Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Just bought a used 660/12 fireglo and wanted to know what gauge strings are most commonly used. The strings on the guitar now seem very light. My six strings are all .010's. If I went with a heavier string, would I need to be concerned about the string/neck tension?

Chris,

I use .010 strings on my 360/12WB without any ill effect.

I use the same. Rick .010 round wounds.

My 660/12 came with .010-.047 Ric compressed rounds from the factory.

...Dean

Mine too... and that's what I'll continue to use.

Use the factory strings, at least as a jumping-off point. Then you can go to one of the online string stores later and make up your own set depending upon your preferences.

Speaking about strings, I have a dumb question. Even though I was hoping for a more profound message for my quarter-of-a-millennium post. (Oh wait, I'm one short. I still have a chance at immortality.)

How do you know what gauge/kind of strings came with your Ric? Is it documented anywhere? Is it just knowledge and experience?

The strings are on my new 360/12 look a little odd. (I don’t remember what the strings were like on my previous guitar because they were changed when the PUPs were replaced.) The strings now are very silvery and shiny and are very rough-looking almost like a very mini barbed wire.
Anyone know what I’m talking about? Thanks.

New Rick guitars only come with one of three string sets.

All six string standard scale come with the 10-46 compressed wounds. All six short scales come with the 13-54 compressed wounds. And the 12s all come with the only RIC 12 string set made.

You can order new strings from RIC, juststrings.com, NCM, Mike Parks, etc. The online Rick dealers are very good at customer service IME.

If you visit the Ric site Chris, you can download a manual http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/manual.pdf , with all the relevent string info.