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I've had a 1990 360, a 1994 360-12, and a '98 330. I found the string spacing to be a little narrow and had some difficulty playing the twelve without making a lot of muffed notes. I sold that on rather rapidly. I also had a 70s era 360 for a short while, that I (think) I loved more than any of the 90s ones.

I had both the 360 and the 33o concurrently. I liked the 360 much more than the 330. The 360 had a lot of great sounds in it. The 330 sounded weak by comparison. I thought that it was just that guitar, but an acquaintance also had a 330 that we compared to one another, as well as to the 360. His had the same weak response. All my guitars had the hi-gain pickups.

I am wondering whether the lack of Ric-O-Sound circuit on the 330s is what gave them their lifeless sound? A friend of mine who is a bass player owns a recent 330, and although I haven't heard it, without prompting he described the guitar's sound as dull.

Take it all FWIW.

I didn’t find the Hi-gains to be dull, but they aren’t as crisp and chimey as a vintage toaster.

I didn’t buy my Hi-Gain 360 to sound like the Beatles though, it was Pete Townsend, Peter Buck, and Marty Wilson-Piper that made me covet a Rickenbacker. So, toaster, Hi-gain, toaster pickups in their guitars, respectively.

As noted, Smiths and Smithereens sounded just fine with Hi-Gains too. I don’t remember which grade of pickup were in Paul Weller’s guitars.

Weller had Hi-Gains.

The 360 had a lot of great sounds in it. The 330 sounded weak by comparison.

If it was the carved top version of the 360, then the extra thickness of the maple top and increased sustain would make it sound bigger. Not necessarily better, but different enough to notice.

Maggieo wrote: ↑

Tue May 26, 2020 12:33 pm

Weller had Hi-Gains.

timiscott wrote: ↑

Tue May 26, 2020 4:35 am

I'm thinking of getting a six string Ric 330 or 360 and was wondering what experiences people have had with them. Obviously, I can't get out to try one out at the minute so can anyone help?

Rickenbacker 330s are awesome. You can find the jetglo ones for around $1000 to $1200 in the USA if the seller is motivated.

I had a “Montezuma Brown” one i bought from Pick of the Ricks in 2013 and miss the hell out of it. I traded it for a black Les Paul Standard, I was super into Les Pauls at that time and convinced I needed 3 of them for some reason.

To satisfy that itch I got a fakenbacker/Chickenbacker and man, it is nowhere near the same. It’s cool in it’s own right, I have modded the hell out of it but it’s not a 330. It’s this weird thing that I just “have”.

People tend to think all they can do is jangle because that’s what all the Boomers on YouTube do, they try to emulate the Beatles... They can get very loud and clear, almost like a good balanced acoustic guitar when you use the neck pickup, and a Rickenbacker 330 with a geranium fuzz is amazing. I loved playing mine in drop C and play stoner rock riffs.

Dude from Mile Marker played a 325 thing and Guy from Fugazu played a 330.

How i feel about Rickenbackers:

https://youtu.be/l3Pnr3S10yA

Jesus, that's a wide range of experiences to base an expensive choice on!

I mean, it's not really something you are going to regret, you know?

This point, I will wholeheartedly accept.

Once you pick out which one you want, the main thing is to spend the time to get used to it. They’re a different feel, but really, really nice instruments.

Of the many Ric basses that I’ve played over the years and the one I owned, I would gladly own another one in a heartbeat.

Ive got a ´86 360 in ruby red, ive acquiered it around 10 years ago and it is my Nr.1 ever since.
It has hi gains, is really solid and is versatile in terms of playability and sound.
If you get the chance to check a few out, than take the one you feel muiscally as most.

When i bought mine, the seller hat around 12 dfferent Rickenbacker guitars from 1969 till 20xx
There are really big differences from those variance of models!

Maybe i like really narrow necks, because of my 360.


go for it!

I've got a '08 360-6 in Jetglo, and like it a lot. The Hi-Gains are definitely not out-and-out jangle machines, but for me at least, that makes them a lot more versatile. They take fuzzes/dirt really, really well.

I did have a 12-string 1993 Plus for a while, but didn't play it enough to really warrant the investment. That one came with toasters, which definitely excel at "that" sound, but were much more of a one-trick deal than the Hi-Gains.

I think the modern Hi-Gains are all around great pickups. So much so that I got rid of my 620 and put Hi-Gains in my Jazzmaster.

I never found the 620 very easy to play, but damn if it wasn't a beautiful guitar that I still miss having. Oh well, I can get 95% of the sounds out of my Jazzmaster with those pickups. Everybody should own a Ric at least once.

sookwinder wrote: ↑

Tue May 26, 2020 5:31 am

About 20 years back I bought (new) a 360, black, perfect and I was hoping to get some 60s (beatle et al) inspiration.

What I got was a guitar that is one trick pony, with a narrow nut that is ridiculous in these times, uninspiring and has sat in my gtr room hardly ever being played. (the US Flag sticker that is on the guard when you buy them new is still there looking in mint condition)

In 20 years it's been used on one recording and you can't even tell that it's a rick.
I won't sell it, but shouldn't have bought it.

But if you can't tell that it's a Rickenbacker, then how can it be a one trick Pony?

I mean I have Greco copy now, not sure if it's constructed the same way but i can play anything on that. But i guess this wouldn't be a good comparison

But i have owned a Real Rickenbacker before, a 620 and same thing i could play anything from Abba to ELO's Xanadu.

I traded my 330, but I would get another one.