Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

OK, I'm sure this has been asked approximately 21,682 times on here, but I didn't see all those posts right off.
And if I'm asking this in the wrong department, kick me to the appropriate one.

I've been chiefly a Telecaster player for almost 30 years, love twang, love treble.
My primary tonal reference point for 6-string Ricks has mostly been Peter Buck and Jim Babjak, but like Jim, I'm also a huge Beatles fan.
I'm getting my 330/6 in a few days, my first-ever Rick. I'll be playing it through a Vox VR30 amplifier (a fairly inexpensive "hybrid" transistor/valve amp).

I expect I'll be slapping new strings on it and setting it up pretty much right away. I'd love to hear people's opinions on what brand/type/gauges of strings to use to get a proper Rick sound (considering the reference points cited above)?

What's the relative merits of flatwound vs. roundwound (I've never played a guitar with flatwounds, but I put them on my cheap Douglas "beatle bass" and they sound wonderful for that application)? Also, what about nickel-wound vs. pure nickel?

Thanks in advance for your advice!
Steve

Welcome to the forum. Flatwound strings are great for that sixties sound, if that's what you're looking for. I use D'Addario strings (regular 10's on my six string Ricks, Chrome 12's on my 325V59.

I ended up getting some Thomastik-Infeld flatwound 10's, haven't put them on yet. Anybody tried both these and the D'Addarios that beatlefreak suggested, and can tell me if I wasted my money getting the more expensive (twice the price) strings?

I think you'll just have to decide for yourself which you like. My 330 had flatwounds on when I got it - and I thought they were cool, definitely a vintage sound. I put a set of the compressed roundwounds on, and it rang a bit more on the bottom. I think I'll try the D'addarios next, since that's what I use on all my other guitars.

beatlefreak wrote:Welcome to the forum. Flatwound strings are great for that sixties sound, if that's what you're looking for. I use D'Addario strings (regular 10's on my six string Ricks, Chrome 12's on my 325V59.

+1 on the D'Addarios ... I use the ECG24 set (11-15-22w-30-40-50) on a number of my 6-string guitars, and they sound great, feel great, and are quite reasonably priced, too. I have also used D'Aquistos, and they are good ones, too. I have some TI sets that I have yet to use ... I guess I need to put them on one of my guitars for comparison.

I've used D'Addario rounds on a 6-string, but they can get easily stained where you play the most often.

I'm itching to try the regular Ric roundwounds on a 6-string.

I have used TI flats on a 6, too. They've been my favorites so far. For a 12-string, nothing gets better than TIs.

I put the TI flats on last night, just ran through several songs, they sound and feel great. Next time I need to switch strings, I'll try the D'Addarios.

Cranked up the treble on the amp, played some REM (including "Pretty Persuasion") and "Blood and Roses" by the Smithereens. Definitely got the sound. I am one happy puppy.