Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently tried out a 325 in a shop and it is EXACTLY the rhythm sound i need for recording a song of mine. Think "i want to hold your hand". I own the 330 with hi gain pickups. How close will a pickup change to toasters get me to the 325 rhythm sound? Right now i cant justify buying a 325 just for a rhythm sound.
I was thinking already for a long time to install some scatterwound toasters in my 330 and add some flatwound strings to get a more retro sound.

I'd try flatwounds first.

Yes, use flatwounds. And try this: Capo your 330 at the third fret, and then tune the strings back down to E. They will feel a little soft, but that's an essential part of the short scale sound.

kiramdear wrote:Yes, use flatwounds. And try this: Capo your 330 at the third fret, and then tune the strings back down to E. They will feel a little soft, but that's an essential part of the short scale sound.

Thanks, i'm gonna try that!

kiramdear wrote:Yes, use flatwounds. And try this: Capo your 330 at the third fret, and then tune the strings back down to E. They will feel a little soft, but that's an essential part of the short scale sound.

Without heavy gauge strings, I'd think that would be way too slack.

Here's a good video for the technique:

^^^already saw that video, it's good advice. thanks.

Dan is right; heavy strings are a vital part of the equation. If I was to set up my 330 for the capo trick I would use 12 or 13 gauge flat wounds. The hi-gains will get your sound well enough as long as you mind the gain. Keep them a clean machine, very clean.

although if you listen to the multitrack of "i want to hold your hand" by the beatles lennon's guitar is well overdriven, but way dark. tone knob rolled back some 70% just like the guy in the video does above.
you could be right about the heavier strings needed. i've never tried this kind of trick, but i am eager to try it so i will order some pyramid gold medium/heavy strings 12-52.
and i already tried some amp cab combinations. the ric 330 into my vox ac15c1 doesn't sound like lennon rhythm guitar, to clear/clean sounding, whereas into my cheap fender champ500 into my 2x10 celestion blue speaker cab the sound is closer to my aim, more faint, bony with less sustain.

ah, and what about the toasters? not that big of a tone-factor difference to my hi-gain's?

zinzin wrote:ah, and what about the toasters? not that big of a tone-factor difference to my hi-gain's?

They definitely are, but why spend $300+ for one recording?

Yes. Capo on the 3rd fret, use 12's or 13's flats, and tune the guitar so the capo'ed pitches are the standard EADGBE.

Made a quick test with the capo ar the 2nd fret with the fitted 10's strings and it worked rather well. Will order some flatwounds though.
What's the reason behind your suggestion to capo at the 3th fret - because it approximates the lenght of a shortscale better?

zinzin wrote:Made a quick test with the capo ar the 2nd fret with the fitted 10's strings and it worked rather well. Will order some flatwounds though.
What's the reason behind your suggestion to capo at the 3th fret - because it approximates the lenght of a shortscale better?

That would be my guess.
JimK

zinzin wrote:Made a quick test with the capo ar the 2nd fret with the fitted 10's strings and it worked rather well. Will order some flatwounds though.
What's the reason behind your suggestion to capo at the 3th fret - because it approximates the lenght of a shortscale better?

Exactly.

Vintage and reissue 325's have a 20.75 inch scale. Later 320's have a 21 inch scale. Dividing the standard full 24 3/4 inch scale by 2^(3/12) [which is the third fret] gets you @ 21.8 inches resulting scale length. Close enough. Moreover, 320's & 325's have only 21 frets, and the neck pickup is, well, right on the neck. By capoing the 3rd fret on a modern 330 with 24 frets, you have essentially 21 frets, with, again, the neck pickup right on the neck, so the proportional placement of the neck pickup is the same. Along with this, the bridge pickup is the same linear distance from the bridge on both. So what you get is essentially a 310 instead of a 320, but close enough.

You can always add the third pickup, turning the 330 into a 340, and use my wiring mods if you want to go that far.