Ok, ok. If i must acquiesce to your prodding, you're getting the whole story like it 'er not.
The 620 has been on my list for...well, forever. With the new-fangled fireglo and new FWI method and materials, I've been beating the war drums and hunting stealthily and steadily for the "right" one, if you know what I mean. Last week I spied this particular incarnation at Willie's Guitars in Minneapolis and I just had to have it. I didn't expect to get another guitar this year after the Hofner 500/2 Custom Shop job that I picked up in January, so this came as a very welcome surprise. [that reminds me, I should post some pictures of the Club - it's stunning and oh, what a great bass]
Please allow me to expound. To my ears, the new hi-gains are snappy, robust, and balanced - moreso than the previous generation of pickups. When only the neck p'up is engaged, there's plenty of kick and spank. A little overdrive and reverb and this guitar easily competes with a Strat for lead tones. It's warm, bluesy, and smooth up and down the neck, and the guitar really breathes.
With the selector in the middle position, I get what I think of as the reason I bought this guitar. The tone is throaty, punchy, and flat-out pedal to the metal. Seriously, the guitar practically begs me to dig in with my pick and the more I do, the more responsive it is. It's quite a phenomenon, I must say. Coupled with the freedom of movement I get on the 21-fret board, and the easy access to all the frets, this guitar always seems to say, "F*** you if you put me down, jackass." The 620 has some attitude. The guitar itself seems to have a joie de vivre which does not exist with my other Ricks, at least for me. The 24-fret board of my 360DG is fairly cramped up the neck, making less than stellar when trying to knock out some high notes and bends. Suddenly I have the ability to reach anywhere and do anything I want and it's quite liberating. With both pickups engaged, the 620 fulfills it's noble promise IMHO.
Bridge-only p'up pretty much brings out a little more of the classical Rickenbacker tone, but it's also busty, funky, and modern. Everyone can relate to what Strat or Tele sounds like; with those guitars in mind it's easy to compare the bridge-only tone to your mom's Telecaster. Clearly I'm biased in favor of the Rick, but that doesn't negate the versatility of this guitar. For better or worse I'm partial to the trebly sounds that Rickenbackers can generate, and this guitar far exceeds my expectations in that regard. The bridge-only tones still push hard, and retain a balance along the whole fretboard.
Now, the neck itself is basically perfect. It's on par with the 360/12C63 in terms of feel and playability in my opinion. The C63 has the most comfortable, best-proportioned (both in breadth and width) neck of any Rick I've ever played. Immediately the C63 came to mind when I picked up the 620, but for me this is even better as I get a small, solid body and 6 strings! The guitar's sustain is superior to even my 660/12, the tone is tighter and more focused than my 360DG, and it kicks more backside than the 350v63.
Simply put, I'm amazed.
There's no fundamental downside to this guitar, with the minor exception of fret height. I guess I wouldn't mind a little more fret. I'm not a super-talented guitarist (far from it) but I work hard at it and when I feel like playing lead I prefer a little more room between my fingertips and the fretboard. Don't get me wrong, I have a lovely American Deluxe Strat and I don't always rush for that guitar when I play lead; on the contrary, I usually go to the 360DG. This guitar is easily superior to the 360 in terms of lead playability imho.
How about the aesthetics? Need I say anything? Rickenbacker have really started knocking out the best fireglo finishes I've ever seen, ever, period, full-stop, stick a fork in me or them. The burst patterns that are coming out of the booth are superlative and very refined. To my subjective eyes the coloring has more orange in it, as it should, and less pink. Sorta like AFG without the toner. It's exactly what I imagine when I think of what a fireglo should be. I'll A-B it with my 2001 660/12 for your reference & you can decide for yourself. Also, my 620 rivals many 660s in terms of flaminess and woodgrain. It's cool when these sort of sneak through the system. And as I mentioned, the new FWIs are really a treat. They look so nice, and I definitely prefer them to the poured resin inlays from the last generation. From some pictures, I admit, I thought they looked a little cheese-mo, but in person they are not only cheese-free but they are quite spectacular.
Alrighty, enough Rickenramble from me. Enjoy the show!
J
Nice to see you still 'round these parts PW! How's all with you? Keeping busy I'm sure. Hey, I still haven't bought a new acoustic. 
