Ive always been partial to the look of the 330... that slash hole really does it for me.
I had been searching for a decent used one for quite awhile and over the web, lucked into a very near mint '89 330 RED at a reasonable price.
But the cool part is... it turns out that it isnt really red at all, but the somewhat rare Ruby!
IMHO this color is absolutely stunning! With the light striking at different angles, it appears to change from a dark cherry color... to a bright metallic candy apple... to a glowing ruby red!
S W E E T !!!
Finally... I got a 330 and it turns out to be a *Gem*
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David: The Model 330 is a great instrument. Sorry to take so long before extending my congratulations. What was the first song you played on it? You have to love ruby. I guess we will have to get used to your new handle "David Weller."
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
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* your new handle "David Weller" * LOL Thanks Peter... I wish 
Im starting to really bond with ol' Ruby now! The sound is so different from my others, that at first, I had a problem getting the tone I wanted to hear. But after spending a little time tweaking my amp settings, Im real happy with it now. Its got a kind of *airy* quality my others dont have. Let a chord ring and shake the neck around a bit... yeah! The RIC 330 is THE chord machine!
The first song was *The Last DJ*. Strange, but I wasnt thrilled with this CD at first listen, but its growing on me now.
And yes... the Ruby truly IS a great color! Ive already *personalized* it by installing a set of vintage gold guards and oven knobs. Gives it a more distinct and vintage look IMHO.
Sorry for rambling
PS: Should anyone be interested... the guards were purchased from Tony @ pickguardian.com in Ohio. Hes a great guy and does a fine job for a very reasonable price.
Im starting to really bond with ol' Ruby now! The sound is so different from my others, that at first, I had a problem getting the tone I wanted to hear. But after spending a little time tweaking my amp settings, Im real happy with it now. Its got a kind of *airy* quality my others dont have. Let a chord ring and shake the neck around a bit... yeah! The RIC 330 is THE chord machine!
The first song was *The Last DJ*. Strange, but I wasnt thrilled with this CD at first listen, but its growing on me now.
And yes... the Ruby truly IS a great color! Ive already *personalized* it by installing a set of vintage gold guards and oven knobs. Gives it a more distinct and vintage look IMHO.
Sorry for rambling
PS: Should anyone be interested... the guards were purchased from Tony @ pickguardian.com in Ohio. Hes a great guy and does a fine job for a very reasonable price.
Umm. . . since you seem to be enthusiastic about this (I am for you as well) can I ask you a ??? I am super interested in a rick of some sort over the next year or so. Love "that" sound and all the things you can do with it. Now for the question: what *other* sounds can be had from a 330? Anything mellow, in the neighborhood of a jazzy Gibson? THe reviews at Harmony Central seem pretty mixed about the versatility issue. HOw does it rate with a 360 in terms of "versatility?"
"The only worthwhile conquests are those wrested from ignorance"
-Napoleon
-Napoleon
John: How could you tell that Im enthused?
The 330 vs 360 in terms of versatility:
They are basically the same guitar. The 360 is a deluxe version of the 330, so I assume that theres little, if any, difference between the two.
Tonewise, your choice of pickups and amplifier is more relevant. With the blend knob set ~1/2 on, you have 3 different sounds available at the switch. As you move the toggle switch up, the tone gets more full and mellow. Both pickup styles have the Ric jangle, but IMO, the high gains are perhaps more versatile. They are way hotter and distort very nicely. Good clean sound as well, but not as good as the toasters. The high gain neck pickup sounds better to me than the toasters however. More clear and rich and warm to my ears, so if you *can* get the jazzy sound your looking for... it will be here. Gibson-ly sounding... I dunno so I wont comment
Regarding amplifiers, Im using a Tech 21 TradeMark 60. For my purposes, its ideal. You would be hard pressed to find another amp with such a range of tones. They also make a 10 watt single channel unit that receives high marks. Prices are reasonable and the quality seems good so far. Theres alot of info and even tone samples available on their site.
Hope this helps. Let us know what your selection is!
Good luck
The 330 vs 360 in terms of versatility:
They are basically the same guitar. The 360 is a deluxe version of the 330, so I assume that theres little, if any, difference between the two.
Tonewise, your choice of pickups and amplifier is more relevant. With the blend knob set ~1/2 on, you have 3 different sounds available at the switch. As you move the toggle switch up, the tone gets more full and mellow. Both pickup styles have the Ric jangle, but IMO, the high gains are perhaps more versatile. They are way hotter and distort very nicely. Good clean sound as well, but not as good as the toasters. The high gain neck pickup sounds better to me than the toasters however. More clear and rich and warm to my ears, so if you *can* get the jazzy sound your looking for... it will be here. Gibson-ly sounding... I dunno so I wont comment
Regarding amplifiers, Im using a Tech 21 TradeMark 60. For my purposes, its ideal. You would be hard pressed to find another amp with such a range of tones. They also make a 10 watt single channel unit that receives high marks. Prices are reasonable and the quality seems good so far. Theres alot of info and even tone samples available on their site.
Hope this helps. Let us know what your selection is!
Good luck