Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

On Thursday I was in Portland recording some bass and guitar tracks with a very dear friend. He's picked up 3 Rics since I've been to his studio - a 4003, a 360, and a 360/12, all relatively recent ('04-'05-ish?). I had an idea for a very "sparkly" 12-string part on one song, so I pulled it out, and discovered that I can no longer properly fret the standard Ric 12 neck! It took me hours just to keep punching in the same open C major chord - the simplest chord known to man! I ended up with a mediocre, almost passable part (which they're probably going to erase anyway!), but it was like pulling teeth to get my fingers shoved into place. I've messed around on a lot of standard width 12s before, and never really had a problem, but after years of blunting my already ham-fisted ham fists with Rotos, I suppose, I apparently now fall into the "need a 660/12 just play simple chords" category!

The guitar sounded brilliant, of course - aside from the ineptitude of the player! I just had to share the comedy and tragedy. Guess if I ever pick up that C63 I lust after, I'll have to cut a new nut....

Can't you just substitute an open Em11 for all the C chords? 'Cause that might be pretty easy.

The wider fretboard of a 660 does help me. More because of my facility with my cloven hoofs than anything.

A properly-situated cloven hoof will play power chords all day long...

There's the rub (or the flub.) "Properly-situated" is the particular problem in this equation.

The cleft in my hooves just isn't quite deep enough. Forget about properly situating it!

I remember when I was younger I aspired to play the violin. I suppose at my advancing age it's a bit like trying to play flute and trumpet - if you can do both, you probably have enough elastic in your cellular structure to make ACCO interested!

Maybe I can use my Dremel to shave down the sides of my fingers like I've been doing to my surrounds...

Yes, I forgot all about open Em11. What was I thinking?

Guess if I ever pick up that C63 I lust after, I'll have to cut a new nut....

I think that you find the 7" fretboard radius on the C63 a little roomier than a modern day Rick 12 with a 10" radius.

Aren't the neck widths of the 360/12s CW, V64 and C63 and the 370/12 RM SLIGHTY wider than the standard Ric neck width? I've heard that somewhere (obviously not here).

Personally, I think that the 660 neck is MUCH wider than the traditional Ric neck. I've played my 660/12 so much that I really don't know what a standard Ric neck is like!

Aren't the neck widths of the 360/12s CW, V64 and C63 and the 370/12 RM SLIGHTY wider than the standard Ric neck width? I've heard that somewhere (obviously not here).

I don't think so but, the smaller radius will in effect give you a slightly larger surface area. Plus it is just easier to play chords on a smaller radius.

Good point regarding the radius, Ken. At this point, I'm going to need all the help I can get!