Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

hay-low there!

not sure i ever will have a ric 12-str, but if i do it might well be a 381. cost aside, how do y'all like the 381/12 compared with the other ric 12s?

comments appreciated; thank you! eljayski

It's the only Rick 12 I own, though I would like to buy a 360/12 c63

I've played Paulie's 381-12 before. The thing I remember about the difference between a 360-12 and the 381-12 is the weight, with the German carve body being a little heavier. 381's are very cool looking guitars !!!

I am not sure if the 381s have the old-style 12k Toasters or the the same 7.4 Scatter-wounds that come standard from the factory nowadays.

only played a couple in geetar shops but i really liked it.Loved the size,feel and sound.Is it as cool as a C63 or a V64? maybe, maybe not...




Sorry thats not very helpful

I like the look and feel of the 381 better. The neck seems to be slightly wider, but I'm no professional. If you can find one, play it first before you buy. I recently played a 360c63 12 string in Louisville, KY at the guitar emporium (nice guitar store by the way). They have several in stock. Pretty basic advice, but it makes all the difference in my opinion.

8mileshigher wrote:I've played Paulie's 381-12 before. The thing I remember about the difference between a 360-12 and the 381-12 is the weight, with the German carve body being a little heavier. 381's are very cool looking guitars !!!

I am not sure if the 381s have the old-style 12k Toasters or the the same 7.4 Scatter-wounds that come standard from the factory nowadays.

AFAIK, the new 381s have the current 7.4K "Scat" toasters. IIRC, only the 360/12 C/3 and the 325/V63 have different vintage type toasters to match the output of the specific guitars they replicate.

Even the vintage guitar necks on the 381/12s will vary; the model was introduced in `88, IIRC, so there's boud to be some variation in the neck dimensions. the new 381s look like 381s, but they're different than the early 90s models I own-they feel lighter, have sharper horns, and the lower horn is longer on the newer models than the early models.