650C Impressions

squid · Post by **squid** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:23 pm

I took delivery of my latest Ric on Friday. It's a 650C in Mapleglo with the high performance vibrato option. The first thing that struck me once I opened the case was the size of the guitar's body. All of my other guitars (Rickenbacker and otherwise) are hollowbodies, so the small profile of the 650C is a big change for me. Despite the small proportions, it's still got some good heft to it, so the balance is perfect. No neck diving here.

The next thing that struck me was how, um, maple-y the whole guitar is. Maple body, maple neck, maple fretboard, maple wings on the head stock ... it makes for a really unified aesthetic package. Looks great. Coupled with the extra contours on the body, it's a really sleek looking instrument.

The neck is fabulous ... maybe one of the best I own at this point. It's really wide, but the shape is sort of a flattened C that lessens the depth of the neck, if you know what I mean. I've got small hands, but I have no trouble hitting every string, and my fret span isn't compromised either. If anything, I'm playing a lot cleaner because I've got lots of room to work with. I can see why the lead players among us might favour this model -- you can really work the strings without worrying about bumping up against less sympathetic notes, and bending is a breeze.

The vibrato is crazily responsive. Just touching the bar drops the note like a dive-bombing bigsby. I haven't done any verification with any electronic tuners, but it seems to me that the maximum drop is enormous -- way more than I'd ever use. The action is smooth, and once the strings are sufficiently stretched, it returns to pitch perfectly. The vibrato can be set up to bend upwards, too, but I haven't played around with that yet. The tension is definitely robust (it seems to be stiffer than my Accent) but a little does an awful lot. For those who haven't seen one, there's a fulcrum that's fastened to the body of the guitar with four screws. The back portion of the bridge lifts when the bar is hit, shortening the scale and dropping the pitch. It's a slick, smooth running unit. The tension can be adjusted via the spring cavity in the back of the guitar, much like a Stratocaster. I plan on experimenting a bit with this later on just to see what happens.

Now for the sound. I expected this guitar to respond a lot like my 380L PZ, which has a chunky, Les Paul like tone that I always attributed to the Ricbuckers. Turns out I was way wrong on that score. The Ricbuckers in the 650C are clean and jangly with a tight, percussive, articulate bass response. It's just a delight through a Fender Twin Reverb. No flab at all. I'm really surprised by the brightness of the sound. I expected something much darker and rumbling, so the clarity and definition from string to string is a real bonus. Sustain is excellent.

All in all, I think I've found another "modern" Ric that I'm going to find indispensible ...

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:29 pm

Man, what a write up! It was a pleasure to read, even though I hang out at the bottom!

squid · Post by **squid** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:34 pm

Thanks, Charly! I felt inspired!

eatswodo · Post by **eatswodo** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:21 pm

The Ricbuckers in the 650C are clean and jangly with a tight, percussive, articulate bass response.

That's the best description I've ever read - and encapsulates perfectly what I love about my 650D.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:42 pm

I love my 650C, though I have, make that need, to get one with vibrato!

I saw a Mapleglo 650 at NAMM, it was gorgeous.

Great write-up, thanks John!

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 5:53 pm

Great read John. I've always been very curious about the Hi-Tek Vibrato - i'd love to try one out sometime.

I'm holding out for a 650 Atlantis with vibrato.

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:17 am

Great description. I miss my 650A/VT sometimes...

janglerocker · Post by **janglerocker** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:23 am

RIC's shipping detail says my local dealer has a few 650S's on the way. Sound like I need to stop in and check one out.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:14 am

Squid, where, again, were we supposed to send that check?

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:22 am

squid · Post by **squid** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:03 pm

Thank you very much, Mr. Hall, but guitars like these practically write their own copy. I'd feel guilty. Perhaps a small charitable donation to Rickenbacker R&D made out in my own name?

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:51 pm

Nice review, John..... and absolutely all bases covered!

janglerocker · Post by **janglerocker** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:45 am

I had the pleasure of playing a 650S today. I gotta get me one of those.

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:23 am

Dan, Pick of the Ricks has one in stock.

janglerocker · Post by **janglerocker** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:33 am

Thanks, Ken. My local dealer has both a new 650S and a used '04 650S to choose from. I played the used one and it feels, plays, and looks pretty much brand new. The price on the used one seems like a steal, too. $595.