Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello everybody!

Well, the title says it all, but I'll elaborate a bit further! I am currently looking for a great, versatile guitar to cover "non-Les Paul" tones - think jangly, cleanish sounds which could cover anything from The Beatles and the Stones to Jeff Buckley. I am used to playing guitars which have quite compact bodies (such as Les Pauls and Telecasters), which is why I am thinking of the 620 rather than a 330 or a 360.
I say "non-Les Paul" tones, meaning tones which are bright and jangly as opposed to thick and meaty - however, I have actually been getting these tones from a P-90 equipped Les Paul Special for the last few years, and it can serve up the goods very well. The old girl is becoming a bit more valuable now, and I am thinking of retiring her from live work (at least in venues which I do not know well), and so I'm looking for something else to take her place. I have been playing Les Pauls and Teles for a long time now, and would just like to try something a bit different!

My other considerations at the moment are Gretsch Duo Jets and Fender Jazzmasters - they don't sound incredibly similar, but they are all roughly in the tonal area which I am looking for, and any of them would probably be close enough for me to be happy with.

Can you convince me that a 620 is the best option out of these three? Thankyou in advance for your help and your insight.

Yours,

Peter

I'm a huge 620 fan (I have two -- a 6 and a 12) and it would in my view be an excellent choice for what you want to do. I'm not going to try to convince you that it is necessarily superior to a Jazzmaster or a Duo Jet, since these are fine guitars in their own right and choosing between them comes down to personal preference, but here are a few things the 620 has going for it: (1) tone and versatility: it nails the classic Rickenbacker tones, and can do a lot more besides (yes, you can play lead on a Rickenbacker!); (2) comfort and playability: if you like the feel of a Rickenbacker neck and low action -- and not everyone does -- you will love the 620. I find the smaller size and shape of the 620 make it extremely comfortable to play (standing up, anyway -- less so sitting down); (3) looks: the 620 is an exceptionally attractive guitar, IMO; (4) value: 620s cost less than USA Jazzmasters and Duo Jets, but the quality is just as good if not better.

That said, 620s (and 330s and 360s, for that matter) are not for everyone: in my experience, some people just don't like the necks, because they aren't what they are used to. If you have a chance, it would definitely be a good idea to try to play one first and see if it is for you.

And for even more "jangle" than the 620 (with High Gain pickups), you could consider a 660 model with the scatterwound Toaster pickups. Either 620 or 660, you'll turn out a winner ! And the neck width on the 660 will have you in familiar Les Paul territory ... although the LP and 660 neck shapes are different.

620s are really fun guitars. They sound great and are quite versatile (doing some things my 360 can't, for example).

They are pretty small. (too small for me personally, however. I ended up trading mine for a jazzmaster for that reason. If you're used to teles and les pauls, a jazzmaster feels giant).

I do think that they are extremely underrated and a real bargain for a quality, made in the USA guitar. I think you'd like it.

Thankyou very much for your replies, everybody! You have raised some excellent points, and they have all been things which have made me think even more favourably of the 620. I haven't played very many Rickenbacker guitars (as opposed to basses), but I have found the necks to be quite comfortable on the few which I have tried, so that shouldn't present too much of a problem (but thankyou for letting me know about the more LP-like neck on the 660, Rich - I shall definitely bear that in mind, and I will make a point of trying one ).

I like the points which you make about the 620 being a top-quality, American made guitar for a lower price than a USA Jazzmaster or a Gretsch, Jonathan and Geoff. Those are important things, and I believe that a 620 would be handmade to a much greater degree than a USA Jazzmaster. It seems like quite a fantastic bargain when you look at it that way - a top quality electric guitar, made in the USA, with a neck profile and various finishing work done largely by hand, by great craftspeople - that would be a really nice guitar to own.

THEY'RE BADASS AND CHICKS DIG'EM!

There, that should do it.

Yep - that definitely helps!
In fact, I have decided to go for a 620 (thanks in large part to all of the help and opinions which I have received here), and I'm going to start saving and browsing the "For Sale" forum here, as well as eBay, GBase, etc.

I will be sure to let you know and to post pictures when a 620 finally takes up residence here! Thankyou to all of you who have made suggestions and offered your experiences and advice!

Coming at this from a bass player's perspective - the guitarist in our band wanted an alternative from his long-accustomed Strat/Les Paul sound, and on the strength of my recommendations plus those of a few other guitarists we mutually know, he went for a Rickenbacker. He eventually decided on a 620. He's very happy that it does the job he wanted and is a viable alternative to sounds that, to be honest, I think he'd got bored/too familiar with over the years. What's interesting for me, our drummer and keyboard player is watching him re-discover his Strat & Les Paul sounds, now that he's found a niche for them alongside what has become his instrument of choice - the 620.

Never would have believed it of him!

Hope a 620 works out very well for you - as our guitarist found (albeit grudgingly at first!) it's a different guitar that'll get you playing in different ways and which will quite likely expand your musical vocabulary.

I've got an '02 620 with re-issue toasters and it's got a great tone (playing through a Twin anything has a great tone!), somewhere between a Jazzmaster & a Jag I'd say.

Bassmouse wrote:Yep - that definitely helps!
In fact, I have decided to go for a 620 (thanks in large part to all of the help and opinions which I have received here), and I'm going to start saving and browsing the "For Sale" forum here, as well as eBay, GBase, etc.

I will be sure to let you know and to post pictures when a 620 finally takes up residence here! Thankyou to all of you who have made suggestions and offered your experiences and advice!

Don't forget to to put your sideburns on when you play it!

Some very helpful bits of information there.

I was interested to hear about the guitarist in your band, Ash. I think my situation is quite similar to his - I have been playing Les Pauls for so long that my ear just needs something new, much as I love Les Pauls! It would be fantastic if the difference in tone of the Rickenbacker woke my ears up again, and brought some of the colour back to the Les Paul tones just by having a completely fresh reference point for them. That sounds great - I look forward to it with interest, and I'm glad that your guitarist is enjoying his 620!

Chuck - a cross between a Jazzmaster and a Jaguar sounds perfect; and yes, I agree that a loud Fender Twin would be the best amp for it! I am actually saving for one of the Victoria Twin clones, possibly just as a head rather than a combo (this isn't listed as an option on their website, but I'm told that they will do it for you if you ask). It could be an incredible combination!

And Jeff - thanks for the reminder! Commencing growth of sideburns now!

I don't think you have to grow them, just paste them on.

I've had my 620 for three years and it's still all I want to play.

Sounds beautiful
Comfortable
Craftsmanship well exceeds Fender
Versatile

Rics also hold their value. You'd have no trouble getting your money back. Can't recommend it highly enough.

I've had my paste ons for a year. They go well with my 620.