Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

If Ricks didn't feel right to me I would be playing something else.

I love the unique playability of my 360 and it is this that, not its sound, that initially made me fall in love with these guitars (I've never had the chance to play a 600 series in person). I was/am primarily an acoustic guy and I do lots of finger picking, right hand kind of playing. Of all the electrics I tried out, the Rick was the only one that gave me that great plucky responsiveness under the right hand - a certain "resistance" (for lack of a better word) that none of the other guitars I tried had. In some ways, it plays like an acoustic to me, at least more so than other electrics. I also have small hands and I love the necks on these guitars - we get along very well!

I'm having a hard time finding a gibson or fender that I like because they don't play as well as my Rick. I've had 'em all but the Rick stuck around. I play the heck out of mine all the time.

It's all in the hand of the beholder.

JohnnyMarrFan wrote:In a random article I found on Google (just food for thought), it basically said that Rickenbacker guitars, in comparison to other major brands of guitar, do not play well and are mainly purchased because of the sound.

Sounds like it was written by someone who doesn't like Ricks that much.

I had played a couple of 'junk' guitars when I started (A Teisco tulip guitar, and a Series 10 Strat copy) and then got a Hondo Les Paul. I played that for two years and I was very into the guitar, but ALWAYS wanted a Rick and a Tele. In November 2000 I found a '74 Telecaster Custom (the Keef style, neck humbucker) and that was my main guitar for about 40 shows, and then on December 4th 2001 I found a black 330/6 in a pawn shop, and it's my favorite playing guitar. I loved the heft and weight of the neck and to this day, it's still one of my favorite and most comfortable necks to play, and it's worn in perfectly. However, once I got the 330, I had a new favorite. It's perfectly broken in (although the clearcoat on the fretboard is chipped on some of the high frets, but it's a beauty. It's a 21 fret, rather than a 24 fret model, which is admittedly a different feel, but I've never played a 24 fret 330. I occasionally like to play with a thumb pick and finger picks instead of using a regular flat-pick or plectrum, and it works extremely well for the way I play and the tone is always clear and bell like. It can do the Beatles thing pretty easily, but it's SO much more than just jangle and twang. And to this day, it's easily in my top three for easiest to play guitars. It sounds amazing to be sure, but it's playability is above and beyond what one would expect.

For me, Rickenbackers are simply the best electric rhythm guitars out there. For leads and bends though, I usually reach for my Les Paul or strat. That's not to say Ricks aren't playable, just that I prefer the latter two for playing the stuff high up. All of them are different, and IMHO excel in different areas.

I guess I should have added that 99% of the time, I'm strictly rhythm. I "don't want to make it cry or sing."

beatlefreak wrote:

JohnnyMarrFan wrote:In a random article I found on Google (just food for thought), it basically said that Rickenbacker guitars, in comparison to other major brands of guitar, do not play well and are mainly purchased because of the sound.

Sounds like it was written by someone who doesn't like Ricks that much.

Or maybe his column was flagging and this was away of raising interest..
Anyway WTH does "do not play well " mean?

A whopping generalisation from someone who doesnt have a clue or is coming from a biased PoV.



I have a strat shortscale ,strat copy , a tele, 370 , 620 and they all have good points but I couldnt say that any of them "do not play well ". They all have their good points which is why I have kept them..

ALTHO... the 620 kicks *** in terms of versatility so I may move off the Tele and the strat copy

J

Making sweeping generalizations about the playability of an instrument is always dangerous. What feels great to one player might feel uncomfortable to someone else. Many forumites report that they can't warm up to short scale Ricks like the 325, whereas others (including myself) have no problem playing them.

I have a 350 that plays like a dream. My hand doesn't fatigue when I play it over longer periods like it does with the Strat I own. Others have said they find the neck width on the 350 to be a bit narrow for them. That being said, I have played Ricks where the neck felt a bit funny to me. But they weren't mine. I'd only buy a guitar that felt good. I own 3 Rick guitars and 2 Rick basses and all of them play wonderfully...although the most comfortable guitar I've ever played in my life and one of the most amazing sounding guitars that I own is actually a Japanese-made Gretsch Duo Jet.

i know this is about rick guitars,not basses,but i have heard the same tired old argument about rick basses for years....once you get throught the "learning curve" on a rick,nothing else feels as right.....

Grrr...

My Rick 1997RI has become my main guitar, I do leads.
Love the tonal possibilities on it, as I usually play with few effects.

That one guitar get good twang, surf tones, mellow jazzy tones, even close to a Strat tone.
With a distortion box, it gets massive.

A pox on those who claim otherwise!

P.S. I'd been a strat guy before this, since my teen years, decades ago.

A subjective word about playing lead on a rick:

I prefer my short-scale guitars for lead work - I think they make me faster. My 320 is easy to play lead all the way up the neck. And with hi-gains the sound is versatile enough to do any kind of music that I play. I have no problem to play a Paul or Strat either, as my hands are not small, but not big either, just right for any stringed instrument. My fingers are extremely flexible, double-jointed too, almost rubberish. I'm a natural I'm not at a loss with anything I play, from mandolin to bass. So I can speak with knowledge of the others. My shorties, narrow necks and all, are my go-to for lead playing.

The author wasn't a guitar player, I'm guessing, and/or never owned a rick, but is just repeating hearsay

firstbassman wrote:

Ya know what? All instruments (for me) are hard to play.

If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Good point. Well said, Sir.

JimK