12 string agony....

[ric330]

So I posted a week ago or so about a friend of mine looking for a 12 string Rick. He went up to a local dealer and tried the only 12 string Rick on the wall.
360/12 JG He told me that he couldn't play the 360 and was steered by the dealer to the 660 which the dealer didn't have anyway and said it would take 18 months to 2 year to get. He was given the idea that the 660 was easier to play which it may be and in this case certainly. A reasonable setup on that 360/12 and he may have bought that one. He was very taken by my 360/6 JG but wanted a 12.

Anyway, discouraged, he ordered a sunburst MIJ Strat 12. I wish he would have talked to me before he ordered the Strat 12. There are so many nice used Ricks out there and probably setup as nice players already.

Well, today I went up to the store to get a Damp-it for my Gibson acoustic (since it is just sitting the case) and decided to checkout the 360/12 JG he tried.

I can see why he didn't buy that one or was discouraged in buying any Rick from this example. The guitar was beautiful BUT the this guitar was so far out of adjustment that I couldn't get an open "C" chord to sound any good. Neck trussrod was way out of adjustment and the bridge was just as bad. Shear agony and sorrow.

With this piece being the only 12 string on the floor you'd think they would get it tweaked enough to represent close to effortlessness playing of a Rick 12...
Oh well. All you can do it point it out to someone at the store and let the chips fall where they may. Nice guitar but not very happy.

[doctorwho]

Sounds all too familiar to me ... every used 320 (short scale) I have bought has had the wrong gauge strings on it, and as a consequence, had horrid intonation.

[ric330]

Yeah
A Rick in correct adjustment and setup is quite a fine guitar whatever series and or Bass.
A bad setup or lack of one - can make a great guitar just aweful.

[jimk]

Ever the cynic, I guess, I'd see if I could do the store a "favor" by taking such a wreck off their hands...for a considerably lowered price, of course.

JimK

[JakeK]

My guitar tech said NEVER buy a guitar and keep it in factory setup. Always take it to be set up after you buy it.

Thankfully, Chris' Guitars and North Coast Music do setups before they ship guitars out.

[ric330]

Believe me this was not a factory setup. It has probably been on the wall too long and maybe in cold storage before ...who knows
but it definitely couldn't have left the factory that way. If I had gone with him - in about 5 minutes I could have adjusted the trussrod
and it would have been reasonable.
I'm a little shocked that the saleman didn't have it adjusted then when a potential buyer was interested in the guitar. It is so obviously out.
Lost a sale and only got a small commision on a MIJ Strat 12 which is just not in the same ballpark.

[tennis_nick]

My guitar tech said NEVER buy a guitar and keep it in factory setup. Always take it to be set up after you buy it.

Thankfully, Chris' Guitars and North Coast Music do setups before they ship guitars out.

While he is often right, I don't think you should discount the fact that he makes money off of you gettign setups, making you tihnk EVERY guitar you get NEEDS a setup makes good financial sense to him.... play them, make a judgement call. this isn't grammar, there are no always/never in the guitar world.

[jcreasy]

I play out quite a bit. I get mine set up and adjusted quite frequently. So much so, that I have thought about learning how to do it myself. The lead guitarist in my band even commented on how often I do a set up and string change. Then I played his guitars... All of mine feel perfectly in line, intonated and slick. His felt awful. Then again, we all get used to what we are playing.

I guess my final feeling is that frequent, proper set-ups by a qualified tech are not a bad thing. But I think the observation of them being in business to do them is well taken.

JKC

[ric330]

Certainly everybody has their own idea of what a good setup for them is -
I'm just stating that when a guitar is in a showroom to try out - it should at least be playable.
Then if you buy it, get it set up the way you like.
This particular guitar was unplayable - and that is bad business.
Somebody call the Rickenbacker police

[kennyhowes]

Was it in Maryland?

[ric330]

Yep,
And we only have a couple dealers in Maryland.
The guitar is beautiful but in need of a setup badly.
Hey Kenny,
I'm PM you with the dealers name.