Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I read the postings and couldn't find an answer so maybe you guys can help. I have a 325 and have found after trial and error that not only does string gauge count but the brand as well. I could not get Ernie Ball,Fender, gibson or GHS strings of the .11/.12 to .49-.54 gauge to tune properly.
I've been using D'Addario Jazz(12-54) but would like to move down to somthing around .11 to .50.
I've found that certain strings, even when tuned to pitch are not taught enough to play with or will quickly pull out of tune. My 325 is strange beast that I am still learning about. The guitar has been set-up by an excellent luthier, so I don't think it's the guitar. Do Rick strings really matter?

No Rick strings do NOT matter.

The intonation issue is multiple ...This gauge of string should and does work fine.

To intonate a short scale you must have ,one crowned frets ,not flat tops
new strings ,
an almost dead straight neck.

BIG strings ... .012 to .052 works really well and it must have a wound 'G' /3rd

The intonation should be done using a Stobe tuner.
ALL the quartz tuners are great to open tune but **** poor at strobing.

I have yet to see an accurate LED model that can do the job.

I own Peterson Strobe tuners and see no reason to use anything else.

The 325 is a crazy animal and it takes some work to make it happen ,I'd go see a back up 'Luthier'

Find someone that deals with big names .Not a wannabe .

I don´t know why people have troubles to keep in tone the 325's. My 325V63 jetglo was made in april 2000 and keep in tone very well, the strings that came with it, works perfectly and intonate very well. I intonate it with a quartz tuner, and believe me, no problem with that. I go out for gig and don´t want to have a back up. And my friends just only one really thing:

It´s a terrific guitar !!!! be in heaven with it!!! I love this guitar !!!!

My 325 Hamburg took some getting used to. I put GHS .012" strings on it. They're flatwounds, they're flat sounding, which takes away some of the clarity, which might lessen the need for perfect intonation. Did you see The Beatles' anthology? John Lennon is constantly fiddling with his tuners. The string tension is less on a short scale instrument and tuning tends to change from time to time. Live with the vibe as best you can like I do.

Aren't .012's pretty heavy? My uneducated opinion is that this gauge alone would "deaden" the sound.

.012s aren't heavy for a short scale. The RIC standard set for short scale is .012/.054. Anything less and you may be asking for problems.

We need a brief "refresher" here on understanding
how string guages affect the feel, and playability of a guitar. My personal example is this, because lots of players do or have owned these guitars and thus can probably relate; using
a .010-.046 set of strings as a standard, put them on a Les Paul[24.75" scale] and a Telecaster or Strat25.5" scale] and notice that the strings on the Les Paul feel "looser" than the Fender.This example gives you a good general idea the dynamic at work with different guages.