Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I am a lurker that is making his first post here. I have played guitar for 25 years & have played Gibsons almost exclusively on the electric side but as of late I have really been into the single coil world.
Anyway, I gig every week at church in our praise band & I may play some blues dates as well. Classic rock too. I need a versatile Rick. This is absolutely key. The gitfiddle must be able to do a lot of styles & tones.

So which is better? Do the humbuckers get the famous jingle as well as getting fat? Are the 620 Hi-gains suitable for a semi-fat tone if needed?
Can the 620 dial in a wide range?
How about the Dakota?

Are the neck differences that big?

Pros & cons please. I need help choosing my first Rick!

Hard to find one just to try out...

Your opinions are needed.

Mark Revel

Hi Mark, welcome to the forum. Being a Gibbo player, you would undoubtedly feel more at home with the 650. The wider neck would feel more comfy for you & the Ric humbuckers are suprisingly versatile.
The 620 has a narrower neck & hi-gain pickups, which IMO are very versatile, but it depends what you are used to.
Seeing as you're used to Gibsons, I would go for a 650.....BUT, the hi-gains do give more of a single coil, classic Ric sound. I know it's hard, but try to find one to try, as I think either would give you a great sound!

The last few years I've been playing a "power Tele Valley Arts set-up Korean copy that has a wide (exactly the same as a 650) D-shaped neck that is incredibly fast. The neck isn't thick at all. I have really become enamored of the middle strat & bridge tele pups as well as the fat neck bucker. But the guitar is not cutting the mustard for serious playing.
So I like single-coils too...it is hard to describe what tones I want...I need it to be REALLY PRETTY when needed & yet be able to really rock too. Maybe the Hi-Gains will do it.

The hi-gains do it for me Mark, but on the thinline 330 shape gtrs, which seem to give that little bit of extra tone & depth over a solid body.

If you want to know what they sound like Mark, then go to www.therampantcarnivores.com & download a couple of snippets from my album.

Mark, you may want to check out a 660 while you're at it - 620 cosmetics with that comfy 650 width neck!

(A vote for the Dakota.)

Hi Mark, Welcome!

One thing to keep in mind is that all Rick pickups have the same footprint and screw pattern. If you perfer a 650 and want high gains or toasters it is an easy and reversable mod. The same holds true for a 620 or 660.

Tony said:

... Being a Gibbo player, you would undoubtedly feel more at home with the 650. ...

I disagree only because my 1967 Gibson ES-335TDC has an incredibly thin/small neck which is more like RIC necks.

Good point Gary. I knew a guitarist who had an SG with a super slim neck.

I suppose that on average though, the modern Gibsons do have a slightly fatter, wider neck....

True about Gibson necks...they've come in a huge variety over the years from super slim to baseball bats. I guess when speaking of Gibson's, you have to clarify which type of neck you prefer.

I have funky early 70's SG with front loaded controls and a Les Paul style pickguard. I picked it up about 15 years ago for $185. It has a beautiful small, low profile neck - closer to my 620 or Fender Jaguar than a typical "modern" Gibson.

I guess I will go to KC & try a 620 & if I like it, I'll buy it as I don't know when or if any 650s are gonna come this way anytime soon.

Will the Hi-Gains accept drive nicely & distort warmly? Do they compare somewhat to a Tele or Strat when overdriven?

I will overdrive when playing blues...for instance, just tonight after my church praise team finished rehearsal, we launched into an extended blues jam. Will the 620 work for this?

I play through a Line 6 POD so I can dial in any amp tone & cab I want. Incidentally, I usually end up with the AC-30 Top Boost modeled.
Or an old Fender Champ or Deluxe. Occasionally a JC-120.

A 620 will chime and grind nicely, Mark. I will say this: a 650 has a warmer, chunkier distortion -but a more generic (if only ever so SLIGHT) clean tone than a 620. Over all, a 650 is probably more versatile, but both models are fine instruments.

Another factor to consider is tailpiece. The 620 has an R, the 650 is a modern, string-through (bridge/t.p.). Sustain is different on the models...

Best of luck!

Noel

Another thing to consider are the laquered fretboard and tiny frets on the 620. If you are wanting to play the blues, this may cause you some difficulty in bending strings. Then again, I have seen many here say that this doesn't pose a problem for them.

Lacquer = EASY bends

Tiny frets= HARD bends IMHO