Rickenbacker on backorder

[danbind]

One factory in Santa Ana, CA, and they are pretty COVID-y out there at the moment.

Supply and demand on pricing, though, new or used...you get what you pay for.

[cestlamort]

I’m not sure about the real life prices but msrp for a 330 is $1999 and 2499 for a 360, more for 12 strings. Note that the warranty starts with the production date, not sales date. (Did a price check on aisle 2: MG 330 = $1799, FG 360 = $2299 at musicians friend)

They’re much cheaper used (and used to be even cheaper). Certainly less than MIA offsets.

You can likely find a 330 for 12-1300 or so

[fuzzjunkie]

Used Rickenbackers are usually in very good condition. Even 20 year old guitars just have a few surface nicks and scratches.

Either people baby them or the finish is tough, but other than the binding and inlays yellowing with age, all my Ricks have held up well.

My early’70s 4001 has some buckle rash and thumb wear on the back of the neck, but that’s all from spending several years getting thrashed in a punk band. The finish is thinner and probably nitro compared to the poly of the ‘80s-90s guitars I’ve had.

[cestlamort]

also to consider: the headstock shaped changed over the years, varying from small (60s-early 80s) to various Gumby permutations (mid 80s-mid 00s) to small (mid 00s to present) and 330 horns had varying degrees of pointy-ness. Otherwise more or less consistent, with the usual caveats (higain pickups changed some over the years, construction changed some, but nothing major).

Note: The headstock shape didn't bother me at all until one day I suddenly couldn't unsee it (my little avatar pic is one of the big headstocks and I live in shame of that to this day).

Also note that you can always get a 12 string (bonus: the headstocks didn't ever get as huge!) and string it as a 6 string. (But the recent 12 strings have slots in the headstock... sigh).

[mediocreplayer]

I will derail this thread to ask a novel question that has never been asked before What is appealing about these guitars? The 330 looks like Pac Man eating the dots on the neck, and they don't really sound that good, especially with those awful awful hi-gain pickups. Any good sound/jangle that can be produced from these guitars the Jaguar can do better, so what is it?

I would still be very happy to have a 360 because Peter Buck, and I realize this is subjective because I hear people talking about how beautiful Rics are But this is one brand whose popularity consistently puzzles me.

[HarlowTheFish]

I will derail this thread to ask a novel question that has never been asked before What is appealing about these guitars? The 330 looks like Pac Man eating the dots on the neck, and they don't really sound that good, especially with those awful awful hi-gain pickups. Any good sound/jangle that can be produced from these guitars the Jaguar can do better, so what is it?

I would still be very happy to have a 360 because Peter Buck, and I realize this is subjective because I hear people talking about how beautiful Rics are But this is one brand whose popularity consistently puzzles me.

As a non-Rick person, who's played several but not clicked with any:

Really unique playability that nobody else quite manages, due to the narrowish necks, lacquered fretboards, and bridge/tailpiece design
Really particular pickups that don't sound quite like anything else -- even a nice Jag -- whether in terms of jangle or a similar sort of bright-punchy-fat thing as a good Broadcaster/Nocaster-style pickup
Ergonomics (kind of fits into the first one, but it's getting its own point) that nobody else really does. The old Schecter Stargazer/006 is probably the closest, but they just sit against the body in a similarly boxy way as a Tele but with placement of the bridge/neck joint that makes it hang really differently on a strap
Really good playable electric 12-strings that are actually available. Fender has the Electric XII but that's rare and kinda pricey, the Strat XII that I've only seen like twice for like $1500

IDK man like I said I don't dig them -- though I do want some kinda home build with Rick pickups at some point -- but there's a lot of reasons folks would look for a Rick specifically over something else.

[cestlamort]

I will derail this thread to ask a novel question that has never been asked before What is appealing about these guitars? The 330 looks like Pac Man eating the dots on the neck, and they don't really sound that good, especially with those awful awful hi-gain pickups. Any good sound/jangle that can be produced from these guitars the Jaguar can do better, so what is it?

I would still be very happy to have a 360 because Peter Buck, and I realize this is subjective because I hear people talking about how beautiful Rics are But this is one brand whose popularity consistently puzzles me.

Ha. I'd never thought of the Pac Man before... (Maybe that's why I like the ones with rounded horns better... maybe time to put a bow on Ms. Pac Man). (Sometimes I think the 360 looks like the future, sometimes like a toilet lid, albeit a pretty fancy one, but it is more comfortable to play than a 330).

Personally, I love 'em, maybe because I was imprinted with a 330 as "cool guitar" at a relatively early age (Smiths, Rites of Spring) and a good chunk of my initial guitar awareness was built around Rickenbackers (REM, Church, XTC, etc. later: Slowdive, Pale Saints). I'd say that where a Rickenbacker and Jaguar (or Jazzmaster) cross paths / overlap, a Rickenbacker sounds way more three-dimensional and complex, and feels more "crafted" than "assembled", if that makes sense.

Maybe more importantly: They're also different to play and make you play differently (or at least reward doing so). Even after all these years, I'm "better" at non-Rickenbackers, but I tend to like what happens on a Rickenbacker better, for whatever reason, and the parts made up on a Ric tend to sound less inspired/inspiring on a Fender. (Channeling Nick Hornby: Maybe I just like them because they make me more interesting or at least seem so).

[BoringPostcards]

Does anyone know what is up with rickenbacker guitars? They have been out of stock at all dealers since covid started and there is no sign of them returning.

Are they closed due to covid?

Grover Jackson works there. He says they only make 2K a year of any given model.

[tammyw]

Just googled it out of curiosity...

Rickenbacker guitars stops accepting orders from Guitar Center and Musician’s Friend:

https://guitar.com/news/industry-news/r ... ns-friend/

I wonder if GC/MF was already trying to screw them on accounts due at that time, or if Ric just saw the writing on the wall and decided to cut ties to avoid getting screwed when they reached bankruptcy.

[CivoLee]

Maybe more importantly: They're also different to play and make you play differently (or at least reward doing so).

And they'll punish you for trying to play them like a "normal" guitar...

[sunburster]

I will derail this thread to ask a novel question that has never been asked before What is appealing about these guitars? The 330 looks like Pac Man eating the dots on the neck, and they don't really sound that good, especially with those awful awful hi-gain pickups. Any good sound/jangle that can be produced from these guitars the Jaguar can do better, so what is it?

I would still be very happy to have a 360 because Peter Buck, and I realize this is subjective because I hear people talking about how beautiful Rics are But this is one brand whose popularity consistently puzzles me.

I have a 360 and I really love it. It sounds very distinct from a Jag (which I also have, and love). It is fuller, airier and warmer, especially in the neck pickup. The Jag has a sharper, more focused sound with more treble and a bit less sustain. I would never think I could sell one and still get the same sounds of both guitars.

[Larry Mal]

I will derail this thread to ask a novel question that has never been asked before What is appealing about these guitars?

Well, I had always heard that they had narrow necks, so I measured mine, it was the same width as my AVRI Fenders. They don't get much wider down the neck, though.

Anyway, like you've read, they play differently. I remember when I had mine that all of a sudden I was doing things differently than I do on my other guitars. Not huge, I mean, I wasn't playing like John Scofield all of a sudden or anything, but it was noticeable. And it was nice.

There's definitely something to them.

I would like another some day. Still, I basically didn't like the Hi-Gain pickups and I remember when I worked out a trade for my Ric, I was asked to send along some sound samples. So I did, and I spent a day recording myself playing it and as I did so I realized that I basically had a guitar that didn't work for me, I never could dial in a sound I liked all that much.

I might have liked the toaster pickups more.

[sunburster]

Ric Hi-gain pickups into a Roland JC- amp is pure heaven. Playing through a Twin Reverb, however, never sounded good to me. I like their sound with Vox amps too, though.

[blunderbuss]

Selling my 360 was a huge mistake. Fantastic guitars.

[mcbrandt]

I always loved the model Weller had in that News of the World video, it had a trem bar on it and the burst color looked good. I don't remember the model number though.