It's done: 330/6 VP MID, golden plexi, cookers

[Hotzenplotz]

This is my personal dream of a 330 and it came true:

I bought a 330/6 as a new, undisplayed instrument. It's colour is Midnight Blue.

A few weeks later, suddenly I had a special guitar in mind! You know these moments close to falling asleep, and then there was it like a spark! Yes, some customizing could be interesting. One condition: All changes had to be reversible.

My (not able to sleep from that moment on...) dream was a style, that could have been produced by the factory at special moment in production time: As far as I knew were in summer '63 about two month when the "R", the cooker knobs and the golden plexies were available and the 5th knob wiring was introduced. All the parts for that side by side in the boxes of the factory. The cookers and the golden plexies ended a few weeks later. Only a little number of guitars had the cookers and a 5th knob. There never was a "mini cooker" for it, the knob was obtained from in the same summer introduced black knob set.

So in the end this could had been assembled exactly that way in former times. We know some Rickenbackers were - sometimes still today - produced with other parts when the "right ones" are temporarily not available. Parts close to discontinuation combined with the new R tailpiece? Yep, unique!

My name for this project is "British Invasion '63). British Invasion for the reason I bought the 330/6 in the UK at Sound Affects Music, located in Liverpool(!). So I had my own (very welcome) invasion at home the day the guitar arrived.

Only the position of the neck pickup and the Schaller tuners are not included in that scene, and the colour. But the RIC Midnight Blue is absolutely the colour I love most. If I should wish a colour from the factory, ... well, it exists already. I would pass this free wish to another person.

Now, here are the changes:
- retrofitted '2010 Toaster pickups
- original cooker knobs, original vintage 5th knob
- golden scratch plates and TRC
- Thomastik-Infeld JS110 Jazz flat wounds


This guitar is played through a Marshall compressor (ED-1, "Edward the Compressor") and a BBE Sonic Stomp - that's all. The amplification provides a VOX AC30VR, completed by a VFS2 foot switch for reverb and gain.

The flat wound strings create a swirling (tube!) and mellow tone, very dry but warm. And a bit rough also! - Old school Rickenbacker sound, yeah! The neck is nearly dead straight, the action is extremely low and comfortable, combined with a perfect intonation.

After searching a long time I found my sound!


Here are some pics made today for sharing my happiness, enjoy!
Comments and suggestions are welcome:

[Hotzenplotz]

And a few more:

[cjj]

Sehr schön! Herrlich!

[Hotzenplotz]

Vielen Dank!

[Hotzenplotz]

Here one more photo. All others were in original state totally bluish. This one is not and untreated.

There are the real colours together better to see.

[jps]

It looks like you are photographing that in the shade, which is primarily blue, high color temperature light. Try warming up the color temp in iPhoto.

Here is a quick Photoshop dealio, I just warmed it up and added a bit of saturation.

[Hotzenplotz]

Wow! Nice!

I am an ignoramus in Photoshop.

Ye, it was in the shade. In the sun I had too much reflections.

Want some more original blue ones? Very blue!

[jps]

[jps]

Like this?

IMG_0897b.jpg

I am still pretty much a rank amateur with Photoshop/digital, black & white is more my style, with real film, anyway.

IMG_0897bw.jpg

[Hotzenplotz]

No, not as nice as Yours:

[rickenbrother]

This thread was moved at the request of Sascha M. Böhlken. Very nice! You're adding to my RAS for a 330!

[Hotzenplotz]

Thank You for moving!

Yes, this one brought me closer to RAS, be careful!

The next on the radar is a 325 thick body. And a turquoise 360/6V64.

[jdogric12]

Very nice!!! Can't wait to see what you do with TUR! I love TUR & gold guards!

[Tommy]

That's really, really good looking. Fantastic.

I'm in the market for a 330, but a part of my brain is saying "plain Jane" about those guitars. Your simple mods show you can turn a Susan Boyle into an Angelina Jolie.
(No offense to the 330 or Susan Boyle. Plain Janes can be loved just as much as a 381 or Angelina Jolie. Uhh, at least I think they can.)

[Tommy]

- original vintage 5th knob

Just curious, were you able to buy a single vintage 5th knob or did you have to buy a whole set of those vintage black knobs?