325c64 Impressions

deaconblues · Post by **deaconblues** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:37 pm

Received my 325c64 today from Dave's Guitar...it is most definitely the most beautiful Rick I've ever seen in person, even in basic black. Rickenbacker really did their homework on this model and it shows...great job JH and co.! I've owned a '98 v63 and an '02(?) c58 and I have to say that so far the c64 is more fun than both!

For those trying to decide between models, the c58 I had was an absolute featherweight compared to the c64, which has a more solid feel. The neck on c58's is almost square, while the c64 is more contemporary. Sound-wise, the c64 is much louder - I used to pass over the c58 sometimes because it needed too much amplification to play gigs. And then there's the vibratos...

My only complaints here are:

A small bare wood unpainted line under the finish, no bigger than 1 mm long, on the headstock.

The roller bridge buzzes and clinks like CRAZY - enough to give me a headache. It's hard to believe that Rickenbacker would create this monster, even with 1964's technology. (Will flats help?)

I'll post some pictures soon...don't have a camera here at the moment.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:08 pm

Well it's 2 AM, I'm not a luthier, and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night... but I would think that flats would help, and even if they don't, I'd put them on anyway. 13 gauge Thomastik Infelds would be my choice for that guitar.

Congrats on the purchase... If you need a place to host pictures, let me know.

deaconblues · Post by **deaconblues** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:17 am

Thanks Stuart. I had flat .13s on the previous 325s, so I was planning to put them on anyway. I don't remember what strings I got them with but they never had buzzing like this.

nab · Post by **nab** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:26 pm

I had the most horrible "toinks" and buzzing from the roller bridges on both my 1996 and C64. I use much lighter strings on mine, and I'm sure these added to the prob, but another source seems to be the shallow angle of the strings over the bridge from the vibrato, and the strings didn't
seem to be seated in the rollers properly (you could wiggle 'em around with the slightest pressure. I replaced both roller bridges with 6-saddle bridges and they're real players now.

Just a thought.

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:50 pm

Jack,
you need .13s strings to have a "normal" string tension because of the 3/4 length neck.
If you are using, say, .10s and normal tuning with
the 3/4 neck, you have only 3/4s of string tension compared to a 4/4 neck. To compensate this, you need strings with a 1.3 bigger diameter.
(or tune three half tones higher)

The Miami Capri model is a really optimized guitar.
The string angle at the bridge is probably
the "shallowest" angle possible, leaving not
too much space for tolerances.
As a result, the strings are heavily ringing between the bridge and the vibrato tailpiece.
And it seems that the roller bridge is more prone
to all these effects.
But, all in all, the 325 model plays very well,
having its unique sound you can't achieve with any other guitar.

And it's is a masterpiece of elegance, probably the most beautiful electric guitar, ever.

deaconblues · Post by **deaconblues** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:15 am

I'll second that, Wolfgang!

My 325c58 never, ever had bridge problems...it was as if the roller bridge wasnt there, and it had .13s and a Kauffman.

wj350 · Post by **wj350** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:16 am

I'm down to #6 on the list at NCM....can't wait!!

mike_d · Post by **mike_d** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 2:38 pm

I have a 1996 with roller bridge and the high E string is the only one that wiggles a little bit inside the roller. I'm using the stock Ric .12s on it. I don't get much rattling at all. Go figure.

doctorno · Post by **doctorno** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 2:47 am

I have also got a 325C64 for a few days now and I must say that I am not as happy about it as you, Daniel. If I compare it to my 325V59, which is my favorite guitar, there are a few things I do not like about the C64 at all: the slim headstock, the roller bridge, the accent vibrato, the 7.4k pickups (although I am not quite sure about them still - maybe I will only have to get used to them).

I know that the whole idea behind the C-series is to produce exact replicas of the 1960s originals and I also know that this is what most RIC customers demanded. The only problem is that there is no "modern" 320 or 325 available as an alternative any more.

For my personal taste these guitars were greatly improved in the 1980s and 1990s with the "modern" bridge, the 12k pickups a.s.o. I do not care for accurate copies of the guitars John Lennon has used, I want to have a playable instrument for today´s music.

So now I will have to do the opposite of the things that so many people did to their 320 or V-series 325: I will exchange the bridge for a modern style bridge and the vibrato for a trapeze tailpiece. Then I will change the wiring and then ... well, let´s see whether I get used to the pickups.

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 3:19 am

Welcome to the RickResources forum, Doctorno. I was wondering when you might migrate over here.

I'm curious about what you want to change in the wiring? You've mentioned doing that in the Rickenbacker forum, also - Yet there doesn't seem to be a reason.

I hope you get to liking the 7.4k pickups. I changed the 12k ones in my 325V59 to 7.4k toasters, and think it gives a better vintage sound. If you're going to change out the pickups in your 325C64, you might have to opt for hi-gains, as the 12k toasters are difficult to find these days.

doctorno · Post by **doctorno** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:15 pm

Yes, 12ks are hard to find, Kris. I have been looking for them on ebay for some time now (just in case

) ...

I have already changed the wiring of the guitar today - just the usual modification, that I also did to my 325V59 many years ago and that a lot of people have done with their three-pickup RICs: bridge and neck pickup are now wired as if it was a two-pickup guitar while the small fifth knob now controls the volume of the middle pickup individually. This is a very useful modification in my opinion. I am also thinking about taking the .0047 cap out, but I will wait with this until I am at home again and have tested the guitar with my AC30.

I would not put any hi-gain pickups into this guitar, but I thought about taking the middle pickup of my 325V59 which I hardly use and exchange it with the bridge pickup of the C64 ... another possibility would be to place a humbucker in the bridge position. Or if there is anyone here who is interested in exchanging a 12k pickup for a 7.4k pickup ... just write!

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:14 pm

O.K., now I'm interested. How did you do the rewiring mod to your 325V59, as it has no fifth knob blend control. Did you add a fifth knob in?

One thing you might consider rather than just removing the .0047 cap, it to get one of the push/pull volume controls. That way, you can have the best of both worlds.

doctorno · Post by **doctorno** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 2:12 am

On the 325V59 I did not do the rewiring myself - it was done at my request by the owner of the little shop, where I bought the guitar. I knew little about Rickenbacker guitars then and also did not like the gold pickguard and nameplate, so I asked him to exchange it for a white pickguard and nameplate with the standard five black knobs that I had seen on other Rickenbacker guitars.

This was back in 1993 or 1994 I think. Rickenbacker was not as strict about not giving away their nameplates or not sending parts to Europe back then. So this guy managed to get a white pickguard and nameplate (probably those of a V63) and equipped my 325V59 with these, the 5 knobs, the requested rewiring and Gotoh locking machine heads. All these modifications were very useful and I am still very happy with them.

I am also thinking of having the V59 refretted and refinished soon, as it has been heavily used - so a facelift cannot be wrong. If I do, I will have it changed from jetglo to mapleglo, as I have got another one in jetglo, now.

By the way I am quite proud that I managed to do the rewiring of my new C64 myself yesterday

...

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:03 am

Markus, the JG to MG changeover could prove to be a difficult one, as depending upon the type of sealer and thickness of same, the JG may have penetrated into the maple grain. I've done recent guitars and basses with no problem but earlier ones can cause grief.

Conversely and incidentally, early FGs and BGs are a snap to remove the finish; later ones are a bear and you'll never get all the color out of the grain.

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 5:36 am

I use Acetone after stripping the finish to get any color that has gotten into the Maple. Then a 100/150/220 grit sanding and it's cleaned up pretty good.