Rickenbacker 1997

1997, 3pickups, 2 Vol, 2 Tone, and 1Blend, fireglo, with F-hole and Accent Vibrato, Schaller Tuners, 2 High Gain, and one Toaster (all singlecoil)

Very hard to describe. Sound is amzing. I play everything on it. From Country to Metal to punk to Jazz. All! It??s my main guitar and I play it with diff. AC30 (sometimes with a VOX Tonelab)

Action is superb. The guitar stays in tune. But the Finish! It??s really not good. Now it??s look like very vintage. But it??s ok.

I never use only one guitar. And I have always two/three backups (L??g, Tele or another Rick) But this is the only guitar I can play a whole gig. I have really a rough style of playing.

Once I only have one question. And I wait until today for an answer!

I play since over 20 years and now I have some Rickys (six and 12strings), L??gs, Tele, Jazzmaster and a Schecter. But this one is my love. It sounded so great, looks very cool and I can play everything on it. Many guitarists can??t believe it and they smile. "Oh, a Rickenbacker! And you will play all this stuff on it?" And then they are very astonished.
But you can??t really compare this guitar with another. It??s so unique. And i can understand peaople who don??t like it. But it??s okay.

I've had my 1997 for about 12 years or so, bought it used, cheap ($500) at a local music store. It was pretty messed up, had been spray painted black, then stripped, probably with steel wool. Parts were sanded too, I think they may have sprayed the whole thing, then changed their mind. That said, I can't comment too much on finish, etc.

Mine has three pickups, and a knob that blends them, again, not sure if standard, but it makes some great sounds, not easily obtained on the standard two pickup ric.

I think it's constructed well, really most rics are. I've beat on it a bit, and not had to worry due to it's condition. It's got a great feeling neck. different, in my opinion from other Rics.

I love garage stuff, but also alt country, Byrds, you know the path that goes down. It's been great for it. I also use a Gretsch, and having the two available is nice.

I don't really use it much any more, but every time I think of selling it, I just can't part with it. That says a lot, I think.

Again, got it beat up and used, but a few hundred bucks of parts and labor got it right where I want it, and it's been very stable ever since. Everything fits nice, and is of quality material.

I got it mainly as a back up that I wouldn't have too much invested in if it got damaged or stolen on the road. It was the guitar I'd get a bit rough with, when the other guys were really beating on their solid bodies. I'm not as destructive by nature, you couldn't toss this thing and expect a whole guitar, but it's not a frail object, like I saw mentioned in another post.

Never needed it outside ordering some parts that were missing or damaged. Ten years ago, it was easy.

I believe it's hard to get some particular parts without a "core", sort of like hard to find antique auto parts- if you don't have one to send in, you can't get the replacement.

I don't use it much anymore, so I'm not sure I'd replace it, but I know that I'd miss it.

This is a really cool guitar. I have always been somewhat backwards, buyng guitars because my favorite band played them or because they looked cool. Sometimes you get rewarded with a great sounding/playing guitar. This was one of those times.

It's a bit different from the other Ric's out there, and it's like the one Pete used, do I need to say more?

I have a year 2000 reissue 1997SPC/VB, which differs from the standard 1997 by virtue of having a middle pickup and an Accent vibrato. There are three scatterwound "toaster" vintage style pickups, with a three way pickup selector which gives you the options of bridge, bridge and middle or all three pickups. There are two volume and two tone knobs and the all-important "blend" knob. It has a Fire-glo finish without binding, dot inlays marking the positions on the fretboard and vintage style tuners. And of course being a Rose-Morris reissue model, it has an "f" hole instead of the usual half-crescent shape. Also of note is the fact that it only has 21 frets rather than the 24 on the newer Rics, which some people feel improves the sound because the neck pickup sits right where the 24th fret and its associated harmonics would be.

I play it through a Vox AC30TBX, usually without too many effects apart from an H&K Replex delay. When recording I play it through a Vox Tonelab direct into my soundcard.

It sounds incredible for the styles of music I play, which are varied. It is perfect for mid-60's pop/rock influenced styles through to more psychedelic sounds, in other words the styles you would probably expect from a Rickenbacker! Personally I love the Byrds, Love, the Move, the Kinks, Zombies through to more obviously psychedelic sounding bands like Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, Tomorrow, the Church. It is also well suited to dreamy noise-pop along the lines of Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and the Boo Radleys.

It is hard to describe the sounds it can produce, but it definitely has more of the classic Rickenbacker jangle than the 360's I've owned, which I put down to its vintage style pickups rather than Higains of the 360's.

It is a bright sound, but not thin, it is full and rich at the same time. It can go from a glass-shattering jangle on the bridge pickup to almost jazzy tones at the other end of the spectrum, but never as muddy as the neck pickup alone on my last 360. I usually turn the volume and tone controls on the guitar all the way up and change between pickups to get close to the type of sound I am after, but it is the fifth "blend" knob which gets me the exact sound I want.

It definitely won't suit every style, but it is a lot more versatile than many people would have you believe. It covers a lot of ground, just not the standard Strat/Les Paul sounds.

I bought this second-hand sight-unseen through ebay, but I have owned a few Rics and was pretty confident I knew what I was getting. It has a beautiful glossy Fire-glo finish which is surprisingly resistant to scratches. There are a couple of minor pit-marks on the chrome of the Accent vibrato.

The action is a little bit higher than that of the last Ric I owned, which was a 360, but still very comfortable. The neck is on the big side for a Ric and it is a beautiful instrument to play. I haven't experienced any tuning problems at all with the Accent vibrato which is a relief because I was expecting to have to swap for a trapeze tailpiece as I'd heard mixed things about the Accent.

I've owned three other Rickenbackers, and despite their light weight and delicate appearance, they are surprisingly durable. I've taken them out to play live and I play them a lot at home. I take pretty good care of my guitars but I'm sure the thick, glossy finish must help to protect them because they don't seem to scratch or wear anywhere near as easily as the Fenders and Gibsons I've owned.

I haven't had to deal with them.

I have had this guitar for 6 months now and it is exactly what I've been looking for in a guitar. I love the sound, the shape and the feel of Rickenbackers, and the fact that they offer something different to the Fenders, Gibsons and pretty much everything else out there. I would definitely try to get hold of another 1997 if this one were stolen or lost. Meanwhile I would like to try and get my hands on a Ric 12 string.

This one is a '93 1997 Rickenbacker 330 reissue. All the vintage
looks one would expect, Kluson tuners, vintage style pick ups, silver reissue case, dot markers, black knobs etc.....
yep, looks like it was hidden somewhere for about 40 years. Perfect look to the Ricks I have seen in guitar books.

The sound of the guitar is ok. Kind of shallow really, and dry. The thing just lacks any type of tone I can appreciate. I really love 1960 style pop rock, and all of the modern Rickenbacker/pop garage bands like Smithereens, REM, and Tina Peel. This guitar falls short of my expectations.

The set up is fine. But it won't stay in tune. The guitar feels very light. I feel like I'm holding some cheap toy guitar....it is really a piece of crap. But it looks cool...get one if you're in a band and want an image guitar for videos and photo shoots. Otherwise, play something else if you want a reliable and quality instrument.

The guitar literally changes pitch if you put any pressure on the body while you're playing it. The neck moves too easily...I'm afraid I might break it off. Complete junk, and definately not reliable

No contact with the company.

I've been playing about 25 years and own about 20 guitars that I have managed to collect over the years. I've played and traded, sold and bought probably hundreds of guitars. My favorite is a Strat. Just could never find a good Rickenbacker. I'm not keeping this thing, hope to trade it off or sell it. Mexican made Fender guitars are a higher quality for less than a third of the price!

1993 reissue of a Rickenbacker 1997 330. Two pick up model, as the 1998 would be the three pick up version. Vintage reissue, complete with black cap knobs, kluson tuners, flat name plate, silver vintage style reissue case, "toaster" pick ups, "F" sound hole, fire glo (red sunburst) finish.

The sound of this guitar is great as compared to the modern Ricks with the "pole" pick ups. I really enjoy playing 60's influenced pop, and blues music. Very authentic reproduction of the sound, as well as looks and feel of this guitar. The neck pick up is nice and warm, yet the lead pick up has that typical jangle tone Ricks are famous for. When blending the two in the middle position, I can get an early JAM sound. I own many guitars, and several other Rickenbackers, this is not the best sounding Rick I have, but it is definately a keeper.

The guitar is crafted extremely well. The finish is even, and it seemed to have been carefully applied. The blending of the fireglo red into the pale red is perfect, the color is like a candy apple color, darker and vibrant. The set up is perfect, intonation is great, no flaws on this guitar. A perfect reproduction, actually, I have several vintage 60's 330's, this guitar looks and feels like an old one!!

My only proplem with this guitar, which is common for most Rickenbackers, is the tuning. For some reason, possibly the bridge design on these things, the guitar needs frequent tunings. I don't play hard like Pete Townsend, I have a finger picking style, especially when I play rickenbackers. It is not a very reliable guitar for this reason. I guess when playing live, who really cares if the high E or the D string slips?....but in the studio, forget it. This guitar, like vintage ones, is very tempermental. But when it is in tune, the guitar really sings.

Rickenbacker "customer service" is absolutely worthless. I want to install a middle pick up on this guitar with another vintage reissue pick up I have. I had contacted their customer service, and asked if any particular modifications needed done internally to do this. Their reply was, "we don't know". Another time, I had contacted the company to see what the list price on a Rickenbacker 375 would be. The reply was...this model is discontinued. After explaining that a 375 is a 370 with a vibrato, the reply was, oh yes, we can build you a 370 and put a vibrato on it. This guy is representing a guitar line he knows nothing of!!!

My over all rating is high. The guitar looks, and plays just like an old Rick. The look is the coolest, with all of the vintage appointments, and the F sound hole. The silver case with the blue lining completes the package! The tuning is the only issue, as well as the moron at Rickenbacker.

My Rickenbacker Model 1997VB is a vintage reissue, made in 1994. It has 21 frets (I wish Rickenbacker would go back to 21 frets for ALL of their guitars!). The setup for the guitar is typical of Rickenbacker. The "VB" suffix on the model number means that it came with a vintage vibrato, which is a modern reproduction of the "Ac'cent" vibrato of the 1960s. The repro is slightly better than the original in terms of the quality of manufacture. However, I had a problem with the vibrato creaking every time I used it, and I was never able to fix the problem. I guess the bridge pickup is microphonic enough to pick up the creak of the unit against the body. I finally solved the problem by replacing the Rick vibrato with a Bigsby B5 vibrato. I chose the B5 because it's the kind John Lennon put on his Model 325 in Liverpool. HOWEVER, if I had it to do over again, I might use a Bigsby B6 instead. The B6 is longer and reaches closer to the bridge than the B5. By the time the strings are wound around the vibrato unit, there isn't much extra string length left when replacing the strings--especially for the G, which is further away on the headstock than any of the other strings.

The sound is great. I owned an original Model 1997 (Manufactured in Feb of 1964) before I bought this one--which I foolishly sold!!!--and the sound might even be slightly better with the vintage reissue. If you know the hollow body 6-string Rick sound (think early R.E.M.), then you know the sound of this guitar. I would definitely recommend playing it through a compressor in front of the amp, to help with both sustain and that extra little bit of "chime" that Ricks are known for. I would love to save up for a Vox AC30 amp to play it through, but that will have to wait. I run it through a 1970s Fender Champ and a 1980s Music Man 212HD, and the sound is incredible.

Setup and finish was initially fine--more on this in a minute--and the guitar came from Mandolin Brothers (who I bought it from) just fine. I took it to my favorite neighborhood Spider Ma... er, luthier, and he tweaked the setup, which mostly involved slightly lowering the action and strobing it. After about three years of owning this guitar, I noticed what at first I thought was a fine layer of dust on the Jetglo (black) finish. Looking at it closer, I discovered hundreds of tiny bubbles in the finish. I contacted Stan Jay (owner of Mandolin Brothers) and he said that it sounded like a reaction from the finish to my guitar strap (which I usually keep in the case). I also wrote to John Hall at Rickenbacker to see about getting the guitar refinished, but I never heard back from him. Hmm, from reading some of the other comments of Rickenbacker owners on Harmony Central, customer service, or the lack of it, seems to be a legitimate problem with Rickenbacker.

So far this guitar has held up very well, and still sounds fantastic. The finish problem is purely cosmetic, and doesn't affect the sound in any way. If the finish bubbles get worse, I might try again to ask Rickenbacker to refinish it. Maybe get it redone in Burgundy Glo....

Well...

Despite the finish problems, I still love this guitar and would recommend it to anyone. Except, of course, for some reason Rick has dropped it from the Vintage Reissue series (John Hall, please bring it back! And while you're at it, bring back the Model 1993 export twelve string, too!)so I guess one would have to look for a used model. I would sometimes play this guitar during Mass (I used to teach at a Catholic Junior High School) and it sounded better than my Fender Telecaster. Also, the kids preferred how it looked to the Tele, too.

My Rick was made as a 1997VB in May 1964 - Export model of the 335. Since I got it in 1976 I've changed the Klusons for Schallers, added the third pickup to make it into a 1998 VB. I got yhe wiring diag from the U.K. to wire it correctly and it sounds mint! The Fireglo finish is looking a little tired on the back but it still looks good after 27 years gigging. The case has seen better days though.

As I've always played a lot of pop from the British 60's, it suits my style and sound perfectly. I have used it with an H and H combo (Vintage 1972 I think) all it's life and the combination of the two sounds perfect to me. I've also used it for playing a lot of Modern Country and I think it beats a Tele with a twin reverb any day.

When I got the guitar, which I swapped for a new Gibson SG with an Irishman in pub, it had piano wires for strings! A set of Ernie Ball's (super slinky) did the trick and a quick neck re-alignment (twin truss rods are handy. Since putting on a third toaster i've been knocked out with it. The Vib is still as good as new and returns spot-on. Very comfortable to play, even with my beer-belly, although the neck is a little slim but bent notes don't put the tuning out like some guitars.

This guitar has been reliable to the point of me being blase about it's care but it still keeps playing. I never take a back-up (but I do have plenty of 9's in the case) as it's never ever let me down despite have beer thrown at it, being dropped on stages, with or without the case, or just left in the car overnight. Everything works like it should.

I've only ever dealt with the U.K. company but they were good and the price for a new toaster was quite reasonable.

I've been playing since 1965 (still no good) and if I had this guitar stolen I'd be mortified. My wife says she's going to have me buried with it! I've had 3 Fenders - ('62 Jazzmaster which ended up with Elvis Costello) Pre-CBS Tele and a U.S. Strat, Gibson S.G., Les Paul copy, Kay Red Devil (early '60s) - and I rate this as the best I've ever played. Two of my musician friends have liked it so much they've bought new Rickenbackers.

1998 production FireGlow finish,Made in the good ole USA, 21 frets
semi hollow in that cool hollowed out Rick way. 2 "vintage" Toaster
PUs tone and vol. for each + 5th blend knob. vintage kluson stlye tuners. medium thin neck.. with laucqured fret board a Rick trademark!
Included silver vintage style case, cloth,manual and wrenches.

Incredible range of sounds..I don't know where people get this "Ricks are only good for pop rhythm" B.S. I play every thing from Jazz to
Black Sabbath on this thing and it nails them all.. Great tonal
range thanks to the blend knob. PUs are hotter than any Fender SC
without the muddy sound you often get from HBs. Used with Marshall
Artist 30 1x12 tube combo. Only regular effect use is a Boss compressor. I have a Cry baby and Fuzz Face lefter over from my Fender days wich I need to try. Only slight noise high volume levels. Needs a quality amp to sound its best

Incredible action/setup from dealer. I always prefered heavy strings on my Fenders ('10/11s) but this is one of the few guitars I have played that seems to benefit from light strings..Great build quality
only noticible flaw is a number of small cracks in the clear coat.

As far as relibility; I have a '74 4001 Bass that has been through the ringer..looks like the devil. still as solid as the day it was made.
I assume this will be no different. I don't gig much any more but I
would use it no back up (I realy have no choice..since getting this I
have sold my entire electric collection except for this and the 4001..thats how good it is!)

Never delt with Rick.. a small company run on the owners terms. I respect that and would anticipate no problems as long as you don't act the fool.

I have been playing for 20+ Years and have owned a ton of guitars from
all the big names..Ricks are the best of the lot and this is a keeper
I got tired of fooling with multiple guitars and sold 'em all after buying this.. no regrets. I would buy it again in a heartbeat.

The 1997 model that I have has an additional middle pickup, making the model number into something like 1997 SPR (I can't remember).
The middle pickup is relatively useless, and I tend to hit it a lot when I'm strumming. The thing sticks up in the middle of nowwhere, and there isn't really enough space to strum between 2 pickups.

Comes with a silver case with purple lining. Really heavy.

I can not begin to give this guitar a fair description on the sound part. It's just wonderful. It has this jangly Rickenbacker sound. I know that's not a useful piece of information, it's hard to describe this sweet tone. It has that f-hole, but the guitar barely makes any sound when played unplugged. The 5th knob can change the tone a lot, but it didn't seem to work with mine (probably because of the cheap amp, gotta get a new one)
Very bright sound, almost no noise at all in the middle and bridge pickups, although the neck one is a bit noisy depending on the tone.
Excellent sound

I got this guitar used, but the action was still great.
The pickguard, in my opinion, looks a bit cheap as it's a see-through white, but I think that's the way it's supposed to be. The laquer on the fingerboard is nice and smooth, makes bending surprisingly easy. The guitar I have is a fireglo color, but some of the markings on the wood are ugly, there are some huge black marks on it. A poor choice of wood by Rickenbacker.
I found the controls to be somewhat confusing because I have never had a Ric before. There wasn't really any response when I turned the knobs. But.... the little 5th knob does wonders to the tone. The pickup selector switch was a bit loose. It wasn't just like this on mine, because I tried a new 330 and it was loose too. The switch will buzz when hitting the low E string, and it's annoying.

Probably really durable. It was 10 years old when I got it, and still in near mint condition. The laquer finish is super thick, you'd have to be pretty keen on getting it off to do it.
Strap buttons are standard, no opinion on that.
Because it's a hollow body, I tend to baby the guitar a lot. It LOOKS like it's easy to crush, but probably isn't. Personally, I would never carry it in a gig bag.

5 year warranty, but only for the original purchaser.

I haven't been playing guitar for a long time, and the only other guitar I have is a cheap strat copy that buzzes with every single note. I wish I asked who the original owner was before I bought it.
I love this ric, if it were stolen, I wouldn't go out and buy this model again. I would actually go for the 325 which is short scale.

This is a reissue of the 1960's Model 1997 which I believe was made for the British market (could be wrong). It has two very full sounding single-coil pickups. There is a blend knob to dial between the two pickups when in the middle position. I tend to play it almost exclusively in this position as it sounds exquisite when blended. It is what I would call a semi-hollowbody. The finish is a flame (red) maple & looks beautiful, but it is the tone... More on that in a minute

Wow! The tone on this baby is amazing. I played several other models (330, 360, and others) before I picked this one up & I was immediately blown away by the fullness of the sound.. It has that famous Ricky sound, but fatter than I have heard on other guitars. I find the neck pickup to be very bottomy, but can be adjusted with my amp to tweak the sound. The Bridge pickup is just fine, if a little thin sounding.
I play it through a Vox AC-15 and it is a marriage made in heaven. I don't use it as my main guitar, but it gets plenty of work in every set. For me, this guitar is NOT to be used for lead work, aside from tasty hooks. I use LTHB strings & it feels very solid & stays in tune nicely. I find myself using it on more songs every gig.

The action is fine, a bit on the high side, which is fine for the kind of playing I do with it.
The finish is perfect.

I have been gigging with it since the late summer & I have had no trouble with it whatsoever. I also have a 20-yr-old Ricky & it is in fine shape so I assume if I care for my baby I will get many years of use.

Haven't the need as of yet. Hope not to.

If it were stolen, I'd cry for about a week, then I'd get my insurance money & go right back to Rudy's & get another one exactly like it.
As I said, this is not a guitar from leads & screaming heavy metal. It is first & foremost a pop guitar & it does it's job exceedingly well. I always say that I buy my guitars only because I like the way they sound, but with this baby, I do get the added benefit of one sexy looking instrument. It feels & plays right.