New guy checking in - just ordered a 660.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:42 am

Jack, I also would be interested in hearing your impressions of the 660.

shemp · Post by **shemp** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:08 am

I'm waiting for mine to come back from the factory after some warranty work to get the action manageable.

shackleton · Post by **shackleton** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 7:26 am

Do you mean you sent it to Rick in Santa Ana?

shemp · Post by **shemp** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:30 am

Yessir. I just got off the phone with Kenny and it sounds like they're not optimistic that my guitar can be fixed. The factory manager is going to fiddle with it a bit more, but it's beginning to look like they may be building me a new guitar.

shemp · Post by **shemp** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:41 am

I should add that I took delivery of the Ric on Mid December and couldn't get the action lower than 6/64ths on the bass side and 5/64ths on the treble. I took one last crack at it with a nut driver while pulling back on the neck and "ping" the truss rod nut broke. First time I've broken a truss rod after playing for 40 years and owning/maintaining some 25 or so guitars.

I shipped it back to Ric about 3 weeks ago and you can read the update above. At least I know that the guitar was faulty and not my guitar tech skills.

Kenny told me that the factory manager feels that something is "funny with that piece of wood" whatever that means.

I sure hope it means they're going to build me a new guitar.

skeeterbuck · Post by **skeeterbuck** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 3:21 pm

Jack, that's a shame about your new 660.

Sounds like one of those pieces of wood that just doesn't want to become part of a guitar. From my experience with the dual truss rods, it usually takes only a 1/4 turn or so to straighten a RIC neck. My 1997 re-issue neck is almost dead straight with no tension on the rods. I have them just snug enough to take out the slack.

Hope everything turns out OK for you.

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:53 am

I'm sure RIC will resolve the situation to your satisfaction, Jack.

shemp · Post by **shemp** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:21 am

I hope so as well.

Kenny seems like a pretty good guy, but I'm a little bit freaked about them coming back to me in 3 weeks and saying "well, at first we didn't think we could fix your brand new guitar that has less than 1 hour of playing time on it because the factory manager said there was something just not right with the wood, but we did and it's heading back your way today."

Yikes....

shemp · Post by **shemp** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 4:12 am

I spoke to Kenny on Friday and he told me that my guitar should ship back to me on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, he didn't know whether they fixed the old one or built me a new one. He said he'll call me before it ships and let me know all the deets.

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 2:36 pm

Keep us posted, Jack.

shemp · Post by **shemp** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:29 pm

Got "A" 660 back. No info from Ric as to whether it is the same guitar repaired, remanufactured or replaced. No hang tags, no info as to how to register for warranty work. Unfortunately this 660 has a very noticeable ding on the back of the neck by the 6th fret, a series of small but noticable dings by the jack, white lines where the neck meets the body. Cosmetically it is a used instrument. Ebayers would consider it an 8.5.

Communications from Ric were poor during this entire episode and always at my initiation...usually several attempts by me to get one terse response.

I sent Kenny a polite email a week ago expressing my concern over the recent issues and have heard nothing.

So at this time I have a 660-6 that I spent $150 to 2day Fedex back to CA for warranty work. After spending $1800 to buy it I have no idea of what the provenance is and though it is now set up to factory specs and is very playable, it has several cosmetic issues that weren't there when I sent the guitar back.

I'm not happy, I bought this guitar in early December and here we are 5 months later with unresolved issues and poor communications from the mfg.

Lest anyone think I make a career out of this... I currently own 15 guitars priced from $200 to $5000, 13 amps, $1000s in effects and this is the first warranty claim I've ever filed.

skeeterbuck · Post by **skeeterbuck** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 2:00 pm

Jack, I know it's dis-hearting to have trouble with a new guitar and I feel for you.

I would contact John Hall the CEO at Rickenbacker and explain you complete situation. I know from his posting here on this forum, that he takes pride in all Rickenbacker guitars and wants his customers to be satisfied.

I'm sure he will do what it takes to correct the problem. It will just take a little longer...your see.

steverok · Post by **steverok** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:08 am

Definitely not what I would call a "typical" Rickenbacker experience. Of course, nobody's perfect, but they usually are flawless.

steambyrd · Post by **steambyrd** » Thu May 31, 2007 7:01 am

Jack, I'm curious; whatever happened with your dinged 660? Did Rickenbacker ever make it right for you?

steverok · Post by **steverok** » Thu May 31, 2007 7:40 am

Wasn't this the guy who wrote that nasty letter to John Hall ? They ended up deleting that thread. My guess is Jack left this place, never to return ...