Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

hi. i have a 330-12 that ive restrung as a 6. so far it plays just like a 6 should. i have not adjusted the trus rods to compensate because so far it seems ok..however, its only been a few days. im wondering if anyone has done this longterm and experienced any negative effects on the neck ? thanks.

If it will handles 12 strings, it will handle 6.

i was worried about it warping the opposite way...becoming convex...if some adjustment is not made to the truss rods.

Welcome Scott!

What you've done is typically discouraged, and may affect any warranty you have. If it works fine now, that's cool, but you may have some problems re-acclimating it to 12 strings. There are many here with better info and knowledge than me; hopefully they will chime in. All the best, J

thanks. thats the type of info im curious about...not about the warranty...but about the effect the longterm use of 6 strings may have on it. if anyone has tried this, i would appreciate any info or warnings etc....

Try cross posting this under the "technical" topic. The gurus always check those, including Dale, who used to work at RIC.

is there a "technical" section or more appropriate section for this question? i cant find one and im hoping to get some input

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only differences between a 6- and 12-string Ric are the headstock, nut, bridge, and tailpiece. I can't fathom how restringing with only 6 strings could hurt it, although it's always a good idea to readjust the truss rods if they need it.

Well, Mark - I will refrain from insulting you and try to explain briefly. First of all, I never said I was "converting" anything. Playing your 12 string as a 6 string ONLY involves removing the extra 6 octave strings. thats it. I did it 3 weeks ago and have been playing it daily as a 6 string.

I never said I "hated" my Rickenbacker 12 string. In fact I love it. I simply wanted to play it as a 6 string because I do not have the resources to purschase another Rickenbacker right now. What I was worried about, was whether this decrease in tension on the neck would cause any permanent damage

I dont really see how this could possible compair to removing two wheels off your car in order to experience it as a motorcycle

And, furthermore, in the event that playing my 12string with 6 less strings is "ok" for the guitar, then-- I guess I just saved my self $1,500 because now I dont have to buy another 330. I can simply use it as a 6 until I am satisfied and then put the other 6 strings back on when the I have the urge to play it with 12 strings. Seems pretty cool to me that the 12 string is so versatile ....

no problem. im not offended. i agree with you, except i dont think leaving 6 strings off is converting it. im not interested in changing the nut or the bridge or anything else. its just that ive been wanting a 2nd rick forever and because ive got so much other great gear and no extra money, im not in the position to buy another one. one day while restringing the 12, i noticed in the process that the only obvious difference is that the nut accomodates 12 strings and not just 6. so, i decided i would satisfy my urge and also, my need for a Rick 6 string for a while, by leaving the extra strings off.

believe me, if i had another Rick, i would leave my 12 as it is. however, i must admit that even though the 12 is amazing and is one of my favorite colors...montezuma brown....it sits on the stand more than my other guitars simply because its a 12...and at this point in time, all i want to play is a Rick - full time. at some point, i will get another Rick, but in the meantime i was curious if anyone had done this and experienced any problems regarding string tension and the neck. i will say for anyone else interested...that in 3 weeks or more, the guitar plays and sounds like any other Rick 330-6 with toasters that ive played before...and that is something that i think is awsome. in a way, the Rick 12 is two of the coolest guitars in 1 which makes me love it even more.

Wouldn't you get all sorts of rattles & buzzing from the unused tuners? A band that opened for mine a few years ago had a guitarist that played an old 450/12 as a six, but the extra tuners had been removed. I'm pretty sure Fred Smith of the MC5 played his 12 as a six string.

i have not experienced any buzzing or rattling from the unused tuners or other components whatsoever.. so far, the guitar plays and sounds exactly like a 330-6, even when not plugged in. i have also experimented by just using some octave strings such as doubleing up the high E string or D string just to give the guitar an interesting sound and, so i can bend the G and B stings as normal, but still get some chimey drony sounds.

Cool.

Just as an aside, I found that since I acquired my 12 sting, it gets more playing time than any of my other guitars. I really only play my 6 when I'm playing stuff with lots of bendy soloing.