Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Speaking of great sound. THe best sound I have heard in concert live was Steve Miller on the Joker tour in 72 IIRC, He had a Les Paul and I saw three Marshall lights on. For the song "Evil" off the same album, I saw a 4th light. That sound filled up the whole Long Beach Auditorium, and also penetrated right through to the bone! A Strat may be way more versatile, but I defy it to get THAT sound!

I've never had the luxury of playing a RIC guitar (yet) except my 4080.
Ahh, someday...I may have to change my views on the ultimate one guitar, maybe a 330 or 340...I know you can get the sound of a Strat or Les Paul, but are they as comfortable?
I need to try one!

I had a cheap plywood short scale bass until I managed to scrape enough cash together to get my 4000 back in 1986 as the second owner (7 long years).

I like Les Pauls, too, but a Strat is just so comfortable.
And everything is very subjective. I now have a healthy appreciation of many different guitars I wouldn't have looked twice at as a callow teenager, particularly the Jaguar.
My buddy Mike's was a Tobacco Sunburst finish, needing some fret work (you couldn't bend strings without fretting out almost instantly), but for his style of playing it was almost perfect.

The surf twang through his early '70's Super Reverb (my favorite amp) was incredible.
Mike is a guy who has a talent for finding really cool old gear.
The Vibrolux, Super, & Jag were all really good deals & the amps were VERY close to being mint in condition. Really nice stuff.

Kevin, I would say a 330 for instance is certainly vastly different feeling than a typical Strat, but IMO more comfortable, especially for chording. Of course, I solo with mine too!

I've seen a lot of Jaguars and Jazzmasters that seem to have problems with fretting out, including a Jazzmaster I once owned. Paul, what gives? Something with the bridge?

Oh, yes, and it's happened to me. The bridge has no less than 33 individual parts!

Better yet, 26 of these are movable, 6 are springs, and 12 are tiny (3-48 or 4-40) Allen-headed set screws to set the saddle (string)height and fretboard radius. Everything vibrates each time you pluck a string. The set screws--because of string pressure forcing them down--screw up through the saddles and very gradually you lose string height until you begin fretting out.

My solution is a tiny drop of blue Loctite on each setscrew's threads after the height has been set. This should also be done to the bridge height adjustment screws.

I also deepen the grooves for the G, D, A, and E low strings in the saddles. The E especially likes to go a-wandering,

I'd have to agree with John that the 330 shape is more iconic (and more aesthetically pleasing) than the newer 360 shape. I've never been a fan of the rounded horn design of the 360. When I think of a Rick 12 string, it's always the 360 OS which comes to mind.

I am not a big fan of the "new" rounded shape, either. I am a fan of the double-bounds and Capris. I don't believe them to be "icons", however, for the reason that I outlined above.

The argument can certainly be made for the Höfner 500/1 "violin" or "Beatle bass" as being "iconic." Yeah, it's said that Höfner was "copying" the original Gibson, but the Gibson always looked screwy to me. Höfner made it elegant, and McCartney made it famous and iconic. You can argue that it's not a great instrument or a well-made instrument, but, it's certainly "iconic" to me.

I was about to mention the Hofner, and I will add the Flying V, with a crazy grin.

Oh, I dunno...I rather like the rounded shape of the new style 360s.

JimK

Certainly. It's iconic, Jim.

Paul, I almost agree and had given some thought to including it. But it really is known for nothing but its shape, whereas the others on my list have more than that going for them.

Yes, I'd agree, if one to were to ask the "average" person what image comes to mind for Rickenbacker, it would be McGuinn and the 360/12.

PW, to the list I would add the Gibson 335 (and all of its sister models). To me (and many others) it is THE iconic blues and rock n roll guitar. Think Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Jorma Kaukonen, Clapton (for a time), Alvin Lee, etc.

It seems whenever a web site puts up a graphic having to do with music, it is always either a Strat or 335 shape.

That's a good suggestion, Mark. Just about the only thing that keeps it off the "first string" list, is its conventional and somewhat pedestrian shape, which, btw is what also kept Gretsches in toto off.

Nothing unique about the features except the "Stereo/Varitone" on some '60s models. What's to distinguish the silhouette from that of a Gretsch 6122-62 (formerly "Country Gentleman")?

So it didn't make the cut on my list. You could put it on yours, though!

The 335 is a great guitar, but lacks a distinctive shape.

I recently gigged with my Revolution Casino (335 Shape).

I looked at the pictures afterward and thought "Man I look COOL!"

Wasn't a fan of that body shape til then!

It is a gorgeous guitar, Jerry!