Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I am going to purchase a Rickenbacker 12 string and have it narrowed down to two models. I have read LOTS of reviews and I keep hearing that the wider neck on the 660/12 is MUCH easier to play. Not to mention that it comes with toaster pickups AND the 12 saddle bridge. The big difference between the two is obviously the 360/12 is semi-hollow and the 660/12 is not. Assuming there are toaster pickups in both guitars... is there much of a difference in the sound? Can the 660/12 do the Beatles/Byrds thing as good as (or even real close to) the 360/12? Thanks for any help....

I don't think the 660 lacks anything in the sound category. When I first got mine, I was amazed that such a little body could put out so much Ric-12 tone. It had toasters and had the classic Ric sound, as well as both more sustain and deeper low tones than the 360-12 with high-gains that I already owned. When you think of Rickenbacker twelves, you think mostly of the high, jangly stuff, but they are also capable of rich, powerful bass lines and the 660 probably does them even better than the 330 and 360 models (most likely due to the neck-through construction and solid maple body). I did have a hard time getting used to the dinky body after being used to my 360 and 360-12, both from a feel standpoint and from a cosmetic standpoint. My mental picture of a Ric-12 has always been of the guitars that McGuinn and Harrison played, so I relate better to the bigger body models.

The neck - Frankly, the only reason I bought a 660-12 was to try the wider neck and it was somewhat of a disappointment. It was wider, but felt to me like it had strings all over the place - like a continuous band of strings across the fingerboard, rather than six pairs of strings. Of the eight twelve-strings that I've owned over the last 40 years (Framus, Guild, Martin, Martin, Takamine, Ric 360-12, Ric 660-12, Ric 360-12WB) it's the only one that felt that way because the pair spacing and pair-to-pair spacing seemed so similar. I'm sure JH and the crew have figured out how and why they want to set them up that way and I guess it works fine for most people, but I never did get used to playing that guitar. I was at the point of having the spacing altered or selling it when I found my WB (which had always been my favorite) so I sold it and then had the WB set up and modified to fit my big fingertips.

I don't think you can really lose, which ever model you choose, but they do feel almost as different as they look, despite the fact that they sound quite similar. If you can't try one out, I'd suggest buying a used one in good shape. The nice thing about Rickenbackers is that if you buy carefully, you can pick one up used, play it for a year or two, sell it and not lose a dime. Then try something else and see if you like it better. 360-12's in particular can often be found in excellent shape for $1,000 or less and if you take reasonable care of it, it will hold that value or even increase if you keep it long enough.

Todd, Thank you again for your help...

I have a 360/12 and a 660/12. My 360/12 has high gains, so that is different. I actually have a slight preference for the high gains, since they seem to have a wider sound variety available. I prefer the wider fretboard of the 660/12, but I slightly prefer the body and styling of the 360.

As Todd points out, all the Ricks resonate very well (with a surprising similarity across the entire line, not just within models.)

I don't want to get overly technical with a description of my playing, but live, I can be what is termed (warning- here comes the technical term) "a hamfisted goober." The 660/12 helps me out there, since my hands are medium-sized and my finger tips are not pointy.

Right now my live playing electrics are a 660/6, a 660/12 and a 650C- all having similar fretboard characteristics, so it is very easy to go back and forth, without wondering if I'm going to play sound like Spinal Tap "Jazz Exploration."

Jazz "odyssey"

"Maybe we should change the choreography and keep the dwarf clear....."

How is 620 compared to 360 and 660?

The 620/12 is such an underrated model. People that do get a chance to play them are usually pleasantly surprised. Unlike the 660 you have high gains but it is still a solid body with great sustain. The fretboard is not as wide as the 660, it's narrow just like a 360 fretboard.

Also, the 620 has a 21-fret board like the 660, where the modern 330s & 360s have 24-fret fingerboards.

"Jazz "odyssey" "
Thanks John. My elderly mind has trouble with these word things. Must remember to make the next Stonehenge model in feet and trying to avoid the dwarf.

Many thanks to all who provided information that enabled me to make a decision over whether to get the 360/12 or the 660/12. I have been playing guitar for over twenty five years and as much as I like the cosmetic aspects of a guitar... that has to rank behind playability and sound. Every thing I read on sound said that these two guitars are very similar in sound with one reviewer calling the difference negligible. The only real difference is better low end and sustain. And if the low end is more than I would like then that's what bass knobs on your amp are for. So the "sound thing" was pretty much a wash. That came down to playability. I have read every forum and review I could find and overwhelmingly I heard that the neck on the 660/12 was alot easier to play especially if you are used to an acoustic 12 string neck or don't have small fingers. Also that you may have to "adjust" your playing style to play the smaller neck. So this morning I ordered a 660/12 in Jetglo from PM Blues and should have it in a few days. And as a plus they come stock with the toaster pickups and 12 saddle bridge. And for the record I would rather, like ALOT of reviews/comments I have read, have the 360 body style with the wider neck. It seems like alot of people would prefer that combination and why Rickenbacker doesn't offer it is beyond me. This is my first Rickenbacker AND my first ELECTRIC 12 string. I am so looking forward to plugging it in. Thanks again to all who helped in my decision whether on this forum or others...

Congrats Mitch! Having once purchased the same model, in the same color, with the same options, from the same dealer, this is what to anticipate... You open the long-awaited box to find a fairly small case for a twelve-string. Then you open the case to find a very elegant guitar. "Gee, it seems so small"..."Boy, that checkerboard binding is cool"...."The gold guards and TRC really look nice - and look at those toasters." Next, you turn on your amp, set the controls for nice, bright, clean tone, plug in and turn the volume up a bit. Set the toggle for both pickups, all knobs on full except the little fifth one, which should be about in the middle. You're still a bit skeptical about how this little guitar can sound like a Ric 12 but you decide to be brave and try it anyway. If, within about five seconds of the pick touching the strings, you don't say "WOW! THIS THING IS HUGE!" then your amp is broken and you need a new one.

Be prepared to be blown away.

Enjoy

Thanks Todd. After having just read your post I just might experience a little deja vu when I do what you suggest. The only other thing I can say is that I wish I had boughten one of these a long time ago... and I haven't even played it yet!