Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It's been said before by other RRF members, but you guys are a bad influence! After having fun playing with a 370/12RM a few weeks ago, I finally decided to bite the bullet and purchased my other "dream" guitar - a new 360/12c63FG from Haight Ashbury Music in San Francisco CA. Now I have an agonizing wait until Tuesday to get my new baby. I'll post photos when it arrives. One oddity is that serial number indicates it was manufactured in 2010. I was expecting a 2012 year baby.

Congratulations Simon. We will await your full report with some nice photos.

Congratulations, Simon! That's great news that your new baby is on the way! If I could've afforded a C63, I never would have bothered to mod my 360/12. Hey, maybe someday I'll get the real deal! By the way, my string-spacing appears to be almost exactly identical to your 360/12 in that photo you posted. Thanks for all the feedback and support during that project. Both my 12'ers sound great with my new AC15!

stsang wrote:It's been said before by other RRF members, but you guys are a bad influence!.

I'm proud to be one of the BAD influences here!
Congrats, looking forward to seeing pictures when you get you 360/12C63!

I don't understand this "bad influence" charge being tossed about; how could inducing someone to buy a Rickenbacker, or multiple Rickenbackers, possibly be considered a bad influence?!

Folkie wrote:Congratulations, Simon! That's great news that your new baby is on the way! If I could've afforded a C63, I never would have bothered to mod my 360/12. Hey, maybe someday I'll get the real deal! By the way, my string-spacing appears to be almost exactly identical to your 360/12 in that photo you posted. Thanks for all the feedback and support during that project. Both my 12'ers sound great with my new AC15!

Thanks Robert! I am sure a c63 is in your future too. I'd love to get an AC15 at some point too once the financial shock wears off. I'll let you know if I find any difference between the string spacing on the 360/12 and 360/12c63. I think the biggest difference to playing comfort will be the smaller neck radius on the c63. I really liked the smaller neck radius on the 370/12RM so I think I will enjoy the c63 alot too. I'm really curious about how different the c63 sounds. It has quite different construction so it should sound at least a little different. When it finally arrives I'll report my findings.

paologregorio wrote:I don't understand this "bad influence" charge being tossed about; how could inducing someone to buy a Rickenbacker, or multiple Rickenbackers, possibly be considered a bad influence?!

My credit card statement and bank account definitely call this a bad influence. Having said that, ownership of Rickenbacker guitars increases happiness and extends life. Its effects are increased with multiple Rickenbackers!

Simon,

Yes, the neck of the 360/12c63 feels very different from that of a stock 360/12. You're right to point out the difference in fretboard radius (ie. the rounder radius on the c63 vs. the flatter radius on the 360/12). The look and sound of the two guitars are obviously very different, too, so you get a totally different vibe from each. That's the beauty of R.A.S.: It allows you to add enough Rics to your collection to fill every niche!

As for the AC15, it was inexpensive compared to the Fenders I'd been considering (although I just heard word of mouth that an acquaintance is selling his Deluxe Reverb reissue for $500!). It has a real Alnico Blue speaker, which chimes endlessly, and produces so much natural compression that I've temporarily shelved my Janglebox for use with my other amp. My only complaint is that the reverb is a little disappointing, but I knew that before I made the purchase.

When your George Harrison model arrives, please supply plenty of photos, and keep all of us posted on how it sounds.

Warmest,

Robert

Simon,
Congrats on the new "Jingle Jangle". Can't wait to see the pics.
John

stsang wrote: ... ownership of Rickenbacker guitars increases happiness and extends life. Its effects are increased with multiple Rickenbackers!

Add me to the list of folks offering Congratulations, Simon !!
Your Philosophy is very well stated and I concurr !

Simon,

If I recall correctly, that 360/12c63 was due to arrive today. Have you received the guitar or tracked the package?

Robert

Folkie wrote:Simon,

If I recall correctly, that 360/12c63 was due to arrive today. Have you received the guitar or tracked the package?

Robert

Hi Robert,

You remember well - it's "out for delivery" on the UPS web site! I am more excited than a kid at Christmas. I wish the UPS guys would hurry up. I'll post an update as soon as I can.

Thanks!
-Simon

Phew - it's here! And thankfully the looooong journey did not result in any damage to the Ric. Many thanks to everyone for your messages of congrats. This is really a great community. As promised here are some initial photos. Enjoy!
I haven't had a chance to really play with my new baby but here are initial observations:
1. The finish on the 360/12c63 is GORGEOUS
2. The Ric's action out of the box is great! A quick tune up is all that was needed. The flatter neck radius certainly helps too.
3. Maybe it's the stock strings, but the c63 sounds quite a bit more resonant than my 2002 360/12. Plugged in, it seems to have a bit more "snap". Not sure about this yet though...
4. The neck PU on the 21-fret C63 sounds very rich (and again this might be the strings). There seem to be a nice wide range of tones with both PUs on.
5. (for Robert) The string spacing on the c63 is pretty much identical to my 2002 360/12 at the nut and bridge.

Congratulations, Simon! You're right about that finish--very exquisite! That's great news that the guitar is set up right for your playing style. Am I correct that the new guitar has a rounder rather than a flatter fretboard radius than your 2002 360/12? (This would make it easier to play chords near the nut, I would assume.) The increased resonance and the increased snap could be a combination of factors, although I'm guessing the difference lies in the guitar body itself. What about the string spacing? Are the octaves a bit tighter than on your 2002?

Robert

Folkie wrote:Congratulations, Simon! You're right about that finish--very exquisite! That's great news that the guitar is set up right for your playing style. Am I correct that the new guitar has a rounder rather than a flatter fretboard radius than your 2002 360/12? (This would make it easier to play chords near the nut, I would assume.) The increased resonance and the increased snap could be a combination of factors, although I'm guessing the difference lies in the guitar body itself. What about the string spacing? Are the octaves a bit tighter than on your 2002?

Robert

Hi Robert,

The string spacing on my 2002 and the c63 is pretty much identical. You were right about that! The c63 neck is flatter than my stock 2002. It feels the same as the 370/12RM model I played with a few weeks ago. It feels a bit strange going from one guitar to the next because of this. Personally, I'm happy with the 2002's narrow neck and larger neck radius, but I can see why it might bother some people. I'd need to change the strings on the c63 from the stock strings to my favorite Pick of the Ricks TI flats in order to really do an 'apples to apples' comparison of sound. It sounds really good with the stock strings! It's also maybe just that the strings on the 2002 have been played in quite a bit.

All the best,
Simon