Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I'll try to make a long story short: In the past two years, I've owned, sold, and traded so many Rics it's embarrassing. Most recently, I traded the 360/6 AFG I bought 18 months ago for a 2009 330/6 FG; I loooooooved the look of the 360, but it never played as comfortably as I wanted, and the sound was a bit tight and mid-rangey. The 330 is the best playing guitar I've ever had and features the biggest, fullest sound I've ever heard. It's got the sparkle I always expect from a Ric, but cranked up it is fearsome. I really fought with myself over letting the 360 go, and spent months brooding over it, but in the end, this was definitely the right move.

Anyway, I brought home the guitar (from POTR--Chris Clayton, as has been noted here before, is an absolute gem) that felt and sounded the best, but fate would have it that this 330 has some of the coolest figuring I've ever seen on the fretboard and, in a more subtle way, on the back.

Here are some pics from snowy Pennsylvania. Click each photo to enlarge and get the best look at the figuring. Unfortunately, my camera is not the greatest, but you'll get the idea.

http://picasaweb.google.com/marksmilton ... directlink

WOW, looks really cool! Hang on to that one. I don't see any birdseye, though? I thought that was only found in sugar maple.

I'm probably not being precise enough with my terminology. What would one call that figuring?

Definitely some interesting figuring on that fretboard.

I wouldn't call that pattern birdseye, at least not from what I could see, but it's definitely a pretty and interesting pattern. The birdseye figure occurs in most commonly maple, rarely in a few other woods such as white ash and black walnut. The flamed pattern in the 660/12 looks very pretty also!

Thanks for the info. The one part of the board, the near the neck pick-up, looks kind of like an eye, which is why I thought "birdseye." Besides, "swirly" sounded too silly in my head.
And thanks for noticing the 660/12. I've never cared that much about figuring on a guitar, but both my Rics seem to have something nice going on in that department.

Wow! That is indeed very nice figuring on the fret board.

miltric wrote:I'm probably not being precise enough with my terminology. What would one call that figuring?

Gorgeous, or striking come to mind.
JimK

Very sweet, what a looker. It's also nice when they play and sound good too. Congratulations!
I worked for a RIC dealer in California in the 90s, and one day we got an insane 330 in the shop. It was madly figured everywhere, and truly unique. The fireglow was spot on, and the thing played sweet. Gone in 3 days, and I was to get paid in 4 to put some money down on it

Looks like knotty Pine. Like on an old Gretsch roundup

Nice piece of wood there!


Don't worry about turning-n-burning through lots of Rics....it happens......I'm sure there are plenty of us on the board who would probably make you turn shades if you knew how many Rics are gone through in a given year! That's half the fun for some of us sickos

How many Ricks I go through in a year?? You don't wanna know.
That fretboard is incredible.......looks like some kind of knot down by the 19th fret.
That's great looking stuff!!

Nice 330 Mark.Congrats.I had to get me one of these so i did. oh and i like the cherry tele.