Rickenbacker 325V63

my guitar was a 1993 model. I think anyone who reads this will be more than familar with Rics so I don't really need to really go over describing the guitar as that would be redundant. My guitar was jet glo. The guitar I traded for was NOS I believe with warranty card/papers. I swaped a vox ac-10 (paid $775 for that) a mid sixties supro thunderbolt ($225 if you can believe it was very unimpressed with that amp just sounded like a cheap copy of a fender) and a 89' Gibson SG special (a cheap but nice playing guitar.) These were just extra items I had lying around I didn't need and I always wanted a Ric 325.

At the time I was playing a lot of early beatles stuff. I played the guitar through a vintage vox ac-10, top boosted with mullard nos tubes and also through a late fifties magnetone troubador (12 inch with vibrato sounds bout like a tweed deluxe.) I used both boss cs2 and ibanez cp-9 compressors with it and several emaculate ep1 and ep2 tube echoplex rebuilt by mike battle himself(inventor) I also plugged into a silver faced vibrochamp. So these were all optimum amp setups for a ric. I thought the pickups at best sounded cheap, unspectacular and nothing like the toasters in my 66' Ric guitar. I ended up having to spend a ton of money on having them rewound. Still never sounded like my sixties ric.

The action was a little high. I put pyramid compressed flat wounds on it when I got it. The pickups were what they were and they are toasters. You can't adjust pole pieces or anything. I thought the guitar looked really impressive in the case. Actually the case is much more outstanding than the guitar. Out of the case the guitar felt cheap and nothing like my 1960s Ric. The pick gaurd was like some kind of cheapo plastic and the finish was and over gloss black. When you knocked on the guitar it did not feel semi-hollow but solid bodies. The neck was chunky and fat not like a skinny neck on older Rics. This guitar also had a very incorrect over sized headstock like rics of 1993 rather than the smaller 60s one. I felt like it was something to be displayed not played.

A very delicate guitar. Would not bang it or drop it. The hardware seemed cheap and chromy. The finish was to shiny and not like any of my vintage guitars. It just had a whole different feel that was not due to time but materials. I've heard that the finish on the 90s Rics were the same as the 60s ones so this is subjective on my part. I had a 66 at the time I got this and compared the finishes. The 93 seemed different to me. I would not depend on the guitar or take it to a gig. Might get stolen.

Once I called Ric for a replacement case for my 60s ric and they were very nice. I will give them the benefit of the doubt on things. I think they stand behind there products.

I've played since I was five and have just owned or played every great amp/guitar there is. Many times I've been in direct contact with the designers and or musicians who used them in the 60s. I got this guitar impulsively because I always wanted a ric 325 in retrospect though I would have rather had a pre-1984 ric 320 which would have met the criteria of what I was looking for. I sold it for about what I had into it so I did not lose anything. I would not own another ric that is newer than 1984. I have heard that was when they switched to bigger headstocks, different necks and computer routing but cannot confirm this. I loved the fact you could look in the mirror and play "beatle" but when I played out with it people were quick to point out it was the beatle guitar which is a real downside unless your in an oldies act. I'd give this a 2.5 rating but there is none so 3.

Made in the U.S. in 2000. Short scale neck, with 21 frets. Hollow maple body (jetglo finish = glossy black; very classy looking). Heavily laquered fingerboard gives glossy appearance. 3 single-coil "toaster style" pickups; four tone/volume controls, 3-way selector switch, and extra 5th knob for balancing output between selected pickups. This is the double cutaway style guitar used by John Lennon to replace his previous 325 "Hamburg" version (and before he switched to using an Epiphone Casino). Kluson tuners. Ric silver tolex case with plush blue lining inside.

I bought this guitar both for its looks and its vintage Ric sound (I'm a huge Beatles fan), and it's a terrific guitar for oldies rock'n'roll. I'm currently playing it through a Fender '65 DRRI (for gigs), and through a small Vox Cambridge 15 for practice. The 325 is no noisier than any other single coil (no noisier than my Fender Tele, at any rate), and it can have either a very bright, or a very mellow tone, just depending on pickups selected. Because of its design, doesn't exactly provide endless sustain or incredibly rich/deep tones for serious blues or jazz, but I don't think that's its intended purpose anyway. As the previous reviewer stated, almost has a uniquely "chunky" sound, and actually sounds better than I expected when playing with overdrive (though it's not quite suited to heavy distortion). Perfect for that vintage rock'n'roll sound, and particularly for playing rhythm on those old Beatles tunes, of course. Short scale neck and light weight makes it fun to play (especially for a small-handed person like myself). Also as noted below, the tremolo is kind of strange; not a factor for me, since I don't generally use tremolo anyway. Overall, a very enjoyable guitar to play.

The fit and finish on this guitar are nearly flawless. Prior to this Ric, I've never been particularly interested in black guitars, but this one looks so classy with it's beautiful gloss finish. My only minor nitpicks are: (1) the laquer on the neck, while providing a beautiful looking finish, is almost a bit too sticky for fast action, and (2) the guitar arrived with a very slight fret buzz on the low E string (but not noticeable when playing through my amp).

I've gigged with this guitar once so far, and plan to gig with it again in the future. It does just fine in live performance, and I have no reason to believe it won't be a durable and reliable guitar for years to come. Hey, if John Lennon used one during those hectic Beatlemania years, then I'm sure these things can stand up to a lot of abuse.

I've been playing off and on for about 10 years. I also own a Fender American Series Tele and a Fender Strat. This Ric is a very unique guitar, probably not suited to everyone's tastes (there's a reason why there's only a couple of reviews here so far), but for the styles of music I enjoy, it's a perfect compliment to my Fenders, which cover everything else the Ric can't. If this guitar were stolen or lost, I'd be quite upset, and I'd certainly be interested in replacing it (though it's not a cheap guitar, so I'd have to weigh my financial situation at the time, of course). But overall, I truly enjoy this guitar, and it's one I don't plan on ever getting rid of.

All Rickenbackers are US made. 1997 version of John Lennon's "Miami" (2nd 325, as opposed to his original "Hamburg" version, which was stolen). Short (20.75") scale, 21 frets. Glossy African mahogany finger board. 1& 5/8" width at the nut. Metal button Kluson remake tuners. Hollowed body looks solid. Black (JetGlo) finish. 3 "toaster top" Rickenbacker pickups. 5 knobs. Sheet spring steel tremolo with ice pick handle. Classic silver tolex Ric case ($229).

Unique tones. Front two pickups are tandem wired. Strat type tone with those. Middle switch position = all pickups on. Fifth knob blends pickups or acts as preset rhythm/lead volume. Mellow to twangy. Chunky sound. Not a lot of sustain or feedback, but has it's own classic honk. Sparkley through Mesa/Boogie MKII. Overdriven it is uniquely howl-like. Can be used for leads or rhythm, fills, any normal guitar duties. Fairly versatile actually. I use it for R&B, blues, country, pop, and funk, plus a little Gospel. Not your father's jazz guitar, but a really fun guitar to play.

Fit & finish, playability, action, alignment, etc., FLAWLESS! Deep ebony black finish looks great with the chrome parts, white pickguard. Tremolo is interesting. Sheet metal sits on foam dots. Shifts and sticks a bit. Need to give it a yank to bring it back into tune. Not for dive bombing. Looks cool. "Real" whammy guys wouldn't like it. I have taken the handle off now. The short scale allows me to feel like Tal Farlow (he had large hands).

Rickenbackers look new even when they're old. The finish is easy to maintain with their polishing cloth. No silicone or chlorine based cleansers allowed (good practise generally). My usual acid sweat doesn't seem to phase Rickenbackers. It's giggable, professionally.

It has a 5 year warranty (I think). Can't imagine what could go wrong. Good reputation at RIC.

39+ years, experience. I've had 'em all. Presently have two other Rickenbackers, Mesa/Boogie MKIIc. This is not the kind of guitar I would have sought out unless I was a huge Beatles fan or something (The Beatles, McGuinn, Tom Petty, et all, really helped define the Rickenbacker sound). But it was discounted to cost or something below, so I impulse snagged it. I'm glad I did. It's more than a toy. Unique chunky/honkin' kinda tones are really fresh and interesting clean or distorted. The trem is more decorative than useful to me, I don't generally like trems. This guitar has the highest "fun factor" of any guitar I've ever owned.