Rickenbacker 330/6

My Rick 330 was made in late 1990 and I got it for Christmas that year. All Rickenbackers are made by hand in the USA. (Say that a few times out loud, see how nice it sounds? It's true.) 24 frets, 2 volumes, two tones, a 3-way switch, and of course the mysterious "fifth knob" which you can do so much with if you're a canny player. This is a semi-hollowbody guitar of course. The pickups are the standard "Hi-Gain" single-coils, not the toaster tops. I think the toaster tops are very cute but their output is dismal, so I chose to stick with the modern pickups. The body is maple and I think the neck is maple and mahogany, with a rosewood fretboard and dot inlays. The finish, ah, the finish! I got it in Fireglo. You can't say enough good things about Rick's finishes; that's where the hand work really stands out. I've seen mega-expensive guitars that didn't have as good a finish as the Ricks do. It simply glows. You can look down into the finish and the brilliant color, combined with the great quality wood, is fabulous. Don't smoke pot and polish this guitar, you'll just end up staring into the finish for hours. It really is that nice. The 330 body style is distinctive unto itself; no other guitar looks like it, and to John Hall's (president of Rickenbacker) great credit, he makes sure no cheap copy lasts long or does well in America by suing the pants off people that copy him. The bridge is a modified "tune-o-matic" style bridge but height adjustment is more accurate due to the four screws used to adjust it, as compared with two screws on most tune-o-matic style bridges. The R tailpiece completes the picture. The tuners are Schallers and are the best tuners I have ever had on any guitar I have ever owned. (Don't let anyone kid you. There are only two tuner manufacturers out there and they are Schaller and Grover. Anything else is really not going to cut it.) The neck is slim but not terribly thin, 24 and 3/4 scale. Frets are medium. The 330 is Rick's "basic" model in the 300 series, so it comes with what you need; a good hard case, a truss rod adjustment tool, and one of Rick's polishing cloths. The case is great. It seems to have been built to atomic bomb shelter specs and is heavier than the guitar. I like carrying my guitar in a case that feels that solid.

The Rick 330 suits my music styles, and has continued to do so over the years. Even though my styles and tastes have changed, the Rick consistently gives me the sounds I want, and I constantly discover more sounds that I didn't know it could make. I was playing with a band once and the singer invited a guest to one of the rehearsals. He was a lump-rock kind of guy (AC-DC, Kiss, ZZ Top) and kept saying, "yeah those Ricks are nice for that jingly jangly stuff." When he decided he wanted to do "Tush" I stomped on the Rat pedal and turned up the volume on the blackface Fender amp I was using at the time. After we finished I didn't hear any more scheisse about "jingle jangle." You can certainly get a Byrds/Beatles/REM sound out of the 330, no question, but I do get irritated that people seem to think that sound is all a Rick is capable of. Even among diehard Rick players there seems to be this opinion that Ricks are somehow only to be used for twang/jangle. I have run mine through devious pedals over the years and I haven't hesitated to rock out, space out, jazz out, or even impersonate Tele licks on this guitar. It does it all. Do not underestimate Rickenbackers! The only other guitar in my collection that even comes close to sounding as good as my Rick is an original 1959 Fender Jazzmaster. I have played lots of other guitars and very few of them sound as good to my ear as the 330, and I've been playing for 25 years so far.

Rick factory setups are legendary. The only reason I have had to readjust the setup is because I use a light top/heavy bottom set of strings and the 330 comes from the factory with light-gauge strings. The pickups were at the proper height, the top was properly bookmatched (oh baby is it ever!). It sounds ridiculous to say this, but I've had this guitar for 10 years, and I know how it looks by heart. There are NO flaws in it that I can tell. There is a small amount of finish crazing, which has not spread very much; this is due to my playing in a lot of different environments, both hot and cold, and this is to be expected in a guitar that has been played practically every day since it was bought. The only days I haven't played it have been when I was sick in bed or out of town on vacation. The construction of the guitar cannot be faulted. I have seen and played $4000 Les Pauls and $5000 Paul Reed Smiths that had flaws in the binding work and much worse quality workmanship than the Rick. Hard to believe? Go to a music store and compare them face to face and you'll see what I'm talking about.

I think I've had to adjust the action twice in ten years. I was trying to get it from "low" to "frighteningly low" and I succeeded. This guitar has *very* low action and the neck is *very* stable. You will occasionally hear complaints about Ricks with temperamental necks, but these complaints are based on the pre-1980's models. In the '80's Rickenbacker redesigned their truss rod system and it's the most stable one out there, unless you want to go for one of those goofy graphite necks that feel like you're playing something made out of cold pencil lead. And if you're reading this review, you're not one of those kinds of guys, are ya? The switches have never gone out and the knobs do not get crunchy. Things do not come loose on this guitar. You could hand this sucker down to your grandkids if the little b@stards have enough class to appreciate it.

This guitar has withstood live playing, without a backup, for many years. The hardware is as shiny as when I got it, but then again, I wipe down the guitar after I play, which helps. The finish will last my lifetime, even with the slight weatherchecking I mentioned above. The strap buttons are great, but I never play any guitar without strap button reinforcement. I got an E-mail from John Hall on this issue saying that the current strap buttons are all compatible with the Schaller Strap-Lok system, so that should settle that in anyone's mind. I have depended on this guitar for years as my main electric guitar, live and in the studio, and I have used it on a gig without a backup many times. (Not that I wanted to, but I was too broke to have a backup a lot of the time!)

I never tried to get it repaired because I never had to get it repaired...nothing ever went wrong! The warranty, I hear, is five years. My contacts with the company over the years have been very positive, and in my experience the company is always willing to answer questions or address problems.

I've been playing 25 years. I own a ton of equipment, including a Guild D25, '59 Fender Jazzmaster, Seagull S6, a Y2k Fender Mexican Tele (which is a steal for the price, nice little axes) and a big pile of effects, as well as Vox, Ampeg, Rickenbacker, and (don't laugh) Kingston amps from the 60s. This guitar fits in with all of them and makes wonderful things happen with all of my equipment. The only possible gripe I have about this guitar is changing the strings, but if you follow the instructions in the manual it'll be fine. I bought the Rick because I'd been dreaming of having one since I was a kid. It has lived up to and exceeded my adolescent dreams of what it would be and how it would sound. If it were stolen, I would lie to the insurance company and get enough money to buy three more Ricks, then use the rest of the $$ to hire some big ugly private eye to chase down the thief, get my Rick back, and beat him to a greasy spot on the floor.

The last thing I'd like to share is that as far out as some of what I've said sounds, it's all true. My experiences with this guitar have been blissful. I have tried other guitars and even bought others, but I kept coming back to the Rick and selling off the other ones. They just don't compare in price, in build quality, or in sound. Had a nice strat; sold it. Had a Gretsch Roc-Jet; sold it. They were nice guitars, but after a while they just ended up back in their cases and there I was with the Rick again.

I plan to buy another guitar this year since my finances have improved. This time it'll be a Rick 360...Turquoise finish. No question, Rickenbacker is the guitar for me. Hopefully my review will get people to at least try them out next time they're looking for a high-quality American hand-made guitar, and are tired of the high pricetags on the other brands. It'll be worth your while.

The features are adequately covered in the other reviews. Mine is completely stock and is in the Fireglow red finish. Came with SKB made fiberglass hardshell case. I like separate volume and tone controls for each pickup. The master tone control really is a great feature - something which sets this and certain Rickenbackers further apart from the rest of the crowd.

I give the Rickenbacker 330 a 9 in this category because the features are above average, but not quite in the league of say a 3 pick-up Gibson Nighthawk or a Parker Nite Fly (3 pickups and Piezo).

I love The Who, The Jam, the early Kinks and anyone else whose creativity resulted in some good guitar hook driven Brit pop or power pop. If you know the Jam - and too many people on this side of the Atlantic don't - you know singer/guitarist Paul Weller played a Rickenbacker 330 90% of the time. (Pete Townshend did quite a bit too in the early Who days, e.g., the very underrated "The Who Sings My Generation"). I plug in my 330, cue up my CD of the Jam's "Dig the New Breed" or "Live Jam," play along and I've had my therapy for the day. Yes, "Going Underground" for a few hours in "The Modern World" with my Rickenbacker 330 is practically a ritual. The Rickenbacker high output single coils really do have a lot of spunk for single coils, and that really comes out in The Jam's music. They do not have that Fender "glassy" edge at all.

I also love this guitar for playing 60's covers. If you moderate the volume a little and dial the treble pots, you can get these high output single coils to jangle almost as well as the Rickenbacker toasters. (I've also got a Rickenbacker 325, so I have a definite basis for comparing.) Tonally - and tone is what it is all about - the high output single coils have a bright edge to them. My CRATE amps - a GX 140D and a GX 140C with two Carvin 2 X 12 extension cabs -both have a bassy edge which really compliments the Rickenbacker 330 well. The high output single coils give this guitar a sound that is more power and punch than what you normally associate with a semi-hollow body. I have warm sounding semi-hollow body guitars. This is not really one of them, nor do I think it was meant to be. It rocks Brit pop style and it jangles, and it does both well.

I am a purist who does not like effects. I dial the pots on the guitar and those on the amp to get the sounds I am looking for. Pickups are a little buzzy, as is typical of many single coil types.

I strongly agree with the reviewer below who mentioned that this guitar is definitely not strictly for rhythm. It is as good a lead guitar as any other semi-hollow out there.

I bought my 330 with a specific range of sounds in mind, and it delivers them.

I scrutinize my guitars and have them set up by a tech I very much respect who knows the set up I like. I have not found a single flaw on this guitar. Excellent quality control, I must say. Action was set amazingly low - which is how I like it. No need to touch the pickups (for height adjustment), the nut, etc.: an exceptionally well put together instrument.

Nothing but high marks again. Many of the reviews below say it all.

I have two Rickenbackers - this 330 and a 325 Hamburg. Never dealt with Rickenbacker, and I suspect that implicitly speaks well of the guitars.

My wife did not know it at the time, but she bought me this guitar for father's day a year and half ago. She figured it out when I walked in the door. I had been eyeing it for a while and negotiated the best price I could at a Guitar Center Memorial Day week-end sale. I bought it new and consider this to be perhaps the best deal I ever negotiated on a guitar.

Been playing over 20 years and have accumulated 14 guitars - Gibsons, Fenders, a Parker Nite Fly, Epiphones, Rickenbackers, etc. - over the years. I have had this guitar a year and a half and feel very comfortable reviewing it based on my experience to date.

The bottom line is that no guitar can do everything great. This guitar is great for the tones it is designed for. Don't use it for metal/thrashing/etc. Use it for 60's pop, power pop, Brit pop, etc. and I doubt you will find an equal. Great guitar. Great price. No regrets at all.

Everyone who has read the reviews knows the deal- my 330 is a stock standard 1991. American made, 24 fret, 2 hi-gain singles etc. Schaller machine heads- the bastard just does not go out of tune. (I saw a friend drop his Ric on-stage when a strap let go, and it hit the deck in a big way. He plugged it in to tune it and none of them needed touching! Awesome.) Rickenbackers have a feel all of their own and though it's not what you'd call a feature-packed instrument, it possesses a finesse that other guitars only hint at. This is all personal of course- Ric's also tend to polarise players -you either love 'em or hate 'em.

Like I said, you either like the Ric sound or it leaves you cold. That said though, for my money the 330 is as versatile a guitar as I'll ever need. I play power-pop kinda stuff, and it is mellow enough to get away with fiddly-picking sort of stuff (but of course...) and just loves to be turned up and thrashed. I originally wanted to match the Ric with an AC30 just because it's such a legendary combination, but by a strange turn of events I'm cranking her thru a 65 Fender Tremolux. The Ric's edginess got to me a little after I'd played it a while, it just seemed a little unrefined in it's jangle (if that makes any sense). She also had the lightest, lowest action of any guitar I've ever picked up, so I test-run some heavier strings and liked the subtle shift in tone. Just had to get my fingers used to it. Bending used to be a breeze...The 330 has a range of usable (and recognisable) sounds. Not your choice for a gutsy style but for those bright mids and highs that lift clear of the mix, this is the one.

Standard finish from the factory is excellent. Although second-hand, it does not appear to have had any modifications (or been played very much for that matter). I love the highly lacquered neck (I know some players don't), the layout is functional but quirky in that 60's kinda way. It took a while to come to grips with the bridge cover under the heel of my hand. I removed it for a while to allow me to damp in the way I was used to doing, but put it back on a while later and decided to get used to it.
Everything else about this instrument feels good. It must come down to the engineering of the things. I took a long time deciding to buy a Ric, a nice Tele would have been cheaper. But after owning it a year I've decided a Ric is like an expensive Italian suit- the devil is in the detail. My only regret is that mine is jetglo (black) in colour. Which looks a million bucks...until you touch it. Every fingerprint and spec of dust shows. I don't want to have to molly-coddle the thing, but to keep it looking good requires some effort.

The 330 is a great live guitar. It is light enough that it does'nt kill you to wear it for a few hours, it looks good, and it sounds awesome. I've had no problems with it. I am a little wary of the strap buttons though and will replace them in the near future.

Have not had to have it repaired, so I don't know.

I've only bothered to sit here typing all this to give the 330 a big rap. I fall into the category of people who love 'em. I don't want to go comparing it to other guitars I've played because it is a futile exercise. The 330 is not a perfect guitar, but I'd be hard-pressed to come up with suggestions to improve it. There are plenty of great guitars out there that fulfill certain roles and make a lot of people very happy. For me and what I like to play, the 330 has it covered. It took me some years to come to that conclusion though. After owning it a week I wondered why I'd waited so long. You should not go through life without playing a Ric at least twice. This is the guitar they can bury beside me.

24 frets, made in the good ole US of A. Maple neck & body with rosewood fingerboard. Two hi gain single coil pickups....oh what the hell, there are already a million reviews of this guitar posted, so check them out for the features. I got it with a hard case, no way was i going to stick this thing in a gig bag.

I'm using this guitar with a Tech21 Trademark 60-watt amp (great amp it is too: it's solid state but they've done a great job of reproducing both Fender Twin AND Marshall sounds. Valve purists will shake their heads, but check out the other reviews of this amp posted on here - it's really a good piece of equipment). I also use Boss Turbo Overdrive, Boss Digital Delay and Boss PH2 Phaser, playing a lot of different stuff, but at the moment I'm interested in fuzzed-out driving space rock. I was a bit dubious about the suitability of a Rickenbacker for this kind of music (thought I'd probably need something with humbuckers, for a start, but I'd always wanted a Rick and the price was right), but I haven't been disappointed. The hi-gain pickups handle distortion and volume very well, feedback being present but controllable. The sound is dry & crunchy on the bridge pickup, without being too harsh, all the way through to a sort of creamy Brian May sound on the neck pickup, with lots of sustain. I love that neck pickup: roll off the treble, crank up the gain and you get this incredible bassy thick gloopy slab of sound that will cut through any amount of competition from other instruments in a live setting. Not unlike Jon Spencer's "bass" tones. On clean, you get the trademark Rickenbacker chime that everybody loves - I love it too, but I'm not so interested in exploring it right at the moment. Nice to know it's there though. Let me add my voice to the chorus of opinion that says Rickenbackers are VERSATILE, they can do a lot of different stuff, not just jangly pop. The pickups are a bit noisy at high volume but that's to be expected, and I've encountered far worse on expensive Strats & Teles. Dislikes? ummm....the lacquered fingerboard isn't quite to my taste, mainly because it makes the neck a bit "grabby", and reduces the margin for error. If you hit the wrong fret, you really hit it, and split-second readjustment of the offending finger is made difficult by that lacquered finish. But in the long run I'd be hoping that this will make my playing more precise.

I got this one second hand and the setup was perfect. There's a slight chip in the lacquer on the fretboard between the nut & the first fret, just under the D string, but it doesn't seem to affect anything. Must have been machine-gunned, to get through that lacquer. No noisy pots or selectors, almost no chips in the finish, tuners are tight as a duck's arse.

This is a beautifully made guitar, very solid I'd say, pretty weighty and sturdily constructed. Who knows, but I'm feeling pretty optimistic about the lifespan of this one. It's already 10 years old & has been used as a gigging instrument for most of its life by its previous owner, and you'd think it was virtually new. I have a backup guitar so I keep it handy, but I don't think I'll be needing it.

Not applicable, but I've heard varying reports about Rickenbacker's customer support.

I've been playing for years & years, and this is definitely the best guitar I've ever owned - no more Fenders for me thank you very much. Like I said, the Rickenbacker 330 is already very well & enthusiastically represented on this website, so I won't go on & on about it, but its reputation is well deserved, and let me say again, you CAN use this guitar for lots of different stuff, not just 60s power pop. It's not a cheap guitar, but I looked around for a long while and found that the price of these guitars varies quite a lot (2nd hand anyway) - I held out and eventually got what I consider to be a relative bargain. I certainly could have paid a few hundred dollars more. The best thing about it, apart from the sound, is the pleasure you get from handling a really beautifully made & designed piece of equipment. I am happy. If it were stolen, I would find the thief, kill him, eat him, spew him up, eat him again, shit him out & smear him all over the wall of my padded cell. Be warned.

Just picked it up, 1999 model. Fireglo red, 2 polepiece (vs toaster top) pickups, semi-acoustic (wood block a la 335 Gibson.) 5th vol/tone blend knob that REALLY WORKS! Squared edges vs the rounded front edge of a 360. Maple and rosewood, top drawer. You'd have to see it as it redefines "top drawer." As was said earlier, pictures don't do this guitar justice. "R" tailpiece, Schaller tuners. The brightwork is '54 Buick bumper, Rhodesian chrome quality. The case came with the guitar, unbelievable quality on top of the quality of the guitar for the money. A screaming bargain, the likes of which Gibson should start to take notice of.

I owned a late 60's 360 with toaster pickups years ago and got rid of it for being too narrowly focused without looking back. However, the quality and craftsmanship of the Rickenbackers, old or new, not to mention the incredible looks, got me thinking about them again. The Rickenbacker sound is very distinct. However, through the years, it has shown up on recordings and in performances where the power has been there. Think Joe Walsh, Tom Petty, U2. It wasn't all Beatles. I decided to go try out the newer pole-piece singles, and I was pleasantly surprised, enough to buy it right away. Yes, it has the capability of the early Rick jangle, but now it's so much more. It does some fine clean jazz now, punches much better than the Telecaster I've been using on leads. Unlike my old 360, the 5th knob actually makes huge changes on the fly in tone. It's no longer anything like the old 360's narrow focus. Night and day difference. I'd compare it favorably to the 335 and Tele equally, but without losing that wonderful Rickenbacker flavor. This is main axe stuff, folks. Couldn't say that before.

This guitar qualifies as fine furniture. Go to a museum if you've never seen fine furniture. You'd have to go to your rich maiden auntie's house to see any wood done so well. Mine has one small knot on the top in the maple. That makes it mine. Rickenbacker necks take some getting used to. They're fast and strong, a little thick at the headstock, a little tightly fretted close to the body. I've used either unfinished or worn maple necks for years, and it's going to take me awhile to get used to fast stuff on this. I don't mind. Bob at Dayton Sound, Inc., did a fine prep job as I played it for my demo and played it again when I got home. The action and intonation are flawless. The pickup selector switch could be tighter to my taste, but the electrics are quiet and responsive. The metalwork is art. I've owned a Gibson 350TD, a Gibson Les Paul black beauty, a Gibson SG Special, a Rickenbacker 360, 2 Telecasters, and more Stratocasters than I can remember. Dad owned the great archtops, still owns a J200 Gibson. I've never seen workmanship to equal this 330 Rickenbacker on a "production" guitar.

I just got this one, but I had the 360 in a hot, humid climate getting banged up a lot going from place to place and unlike my Gibson 350TD and my Fender Stratocaster, the Rickenbacker's neck remained true and the electics held out. Judging from experience and the quality of this one, I expect the same sort of performance. If the other one didn't break under the conditions I put it through, I don't think this one will either with my treating it better.

Never needed it. Rickenbacker owners are the fringe lunatics of the guitar world. I don't expect problems. 5 year warranty.

I've played since 1964. I liked the Beatles for those great guitars they played and the nasty midrange sound. They disappointed me when they quit using Rickenbackers. Epi Casinos suck, needed effects and unlimited studio time to sound good. I've been a pretty loyal Fender fan since the 70's as far as purchases are concerned as they've always been a good buy and could cut a fine lead and suited my style. They're just a dime a dozen anymore, especially when buried with effects. Never could get a Les Paul to sound good, but that's my own limitation. A Rickenbacker's sound is just so unique, and with these new singles, powerful and with a wide tonal palatte. The quality and workmanship is barely equalled by any production guitar, and then at several times the price. Thought about an EVH Peavey Wolfgang. I really did. Beautifully made, great price. But my ears can appreciate his musicianship, but not his wash of overdrive, and it sounded at clean-to breakup levels like an old SG, great in a lot of ways, but not clean enough to have well-rounded tonal capabilities. I was hesitant to give the Rickenbacker a try again, after the wimpy 360, as I like hotter pickups, but I was most pleasantly surprised to find something a little hotter than the current passive pickup Fenders and yet not as muddy as a mahogany humbucker combo, and with that great Rickenbacker sound thrown in on top of it. I've got a Vox amp on order. Incredible value in today's market for something this well crafted with these features.

1998 330 6-string Jet-Glow black with case. Made in USA. This guitar has all the fine features of every other 330 you've read about... semi-hollow, lots-o-maple, 24 frets, two high-output single coil pickups, 3-way selector, schaller tuners, "R" tailpiece and so on. Of note is the Rickenbacker 5th knob which allows you to fine tune your tone. Also of note is the beauty of this guitar. Pictures don't do it justice. It is carefully crafted, elegantly designed and worth the asking price.

Rickenbackers have a sound and feel like no other. The myth is that they aren't versatile. The truth is that they have a very unique sound that will enhance anything you play. If you spend a lot of time trying to sound just like other guitarists this guitar will hold you back (unless that byrds/early beatles/REM sound is all you need out of life). If you don't want to sound like every other guitarist this guitar will go a long way towards helping you find your own niche. I use it to play mostly original alterna-powerpop-hard-rockin songs in a four piece band (2 guitars, bass and drums). The Rickenbacker helps me cut through the mix without burying the other guitarist. I play through a refurbished Peavy 212 with no outboard effects (It's been completely rebuilt to sound nothing like it did when I bought it 15 years ago). The Rickenbacker does the rest. What's really amazing is the way it retains its clarity on distorted settings -- I play lots of close intervals on the lower strings and the notes don't get lost. The clean sound is all you've imagined and more. One thing I've found since I've been playing it is that the Rickenbacker will reward and punish you: it will make your well crafted songs shine, but it will also shine a spotlight on your mistakes. I've been playing for 20 years and have developed some very sloppy habits that can be hard to hide when every note is crystal clear. The good news is that you'll want to practice even more if you own such a fine axe.

The action was a little high when I brought it home from the store. I've been tweaking it ever since. The neck seems a little bowed but I don't want to mess with it until I've really broken it in. Until then, it's hard to get the action really low without some annoying fret buzz. The intonation is perfect. The pickups are so close to the strings that I had to lower them when adjusting the action, but it's very easy to do. It has a little string guard over the bridge which I removed (also a simple process) so I could mute the strings. I was expecting more trouble changing strings than I had. I wouldn't want to do it in a hurry on stage, but with a little patience and coordination it's no more of a hassle than with any guitar. I have noticed that it goes out of tune pretty easily, but the weather probably has more to do with that than the guitar. The neck feels great, but it's a little clumsy until you get used to it. The finish is perfect, as are the frets. Comes with a special polishing cloth for the grandma in you.

While it looks fragile it's really sturdy. I get the impression that it will take a lot of abuse without sustaining any real damage. I'm not very paranoid about dings and scratches i.e., I like a guitar with a little character. I am paranoid about breaking strings so I always have a backup handy, but if stranded on a desert island with only one guitar I'd take this one...

never talked to them but they are rumored to be very helpful. They have a very thorough web site and a very loyal following.

I love this guitar. I have been through a lot of guitars in the last 20 years and plan to go through many more, but I'm starting to keep them all, instead of selling off one to buy another. I'm sure that once the initial romance wears off I will pull out my strat again, but until then this guitar just keeps getting better.

All Rickenbackers are USA made. 1990 semi-hollowbody anachronism. Solid maple hollowed-out body with partial center block. Three piece maple/walnet/maple set neck with double truss rods, Finished African rosewood 24 fret fingerboard. 24.75" scalelength. 1 & 5/8 inch width at the nut. 12" radius. Med/sm size nickel/silver frets. Glossy hand-rubbed 11 coat Ferrari red finish. Black hardware. Double cutaway with "squared off" front edge (as opposed to 360 style "rounded" front edge contours). No binding anywhere. Six saddle adjustable bridge matches contour of fretboard. "R" 12-slot tailpiece. Schaller small button tuning machines. 3-position pickup selector toggle switch, volume and tone pots for each of the two pickups, plus a "fifth" blender knob. Fully equipped two-pickup Rock guitar. No trem (on THIS model). Came with rectangular black hardcase with tolex exterior and blue crushed velour interior. Snap tab for accessories compartment. Large foam block under blue velour supports neck. I believe this is the least expensive of the present Rickenbacker line.

The previous respondent (Robert Ball) said it best: "...it takes a fairly seasoned player to appreciate this guitar." Good for ALL styles. Excells at unique "Rickenbacker sounds." I use this guitar for early R&B, classic Rock&Roll, Blues, Jazz, Pop, Folk, Country, and contemporary worship music. Does 'em all well. I find this guitar VERY versatile. As much sustain as a Fender bolt-neck, or partial block Gibson ES-335. Not as much sustain as say, a Les Paul Junior. Good single coil sound from the "High-Output" (as opposed to "toaster tops") stock pickups. Maybe not quite as much output as a P-90, but will drive an amp harder than a Telecaster. Ceramic magnet under the polepieces just a touch muddier than the Alnico polepiece "toaster tops," which offer a bit more individual note separation, but pretty close sounding in terms of "Rickenbacker sound." Just a bit of hum, but good signal to noise ratio. Full range sounds from so-called "jazz" (pretty lush) to almost Fender Telecaster rear pickup sound. Doesn't "twang" like a Fender, it TWANGS like a Rickenbacker! It's capable of a fairly unique Hi-Fi "jazz" sound with a quite sophisticated freq response which I never get tired of. The 24 fret neck pushes the pickups closer together than say, a 600 series rickenbacker. I actually LIKE that, as it gets a bit of Fender Stratocaster "in-between" sound, not that it has Strat sounds, but there's a touch of that close-together-pickup-interaction type "nasal" sound, except it's "Rickenbacker style," instead of Strat or Tele style. At first I thought I liked so-called "toaster top" Rickenbacker sounds just a bit better (they make their own pickups, though some mistake them for old style DeArmonds), but these "button" style pu's are great in their own right: maybe just a touch "snarlier" in the midrange than the Alnico pu's. It will make all the standard two-pickup electric guitar sounds I need, but what Rickenbackers are REALLY all about is their own snarling twang-style sound, and that just doesn't happen without the Rickenbacker "recipe." It's not for everybody, but if you like nasal, midrangey HONK, ala Joe Walsh type leads, or Pete Townsend power chords, THIS will do it as well as any more expensive Rickenbacker. My only complaint is that it takes getting used to the volume pots being BELOW the tone pots, but the fifth "blender" knob (which also acts as an extra neck pickup tone/vol pot somehow) makes up for that. I can put both pickups on, choke off some tone on the bridge pickup, and use the "blender" pot to find the snarly "sweet spot." It will also get a good ES-335 both pu's on Funky sound with some more balance and tone pot tweaking. Tends towards midrange sounds, especially with the semi-hollow body style, but it grows on you if you go WITH it instead of fighting it. I'd like a Rickenbacker with "toaster top" pickups someday, but I'm not modifying THIS guitar, even though the Alnico pickups are available from RIC for like: $75/each, I think.
I use this guitar with a Tech 21 Trademark 60 amp. more and more, it's set on "Vox" sounds! I also have a Crate VC5310 tube amp. Sounds great through either. With the Tech 21 It'll get a really cool "Ow! Ow!" kinda lead tone sorta like Joe Walsh or something. On clean it gets the Rickenbacker snarl on either, and will jangle on command.

Top drawer, all the way. Super low action when I got it (used). Ever play a guitar that was TOO FAST? This is it! I actually put on a slightly heavier string-set and let the action rise a tad. Still has the perfect amount of relief for fast work, but I can bend easier without the string getting away from me. Terrifically strong double truss rod system and three piece neck. This guitar was almost ten years old when I got it. Still looks as new, though it's obviously been played, as there's some fret wear on the first five frets under the plain strings. Still frets perfectly though. NO paint chips, arm wear, or finish off the neck or fingerboard. What ever their "secret finish formula" at Rickenbacker, it's as tough as nails, yet the guitar doesn't seem "blanketed" like some CBS Fenders. Some people don't like the structure style of Rickenbackers, but I LIKE the relationship of pickguard, bridge height above the front of the guitar (it's sorta like an archtop). The narrow neck throws people too sometimes, but after getting used to it, I'm a convert! No rattles or shoddy ANYTHING! Not in love with the solid red finish and black hardware scheme of this particular guitar, but Rickenbacker has some great looking finishes, and this one has been hell for durable!

No worries. See above.

They're very supportive and interactive on the alt.rickenbacker newsgroup. I doubt I'll ever wear anything out. I do my own set-ups, etc.

39+ years experience. I've had 'em all. Never thought much either way about Rickenbackers, despite a drummer's enthusiastic prodding. Always thought they were like the Studebakers of the guitar world. After 3 weeks with THIS guitar, I'm a convert! I can get all the classic sounds I'm interested in, plus the added Rickenbacker sound that is unique. These things are underated and often overlooked, but the Rickenbacker bunch, under F.C. Hall's family (recently deceased. His son John has been at the helm for years) has been quietly making guitars that never have needed "reissues" because they still build them the same way they always have (though they have reprised some earlier features and models). Outstanding quality!

This is a black Rickenbacker 330. It has two Rickenbacker single coil pickups. This is a streamlined hollowbody guitar. There is a volume and a tone control for each pickup. There is also a blender control that can further vary the tone of the guitar. I bought mine with a black case with blue plush lining. There are 24 frets on this beast and wide cutaways to easily reach all frets. This model has the R tailpiece. The body is made of maple. This guitar has many great features.

This guitar is simply incredible. Some people do not like the body style or the elevated pickguard. I would say that it takes a fairly seasoned player to appreciate this guitar. This is the ultimate "second guitar." I think, however, many people hear the incredible tone and it soon becomes their first choice. This rick lens itself to arpeggio or open chord picking. It is great distorted, however, the clean sound that comes out of this guitar will put a big grin on your face. If you want the tone of REM, Hootie, Joe Walsh, or Radiohead, this may very well be the guitar for you. Not to mention the millions of beatles fans who will be amazed at the sincerity of this guitar's ability to nail those early Beatle's tunes. Many people shy away from this guitar because people say that it is too "jangly." The 330 can do the Byrds, however it can also rip out the most distorted power chords. It is very full and rich sounding. Some say that you can not play lead guitar on these things. This is simply NOT true. The lead tone on the bass pickup may be the most outrageous sounding lead tone that I have ever heard. I play this guitar through a Mesa Boogie and it screams. Then when you play lead tones with a lot of gain on the bass pickup it sounds like a violin!!! It also has schaller tuners. Absolutely perfect craftmanship. I can't say enough good things about it.

Absolutely perfect. No flaws whatsoever. Excellent right from the factory.

This guitar will withstand anything. Just ask peter buck who has used the same rickenbacker since the late 70's. The hardware will certainly last and the finish will last also. I should mention that you should be shure to wipe the guitar off every time you play it. The sweat will cake up on it if you don't. Also, don't jump around too much when you play this thing. The strap buttons aren't that sturdy but will be alright if you are careful. This is the only guitar that I will ever play ...ever. I honestly believe that these are the best guitars on the market today.

The company is awesome. They made guitars for john lennon...that is a lot to live up to. They don't need to have great service with their rep, but they DO. Excellent. They will return phone calls, email, anything.

This is the only guitar that I will ever play. If you already have a gibson or a fender, go to a guitar store and find out what it is like to play a guitar that is always in tune, perfectly intonated, and reasonably priced. If you want something different... this is it. The ultimate songwriting guitar. You will drown in the crystal clear clean sound and nice thourough gain sound. You owe it to yourself to at least play one of these. You will see what I mean. You will find a lifelong friend. You don't see many used rickenbacker guitars for sale! There is a reason for this...check it out! Feel free to email me with questions and comments.

1998, 24 frets, two single coil rick pickups...awesome red 'fire glow' finish. Schaller? tuners...really nice, whatever they are. Comes with a great case. Volume and tone control for each pickup, as well as the 'fifth' knob, which balances the volume of either pickup, depending on which one is selected. 3 way toggle switch of course...more stuff than anyone in their right mind needs, less stuff than those crazy people who need their guitars to sound like 5 million things do.

I was using it through an old Carvin head and 4x12 cabinet...now using it through an old Fender twin with an extension cab...Also used to use it with a Digitech RP12 thru the fx loop...it stayed really clear through all that...With the twin and this amp though, alone, I can get almost any sound I need...I don't think its really as jangly as some say, unless you really make it that way...it may be a bit trebly, but it also has a lot of useable bass, which I hadn't expected. You can get almost any GOOD sound out of this you want. The fifth knob almost seems like too much... Very balanced sound...Also very, very loud, which I suppose i should mention...louder than any other guitar I've ever had...(and I use to be a death metal kid when I was younger)...Oh, yeah, I use it for everything from soft indie rock, to math rocky stuff, to old jazz (although its a bit brighter than a good archtop, it sound cool doing the jazz stuff)...I stopped using distortion, this thing straight through rocks...

The most beautiful thing I have ever seen...and I'm not even a beatles fan...You really have to see one of these to really understand...catalog pictures, etc. don't do it justice...the only complaint I've had, was a bit of overbowing in the neck...quickly remedied...The action is still a bit high, but I like it like that, it can be lowered...alot of people say they have trouble playing the things, but I find it more enjoyable than strats, etc...

I've used it live almsot exclusively, with a backup for broken strings, etc. The finish seems really tough, but shows smudges in some light, just remember to wipe off the guitar afterwards (duh). The strap buttos are a bit small, but very durable...never had any problems...

haven't dealt with them...heard good things...

I've been playing about 11 years now, since i was a kid, and i've been through almost every kind of guitar and setup imaginable. I really wanted to get a hollowbody guitar of some sort, both for the sound, and for the relative lightness of them (no really). I made a compromise, and decided to get this, and it was worth the backorder wait (about 3 months). i love almost everything about this guitar, except stringing it, i think someone else mentioned that...Here's a tip, put the string in, pull it up towards the headstock, and when its at a decent tension, put a capo on the 2nd or 3rd fret to hold it in place while you string it...it speeds things up considerably. Everyone should own at least one guitar that makes them feel like they are playing an "instrument" and not just some commercial noise device...I don't really know how else to explain it. I've worked my way towards good stuff, and I know what bad stuff is for sure. This is good stuff.

Mine is a 1996 Jetglo (black finish) with the standard dot fret inlays and 2 high gain "button" pick-ups. It has 24 frets. no binding, semi-hollow, crow's eye hole on the top of the body, nifty headstock, 'R' tailpiece, 3 way selector for the pick-ups and of course volume and tone controls for each. As most Rick's do, this has a 5th tone knob that adjusts the overall tone of the instrument. At first I didn't think it did much but I think it depends on the amp. When played clean, it seemed to have little affect, but when I play it through a Marshall, the 5th knob makes a big difference. The finish is a real pain. Rick uses beautiful stuff but it's all a bummer to maintain. You need a specially treated cloth just to wipe of finger prints. Don't spray anything with chlorine in it onto a 330 (or any Rick for that matter!) or you'll ruin the finish. The bridge is covered up by a plate which is easily removed to palm mute the strings. Each saddle has individual intonation adjustments but the action has to be adjusted by moving the entire bridge. Schaller tuners...need more be said? They're great machine heads. The neck is short, especially for a 24 fret guitar. The whole thing is super light. It almost feels like a toy. It has a double decker pick guard, ehich I personally think is a little gaudy, but overall it adds to the look. It's also very thin. The guitar is gorgeous. Comes with SBK made-for-Rickenbacker hardshell case, keys and an allen wrench.

The 330 has a very unique and awesome tone. I have to give this guitar a 10 on the tone scale. Although it's not a versatile guitar, it's tone is fantastic! If you want to play surf music or Rockabilly or some 60's Brit pop, there are few matches for this guitar. I play more math/indie rock stuff on it. I don't recommend it for that, though. I like to play country and surf stuff on it and I was inspired to learn some Beatles tunes because it sounds just like 'em! As it's semi-hollow, it has less sustain than most guitars. I play it through a Marshall 100w 2203 and it sounds good. It is noisy, however, as the pick-ups are single coil. There's just no way around that. It has a sound that I would say is very full, for lack of a better term. An example: 6 string chords sound better on this guitar than any I have ever played. Jazz "dead string" chords are the best on this guitar. These chords sound big on the Rick, yet they remain very twangy. Many of the sounds I have gotten from it remind me of the Ventures. Again, there's not a lot of versatility in this guitar. I don't like some things about the sound (ex: playing up high doesn't sound nearly as good as down low; harmonics are tough, especially pinch harmonics; sometimes single low notes don't have enough muscle, etc) but if you use it as it's meant, you'll sound just like George Harrison. Do not buy this guitar if you like to play up high. I don't recommend it for use in heavy rock bands or if you aren't playing traditional or jazz chords.

When I got the guitar, it needed a set-up. The previous owner had the action way up high and the neck actually needed a slight adjustment. Now it plays better than the floor models at Guitar Center in Dallas! The action has the ability to get super-low. In fact, it gets so low that if you play it unplugged it buzzes like crazy. I think this is intentional. I believe it's part of the sound Rick is after. It's very comfortable to play below the 12th fret but if you stray much farther up than that, it becomes difficult to play. Part of it has to be the body shape. The horn or crow's beak at the bottom gets in the way of playing chords up high or even using your ring and pinky fingers when up close to it. It's for this reason that it loses points in this category for me. I think even a guitar meant to be played down low should have the same comfort up high. The pick ups almost touch the strings and yet, magically, they never do. The pick-up selector does tend to be a bit noisy or scratchy. Usually wiggling it helps. These models have double truss-rods which repair people seem to love. The neck at the headstock is like none I've ever felt. My hand's never fit around a guitar's neck down at the headstock like it does when I play the Rick. It's like one of those ergonometriconical keyboards that're built for human hands. The fretboeard is nothte greatest. Very thin, very short. They've really squeezed a lot of frets onto a small neck. If you have big hands, don't bother to play up high. Also the finish on the fretboard is nice to look at and very protective but it's not smooth. It's easy to get you're fingers hung up on it when playing fast.

The hardware on this guitar seems good, especially the machine heads. The finish is a pain, as I mentioned above. It seems like a guitar that needs to be babied. Being semi-hollow, it almost feels flimsy at times. I am sure it's solid though. I saw a really heavy band using one once and this guy playing a Rick beat the heck out of it. I haven't ever played a 'gig' (?) with it so I can't say from first hand experience.

Rick is great. Email them and they'll usually respond within 48 hours. Go to the website www.rickenbacker.com and read up! They've got the owners manual online as well as the specs for guitars and repair deapartment's info.

I have been playing for almost 9 years and I also use a Fender Jazz bass and a Jerry Jones baritone (read my review on it and count the misspellings to win special prizes!!) as well as the Marshall head described above with a JCM800 1960A. I do wish that before having bought this guitar I could've tried it out on the Marshall first. They don't have the older Marshall's in stores now so I couldn't get an accurate example when shopping. I tried it up against Fender Telecasters (I actually like the Rick's tone BETTER) and of course Stratocasters and Les Pauls. Little can come close to the Jerry Jones bari I have, but that's a different animal. I suspect the JJ alto (??) guitars sound a lot like Ricks. The only guitar I found that beat it's sound was a Travis Bean. Sometimes you have to own the guitar and get to know it before you know if it's right for you. This guitar is not really right for me. I love it, but it doesn't have some of the abilities I need in a guitar. I loved the fact that everything (neck, bridge, intonation, etc) on it was so easy to adjust and fix if you didn't like a certain setting. I love the big jazz chords on it when played down low but I miss the pinch harmonics and the sustain. I loved the twangy yet big sound, however, I like to play high up and it's just not atainable on this guitar. I love the feeling down low. If you play a lot of traditional chords, buy this guitar and don't think twice about it! If it were stolen or lost I'd miss it but I wouldn't replace it right away. I am actually trying to sell it as I write this and I am going to miss it's full chords horribly, but I need a more general purpose guitar. This is not a versatile guitar. It has a purpose and if you stray from it's intended path, you'll be annoyed with the guitar. But if that you are looking for the Rickenbacker sound and feel, this is it!! I think they've made this model the same way with few additions since the 60's and for good reason.