Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My new 660/12 arrived safely last night. I love it! I played it for about an hour tonight, and it was tough to put down.

As promised, here are some pictures and thoughts. Sorry about the picture quality, I'm not a pro at that. Any comments are welcomed....

I love the finish. It looks more green than turquoise to me, especially in lower light conditions. I would call it Eagles Green (although I'm not a Philly fan), or maybe Jaguars Teal Green. The gold pickguard and TRC really look good with this color, IMO. Both the green finish and the gold have metal flake, which I absolutely love:

I also really love the checkered binding.

The full-width inlays are cool, too:


I was surprised at how easy it was to tune. I was expecting worse.... I followed the directions in the manual and used a good tuner, and it was no problem.

Another surprise was discovered by accident. I tried it out with my guitarists 50watt tube combo, and he had left it on the lead channel. This guitar has amazing balls! I know it's not typical to use distortion with a 12, but it was fun. More importantly, it does sound sweet with a clean tone, too! With the toaster pickups and all the possible combinations of tone/volume/blend, there are infinite tones in this guitar.

Another thing I like is the bridge cover; it makes a nice reference point for my pick hand:


Here's a good shot of the binding, on the Cresting Wave:


Here's a photo for Peter; that is our cat, Hasmina, checking the Ric out:


I love this guitar. It's a keeper!!

I forgot the headstock photo. This shows the green/gold metal flake combo that I love:

That's nice Dean. I think now that Turqouise has been discontinued it's becoming popular. Strange. You don't know what 'ya got til it's gone.

Cole

Looks great, Dean. Real nice pics!

I agree with you on the bridge cover and the 'balls'. I love mine cranked up and dirty!!

Great pics Dean, I'm glad that you really enjoy playing it. I told Russ today that you got it yesterday, and he was pleased. If it means anything, I helped Russ pack it for you. Turquoise and gold makes a wonderful combination. Best of luck wit it.

Ron - thanks again for mentioning Classic Axe on the forum (that's how I found out about it). Also, you guys did a good job packing it. No shipping problems at all. Tell Russ he has one happy customer in the middle of the Illinois cornfields. There were not a whole lot of 660/12's in stock when I was searching. Russ had the finish I wanted, a decent price, and good service.

I got to see that guitar live and it looked great! I hope you enjoy it for many years. Russ is a great guy and has lots of nice toys (I mean, instruments) in his shop. I should know; half of my arsenal came from him.

That is a beautiful guitar. Best of luck with it.

She's a real beauty, Dean...I just love the way the turquoise finish and the neck color complement each other. Well done!

Have I mentioned to you that I'm available for babysitting while you are on vacation, or shopping, or whatever?

I love the way mine sounds going into the lead channel of my Mesa/Boogie DC-2 combo!

Always looking for an excuse to show mine off...
The Turq is absolutely stunning! ENJOY!!

Dean: Gorgeous photos. Breathtaking binding and a wonderful finish.

Larry: Gold guards is it for Montezuma Brown. The beauty of the old days, today!

Better shot of the gold!

I'm glad you guys enjoyed the photos. It was fun posting them.

Lindsay - Just let me know if you want to check out the new guitar, and we can get together again when convenient.

Larry - that Montezuma Brown is a classic beauty. The Mesa, too. I wish I had a Mesa combo to play mine through. My amp is okay, but my guitarist's Peavey Classic 50 (all tube, 4x12) just tears it up with the 660/12 (I am a bassist primarily, but the 12 will get a lot of use songwriting and recording). I have always loved the sound of Mesa combos, though. Nice choice(s)!

Thanks Dean!