Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello all,
I finally took the plunge and bought my first Rickenbacker, a standard 360/12FG, build 11/09 according the the warrenty card. It's the first actual *NEW* guitar I bought; the price was right. It was mail-order, so I didn't obviously "test-drive" it. But I received it about a week ago, and it sounds great and

There are a few warts that I'm very concerned with. I don't think I being overly picky but with the extra tension with a twelve-string, I want to make sure the guitar is okay.

Initially, I found the guitar very hard to play. It's not due the the slim nut spacing, I rather like that. It's because the action from the factory was high, with a gap of under 4 mm from the 12th fret; less at the 24th fret. There is a noticeable bow in the neck--if the bridge is lowered much at all, then some major string buzzing will occur. I'm no guitar tech, but the bow is moderate to say the least. The side peg holes drilled for the center string set are a bit slopy and one of those tuners is a little loose.

I don't feel comfortable making truss rod adjustments, especially on a twelve string.

So...

Will a major truss rod adjust possibly make any stress cracks in the neck clearcoat?
Does anybody know of a good guitar tech in the Knoxville area that is trustworthy about Rickenbackers? I don't want to release it to some GC kid.
Until I get it fixed, should I loosen the strings to keep tension off the neck (in case the bow could be damaging to the neck)?

Thanks in advance!

Hiya and welcome. I think I am right with the following information.

If you feel there are any problems with your new Rick then contact RIC directly. Their phone number is on their website. All the guys at RIC are very helpful and will give you some advice/put your mind at rest/arrange to sort out the problem or whatever it needs. Don't be tempted to have anyone adjust it until you have spoken to them. It is tempting, especially as the weekend is on us, but talk to RIC first.

The necks should be flat and the guitar is correctly set up when it leaves the factory, so you should not need to make any adjustments of this sort per se. It is possible someone has "fiddled" with it, maybe someone who doesn't know much about Ricks as they are definately not like other guitars.

Rickenbackers are the best guitars and basses ever and I am sure you will be thrilled with it, once you know the score on yours.

No doubt some of the other guys will be more helpful.

I don't know if every Rickenbacker is set up correctly when it leaves the company. I once saw a brandnew 360/12 C63 with a huge neck underbow and a nut that was much to high. It hung on a wall at the musicstore in Cologne. The guitar was nearly unplayable. I talked to one of the employees and he told me that they didn't change anything. Don't get me wrong, I love my three Rickenbackers. Adjusting the neck is quite simple.

As Rickygirl wrote, call the customer service. They will surely help you.

James, Ricks respond very well to proper adjustment. Truss rod adjustments should be doe carefully and slowly, especially on a 12 string. Getting the neck just right could take a few days. For you piece of mind and what's best for your guitar I also agree with Sarah's advice about giving a call to RIC customer service. Probably best to call before the NAMM show starts, this Thursday.

RIC guitars are all setup prior to leaving the factory, but the guitars will adjust depending on where it goes and how long it stays there. Some shops get the guitars in and adjust the setup before putting them out for sale or before sending them to the customer and some (Musiciansfriend, for sure) simply send the instrument in its original unopened box to the customer.

Do a search of this forum, and you'll find plenty of threads dealing with setting up a Rickenbacker. If you learn to do it yourself, you can save money and learn a lot about your guitar at the same time.

I'm guessing a basic set up is all that's really needed here. No need for major surgery on a brand new guitar. If you don't feel comfortable doing the adjustments yourself, ask around, find a tech that you can trust (he may charge a little more but the peace of mind will be worth it).

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm probabily being a bit too cautious. I did lower the bridge and, sure enough, there is fret buzzing after the 7th fret from the bow. I'm going to adjust the truss rods and see what happens.

Hi, I recently got a 360/12 I've been lusting after for 40 years or so (actually, any Rick 12, but, I like the 360 just fine) and I've got a couple of comments and some questions.

So, first off I did some setup; first time dealing with dual rods, but, not bad and, yes, the neck does react slowly, over a couple of days. The rod cover is pretty inconvenient, in that it's very hard to remove/replace with the strings on. I'm not knocked out with the tuners; they're less than accurate and a little old school, and, while I like the layout with alternating vertical/horizontal that also means that the vertical mounts aren't being held by anything but the tiny mounting screws, unless I'm missing something. Q: Is there any problem with replacing the tuners I should watch out for?

I replaced the stock bridge with one of the 'Ultratone' ones, since the Rick's weren't available (and, apparently aren't now yet either) and, I'm not unhappy with it, but, using the stock height screws, there's not a lot of upside leeway. I think I could have notched the saddles a little better, but, unless somebody makes replacement pieces, that's it for the moment. Works OK.

I've tried using the Ric-O-Shay with a standard stereo cable and a splitter, but, it doesn't seem to be working. Can't say for sure yet, but, I'd expect it to give me single left right outputs and a mix in the middle, which doesn't seem to be happening. Maybe the pole isn't hitting right.

The pickups don't seem to be individually adjustable on the poles. Q: Is that usual for the 12 strings?

OK, now for the real question. I'm not thrilled with the reversed (from normal 12 string) stringing on the octave strings and am considering changing that, if and when I go with a new (Rick) bridge. Is there any reason *not* to do that? I realize I'll have to replace the nut too, but, that doesn't seem like a huge problem, except the choice of material. I'm not sure if I'm going to actually do that; I'm seeing how used to the current stringing I'm going to get, but, for my playing style, and especially considering the (wonderful) narrow nut width, my fingers would just more naturally fit without buzz with them 'normal' instead of 'reversed'.

One other question, if I do replace the nut, is there any minimum string spacing I can use? I'd like the main/octaves as close as possible, but, don't want to run into interference. Also, usually when I replace a nut, I try to add a piece of fret material as a base, to get the right height, but, the Rick nut seems like it has to be so thin as to make that inconvenient. Any suggestions on getting slot height right without a lot of fiddling?

Anyway, thanks for the forum and any answers.

Zinj

Welcome to the forum, Joe. The Ric-o-Sound output does indeed use a stereo out, which is then normally run to two different amps. The neck pickup goes to one amp, and the bridge pickup to the other. I'm not sure what you mean about a middle.

I just purchased a new 360/12 MG from POTR last Friday, and the action was a bit high for my tastes. Within 3 minutes, Chris had it adjusted exactly the way I wanted. A good, experienced Rick tech will work wonders, and Chris is an absolute master. Good luck with your new guitar - they really are works of art!

Bob

I got the feeling it was quite a severe bow. Maybe it is not that bad then.

Rickygirl,
It's not serious, but I'm used to F**ders, which I have set low. While the 360/12 needs some adjustments, I wouldn't call it dire. The bridge is lowered already and when I get the nerve, the truss-rods will be next. By the way, I like the way the Hi-gain pickups sound so much, I'm already thinking of a 330/6 with the Laney grind. Thank you all for the response.

Joe, welcome to the forum
Rickenbackers are indeed an unusual animal to those used to how everybody else has done things. I had similar reactions to my 360/12 when I got it, after years of lusting as well, and allowed myself to go down the road of trying to convert the guitar in to another brands way of thinking. It seemed to me almost everything about these instruments were different than any of the "standards" I had been playing and repairing for years. After spending far too long contemplating every little thing I could do to them, I finally came around to just accepting them for what they are-completely unique works of art you can play.
Heavy modification is only going to really devalue the instrument, and probably not increase playability or sound. It would be a shame to do a ton of work, only to have it be worse, and have to switch it back or take a big hit trying to sell it.
There is a wealth of knowledge here, as well as many who would be happy to help you address any of your concerns without having to carve it up. RICS can be a little fussy, and very unique. I did set ups and minor repairs for years before I got my first Rick, and found out so much of what works on other brands does not work with Ricks, and some can actually make them play worse or damage them. It sounds like you know what you're doing, I just wanted to save you some grief by checking out how different Rickenbacker instruments are in how they set up and adjust.
If you want a 12 with the octaves reversed, probably better to get another guitar. This stringing is a good part of the Rickenbacker sound, and you'd probably kill a good chunk of the resale fitting a new nut and reversing the strings. RIC makes a 12 saddle bridge that will drop in to your 360 if you have intonation issues, but keep in mind, the baseplate slides/adjusts if you loosen the screw.
You won't find many aftermarket parts that are direct replacement(of any mentionable quality), so keep an eye out on the RIC boutique, internet, or through our wanted section. You just never know what ya may find.
Hope this is helpful to you.

Just to clarify, I love my 360/12 and all of her quirks