramic monsters of today's metal, but in the day they were definately "high gain".
It's a shame they fell out of favor, cause I absolutely love the way they play and sound.
They're just too expensive compared to the competition.
Your demonstration playing and bending higher up the neck sounded pretty damn good to me !
I love my ric 381 with toaster pickups for different reasons. Its far from the easiest guitar to play or the most versatile sounding thing, but it just feels and looks so freaking cool! I cant help but pick it up and play, and i love its unique sounds. Fantastic video btw, this one of the best ric demos out there! I would love to see a video on setting up your ric for optimal tone and playability:)
One of my first quality guitars was a Rickenbacker 620 Fireglow. Being 17 years old in the late 70's, it was quite a challenge finding Rickenbackers in music store. This did not deter me. I drove up to the factory and walked right in. I was met by the head of factory operations who asked why I was there. I told him I wanted a 620 but could not find one to purchase. He walked away and brought out one of the head luthiers who made the guitars. He asked me what color I wanted and what kind of action I liked. He said he could have it ready for me in a few weeks. I put down the money and waited. I went back to the factory 2 weeks later and both of them met me personally in the entrance lobby. Then the head of guitar manufacturing brought out my new guitar which he had made himself in a nice new Rickenbacker case. It was perfect. That guitar was one of the best I ever owned.
As to the subject of why Rickenbacker guitars fell out of favor, I couldn't help but notice over the years that hardly any heavy metal guitarists play Ricks. I vaguely remember seeing Glenn Buxton from Alice Cooper playing one once, but that was as close to high amplification as I ever saw one get. Having said that---they do have a very dreamy quality to their tone, and would be appropriate on rock ballads
..you forgot to mention how friggin cool it looks. Sounds fab, looks like a Corvette Stingray and sounds "Unique" and that colour!!!❤
Great explanation on a topic I’ve always wondered about. I believe the skinny neck / nut width is another reason players prefer other brands. Too bad no small builder has made their own take on a modernized Rickenbacker.
Fano rb6
Probably because you buying a Rickenbacker for the name...if it was a Rickenbacker type guitar but ultimately Not a real USA Rickenbacker...most people wouldn't buy it...myself included..because rightly or wrongly...for better or worse...its a Rickenbacker...they look great...sound great..theyre quirky..and cool...and if I was better paid by my miserable tight fisted employer I'd buy one in a heartbeat...not really to play...ive got my strats...Telecaster ..Gibson les Paul junior...epiphone casino for that lol...no just to look cool next to my Vox.
And roland jazz chorus amps..lol...
The duesenberg double cat is comparable to a modernized Rickenbacker in my opinion
@@pistolgoo Thanks!
@@pistolgoo Surprisingly, neither the Duesenberg or the Fano RB6 mentioned by @globalnova appear to come with the toaster style jangly single coils that Rickenbackers are famous for.
Good review... I play a Rickenbacker bass.... I never really heard anyone play a Rick guitar in person... Sounds really good... Good job...
They're also extremely cute. They look like cartoon guitars, with a candy coating. And they sound great. I still don't know why they're not as popular as they used to be, other than the fact that they're expensive, and they were popular more than twenty minutes ago, which is apparently too old for anyone just starting a band now.
I’d take a 4003 over any other bass any day, to be honest.
I love my 2021 330JG. I held off getting one for many years and I'm sorry I waited so long. A perfect addition to my other guitars.
The reason is the same as why people don’t play gibson: the price. They don’t make affordable models for young people, you can hardly find them in a local shop music store to test them out, they rarely make updates on their guitars so that’s why people invest their money in Epiphone and Fender. They can start with either of them and stick with one brand because of how nice and affordable their products nowadays
That Rickenbacker sounds really good to me. So clean and chimey.
I absolutely love the sound you get from this Rick, but like most of the others that have commented I always wanted one but could never afford one! I have played them before and do find playing lead is much more difficult than I would have thought. The sideways frets were supposed to have been made to give better playability and tuning to the guitar, but they seem to be more difficult to play higher up the neck like you mentioned! Nice reverb you are using---what is it?
I bought a chickenbacker for about 350. Naturally it has some issues. Nevertheless, I've got it setup reasonably well and I'd say it captures the real Ricky tones fairly well.
Damn, that's a pretty guitar. Sounds beautiful too.
Thanks!
I always liked their shape and style and I always wondered why they couldn't have produced a solid body version with hot humbuckers and a locking tremolo.
In fact they did in the 80's. It was called the Hamburg model. It had a fixed bridge; no tremolo arm. I owned and gigged one back in the 80's. It was very affordable compared to the 360 and even the 330 model, close to half the price. The neck was identical to a 330 however, w/ 24 frets covering 2 full octaves
Love, love, love, love, love them! Such distinct tone.