Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

David: Is the other side of eternity near a bridge too far or this side of finality.

Perhaps you could give us some sense of where the other side of eternity is, then a member who lives there could invite you in to try out a Rickenbacker or two.

When choosing Rickenbacker I am betting that clarity will help. If you live in New Brunswick I will help.

Any differences between a 620 and a 660?
660 has got a wider neck than a 620 and it is equipped with toasters pick ups.
Right?
Thank you!

You got the basic jist of it. The 620 also has white TRC and pickguards and short fingerboard inlays, while the 660 has gold and full-length fingerboard inlays.

Don't forget the checker binding on a 660. There is also the vintage headstock shape, trapeze tailpiece, nicer wood, vintage style tuning keys...basically the 660 is a vintage style instrument except with the wider fingerboard.

I'm a Big guy 6'2" 220 lbs. and I've played Teles most my life. I've got some big hands but the 360 6 was the ticket for me....
You really should try to find a dealer somewhere near you so you can try a few Ricks to see if the Nut width is actually an issue.
If you were playing fingerstyle solely it could be a benefit but just give a few Ricks a try you may surprise yourself.
If it is an issue then surely checkout some 660's and 650's. Do a forum search and you'll probably find some sweet pictures of the 600 series guitars is many posts.
They are out there and pack some wonderful tones.

Best of luck and I hope you find a Rickenbacker guitar that inspires you.
I rarely play a Tele since I bought the 360.

I don't see why people are posting about ukuleles and banjos, this is more about string spacing that the actual neck, and the problems are basically on the first 5 frets (very tight string spacing). I find it somewhat hard myself, except for power chords there, which is easier, and I don't have big hands nor am I very tall.

Guilty, Ivan. I made that comment by way of illustration; banjos, mandolins etc. all have skinny necks, as do some Rickenbacker models. Yet musicians with large hands and thick fingers manage to make good music with them. The point I tried to make was that sloppy technique is going to hamper your playing and a skinny neck is going to show that up most obviously in my teaching experience. The moral of the story: play with curled fingers and you will play cleanly no matter the dimensions of the neck.

JimK

I still don't see how you can compare a mandolin with a Rick, the neck must be twice as wide, and a ukulele has very wide string spacing, more than a classical guitar I think. I would say that even if the bridge spacing would be a little wider you could play a lot faster because even the picking is somewhat weird when the strings are so close together. Although I agree with the thing about having the fingers curled. Can you do full bends on the 3rd fret G string?

rickenmetal wrote:...Can you do full bends on the 3rd fret G string?

I don't know yet. I'll have to wait and see if I can when my Ric arrives. But having said that, I think based on my past experience, I'd be more likely to bend the B strings. I almost always play in a sort of Piedmont fingerpicking style, and have a tendency to bend the B string on my acoustic 6 string. Bending the G strings on a 12 string guitar at the third fret might be kind of interesting. I'll have to give it a try.

JimK

admin wrote:David: Is the other side of eternity near a bridge too far or this side of finality.

Perhaps you could give us some sense of where the other side of eternity is, then a member who lives there could invite you in to try out a Rickenbacker or two.

When choosing Rickenbacker I am betting that clarity will help. If you live in New Brunswick I will help.

Well, Peter, if "the other side of eternity" could be plotted on a Cartesian plane, I still wouldn't know the coordinates. All I do know is it surrounds me and I'm in it. When I run into Buddy, Jimi, John, and/or Bob, they'll be able to advise me accordingly. Now, if this isn't stream-of-consciousness, I don't know what is, eh?

Late,