Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Well, my husband has just done it again.... It is Valentine's Day and I am sitting here in astonished disbelief as he surprised me with Number 12! It's an Azureglo 220, and it totally rocks! He said he couldn't resist the combination of that color with those cool-looking Ric humbuckers when he saw that one on eBay....

I didn't know I needed another Ric....but this is a completely different breed of Rickenbacker.... it thinks it's a Strat--it kind of has that look to it, and it has the all-maple unfinished one-piece neck that is totally different from any other Ric I've played. On clean amp settings it still sounds very Ricky, but on crunchy settings, look out! It can snarl and growl and scream! I had been secretly entertaining thoughts of someday getting a Les Paul, but now I'll never have to play anything but my Rics! Will try to put some pics up tomorrow.... I'm still in shock.... Gonna go rock!

(Guess I'd better start polishing up on some leads.... I would say this qualifies as a kick-axe lead type of guitar!)

Here it is.... The color really does "glo," especially in the sunlight!

Cool! Congratulations!

Wow! When you're finished with him can I marry him?!!

Heh! He's all mine!

It's sort of the forerunner to the 650D. The 220 will sit better on your lap due to the longer lower horn, but I like the upper horn of the 650D better. Are you a sitter or a stander when playing your Rick? They have the same type of 24-fret neck. The 650D also makes a good substitute for a Les Paul, and quite a bit lighter as well. You could just call your 220 The UnStratoCaster. I call my 650D the UnLes Paul.

Congrats! I've got one exactly like yours. I've also got a 260 (the deluxe version) in Fireglo.

FYI... it's Midnight Blue, not Azureglo. But a nice guitar, all the same.

Lovely blue!

Hmmmmmmm.... I guess it could be Midnight blue, but I have a 330 in Midnight that looks much darker, almost black in normal indoor lighting....this one looks quite a bit brighter, so I just assumed it was Azureglo. I'll have to lay the two guitars side by side and compare the colors now. What is the difference between Midnight blue and Azureglo, anyway? And are there variations in shades of Midnight?

Phil, I am both a sitter and a stander; it just depends on what I am doing with my guitars. If I am just noodling around I sit, but if I am playing with the worship team or practicing for the team I stand.

Melissa,



What year is your new baby?
Azureglo was officially available '69-'85, and Midnight Blue '85-present.

It's a '93, so I guess that settles it--it is a brighter shade of Midnight....!

Melissa: Is that a little bit like a "Whiter Shade of Pale"? No matter what you call it, it is a nice looking instrument. Congratulations.

Here is the photo of my two shades of Midnight.... As you can see, they are very different from each other! The 330 is much darker, and seems to absorb more light than it reflects, although its metallic finish becomes apparent in bright sunlight...whereas the 220 is very bright metallic blue, and seems to shimmer and glow in the light. It is interesting that the color of Midnight Blue changed so much in four years (the 330 was made in 1989)....or does the color vary from instrument to instrument, depending on who does the paint job?



By the way, I think these two look fabulous as a pair.... Love those Midnight Blues!

Two different technologies. The 220 has the silver metal undercoating with translucent blue overcoat, while the 330 has the silica bead composite blue finish.

The silver undercoat used to migrate throughout the whole building due to static attraction, no matter what type of airflow or filtering was used. It routinely contaminated every other color.

The newer version looks less like a hot tub or a Chrysler but certainly is a matter of personal taste.

Hottubglo!