Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello !

I've been wanting a rickenbacker for 13 years, but always had other items to buy etc etc etc so never did. And then this one crossed my way, and I fell in love. It's a 620/12, the design of this guitar is just marvellous to me. Perfect body dimensions, perfect look, nice finish and nice work. And at last, the jingle-jangle sound...









But now, I would like some advices on it. I have some intonation problems in the upper registers, and i see I have a 6-saddles bridge. Some guys says to install a 12-saddles one, remove the "R" tailpiece (soooo beautiful) etc...and what about the pickups? The hi-gain are cool, but some say the toasters are even better?
in short, can you point me in the good direction as to make this fantastic guitar a "perfect" one?

Any answer will be appreciated !!!
Thank you
Julien from France

Bienvenue, Julien!
What a lovely new baby! Congratulations and i'm sure the guys here will give you all the info you need!

Merci Sheena
Yeah, since I have it (two days !!!) i just can't put my eyes and my hands elsewhere. This is a marvelous guitar, can't understand how I have been able to spend 13 years without a rickenbacker. I'm in love !!!!! The minute I opened the case, looked at it, and plugged it in, it was instant magic.

Welcome, Julien!

That is a BEAUTIFUL guitar you've got there! Congratulations on your new love!

Nice looking!! Make sure you bathe it once a day, and feed it regularly... Then change it's diaper! LOL!

She already sings !!

Welcome from Australia, Julien. A lovely Rickenbacker indeed!

I'm no technical guru but I think putting on a 12 string saddle could only help with your intonation problems. I'd leave the tailpiece and pickups as they are. Hi gains sound brilliant on a solid body - in my opinion.

Swapping out the 6 saddle bridge for a 12 saddle would certainly help if you're experiencing problems with intonation. Changing the tailpiece and pickups probably won't affect the intonation much, of course, but are certainly available as options. You can see the 'official' replacement parts at www.rickenbacker.com in the Boutique section.

I think it's a beautiful guitar just the way it is. Doing the complete vintage look on a guitar with modern inlays just doesn't sit right with me, but then I'm kind of uptight about that kind of thing.

I think it's beautiful just the way it is.

Changing from the "R" tailpiece to the trapeze tailpiece will give the guitar a more vintage look and make string changes easier. However, (I think) you'll have to drill extra holes in the side of the guitar where the strap pin is.

I find the toaster pickups to be a little more sweet sounding and jangly, but when I had a 370/12 with hi-gains it also jangled-a-plenty, especially when I bought a Janglebox, which I reccomend to any guitar player - especially one with a Rick 12 string.

That 620/12 has a great Fireglo - welcome to the club.

P.S. - You've got some great clutter there - a couple of AC-30's, a Twin Reverb, and an RE-201! Very cool.

Well thanks Howard and Ethan. I don't want the "vintage look" especially, but i am just wondering about the sonic qualities of the toasters vs the high-gains. And for the tailpiece, I just think the "R" one is splendid, but setting the intonation at the bridge is a nightmare with this one !! But I think I'll keep it. I will put the 12-saddles bridge i guess.

Any other tips/ tricks ?

Oh thanks john you posted at the same time as me.
Yes I hear very nice comments about the high-gain especially on the solid bodies...and now i'm so ADDICTED to this guitar i wonder if I'm not going to chase another one, this time with toasters...and not transform this one.
I plan on getting the janglebox for sure.

PS it's not a twin, it's a deluxe reverb. Pretty cool either !! Through the voxes the rick can't loose, can't find a bad sound out of this setup...!!

A cluttered music room is a good sign.
Nice guitar there, Julien.

Cool. My question regards the case. Is that a RIC case?

Welcome Julien! I see that you have a Fender Deluxe Reverb. I recently bought a Princeton Reverb that, once I had the electronics rebuilt in it, sounds just fantastic with all guitars I have played through it, including the 660/12 I used to have.

Julien, I just changed the strings on my 360-12 VP, which now has vintage knobs, vintage trapeze tailpiece, and toaster pick-ups. By the time I finished changing all 12 strings, I had listened to Pet Sounds three times through, so it took me about two hours. With the R tail-piece, it will take longer. I personally feel no commitment to the R tail-piece, especially on the 620, since its cousin, the 660, has a trapeze. I only drilled two holes to install the trapeze, and it looks totally fine like that. The 620 also has a 21-fret neck, which, some say, goes with toaster pick-ups. The 660 has toasters, so you would essentially capture the sound of a 660-12, which, by all accounts, is fabulous. Plus, you would get a cooler look !! They are $67 a piece at www.music123.com. The vintage knobs are all black, and look very cool on a FireGlo Rickenbacker. I have a 12-saddle bridge for mine, but I don't use it, my friend and I swear, to this day, that it changes the tone of the guitar, but that's just my observation. It's fuller with the 6-saddle. I intonated mine so that the bigger strings, within a pair, stay in tune, it works for me. If you can live with imperfect intonation, leave it !! Realize you can make zero changes, and still have a splendid instrument, as long as you can play it clean ! Enjoy it, it's a beauty !!