Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

General Rickenbacker discussion

Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4

Why did you let your Rickenbacker guitar or bass go?

Poll ended at Wed Feb 17, 2021 8:40 am

Playability
9
19%
Tone
3
6%
Aesthetics
1
2%
Weight
1
2%
Problems of Adjustment
3
6%
Quality of Construction
0
No votes
Trade for Another Instrument
13
27%
Financial
10
21%
Other
8
17%
 
Total votes: 48

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admin
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Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by admin »

I consider myself fortunate to have had a handful of Rickenbackers late in my years. Each one spoke to me in its own way. Alas, several would not make the cut for several reasons. I am interested why you finally let one or more of your Rickenbacker guitars or basses go. Was the issue playability, tone, aesthetics, weight, problems of adjustment, quality of construction, trade for another instrument, financial or perhaps another reason? Inquiring minds would like to know. Please take the time to complete the poll but also post your reason in detail so that other members may benefit from your experience. As there may have been multiple reasons you may select three of the poll options.

The one I let go was my 480. I found the neck angle coming off of the body difficult to get used to and I was unhappy with the bridge adjustment. It was a good looker, however, but I could not adjust to these two features. I was also interested in upgrading another of my Rickenbackers and was able to trade it for services.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm

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Sugarcane
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by Sugarcane »

I’ve only ever owned one Rick, my 620 and I don’t plan on letting it go. I like it as it is, and though it definitely ain’t a versatile guitar like a Stratocaster, it is very good for what it is made for.
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eatswodo
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by eatswodo »

I let my 330/12 go for two reasons - one, I realized that I was more in love with the idea of owning a Rickenbacker 12-string than actually playing it, and two, I wanted to use its value to help me finance another guitar purchase.

It was a lovely, lovely instrument, but I hardly ever played it.
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T.A.R.
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by T.A.R. »

I consider myself lucky I’ve never had to contemplate that question but then again I only have mine.
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iiipopes
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by iiipopes »

I never quite got along with the 1976 4001 I got in 1981, since I like to anchor my thumb in the "conventional" style on the pickup or pickguard next to the pickup, like on a J or P, decades before aftermarket bezels were available. And then there was the 4002. As soon as I learned about it from a short blurb article in the back of a Guitar Player Magazine (before Bass Player Magazine separated out to its own publication), the quest was on. It solved my two main issues: where to put my right thumb, and the pickups being humbuckers. I finally found one in the early '90's, bought it, sold the 4001, and after a string safari put GHS Progressives on it in custom gauges 45-60-80-105, decades before "balanced tension" became a thing. I have played it that way ever since, with two exceptions. 1) I wore out the frets from constant gigging when it was my only bass, and had to have it refretted. My luthier did a stellar job, you can't tell is has been refretted; 2) I went on another string safari to try some of the new strings that have come along in the twenty-five years since I first strung it with Progressives. It confirmed my choice all those years ago, and I patiently await GHS bringing Progressives 2.0 to market with a new balanced set of 44-60-80-106 - no more singles!
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by Rickenblues »

My first Rickenbacker was a 650D. I gigged with it and really enjoyed it. I had a chance to pick up a mint 650E. Now I had two of essentially the same thing. I gave the 650D to a really good friend and kept the 650E.
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rikk
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by rikk »

I have only sold one Rickenbacker but it was in a trade to Al Cisneros. I got another Rick in return. I sent him a 5er, which I stopped using and got a 4004 which I always wanted. I love the sound of the 4004, but not the neck. That would be the only current Rick that I would consider letting go.

BTW, hi everyone. I haven’t been around here as much lately. Facebook seems to take my time now. Looking around here again I miss this forum. I’ll have to revisit more often.
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scotty
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by scotty »

Ive let a few go over the years.
They looked at me the wrong way.
:wink:
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by tcsmit29 »

I got my first Rickenbacker in 1988. Since then, I've owned 11 different Ricks of various body styles, string configurations, and colors. I currently own 2. So I have sold 9. Every one of them, I sold because I was either in a financial bind or wanted to upgrade to something else. I have always been happy with quality, playability, and sound of my Ricks. I wouldn't hesitate to own any of those again, money permitting. My favorites were a 650 Atlantis and a 370/12RM. Sadly both of those were sold.
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scoobster28
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by scoobster28 »

I traded away my first, and only, Rickenbacker guitar for another. I bought my 360/12CW in 2001 from a guitar store and I think at the time the owner and salesman had pity on me as I went there all the time to just look at the Rickenbacker guitars. The guitar played great, and it was gorgeous with its figured maple top. I had a 12-saddle bridge installed which I think improved the intonation but I am not really sure. Unfortunately, I rarely played it because my fingers were just too fat and I was afraid of damaging the guitar so it mostly lived in its case.

I traded it to Paul W. in return for a 331LS guitar conversion (actually, a 336LS as I had him install an Accent vibrato on it for me). I love the lightshow, but man I wish now I had kept the CW. I probably would have just strung it up with 6 strings and played it that way, which really isn't the sound it was intended to produce. But, I just can't finger a regular 12-string neck very well.
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by Tubwompus »

If stupidity of youth fits in the “other” category, that would explain my letting go of my first, a ‘61 450, back in ‘88.
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berth
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by berth »

Maybe some regrets about selling my 4005. But then again, I hardly ever played her and I was able to buy my current favorite (for years now), a Shadow.
68 4001|73 4001 MG|75 4000 MG|79 4001 JG FL|81 4001S AZG|86 4003 MID/BT|86 4003 Shadow|88 4003s Blackstar|89 4003 Grey/BT FL|93 4004 Ci|96 4003S/8 FG|98 4003S/5 JG|05 650D|05 4004Cii/5 TG|08 660/12 JG|18 4003S/5 MID|19 4003S/5 WAL ||TR35B|RB 30||
pauleway
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by pauleway »

I could never figure out (and still can't) why Rickenbacker made such a thin neck for a company who primarily is known for their 12 string guitars, and
I'm sure at first, for financial reasons, they just put twelve strings on their models, but after they became so popular, I'm sure they heard the complaints of the guitars being too hard to adjust to, why they didn't come out with the wider neck for all their 12 string models.(I know-I know, 660/12+1993Plus).
Everyone I have ever talk to about why they got rid of their Ric-12, they always said "Too Hard to Play-Can't Adjust to it"! Even Petty and Townsend requested a wider neck when they were asked what they would prefer on their models. (Petty-660/12, Townsend-1993Plus).
Just seems like common business sense to please your customer base! :?
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jch
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by jch »

I traded my 325V59MG for a 52 reissue Tele,stupid i know ,but i wasn't playing the Rick as it was some what difficult to get along with,it was great for rhythm though.Sold the Tele after 2 years ,couldn't bond with the neck.

My 330JG was sold as i wanted another guitar, i didn't have the money so i sold it,i really regret that though as it was a lovely player and was a gift bought from my cousin.
I ended up having to sell the guitar i sold the 330 for too pay a car repair bill!:roll:

I was told by the shop that it went to a good home though,a Weller/Jam fan who had a 330 and wanted a second.
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sloop_john_b
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Re: Why Did You Let Your Rickenbacker Go?

Post by sloop_john_b »

The last one I had was a 1983 330 in Jetglo (just like Johnny Marr's) - I really made a go of it to make this a gigging instrument, but it was not to be, for a few reasons: tuning stability was poor, the tone was sort of in no-mans-land sonically, and I found the hard edges of the body to be uncomfortable.

The neck was fine - sort of on the larger side - but it simply didn't have the magic that a good 60's Rickenbacker neck does.
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