OSG Rickenbacker (and Rickenfaker) thread?

[BMWRider]

I have had a few Ricks over the years, guitars and a bass. I searched out a replacement for my original 2008 Mapleglo 330/6, but since I wanted binding, I bought a 2022 360/6. Sounds great, though it is a personal preference.

[MrFingers]

Congratulations! I see you have the thumb rest added to the bridge pickup. This seems like the most sensible thing to do. Enjoy it! They are the coolest basses!

It was the first thing I removed when I got it (no: the second thing, the first thing was that pickguard sticker). I just prefer the cover. Just like on all my basses (P, J, EB3).



Still pretty happy with mine. Yes, it is an ergonomical disaster, an absolute menace to keep dialed in and to blend in a mix, but it has the sound, and it has the look. I have a separate tripod stand for it, so it can sit in the living room. When visitors come it's an instant eye-catcher (whether they know anything about instruments or not).

[Soniqfreq]

Oooh, I’ll play. I have a very big thing for late 80s - early 90s Rics. Pre-96 move to CNC (sorry to be contrary to the previously stated 86 earlier in this thread), fibreboard topped pickups (80s - mid 91, and easily my favourite sounding hi-gains), glorious necks… all the good things.

Both 330s and 360s from this era have a noticeably different body shape to the modern ones which are really hard to unsee once you have. The horns on the 330s were rounder / less spikes. 360s had the original curves - the post 96 ones are more square and not as pretty to my eye. Im also one of the oddballs who prefer the narrower triangle inlays and the bigger headstocks.

I agree with all your points and your collection is drool worthy. Those early modern-era Rickenbackers are incredible. Here is my 1986 360/6 with the mastery bridge and I think it’s the perfect Ric. It sounds and plays spectacularly. They used mis-matched hi-gains in these (my neck reads around 12k while the bridge is 6.25K) which I think is why they sound so good…and right….it gives you that classic Ric sound (yes, 1980’s alt/post punk and 1990’s shoegaze are my classic Ric sounds…not 1960’s toaster jingle jangle folk). OD, Fuzz and Distortion sound great with these.

I just bought a matching 360/12 from the same year/month/batch….my 360’s long lost fraternal twin! I’ll post a picture of them reunited once it arrives.

[ryland]

I've been shopping for a 660/6 and noticed that the neck depth specs seem to be all over the place. I had not realized this about Rics...is it a common thing that no two have the same profile, or is it an anomoly of the ones I'm looking at? I'm seeing from .87 - .92 at the fist fret and between .91 and .97 at the 12th, with a range of mix and match values in between for each.

[Soniqfreq]

Since this is OSG…here is a picture of Gumby and Pokey (with friends).

[Kinx]

I've always been intrigued by Rickenbackers; they are quite rare where I live, and it took me a long time to actually try one. The first one I tried was my friend's 80s black 330. I was blown away yet disappointed at the same time. The sound was odd yet beautiful, but the ergonomics reminded me too much of old Hofners and other vintage European brands, albeit with a less trashy vibe.

Then my buddy purchased this beautiful '91 620 out of curiosity:



And I kind of fell in love with it. The sound! It was the sound I'd been hearing on various records for years. It was the same revelation I experienced when I played a proper Jazzmaster for the first time. However, I feel I can't live with it. The idiosyncrasies get the best of me - the ergonomics, the narrow bridge spacing, the frustrating bridge (I had a minor meltdown when setting it up), the truss rod... it's as if they tried to do everything differently from most manufacturers just for the sake of it. I would love to have this kind of sound in my arsenal, but I'm afraid I can't deal with the narrow string spacing at the bridge (the same reason I eventually sold off most of my European guitars).

I made some demos with the 620 on the picture: one showcasing the metal side of higain pickups and a proper one showcasing the classic jangle-jangle.

Does any Ric model come with proper string spacing (think classic Fender) at the bridge?

[Jonesie]

I've always been intrigued by Rickenbackers; they are quite rare where I live, and it took me a long time to actually try one. The first one I tried was my friend's 80s black 330. I was blown away yet disappointed at the same time. The sound was odd yet beautiful, but the ergonomics reminded me too much of old Hofners and other vintage European brands, albeit with a less trashy vibe.

Then my buddy purchased this beautiful '91 620 out of curiosity:



And I kind of fell in love with it. The sound! It was the sound I'd been hearing on various records for years. It was the same revelation I experienced when I played a proper Jazzmaster for the first time. However, I feel I can't live with it. The idiosyncrasies get the best of me - the ergonomics, the narrow bridge spacing, the frustrating bridge (I had a minor meltdown when setting it up), the truss rod... it's as if they tried to do everything differently from most manufacturers just for the sake of it. I would love to have this kind of sound in my arsenal, but I'm afraid I can't deal with the narrow string spacing at the bridge (the same reason I eventually sold off most of my European guitars).

I made some demos with the 620 on the picture: one showcasing the metal side of higain pickups and a proper one showcasing the classic jangle-jangle.

Does any Ric model come with proper string spacing (think classic Fender) at the bridge?

I think the Colorado and Dakota models have wider string spacing.

I'll fully admit the Ric bridge can go to hell, tailpiece too. Gotta get a Winfield Harp and Mastery on there to keep yourself out of the way of madness.

But yeah, the Ric thing is the Ric thing. Nothing quite like it, and it does a really cool thing, but you have to really like that thing. I love my 330, for some reason all the quirks work for me.

[ryland]

Yes, the 660 and 650 models have a wider string spacing, at least at the nut. I just picked up a 660/6 and absolutely love it. I just need to sort out the mild string rattle on the low E.

[BoringPostcards]

I've always been intrigued by Rickenbackers; they are quite rare where I live, and it took me a long time to actually try one. The first one I tried was my friend's 80s black 330. I was blown away yet disappointed at the same time. The sound was odd yet beautiful, but the ergonomics reminded me too much of old Hofners and other vintage European brands, albeit with a less trashy vibe.

Then my buddy purchased this beautiful '91 620 out of curiosity:



And I kind of fell in love with it. The sound! It was the sound I'd been hearing on various records for years. It was the same revelation I experienced when I played a proper Jazzmaster for the first time. However, I feel I can't live with it. The idiosyncrasies get the best of me - the ergonomics, the narrow bridge spacing, the frustrating bridge (I had a minor meltdown when setting it up), the truss rod... it's as if they tried to do everything differently from most manufacturers just for the sake of it. I would love to have this kind of sound in my arsenal, but I'm afraid I can't deal with the narrow string spacing at the bridge (the same reason I eventually sold off most of my European guitars).

I made some demos with the 620 on the picture: one showcasing the metal side of higain pickups and a proper one showcasing the classic jangle-jangle.

Does any Ric model come with proper string spacing (think classic Fender) at the bridge?

That’s actually a 610, not a 620. 620s have binding and shark fin inlays.

[Kinx]

Ha! thanks for correcting me, I didn't know there is a 610. It was sold to him as a 620 tho, I think the original invoice from Guitar Center Sundset Blvd from the early 90s in the case reads 620 as well. TBH I like this look better

[JSett]

This is how my 360 stands currently. It has a Firebird pickup hidden under the Ric casing. I also recently moved the pickup about 1/3" away from the bridge and it fattened up the sound noticably. It now has the Jangle, but with added *ahem* girth...



I really love this guitar

[BoringPostcards]

Ha! thanks for correcting me, I didn't know there is a 610. It was sold to him as a 620 tho, I think the original invoice from Guitar Center Sundset Blvd from the early 90s in the case reads 620 as well. TBH I like this look better

610s are harder to come by, in my experience. There’s also the 615, which has the accent vibrato.
One of our admins or mods here on OSG used to have a 610. Was it Jay? Can’t remember.
I also like the stripped down look better. It’s why I also prefer the 330, to the 360.

[DaddyDom]

This is how my 360 stands currently. It has a Firebird pickup hidden under the Ric casing. I also recently moved the pickup about 1/3" away from the bridge and it fattened up the sound noticably. It now has the Jangle, but with added *ahem* girth...



I really love this guitar

So do i! I could see Peter Buck wrangling this forever.

I love single-pickup guitars but the recent purchase of my ES125TDC has me right confused with too much choice, after years of LPJr and Esquire action.

And although Gibson are now conveniently offering them, how did you find your Firebird pickup, may I ask? A true FB pu is my favourite after the P90.
I must say, though, that new Epi/Gibson/Customshop/crap-name Firebird 1 is on my radar.

[JSett]

how did you find your Firebird pickup, may I ask? A true FB pu is my favourite after the P90.

It sounds great in this! It's extremely jangly, maybe even more so than traditional Ric pickups. It sounds kinda HiFi in a way. I need to try and sort a decent demo of it someday

[ryland]

This is how my 360 stands currently. It has a Firebird pickup hidden under the Ric casing. I also recently moved the pickup about 1/3" away from the bridge and it fattened up the sound noticably. It now has the Jangle, but with added *ahem* girth...



I really love this guitar

This is an amazing guitar! I have a set of Firebird pickups in a Jazzmaster and was thinking just yesterday that they're fairly close to the sound of Ric toasters, but maybe more hi-fi. Awesome.