Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have a Monty Brown 350v63 that plays wonderfully and has been strung with 10s as long as I have owned it. It plays really nice, but I have heard about how the 325s play better with heavier gauge strings, and while I like my 350 I get the impression that maybe a slightly heavier string gauge might be better. Since I took up playing the guitar in 2001 I have used 10s on just about all of my electrics, but they seem to be a little bit more twangy and a little buzzy on the 350. Maybe I need a setup or maybe I am just a lousy guitar player but I know this is the place to get answers like this, so what do you all think? Also, from a tone perspective, I think I could string that guitar with barbed wire and get gorgeous jangle all day, would a thicker string give me more bottom end or other nice tones? Feel free to weigh in on Flats vs. rounds etc. And thanks in advance for your help!

I have Pyramid flat .11s on my 350v63, with a wound G.

With added compression, there's a great percussive clankiness that I love. Round, warm, glassy, crystalline sounds.

I'm going to try TI flats next as the Pyramids are pretty high tension imho.

I don't have a 350, but I have a 330 and a 1996. The 1996 (and other models in the 325 family) play and intonate a little better with heavier strings because of their much shorter scale. So I wouldn't switch string gauges for that reason.

You might try .11s and see what you think. The lightest gauge strings I ever play is .11, because I like a little meat under my fingertips and I find anything less than .11s to get a little sloppy under my finger tips. But that's just my preference. And speaking of preferences, I tend to prefer flats because it gives me the chime without what I feel to be the overhyped treble of rounds. But rounds are fine strings, too. Whatever you prefer, really, is 'right.'

I think Peter Buck plays .13s on his 360... I'm not sure I'd go that heavy myself, though.

any way you slice it, Pyramid flats are THE stings for Ricks, imho.

If you like flatwounds on guitar, that is.

I'm using GHS Boomers 11's on my 350v63 at the moment. I like them a bunch for strumming type stuff and general chord work. For blues type bends, they're a bit harder to deal with than the same strings on my DOT due to the narrow neck, but they're workable. I'll be switching to 10's when these wear out to give them a shot on this guitar.

Thanks everyone and keep em coming! Greg, I'm not using the 350 for too much in the way of blues bends, mostly I'm using this guitar as my main writing instrument, it plays great, even people who don't profess to liking Ricks have fallen in love with it, but I think it would be more comfy with a little bit heavier string...

Hi Gene..... aaah - another Monty 350v63 owner - I love it!!

I've never used anything but 10s on my 350v63 - in fact all of my Ricks - either the standard Rick strings or Rotosounds.

I have D'Addario .011 chrome flatwounds on my Gretsch and while they are great strings, I just don't think they would feel right on my 350.

Aich, they are just really cool guitars in my opinion, so small and so very cool and very light too.... I've got some D'Addario's on it right now, and its great but I was wondering if the 350 was anything like the 325s... There couldn't be too many 350v63 MBs out there, I counted three that were on order from Mike Parks back when I ordered mine. I love mine so much, I may have to get it a l'il brother in Amber Fireglo! I didn't even realize that rotosound made GUITAR strings!

I just bought a Mid Blue 350v63 to join Monty, Gene. You're dead right on all fronts, too... to me they are the most comfortable and eye-catching Rick guitar going. FG might be next!

I sold my 350 several years ago, but based on my experience with T-I flats, if I still had her no doubt in my mind she would have a set of Jazz/Swing 10s on her. I have these on my Casino and 325s, they are absolutely wonderful strings.

And thanks to the efforts of Geno, I'm anxiously anticipating adding a set to my c63!

Bill

FWIW my 350v63 is MB...I was sold when I saw Gene's. It was born in 2004

Does anyone else here have a 350v63 MB? Would be interesting to get a sense of how many there are floating around this here Forum.

My 1992 FG 350 uses Ernie Ball 10's. I sold my 350v63 (Jetglo) a couple of years ago and now use the early 350.

And thanks to Aitch, i have a 350 liverpool, that i use D'Addario 10s on, no problem with that gauge! Has a Trapeze TP like the V63,so i'm more than happy playing it with 10's. Might give 11s a shot when i next change, just to see!

Well, thanks to everyone for their comments! I played the guitar again this weekend, and the 10s feel really good, better than I described, really... Someone asked about how many 350v63s there are in Monty Brown, I remember I ordered my 350 in January, right after the announcement from Mr. Hall about the color of the year. I had suspected that some shade of Autumnglo would be COY so I had my money ready to go. I noticed that after I ordered mine, there were two other 350v63 MBs on order at Mike Parks, which is who got mine for me, I wonder where those other two went? I'll have to speak to Jake and ask him how many they sold over there...