Now that I've broken my first string on my newly acquired 325/12v63 (and with no replacement strings in the house - I should've left well enough alone instead of trying to tweak the tuning...) it's probably a good time to ask for suggestions as to preferred string sets (and sources) for the short scale 325/12v63.
Interestingly not even the Rickenbacker site shows a short scale 12 string set - the only short scale set they show is the 6 string set (95106/Short-Scale NikL/12-16-24W-32-42-54)...
BTW, I know some will suggest pyramids, but I'd rather not have to alter the nut, which I understand is necessary to use Pyramids. (In any event, http://www.juststrings.com doesn't seem to list a Pyramid short scale 12 string set anyhow...)
thx,
rgordon
Strings for 325/12v63?
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Richard,
I suggest going to Home Depot or similar store that carries tools at a reasonable price and buy a micrometer, a tool used to measure thickness, and use it to determine the diameter of all the strings. You should then be able to compare the measured sizes to those in various sets available to find a match. At worst, you should be able to find a music store that has 'loose strings' (i.e., individual strings from broken sets) and you can buy one of the correct diameter to replace the broken one. I did this to figure out what strings I needed to replace the original ones on a Ryder 1000 FG I bought a while back.
By the way, yours is not the only guitar that the factory doesn't list replacement strings for: RIC doesn't list a replacement set for my 730L Laramie, either (the diameters come close to matching those of the short-scale electric set).
I suggest going to Home Depot or similar store that carries tools at a reasonable price and buy a micrometer, a tool used to measure thickness, and use it to determine the diameter of all the strings. You should then be able to compare the measured sizes to those in various sets available to find a match. At worst, you should be able to find a music store that has 'loose strings' (i.e., individual strings from broken sets) and you can buy one of the correct diameter to replace the broken one. I did this to figure out what strings I needed to replace the original ones on a Ryder 1000 FG I bought a while back.
By the way, yours is not the only guitar that the factory doesn't list replacement strings for: RIC doesn't list a replacement set for my 730L Laramie, either (the diameters come close to matching those of the short-scale electric set).
It is better, of course, to know useless things than to know nothing. - Seneca
Richard: The 325/12s were strung with sets in which the main string gauges were 12 16 24Wound 32 42 54 the octave string gauges being 12 16 12 16 24Wound 32.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
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Peter;
Your comments reflect the compressed wound string Rick would have used in the 80s or 90s edition of this guitar.To get real close to what Lennon Actually had on his original 1964 325-12, the current Pyramid flatwounds are the "real deal".When I had my own 325-12 in the mid-late 80s, one of [??] however many that periods production batch was, I strung mine up with what I had left at the time of a personal supply of original Rick/Maxima flatwounds.And they worked just fine.
Your comments reflect the compressed wound string Rick would have used in the 80s or 90s edition of this guitar.To get real close to what Lennon Actually had on his original 1964 325-12, the current Pyramid flatwounds are the "real deal".When I had my own 325-12 in the mid-late 80s, one of [??] however many that periods production batch was, I strung mine up with what I had left at the time of a personal supply of original Rick/Maxima flatwounds.And they worked just fine.
Don: Yes I agree. I really enjoyed Pyramids on my Model 350. I was responding to the strings that likely came with Richard's 325/12 when it was shipped from the factory during recent times. Does Pyramid have a 12 string set specifically for short scale instruments? Their stock 12 string set seems a little on the light side for a short scale. What do you think? I am not aware that Pyramid sells strings individually so that one cold make up a set. Perhaps Paul B. will be able to respond to this issue.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
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Hey Don...I recently acquired a '99 325/12 too, and judging from the way the strings are wound on the pegs they are probably original; not much twang to them....I really love this little 12. 
Do you have any of the old Maxima sets left, and were they 12's instead of 10's??
Combo 850 has one from the '85-'86 model run, and I think he has 13's on his 12-string....I know many people opt for 13's on a 325/6, but I find the 12's to be okay on the 325/6 and 12.
Do you have any of the old Maxima sets left, and were they 12's instead of 10's??
Combo 850 has one from the '85-'86 model run, and I think he has 13's on his 12-string....I know many people opt for 13's on a 325/6, but I find the 12's to be okay on the 325/6 and 12.
Do you have any of the old Maxima sets left, and were they 12's instead of 10's??
I do Not have any more sets of the MAXIMA/Rick#483
flatwound sets. I ordered a box of 12 of them in '80 or '81 and that "fed" the 2 or 3 Rick 12s I had for the next 10-11 years.If I Did still have any, I would Not sell them at Any price to Anyone.But that is irrelevant, as the Pyramids essentially pick up where the Maximas left off.
And BTW,the Maxima/483 set was Only a .010 top E guaged set.
I do Not have any more sets of the MAXIMA/Rick#483
flatwound sets. I ordered a box of 12 of them in '80 or '81 and that "fed" the 2 or 3 Rick 12s I had for the next 10-11 years.If I Did still have any, I would Not sell them at Any price to Anyone.But that is irrelevant, as the Pyramids essentially pick up where the Maximas left off.
And BTW,the Maxima/483 set was Only a .010 top E guaged set.
Interesting Don. I believe Tracy Sands may still have a couple of sets of Maxima left.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
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A possible "caveat" on buying the NOS Maximas;
I'm recalling that about half of the boxed sets of the dozen in the carton had the Wrong low G string[normally a .023 wound string]and instead had some incorrect plain string.The same happened in these sets with the octave A string, which was also a .023It was impossible to go to Any music store and find a single string of that description, and, to quote McGuinn from one time I met him, "the guts of the 12 string sound is the G string pair".Iif you play that intro lick on Tambourine man, and have Anything else but the .023 G and the .010 hi G , it's just wrong.
I'm recalling that about half of the boxed sets of the dozen in the carton had the Wrong low G string[normally a .023 wound string]and instead had some incorrect plain string.The same happened in these sets with the octave A string, which was also a .023It was impossible to go to Any music store and find a single string of that description, and, to quote McGuinn from one time I met him, "the guts of the 12 string sound is the G string pair".Iif you play that intro lick on Tambourine man, and have Anything else but the .023 G and the .010 hi G , it's just wrong.
John: This is a very good question. If the Maxima 10s intonate just fine, I have to wonder why RIC would go to the trouble they did in stringing the 325/12, last time around, with the heavier gauge strings as opposed to the standard 12 string sets. Don, may we assume that your 325/12 intonated fine with the Pyramid 10s, well at least as "good" as Lennon's?
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
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Don, may we assume that your 325/12 intonated fine with the Pyramid 10s, well at least as "good" as Lennon's?
The short answer is "No". But since Most guys playing one of these probably don't do the bulk of their playing above the 1st 5-7 frets, intonation, relatively speaking, isn't a real big deal. I bought a Rick 12 saddle bridge to put on it, only to find out that you can't use that bridge on that guitar, due to the shorter neck, and the way the strings "fan out" in their stretch over the length of the fingerboard. On the 325-12, using the 12 saddle bridge, even if the bridge is properly centered on the guitar, the short scale places the hi and low E strings such that at the body end of the fingerboard, these strings are starting to literally drop off the edges of the fingerboard.So you are stuck using the 6 saddle bridge on this instrument.And less than perfect intonation.
The short answer is "No". But since Most guys playing one of these probably don't do the bulk of their playing above the 1st 5-7 frets, intonation, relatively speaking, isn't a real big deal. I bought a Rick 12 saddle bridge to put on it, only to find out that you can't use that bridge on that guitar, due to the shorter neck, and the way the strings "fan out" in their stretch over the length of the fingerboard. On the 325-12, using the 12 saddle bridge, even if the bridge is properly centered on the guitar, the short scale places the hi and low E strings such that at the body end of the fingerboard, these strings are starting to literally drop off the edges of the fingerboard.So you are stuck using the 6 saddle bridge on this instrument.And less than perfect intonation.
it would make sense to me that if the 325/6 needed .12's to intonate properly then so would the 12-string 325....I am thinking changing my 325/12 out soon and I may do a little 'field research'....
My next question is: Why 12's on a short scale guitar and 10's on a full-scale??
John,
You are trying to be Way too analytical here. Just put the Pyramids on the 325-12 and be Very Happy.If it was good enough for Lennon, why is it not good enough for you?? As to part 2 Q ; look at it this way; take a Gibson SG[24-3/4" scale]
and a Tele[25-1/2" scale]. put .010 string sets on both.Set both with similar action.Then tell me which one "feels" better under your fingers.
Maybe you follow where this is going now with other guages on other scale guitars. The principle is the same regardless.
My next question is: Why 12's on a short scale guitar and 10's on a full-scale??
John,
You are trying to be Way too analytical here. Just put the Pyramids on the 325-12 and be Very Happy.If it was good enough for Lennon, why is it not good enough for you?? As to part 2 Q ; look at it this way; take a Gibson SG[24-3/4" scale]
and a Tele[25-1/2" scale]. put .010 string sets on both.Set both with similar action.Then tell me which one "feels" better under your fingers.
Maybe you follow where this is going now with other guages on other scale guitars. The principle is the same regardless.