Why did I choose my 360? Hmmmm, that's a little convoluted. I always thought Rics were cool in a different sort of way. But, they were never very common in Wisconsin, when I first became interested in them in the early 90s. I had several opportunities to buy new 620s in Minneapolis in 1990, when I was visiting an old boyfriend of mine, but wasn't sure I wanted to spend the cashh on one (it would have stressed out my finances at the time). Also, a480 I tried out at a music instrument consingment shop during the same visit, turned me off (I found the pickups to be too shrill and microphonic for my tastes, when I tried it out through a cranked up Marshall half stack).
In early 1995,I inqured about a jetglo 360, that had been hanging on the wall for a number of months at a Milwaukee area music store (It turned out that the guy who ordered it, had backed out of the sale). I tried it out. It played pretty good, and sounded quite cool in a different way than the Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion, that was my main gigging guitar at the time. The price was right (about $900 IIRC), so I bought it. I put a lot of playing mileage on that guitar for the next 4 years. Sadly I had to sell it, to help pay for some heavy duty bills in Aug. of 1999.
Skip forward to late 2008. Just for the heck of it, after reading a Harmony Central Electric Guitar Forum thread about Rics, I took a look online, to see what used Rics were available. Surprisingly enough, I found a 1994 jetglo 360, listed as being at a Music Go Round 35 miles from me. Figuring that not many 1994 jetlgo 360s were sold in Wisconsin, I went to check it out, and after finding certain dings in the headstock, was shocked to realize that it was MY OLD 360! I didn't really have the cash for it, so literally traded all of my guitars (to put it on layaway), and sold things to get the money to pay it off.
My 1st 360, shortly after I bought it back
3 months later (in Feb. 2009), In a fit of GAS for a Gretsch Brian Setzer Hotrod, I foolishly traded my 360, for the 'Setzer Hot Rod, telling myself, that I "wasn't connecting with the 360, this time around." I no longer have the 'Setzer Hot Rod, and by the time I realized my stupidity (I ended up remembering that the first time around, when I had my 360, it took me a little while to get used to playing it), I figured that there was no way I'd be able to afford another Ric, anytime soon.
But, I got lucky this year. I had a little extra cash (courtesy of a bonus at work) come my way this past June. I figured that I had a fighting chance of getting another Ric, without having to save for a long time. I tried out a few local 330s, and 360s (I'd already played a 620, and decided that the body was too small for my taste). The 330s were pretty good, but I preferred the necks, and the sound of the 360s I played. They were a bit pricey for me, but I got lucky. I took a look at the online music store websites, and found a 2009 mapleglo 360, that was listed as a blem guitar at zZounds.com. As a result, it was going for a few hundred less than a non-blem 360. Throw in the fact that I could spread out the cost over 4 payments, and it was a case of SOLD!! The guitar (which I call Blondie) arrived in late June. It played and sounded as good, if not better than my old jetglo 360. I paid off Blondie in October. I never did figure out what the blem was (possibly the small knot in the central walnut strip of the headstock?).
Today, I just got over a bit of bad luck relating to my present 360 (Blondie), a few hours ago. Last week Friday, I was forced to sell my 360, to scrape up money for some urgently needed dental work (courtesy of a car accident I was in 31 years ago). I didn't want to sell Blondie, but I had nothing else I could sell to generate the money a.s.a.p. I sold it to a local music store, keeping some of the sale as store credit, and using the rest as a payment for my dental work. My dental work was finished today. I got paid yesterday. So after I was donre at the dentist, I stopped off at the store I sold my Ric to, to try out some dirt pedals, and possibly see about getting another guitar to replace Blondie. I saw Blondie, and a few 330s, hanging from the wall behind the counter. The store was asking quite a bit more than I could afford for it, but I wanted to try out some Rics, with a few dirt pedals. I tried out a fireglo 330 first. It was OK, but something seemed to be missing soundwise to me. In spite of the fact I had given up on getting Blondie back, I asked if I could use it to try out some dirt pedals. It was like meeting an old friend again. The neck felt good, and it sounded great. Then and there, I decided I had to at least try to buy Blondie back. I knew I couldn't afford it at the present time, but I asked about putting it on layaway for now. The store was gracious enough to NOT sell it for me at the tagged price ($1500), and instead the owner told me I could have it back for 15% above what I was given for it ($900 last Friday), which was less than what the store was asking for their 330s. With the store credit I had from selling Blondie, and money I had from being paid yesterday, I didn't even have to put Blondie on layaway, I was able to outright buy it back. It's at home again, sitting in its stand.
PHEEW!! I hope I don't have to go through that again!!
To reprise, why did I choose my 360? Welllll, I had one in the past that turned out to be a good guitar, playingwise, and soundwise. This influenced me in buying the 360 I have now. I liked my present 360 enough, that when I had to sell it to pay a bill, I wound up unhappy in the process, and made a successful effort to get it back. See!! I told you the explanation was convoluted!!
Or per song?