In praise of the model 220

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:05 pm

Yes, the body on these is just plain ugly...mine is even worse because it was originally red, and osmeone painted it black, but didn't take the red off first, so the finish is so thick its cracking in places. I'll refinish it myself one of these days.

I don't use mine at a blues jam I go to unless I bring my AC30, because the amps used there are normally Deluxe Reverbs, and it sounds like **** through those and tonally gets buried in the mix. But through the AC30 it really jumps out and has a nice tone that is different than anyone else's. I use flatwounds on mine though to tame some of the shrillness and harshneess those pickups put out. I like the sound better with flats on this guitar, but it is harder to bend strings!

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:44 pm

Hmmmmm.... Ihave noticed that there is some shrillness in the treble range on the 220, and so I roll the tone knob back a tad....I might have to try the flats; I never would have thought of putting them on this guitar--do they cause a noticeable drop in the volume with the humbuckers? I use Pyramid flats on my 1967 model 365, and I've noticed that although they give a better vintage jangle sound with the toasters, the volume is not as loud as with the RIC strings.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:38 pm

Theres no real drop at all volume-wise that I can tell, and actually the flats seem to bloom a little more than rounds. There is more harmonic richness to the notes too with flats. It takes the harshness and high end shrillness right out of this guitar. Initially I did it to see what flats would sound like since I had never used them, and I liked it so much I was sold. Later on I tried rounds again to see if I would like it since they are so much easier to bend, and it sucked and I took the strings off 1 day later and put flats back on again. I used the TI flats on this guitar and don't use flats on any others, though I may on my 330/12 BBL once it comes in.

tony_carey · Post by **tony_carey** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:22 pm

Mine had the single coil 'batteryless active tone circuit'. So the pickups were pretty unusual by Ric standards. Like I said, I loved the gtr...except for the volute (which I just couldn't get used to) & the feedback. I agree with what you said earlier Melli...it did have a sort of Strat like out of phase sound with both pickups up, but if you just rolled the neck pickup off a bit, then you had a really good growl, that I found was actually Ric like....great, great sounding gtrs.

It was a beautiful fireglo.

I've never tried one with the humbuckers Greg, so can't offer an opinion.

4003 · Post by **4003** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:27 am

I have a 250 El Dorado with the humbucker wanna-be pickups. Until I got the 650, the El Dorado was my hard rock guitar. The 650 blows it away as far as power, tone, response, sustain, etc.

I can not be more impressed with the 650.

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/250eldo/250eldo.htm

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:04 am

Aren't the humbucker pickups in the 230/220/260/250 and the newer stuff like the 650 the same pickup except for the name on the cover on the newer ones? I always thought they were...maybe one of the Halls can chime in?

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:12 am

Bob, your 250 is really pretty!

I am sure the 650 is a better guitar, but right now I would be totally unable to justify any more guitar-related expenses to my dear hubby....he thinks that 13 Rics is enough (LOL!), but will graciously allow me to order my dream model 1996 later this year.... But how hard is it to get used to the wider neck of the 650, when you've been playing standard skinny-necked Rics for a while?

Greg, I may have to try the flats on the 220--sounds like they might be the ticket! I think I've got an extra set of TI's around here somewhere.....

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:35 am

Ah... if you were closer to Berkeley, Melissa, you could've tried a 650 and decide for yourself...

4003 · Post by **4003** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 10:29 am

The 650 definitely feels different than the 250. I am primarily a bass player with guitar a distant 2nd in total time played. So, I can't really say I am so used to a particular neck size. That being said, I have short, fat fingers and I find the 650 easier to play chords on. So, based on my preference, I agree with that car company - Wider is Better.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 4:31 pm

The neck on the 650 feels great and is not much of a stretch at all, from other Rick models. Just a little bit of extra space.

The 650 is an awesome guitar for lead playing. The one I got to play was incredible. I'll have one eventually...i'm holding out for an Atlantis.

sir_andrew_of_left_coast · Mon Mar 27, 2006 4:59 pm

I've got a 260 in Fireglo, a 220 in Midnight Blue (exactly like Melissa's)... and I've got a 650D. Since the scale lengths are all the same, it doesn't take me much time to acclimate from one to the other. The 650 is a little wider, the 220 & 260 are a little thicker... it's all good.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:39 pm

I like the 650 necks a lot myself. I used to like skinny necks, and since my 230 was my first ever guitar, I'm very used to it. But in the last couple years I've played Strats and Teles, various Gibsons, Gretschs, and other stuff, and almost all of them have wider necks than my 230. Now I like big and thick necks, but the RIC is still nice too.

Try the flats Melissa...and give them at least a month and play them in various amps (if you have that choice anyway) and then make your decision. For me, I was sold on them the first time I played it with the flats on it and I can't go back! I use rounds on every other guitar though.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:59 pm

Okay, Greg, I think you've talked me into trying the flats.... I will put the TI's on the 220 when I feel I can justify the few extra minutes to change the strings, LOL!

As far as amps, I've got a RIC TR7, a cheap Crate practice amp that I gave to my son to use with his Squier mini-Strat (LOL!), and my wonderful Vox Valvetronix AD60VT, which is like having 12 different amps in one, with limitless options as far as effects go.... I think that will give me plenty to experiment with!

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:51 pm

I think you should be able to find some tones you like, although you may want to try out a new AC30 in a store near you.

I've got a 1993 Korg AC30 reissue that I use with the RIC 230, but it also sounds great through a Sovtek Mig50H Midget, a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, a Silvertone 1484 that I modded for my brother, and a friend's Supro Thunderbolt. The common theme here is they're all tube amps.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 6:44 am

I think I figured out what it is I'm liking about the 220.... I played it side-by-side with my beloved Purpleburst 330 this morning, and I just couldn't get that punchy bass sound with the 330, no matter how I adjusted the amp--I guess that's part of the reason I think the 220 works so well for the blues.... I wrote a non-blues song yesterday using the 220, and it uses the bassy sound to good advantage; I tried playing it on the 330, and it just wasn't working, and to be honest that surprised me.... Oh well, I guess that's why there are different flavors of Rics, LOL! Oh, but the 220 really seems to sparkle on the same chorused AC30 setting that I generally use with the 330 as well.... Again, I'm kinda surprised, but I'm liking it!