Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

hi all
first time here and a little nervous. been a fender guy forever but always fancied a rick. i'm thinking of finally 'pulling the trigger' but am not sure what to go for. i'm thinking of the basics - either a 330 or 360 (fireglo). i just talked to the guy at wildwood (which i saw listed here as a good source) and he said the sound of the 330 is a little better acoustically - and that sounded good to me. but what about other considerations between these 2 or other models to consider? any help would be very helpful.
thanks in advance!!
golfo

Welcome Geoffrey. I think the instrument you chose should be based, at least in part, on the sound you hope to achieve. What is your playing style and what sound are you looking for?

Welcome Geoffrey,
Peter is right. To tell you the truth, I wasn't even looking for a Rickenbacker until I heard some guy playing the opening riff to "Archie Bell and the Drells, "Tighten Up." I looked over and he was playing a Rickenbacker 330. For lack of a better term, other then the jangle sound Ric's are known for, these things have a real crunchy sound that sold me right away. A week later I purchased my first Rickenbacker, a 1986 Rickenbacker 360-WB in fireglo.

I have played all sorts of Ric models Geoffrey, but all my 7 guitars that I have rested on are 330 shaped. 330, 1997, 360v64. I honestly think that they have the edge sound wise, are very comfortable to play (although the rounded 360 is super comfy), are classic Rickenbacker in both looks & sound & you really can't go wrong with one as a first Ric. From there, you can learn & explore more about the other models in the range, but I don't think that you'll ever outgrow a 330.

Welcome to the forum.

...and the nice thing is that a 330 is not too pricey, either, whether new or used.

thanks for the good thoughts! i usually play blues, some rock and country. i don't associate ricks with blues at all so maybe i need an education here. can a rick sing the blues? is it good for country (although i think of byrds as folk/country - and t. petty, too).

i'm a guitar hobbyist - play at home and occasionally with buds. i play a lot of acoustic (i'm a martin fan and have several). as i stated - i also play fenders (don't fancy gibsons at all). ricks just have a vibe all their own and they are intriguing to a novice/know-nothing. so i'm going to take a plunge and a leap-of-faith figuring if i don't like i can always sell (seems to be a good secondary market for ricks).

i can get a new 330 (fireglo) shipped from mf for 999.00. comes with the hs case. seems like a good deal - and you get that wonderful 45 day return guarantee.

keep the advice coming, please. it's very helpful. and thanks for the warm welcome!!
golfo (aka geoff)

I have a mapleglo 330 and it is great, quite distinct from the Fender sound, feel, and look. I think $999.99 is as good a price as you'll find for a new 330, especially with zero tax and shipping from MF. My only concern would be that the FireGlo looks different from finish to finish, I would want to see mine before buying it. Can they send pictures of their stock? I would at least call them and ask. Good luck, you will love the 330.

Welcome from me also, Geoffrey. I started with a 330 FG (in January) and couldn't be happier (well.... if I hadn't had to pay for it I would be!!). And I bought it sight unseen!

IMO it's a great starting point. I've since bought a 660/12 and will be seriously looking at more Ricks later in the year. I'M HOOKED!!

Take the plunge - you won't be disappointed!!

Geoffrey, despite what people say, a Ric can play the blues. Try the neck p/up with the blend control fully counter clockwise....it will suprise you. I switched on the tele the other day to see Dwight Yoakam on & his guitarist was playing a 360. Good enough for Dwight, good enough for anyone!

Anthony's right on that one. I play some blues with my 370 (like a 360 but an extra middle pickup).

Between the 330 and the 360 some people comment on the binding on the neck of the 360 and they say they like the 330's bindingless neck better.
I'm not sure if that's a concern for you but I thought I'd let you know.

If you actually have the blues - any instrument you touch will 'sing the blues'.

Just echoing the sentiments here - the 330 is a wonderful guitar. I've had a 330 MG for about 1.5 years now - my most treasured musical instument (out of a decent sized stable including a 660/12)

For me, the primary differences between a 330 ad a 360 are the cosmetic ones. Yes, the 360 has neck binding, but on the 6-string models it doesn't make much difference to me.

spencer
you're absolutely right. but... have you ever heard an opera singer sings blues? i have (leontyne price, william warfield, jesse norman) and their voices are really too refined for the genre. i guess i want to know if you can coax enough 'soul' out of instrument considering its natural voice. i know i can play the blues on the rick and i can give it the line and life i'm capable of. but i've often heard that the ricks are too clean/refined. of course - maybe i'm way off base here. we all know that a good guitarist can pretty much make any guitar sing. and i'm not saying i'm that good - only that the rick will respond to what's put into it. am i babbling!
geoff (aka golfo)

A lot has to do with the amp. Strats are single coil guitars, and you can overdrive a Rickenbacker, too.

If you don't buy it you may end up with a serious case of the 'blues' (or if you're a frog, it could be 'man, I got dem greens')!!