Is a 360 You Main Gigging Guitar?

[jps]

If you train by dead lifitng, bench pressing and curling the AC 15 it will feel much lighter in a couple of weeks. I'll train with you while you're in town . . .

Yeah, Paulie will watch while Jim lifts.

[jimk]

Sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do.
JimK

[shamustwin]

I have gone through 360 only periods, and 1997 only periods. I'd probably use the 360 more if it had a tremelo. Both great live, though I crank the treble down to about 6 on the (Fender) amp. On the AC-15 treble is all the way off, still too bright!

Then there's the plus of not playing what everyone else is playing. Much as I love my Strat(s)!

[rkbsound]

The 360 was a big hit -- the band liked the tone a lot so I'm going to stick with it. We recorded this Monday night and I used the Rick for the lead and the "jangly-er" sounding guitar. The song is still new, and so is my playing.

"Shipwreck"
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/9392390

[Matt Clark]

I use my 3 pickuped white 620 look over here ====>

Then I use my 330 as a backup.
And, then have my 360/12 for the specialty songs. It sounds great on songs like Wave on Wave.

Someday I might get myself a 360/6 if I run into the right one (as in color and features combination, like a double bound Jetglo with a bound sound hole that's not a vintage reissue)

[rkbsound]

Boy I love white! I wish RIC would bring back that color! Nice guitar!

[Matt Clark]

Boy I love white! I wish RIC would bring back that color! Nice guitar!

Thanks! I love the white too, I just wish it stayed bright white. This guitar is pretty yellowed now.

Although, with that it has the coolest checking on the back--it almost looks like wood grain. It's uniform tight checking running the width of the guitar so it almost look like flame grain.

[Dasher]

I gigged my 1998RM (1964 vintage) night in night out for four years in the 70's. I've gigged it a lot less in recent years, using an LP standard or a mid 90s usa strat with texas specials instead. To be honest I play live in front of people only once or twice a year now but I still jam regularly in a large space.

When I used it exclusively it was for original work. The vol and tone for both bass and treble were always full on, rolled back at the amp and for bigger venues at the desk. I still find today in the studio that I just set the knobs to full, if I don't then I just can't find the tone I want.

Today I put it mainly through a Peavey classic 30 and it works fantastically well. I've also used it DI and for that I prefer a Tech 21 GT2. If the venue has a desk I would consider this - takes a leap of faith but is actually very good. Saves on weight!

If I go small (ish) tranny then it's a Fender Stage 112 and, if the valves are working, then it's via a Boogie V twin pedal.

Working the (now) vintage 1998 was never easy, the heat from the lights would affect tuning in all sorts of ways and Boss tuners in a pedal array were unheard of in those days! If you play hard and work the neck hard, even that will bend out of tune - saving the need for the trem bar ha! ha! Feed back was never a problem for me as I wanted my sound to be on the edge of it - just in control. This was OK even with big, 2 x(4x12"), cabs with 100w heads and slaves. It probably saved my hearing as I couldn't stand too close for too long!!

I am going to buy a modern 330 or 360 and it will get the occasional outing, hence my interest in this thread. I'd still choose the LP first to gig with but for the home studio its the rick first every time.

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

I'm speaking purely out of personal experience; it's not the doctrine for Rickenbacker 360s!

I had a 360 - Traded it, but now own a 620/12. The build quality alone would have made the guitar my main one if not for my problems with the instrument. I know I'm threading a fine line, and hope I'm walking on eggshells enough to get my point across. Feedback is a problem with me and any hollowbody guitar; I can't even use it in a musical sense with a solidbody guitar (at least outside of my experimental music). With a hollowbody, you can't hit a distortion box and expect nothing to go wrong: I set my house alarm off more than once. The instrument had some other quirks: not loud enough for my taste, yet too loud when I tried to compensate on the amp. I can't explain that one, other than I didn't own a Dynacomp until I traded the guitar (If I at least had that pedal, I may have kept the 360). In a nutshell, it guitar wasn't for me. It was built well, sounded wonderful, and everything else a person can hope for other than what I have said before. Th 360 and I did not mesh.

BUT, and there's always a big one, I have read many posts on vintage Rics versus modern Rics. Modern Rics have the quality companies dream of, but the vintage ones seem more sought after for their vintage sound and build. So, if I ever make money from music (I give my music away for free for personal and political reasons) or get a good job as a writer or professor, I would buy a vintage 360 (Preferably a model more in line with Peter Buck's unique 360).

Guys, please don't take my post the wrong way. Solidbody guitars are more for me and my style: My 620/12 is the love of my guitar-life right now, and I would gig with it in a heartbeat. I'd love one of each model in the 600 series someday.

[idealassets]

I play originals, use my 360/12 solely. Why would I use anything else?

Oh, yes- I love 12 string. I like to re-work songs tomake them a 12 string version. But don't you ever need to use a 6 string for anything?

-Craig

[JohnCovach]

I've been using the same 360-12 regularly for the past 10 years. Jingle-jangle!!

[rkbsound]

Ok, I used the 360 through my Vox AC15C1 for the first time live this week. Everything went really well, aside from a major hum produced by my Route 66 pedal. It was much more pronounced, so I've ordered the new version that corrects that issue.

We have video up here, for those interested! http://www.facebook.com/UnsoundMethodsRoc

[bvstudios]

My gigs are mostly "folk rock", heavy on the folk, so I have to say that I mostly use an accoustic/electric (Takamine) 12 onstage. However, I also take my MIJ Strat and my 370/12, each of which sits patiently onstage until called upon. The electrics run through my trusty Roland JC77 (the Strat on the clean channel through a ZOOM box and the RIC on the effects channel to take advantage of the Roland's chorus) while the Tak runs through a DI to the board.

When I added the RIC, we added a min-Byrds set to the mix, and it's always quite well received. But I also use it on some Jimmy Buffet, Rodney Crowell (we're a little eccentric, but you should hear Stars on the Water on a 370/12 through a JC- very spacey) and a few 60's folksongs that can be beefed up by it's presence. Mostly, nowadays, the Strat stays on the rack, until someone asks for some Dire Straits - and they do. Our other singer's voice reminds folks somewhat of Mark Knopfler's tone, so we have a couple we can do if called on.

Deciding on the JC77 was a blessing. It sounds wonderful (and LOUD) no matter what I put through it.

[shamustwin]

Gotta have that Jingle-Jangle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DolyECqh51E

[Matt Clark]

Do now! I just picked up a Jetglo 360/6WB. Awesome!