Rickenbacker 330/6

My 330 was built in Feb'09
Fireglo finish
2 Hi Gain PU's
Rosewood fingerboard
Maple body and neck
5 control layout
pickup selector
R tailpiece
24 frets
6 saddle bridge
standard jack
Schaller tuners
dual truss rods
standard molded case

It has that beautiful jingle-jangle sound. Bright. Clean. Rich/Full sound. It's a Rickenbacker. I also have a 360, they sound very similar. I play thru a Fender Champion 30 DSP, mostly blues, rock and jazz.

This was set up perfectly from the factory as was my 360. No flaws or blemishes. Fast neck, easy to play. All switches, controls, and pickups work great. No problems. The finish is also perfect. My 360 is in Mapleglo, and I thought, that was my favorite color until I got this 330 in Fireglo. WOW!!! Does it look great!!!!

As with all RICKS this guitar is solid. Very strong. Rickenbacker are the ultimate guitar builders. A great American family owned company. I would replace it if stolen. Beautiful chrome/nickel hardware. Beautiful sparkling finish. Rickenbackers are works of art.

I have always had great response when I've dealt with the company directly. Whether by phone, fax, or email. Very friendly, eager to please, they answer all questions I have had. Standard warranty "as long as you own the guitar" policy. Rickenbacker is a top notch company.

I have always wanted a Rickenbacker, now I have two. A 360 and now this 330. They are beautiful, well built, and great sounding guitars. Easy to play. I have 9 guitars now, (Strats, Tele, Gretsch, Phantom 6, Epiphone Elitist Les Paul) and these two RICKS are easily my favorites to play and own. I'm very proud to own these Rickenbackers from Santa Ana, CA. My next purchase a 350V63, 381V69.
I bought my Ricks, by the way, from Musicians Friend, they were in stock and at great prices. Check them out. You gotta own a Rickenbacker.

Mine is an '05 Fireglow.
No outstanding features other than this is the easiest guitar to play I have ever layed my hands on.
Very worry-free as well.
Strong case. No vibrato to throw tuning out of whack.
Semi-hollow body makes warming up without an amp a viable possibility.

The beatiful full chime is what I bought it for, and it can really also scream big time with a good tube amp, like a Traynor YCS50, though it's not really a heavy metal object, just a beautiful finely crafted wooden piece of art in that regard.
Very low hum levels

I bought mine used, some 5 years old, but it was beautifully set-up, and easily the most pleasant guitar I have ever played. Forced me to go back to all the other stuff I have and re-adjust everything.

I used to play some 45 years ago when I was a teen, but gave it up when university intervened and have just taken guitar up again after all this time.

The Ric is the Ferrari of rhythm guitars. My chubby arthritic fingers can actually easly do barre chords on this rig.

I would depend on this far more than the usual Chinese / Korean stuff we are getting fed nowadays, though admittedly at very attractive prices.

Sufficiently impressed to buy a 330/12 (very happy) as well.

Rics stay in tune well when all my other stuff has to be cranked back and forth constantly (I live on a lakefront property and now the heating season has begun).

Finish is over 5 years old and looks brand new.

Never has occasion to deal with them.

Played for a few years in my teens. 45 years later, taking it up again and it's nice to have the ability to buy the best and not have to deal with a no-name beginner guitar.

Also own Gretsch 5120, Godin LG90, Takamine 12 string, Ric 330-12. The Rics are head-and-shoulders above the others in terms of quality and fun.

I should also put a plug in for my Traynor YCS50 amp, which blows the Vox AC30 out of the water in terms of features, quality and reliability. It's the perfect Ric soul-mate.

This is a late 80's maple 330 6 string. fitted with treble and bass volume and tone controls along with a 'blend' control. Ive given this section 8/10, simply because nothing gets a 10, and the 'blend' is something of a waste of time. Everyone knows what these look like, so lets skip to the next catagory.

Its clean, very clean. If you want the ultimate 60 pop sounds, this will satisy your every whim.it is also quite passable for jazz as the neck pickup is really quite rich, but again, very clear. But thats about it. Regardless of what might be written by previously, imo, it doesnt work for either rock or blues. Country it gets by on, but even a decent Japanese Tele does it better, or, if youre lucky enough to find one, a good old Peavey Reactor,[the BEST Tele Fender never built]. I know others say it gives a thicker tone than a Tele, and it does, but it doesnt play like one and also, what about just altering the tone controls on your amp? What it does well is great, but due to its limitations, this catagory gets a 7/10.

The action is low low low.If like me, you have fairly stubby fingers, its an absolute joy to play, but I would imagine that all you arty types with long,slender digits could find the fretboard a touch cramped. I cannot fault the finish, but then again, Ive never been too fussy over such things, and an old band member always used to say you should choose a guitar with your eyes closed. Good advise and worth following, no point in spending a fortune on a beautifully bookmatched top, filler free guitar if it sounds no better than a Far Eastern copy.

Any guitar should stand 'live playing' - silly question, everything else has lasted almost 30 years, so yes, its dependable. The finish is still pretty good, but the maple has shaded down, but who wants a 30 year old guitar to look brand new. Rule 1: NEVER GIG WITHOUT A BACKUP, unless you know how to change a string in 10 seconds!

Probably very good, but never tried them.

Here's the boring stuff..been playing since Please Please Me came out and have owned more or less everything. I still have my Hofner President but after 30+ years, Ive reached the conclusion, that for my needs, a simple Telecaster is the best guitar available, and of those, the old Peavey Reactor is by far and away the best value for money. Install a set of good pickups in one and youve got a USA made Tele for around $450 - unbeatable. The Rickenbacker is a fine guitar, but imo, has its limitations in both tone and comfortable playing position, ie, Im not a great lover of larger bodied giutars, as I never feel that I can really 'dig into' them. It will neither get lost nor stolen, but in my house, it could very well get broken, so would I buy another one? Truthfully no. I once owned the Pete Townsend model which I sold, because, quite simply, despite all efforts, I couldnt convince Roger Daltry or John Entwhistle to join my band and again, after the honeymoon period, I recognised its limitations. Rule 2: Never buy a signature model, unless its your signature. If you want a Rickenbacker sound, then obviously get one of these, as nothing else does it, but just dont expect it to do everything, 'cause it don't.

Rickenbacker 330 12 string Fireglo 24 Fret Maple Semi-hollow body.USED AS A SIX STRING. Made in 2003. Four controls (2 volume and 2 tone). a "Blend" control. Two single coil pickups. Schaller tuners. Thin maple neck with a high gloss rosewood fingerboard.

Firstly, I'd like to say that I have played Gibsons, Fenders and assorted other guitars over the last 25-odd years and in my opinion, nothing comes close to the awesome tone of a Rickenbacker 330, modified or not. It IS versatile. It sparkles, It jangles, It's bright. It's warm. It's clean sound is amazing and despite what heavy rockers and those with vested interests will have you believe it CAN rock. Although it's not my forte, I have used a 330 in a grunge/rock context and it sounded brilliant (check out Fugazi).
I mainly use this 12 stringer as a 6 string guitar. I replaced the standard hi-gain pickups with Rickenbacker's vintage 7.4k "Toaster-Top" pickups and added a 0.0047 capacitor between the treble pickup and it's volume pot. I then installed Pyramid Gold Flatwound strings(11's). From a tone point of view, this is THE Rickenbacker sound - it nails The early Beatles/Who/Action sounds from the 60's and cranked up though a Laney VC30 (or a VOX AC30) sounds effortlessly like Weller's early Jam efforts. Used as a 12 string, it sounds almost identical to George Harrison's Rick 12 (not to mention Roger McGuinn's) I'm not saying that the new modern incarnations of the 330 or 360 sound bad but they do not sound completely like the 60's, 70's and 80's versions. The earlier Hi-gain pickups seem to sound warmer and far closer to Toasters in sound than the post 1990 Hi-gains (Did the earlier Hi-gains use alnico magnets?)

Not bad. Could be played straight out of the case. But needed slight adjustment.

Fantastic - very well built guitar with quality parts.

....! This is a shame. I haven't had to deal with them and from what I've seen and heard, I'm glad. I would personally have appreciated the Rickenbacker Corporation notifying it's customers of changes to the specs. Fender seem a lot more customer-friendly in that regard. It's this which has personally cost me a lot of money over the years.
Anyway, regardless of this I will always love Rickenbackers.

I have played Rickenbackers for 17 years and have owned quite a few modern and vintage 330/360 models and 450/620 solid-body models. I have read many of the reviews posted here and in my opinion, the new standard hi-gains (I'm talking post-1990) have way too much of that ceramic "Wasp in a jam jar" quality to them. When cranked up through a Vox AC30 or the like, they sound slightly like Weller in his Jam days but nowhere near the real thing. The original 1960's Rickenbackers had 7.4k Alnico "Toaster Top" pickups, and a 0.0047 capacitor between the Treble pickup and it's volume pot. Having said this all Ricks sound great in my opinion. Shame about the reputation of the company. Ethically, they should really try to work on customer care.

Mine was made in 2004 according to the RIC website. It's a lovely fireglo finish. It has the usual appointments - 2 volume knobs, 2 tone knobs, extra tone knob, three-way selector switch, 24-fret neck, 2 modern high gain pickups, floating bridge, floating "R" tailpiece. It also came with a hard shell case and guitar cloth. For mine, it's got all the features I want.

This guitar has tone, tone and more tone! I play it through a Laney VC-30, which can be a very bright combination, but reducing the treble setting on the amp tames this. My standard amp EQ settings are: Bass (9), Mid (6-7), Treble (3-4). With these settings, my 330 sounds absolutely awesome. I'm a fan of The Church, and Marty Willson-Piper in particular, and this setting nails his sound pretty much spot on. There's so much sweet jingle jangle to be had from this beastie, especially with sweeping arpeggios and open chords. Add a bit of delay and you're in U2 territory. Pump up the overdrive and hey presto - vintage Pete Townshend. A touch of chorus adds a different dimension to the sound. For a guitar with such a reputation for pop music, it's surprisingly ballsy when overdriven, but I guess Townshend could have told us that.

Just about everything was spot on when I picked it up. I bought it via the internet from Melbourne and had it shipped to Canberra (I wouldn't do this with too many other guitar companies, but Rickenbacker has a solid reputation for reliability and dependability). The only glitch I've had over the two years I've owned it is that a small piece of chrome finish fell off the "R" tailpiece about 3 months after I bought it. Apart from that it's been rock-solid and a joy to play. The finish is up to the usual Rickenbacker standard, ie. Fabulously glossy fireglo paint-job and a beautiful deep-looking finish. Did I mention I like my Rick a LOT?

This guitar will stand live playing at least as much as any other guitar I've played, broken strings etc. notwithstanding. Being a lefty, I normally have to supply my own backup guitar so if I play live, which I rarely do these days, I also drag along my Samick 335 clone. However I normally only use this either for a backup, heavy blues/rock numbers or occasionally for lead guitar. The Rick's finish will outlast me. Strap locks are standard, which is a a great idea, every guitar should have them as standard.

Never had to deal with 'em. Lucky me.

I've been playing guitar for about 25 years, but only in the last 10 or so years as a gigging guitarist. I play the 330 (or the Samick) through a Digitech RP-7 multi-FX pedal into the Laney VC-30 2x12 class A valve amp (which is also a great bit of gear!). This gives lots of flexibility to my sound.
The only gripe I have about the 330 is that it has a much narrower neck than any other electric guitar I've played. I find it quite hard to play lead on this guitar, especially bending strings, as I tend to bend them off the fretboard or into other strings. However after two years I'm getting used to the unorthodox neck setup.
I love the vibe it gives off every time I open the case and see it sitting there, waiting to be played. It's got a tone and a character all its own and I love it.
If it was lost, I'd look a right dill. If it was stolen, I would consider replacing it with a Telecaster (wider neck), but I'm not gonna let it get stolen either!

Built in 2007. Fireglo finish. Compared to recient fireglos, this guitar was painted darker. It has a much nicer finish that the ones painted in the past couple years. All the features I could ask for. I have been playing it for about a year. It is really a piece of art. Go to Rics web site to see the specs.

I really like the sound. It really cuts through compared to my PRS Hollowbody. I play it through a 50 watt Marshall JCM 800. The dark sound of my amp and the light sound of this guitar really make things special. I think with an amp that doesn't have a lot of tone, this guitar could sound too bright. I think a pick-up mod could solve this, but I don't want to go there b/c it works great with my amp.

Amazing action. Set the neck perfectly straight and use # 10 strings and you won't be dissapointed.

They are more solid than they look. It will shock you how this is built. This guitar is super durable and feels good on your shoulder.

No sure. Haven't had to use it.

Best guitar I own. I play it the most. Long scale is great. I would replace it if it were stolen after I crying for a couple days. I love this guitar. It is worth every penny I paid for it.

Rickenbacker 330 in MapleGlo, built in 2002. Standard features with hi-gain pick-ups. Not a feature-rich instrument, but it has it where it counts, in terms of tone & looks.

I am pretty much a rhythm player, who started on acoustic, and this guitar suits me well. I write and record lots of original music, from folky acoustic stuff, to big, epic rock songs, to jangly rock/pop songs, to power pop, to bombastic rock. This guitar is used for a lot of my jangly rock songs, as it has a very distinctive pop sound. I run it through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, either clean, or with a little bit of overdrive, with some compression and delay. When you have the sound dialed in, the notes seem to "pop out" at you, in a pleasing, full, and chimey way. This is usually achieved when both pick-ups are used. When used in this way, I find the guitar to have a fuller and "creamier" sound than a Fender, such as the Strat or Telecaster. I also like it on the bridge pick-up, but usually opt for both pick-ups. The main character of the 330's sound can also be heard unplugged. I do not play this guitar distorted, or move around alot on the guitar. I usually play it clean with lots of open-chorded jangle. Acrobatics are not the strength of this guitar. I also find this to be the perfect electric guitar for playing and singing solo. You can fill a whole room with that prestine Rickenbacker sparkle, as you sing your songs to your people.

Set-up was OK, but intonation was off. Had some trouble with the set-up, but once I took it to a capable guitar tech, it has been great - no fret buzz, action is set to medium, which I prefer. I did try to change to a wound G string, and was met with horror as I tried to re-intonate the G string. I found that I would have to take the whole bridge apart, and swap the springs, in order to move the G saddle far enough up. I ended up giving up on that, and going back to an unwound G. Regarding finish, nobody does it better than Rickenbacker. The MapleGlo is immaculate. It looks really handsome against the rosewood fretboard. I did get some green stuff forming at the end of the frets, under the lacquer, but I just scratched it off with my fingernail, and haven't looked back since.

This is a very sturdy and reliable guitar. It came with strap locks. It is just a workhorse. I have played the heck out of this guitar, and it is as great as the day it was set up. Nothing has changed.

For the price I paid, it is a fantastic value. However, prices are on the rise, so, get your's before they go too high ! Really, I just love the look, feel, and tuneful sound of this guitar. I also own a 360, and I really believe the 330 has a slight edge in sound, due to its body shape. It's fuller, and you can hear the difference acoustically. If it were lost or stolen, I would but a new 330MG, without question. I would also recommend the 330 to anyone who was looking to expand from acoustic to electric, and who was interested in getting a Rickenbacker.

Bought it used it's a 96 year model nearly unplayed as most are.
Fireglo, toaster pickups, no vibrato, single coil non-adjustable ceramic pickups. It's a throwback, like turn of the century violin kind of thing.
Ric should build a guitar that has more tone and can be played.
If Fender owned the company things would be better for it.
Just imagine.

C'mon now, what is all the fuss? You can remove tone from a guitar with EQ, but you can't add tone that isn't there. If you want the sound of a Ric then just EQ out all the tone below 1.6k and there you have it, what y'all like to call jangle. That's a polite word for thin tone. My Fender Jaguar is a lot like this tone save the alnico twang. So it certainly isn't the tone you need when you buy a Ric, for sure! Just try an A/B with your other guitars and use an EQ, you'll get "the tone" out of any guitar. But try to make the Ric sound like something else and it just isn't there. It's a single coil ceramic semi-hollow, say thin, sound. Are you seething yet? There is a reason very few use this guitar, it's not versatile enough for most folks. If you are playing one style and this hits it you can get by with it. Sure you say it can do country, but so can an Ibanez, or Gibson humbucker, it just doesn't have a Tele/steel like twang sound tho. I'm going to put some humbuckers or P-90s in there and see what I get, got to be an improvement (naw, I won't). If you have ever run a big mixing board and had a lot of effect inserts to play with when mixing down, you should know what I am talking about. The guitar is unique , but not necessary for it's tone alone. I can get that tone if I need to, and the same tone on any guitar amp running it through an EQ.

Straight neck, no sharp frets, no buzzing, low action. I don't care for the layout, there isn't much room for palm muting. The pickups get tapped by the pick and they can't be lowered. For the fit and finish it's great, for the old timey design it gets points off. But for the look.
The look of the guitar is everything here. It is truly a beautiful guitar to be seen playing and that is why I own it. The name and the look.
You really can't fault me for that, I can put up with the rest. It's like a woman, you have to accept the things you can't change to get the things you wouldn't.

Strong and heavy for a semi-hollow. It seems to be as tough as a Fender, well maybe not that tough.

Bought it used.

I had to have one, and I love it. It is very beautiful and I play it.
It is easy to play just no room for palm muting. Other people think it is a god, not me. "The tone" is way over rated. This is an old old design, not everything old is great. If it weren't for the Byrds and the Beatles I doubt if Rickenbacker would be in business today. If Fender owned this company they could do wonders. Get real. Other than that for what it is, it's cool, has a history and people love it.

This is the typical factory spec 330 we're all familiar with in Fireglo with hi-gain pickups made in Sana Ana, CA. It has to be said that rickenbacker finishes are amazing. Truly a piece of art and craftsmen technique. Just pull it out of the case and people start to stare, fellow musicians nod in affirmation and the uninitiated wonder if you just came out of the mothership . . . seriously cool.

I play mostly ambient guitar with a bit of jazz/country thrown in for fun, but usually along the lines u2, lanois, frissell, marty wilson piper to radiohead and bruce cockburn. For years I had wanted a ric, especially a 330/12 but, a deal came up on this 330/6 and I figured why not go for it and get used to the RIC ethos until I can afford a 330/12? The moment I plugged it in (to a basic fender blues jr.) it was there, that tone that only comes out of a Ric. Rics are really a different breed, and having been a fender player for so long, it takes a bit to recalibrate your technique, but the reward is that shimmering clean bitting tone that is so jangly lush. In my opinion the neck seems quite fast and the action is set low enough. At first I found myself ending up a couple of frets off when not looking, but 24 frets is actually a pretty intersting difference from 21. THough it is 24.75 it doesn't feel like it, the slack you feel on a gibson, the elastcity in the scale isn;t as apparent, maybe due to the 24frets? The controls are responsive and the high-gains have punch while retaining the jangle. The 5th knob for mix/roll off is really handy and the range of variations tonally is far greater than I had anticipated. Unlike the toasters, highgains are able to put out some significant bass, great for a 6 string but I can see why toasters are considered best on a 12. If you are a clean player this is the holy grail and with an overdrive pedal in front it can be quite agressive as well. This guitar is so complimentary to compression delay and reverb and effects in general. My full fx setup is:

Startouch A/B - DOD FX15 Bi-Fet pre - George Dennis Volume - Trace Elliot EQ - MXR DynoCOmp - Boss SD-1(japan) - Sabine Fuzztortion - Boss CE-20 - Danelectro Tuna Melt - Snarling DogS VeriTone - Korg SDD-2000 - Yamaha D1500 - Boss RV-70

Overall, the guitar was in great condition from the factory. Pickup alligment, adjustment, solid knobs, no construction issues. However, the neck had a pretty nasty kink in it halfway down the neck on the treble side causing the intonation to wane in the upper registers and even fret out. Even with this issue, it still stayed in tune like crazy and it feels so solid. I took it to a luthier to get it setup but after tweaking the rods in the neck a bit he said he didn't want to go much further without the neck responding and recommended sending it back to RIC under the warranty. Disappointed, I sent her back. Kenny at Ric was totally accomodating and professional. I sent it back, they adjusted it back to factory specs and sent her back to me in perfect condition with no buzzes, perfect intonaiton and it could be played all the way up to the 24th fret! THat cost $20, and that was for shipping. What can I say, the get the job done and stand by their product. IT would easily cost 50-100 to have it set up similarly by a tech or luthier!

The wood on my 330 is not flamey or birdseyed, but it does have a nice grain to it and is very resonant. The top and back are well matched and the neck looks great. Tuners are fantastic and the nut is cut very well contibuting to its tuning stability.

As semi-hollows go, Rickenbackers are built like tanks. I once nearly bought a Hofner Verything Classic, but it just seemed so dainty. I am not a wild player and am probably too careful with my guitars sometimes, but the verythin looked as though even I could have easily damaged it. The 330 is very sturdy, very reliable and for those of us not consistently playing to thousands in a new city every night, a backup is unnecessary. Check out the ric site to see how they are made and you'll get it.

As Stated above, Kenny was brilliant. Totally patient and never treated me like another number. Good people.

I've been playing for 18 years. Have had an American Standard strat, an Epi Elitist '61 SG, Epi Dot Studio and currenty have the Ric 330 and a G&L ASAT Semi-hollow with bigsby that I also love and a Taylor 310 and 414.

I would or should I say will buy another Rickenbacker in the future. Probably a 12 string. For me the Ric is a unique instrument with a distinctive yet versatile tone that can't be replicated by any other guitar. Perhaps a Les Paul or similar humbucking guitar would help roundout my palette in the future, but it is the 330 and ASAT that bring a smile to my face right now.

My guitar is a 2003 Fireglo Model. It has all the usual appointments for a Rickenbacker 330 - Semi solid maple construction, Hi-gain single coil pickups, laminated fretboard, 'R' Tailpiece. Also has an excellent bespoke hard case complete with Allen Keys for truss rod adjustment, a manual to explain what the controls do and how to look after your guitar. I believe you also get a special cloth for looking after the finish, althought his was missing from the guitar when I bought it second hand.

Certainly the best package for a guitar I've ever seen 'ou-of-the-box' (as mine's not that old, I assume the deal hasn't changed much). Gonna give it a 10.

Prior to buying the Ricky, I'd used a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe for 7 years, and decided it was time to go for something completely different and in the opposite direction, hence the Rickenbacker. I didn't really know what to expect before I got it, I knew that they were of course used by the Beatles, other Psychadelic bands like the Byrds and also the Jam.

Rightly or wrongly, Rics are thought of more for their 'Jangly' rhythm guitar work. If you're doing your research, you'll certainly find plenty of references to this. Personally, I like to play a lot of bluesy lead work, so I didn't really know what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised! Using the bridge pickup, you get a great almost country sound (using light to medium distortion) and a jazzy sound from the neck pickup. My favourite combination is an 'in between' pickup sound with the volume of the neck rolled off slightly. You can get a really cool bluesy honk from these settings that reminded me of a Gibson ES-335. Sure, it's got a brighter sound because of the maple, but with the contruction being along similar lines there are parrallels with the sound.

Of course you can get great chord sounds - not quite the same jangle you'd get with with a 12 string, but it's still there. The boomy psychadelic chords are all there, with such a creamy sound to them. Stabby chord work a la the Jam is of course possible, but I don't think the 330 works well with heavy distortion, unless you want an especially off the wall sound. Works well with Marshall type settings (unless heavily distorted) but it's not the kind of guitar you'd pair up with a Mesa/Boogie Dual Recitifier. I use Vox/Fender type settings for the majority of the recordings I do.

I am in love with the sound of the Ric - i'm going to give it a 10 because it's so goo, but don't forget I have another guitar for the heavy stuff - maybe I wouldnt score so high if I had to try and do everything on the 330.

My guitar was a couple of years out of the facotry when I picked it up from ebay. Other than a couple of scratches in very hard to find places, a quick cleanup made me see that this guitar is a work of art. To each his own with the finishes, but fireglo is the one i'd always go for, with maybe mapleglo as an alternative. It has a deep gloss shine with the grain of the wood visible beneath, and on the revese of the headstock and neck, there's a clear contrast between the different pices of wood wich gives a lovely striped effect (you can see this on the front of the headstock).

Action etc was all fine, I'm guessing this is how it left the factory from what I gathered from the previous owner. The neck is quite thin, which really suits me as i don't have especially long fingers. You do occasionally hear people complain about this, but I don't know if thats because it might make things a bit cramped on the /12 version. Personally, the ease of playing certainly took my lead playing to a whole new level, and with such easy access to the upper frets, its possible to get some really high sounding phrases with this guitar.

When I got the guitar, it had .09s on. I've since gone to .10s and might even go a stage higer, just for a stornger tone. I've also found that heavier strings, while harder to deal with at first, actually make me play much better.

Can't fault the guitar on this section either, so another 10.

Rickenbacker seem to be the only company who make guitars to a decent quality these days - why should you pay more than three times the normal price for a custom shop model when in the old days everyone got a decent guitar? Rickenbacker are still a privately owned family firm, and with no-shareholders to satisfy, it seems they've realised that reputation, quality and attention to detail are more important than squeezing every last penny out of a factory.

I'm sure the Ric would be fine live, although I haven't used it yet in a live situation (I record at home these days). Harware all seems fine, and the FF straplocks are a welcome feature. Old Ric's seem to go on forever, so there's no reason why this shouldnt. Not gonna rate this one though, only time will tell.

The Ric website has got a great forum thats alive with fans of the marque. Ask a question on here and you might get a response from the CEO or one of the other staff at the company - I don't know anywhere else where that happens! Not likely to use them in a "my guitar is knackered, what are you gonna do?" capacity, but people who do seem to be well treated. However, if you do have a problem with your Ric, it would be better to find better ways to deal with the problem that posting a message on there forum saying "Mr Hall, I don't like my guitar, what are YOU going to do about it" etc...

Been playing for 9 years, Having quickly gone through some budget stuff I played a Gibson Les Paul deluxe for years until i got the Ric. The Ric has taken over as the guitar I go for straight away, and it's been used on most of my recordings almost exclusively since I got it. It's just a real friendly guitar, you just pick it up and play.

I can't really explain enough how much I love this guitar - if it were stolen I would buy another, although I might go for a 360 for no other reason than it just looks a bit different. Like most other people who play Rics, one is never enough, so I definitely want to get a 4003 bass and eityher a 330/12 or 360/12 at some point.

Made in 1991 you know the features, but no stereo output gets it a nine

I love the tone on this instrument. I play mostly heavey rock, country and experimental music and it fits the bill for any style. However I would'nt recomend it for nu-metal as the output is a little low for that. Otherwise this thing sounds amazing, I run it with a Music Man 65 reverb head and Celestion 4x12, could'nt ask for a better tone, clean or distorted.

It plays different than any other guitar ive owned, the scale was a little wierd to get used to but after a few weeks I didnt even notice it. Action CANNOT be beat. Soooo smooth.

I've used this guitar hard many nights out. If you break it, your dumb. The finish is very resistent to scratching and dents, probablly cos its so thick.

Never needed them.

I also own a Fender Amr. Ash Telecaster witch I love but the tone doesnt even come close to the 330. This guitar was stolen from me, but i located it in a pawn shop. Paid the pawn ticket to get it back so I ended up paying $1100 total for this guitar. WORTH EVERY PENNY!
It's gone up in List Price $200 in 3 years so you cant beat the value. I wish it had the "Rick 'o' Sound" output but i get by without it.

I think we all know the features by this point. If not, read another review to get the details of this strange little instrument. There is nothing this guitar doesn't have, however it may be a little much for some people.

I'd just like to start by saying that this guitar is definitley not for everyone. I've played a ton of different electric guitars and I'd have to say that Rics are probably the most unique electric instruments out there. With that said, it can be a blessing at times, and annoying as $%^& at others. I was looking for a guitar that was a contrast to my Fender Strat, and I must say that this guitar fits the bill. The tone, feel, look..everything is completely unlike a Strat..obviously. However, I find this guitar rather difficult to play at times. I play a lot of melodic lead type stuff (U2, Radiohead, Phish) and this isn't necessarily a great guitar for that. The neck is very hard to get used to...at least for me it was. I still can't decide if I like the glossy fretobard or not. It's beautiful, but creates a lot of problems in playing lead. Also, it gets grimmy and dirty rather easily. My only complaints of this guitar lie in the feel of it. Everything about this guitar seems exaggerated...the thick, yet tight neck and the 24 frets create a strange feel that would probably turn a lot of players away. The scale length of this instrument is so bizarre, I kind of like it though. Overall though, the sound is great..the craftsmanship is wonderful...just not a guitar for someone looking to skip around with genres or play a lot of lead based stuff. I suppose once you get used to it, it could become your favorite instrument rather easily. Nothing out there is like a Ric. I understand why not many kids are picking up Rics today though, because it feels about as vintage as you can get. Not great for a lot of bull $%^& kids are trying to do today.

The guitar was set up pretty strangely from the factory. The strings were waaaay high up, however I got that adjusted. Now they are a little too low, but regardless it's easier to play. I guess the pickups were adjusted well since they sound awesome. The guitar was brand new when I bought it, and it was flawless. Truly a work of art. There is no Fender or Gibson that can match a Ric in quality control, especially at a 1,000 dollar price range. Probably because Rics aren't mass produced like Fenders and Gibsons are. The tone knobs are really cool, and the blender knob is unique and usable.

The guitar is a monster. Nothing on this guitar will break, unless you are a moron and are asking for it. The finish should last if you are willing to take care of it, and treat it with the respect it deserves. You can definetely depend on this guitar when you need it, and I dont see a need for a backup unless you break strings easily.

Im sure its great, but I havent had to call yet.

Overall, I have pretty mixed opinions of this guitar. I love the sound and look, but can't quite get a grasp on the feel. To me, it just feels a little too akward. Between the metal plate at the bridge (making palm-muting somewhat akward and difficult), the weird scale length, the wickedly glossy neck, and of course the crazy size and configuration of the neck, it is just a little hard to play at times. The guitar feels very tight, which isn't necessarily bad, but it isn't the type of guitar you can just sit down and whip out any style with ease. I've grown to appreciate the guitar for its uniqueness though, and it fits my needs of being a truly original instrument. I hate Les Pauls and PRS guitars, but still wanted a Humbucker equipped instrument, and the Ric not only gives a humbucker tone, but a tone that is totally unique to any instrument. I don't see myself learning to love this instrument, but I don't think I could sell it. Be wary of the Rics, they definitely aren't something that any player will appreciate, but for some people it may be the best thing ever.

Same ole' features

I play original rock 'n roll. Indi-type stuff. This guitar sounds really good. Different than a, but really good.
My setup is 330>Boss tuner>Jekell&Hyde Distortion>Boss DD6 Delay>H2O Chorus/Echo>Holy Grail Reverb>Fender Blues JR.

I basically sold my Deluxe American Strat and bought this becase I hate the tone of single coil fenders. The 330 has great sustain because of the hollow body. Watch the highs though, if I turn them up all the way, I get some microphonic feedback.

Everything was good, except you can see some of the glue near the headstock. doesn't affect the playing or sound, but I expected better from a nice guitar.

Seems solid so far. I've had this for 6 months with no problems.

I've been playing for ten years. I've been gigging for six. I also have a Danelectro that I use as a backup. I have a Taylor 414ce, and a Taylor 310ce. I have to fender blues jrs. I sometimes split my signal before distortion, so I can double with a clean sound also. I totally love this guitar. I would buy it again in a heartbeat. Watch out if you play really heavy stuff, but for anything else you can get good crunch out of it all the way to crisp cleans.

I'm sure you can see most of the features in the other reviews. Mine is a 330 Fireglo. I got a killer deal on this guitar it was originally bought buy some guy for his teenage son to learn to play on. The son had no intrest in it so the dad sold it though a guitar shop. The film was even still on the pick guard, the guitar was never even used. I love the two seprate controls for the two pickups, and the feel of the guitar in general. I wasn't planning to buy a Ric, but when a freind saw them put it out at a shop he called me and put it on his credit card right then and there. I paid him back of course!!! haha

I don't play this guitar very much anymore. I used to be in a Christian rock/worship band and I loved the sound. I played it though a Crate Vintage Club tube amp and it sounded great, very 60s rock and roll. The Ric has a very distinct sound and if you like it you like it, if you don't then don't buy one because there is no way you are going to get it to sound like a Les Paul or a Strat, it is just different. To me, that is a good thing.

Very easy to play, I like the thin neck and the lower action. One problem I did have right of the bat was that there was a bur in on of the bridge saddles and I kept breaking strings until I figured it out and filed it down. Also the jack was a little loose, but I think that may have been from someone steping on the cord. The fit and finish was great, no complaints at all.

I used this when I was in the band as my main guitar with out a back up most of the time. Myself and our singer shared a back up guitar, his main guitar was a Gretch and between the two of us we hardly ever used the extra guitar live. This guitar was on the road a fair amount and held up great, the finish is decent and won't wear through too easily, but it did get dull where my sweaty arm rests.

Never dealt with the company at all. Never needed to

I am 26 years old and have been playing half of my life, since I was 13. I am by no means a great guitar player, but I can hold my own. I also own a Larrivee D-03 and a Washburn B-12 banjo. I really don't use the Ric much anymore because I live in a condo, have kids and usually just play my accoustic or my banjo now when I sing to them. So, if it was stolen, I wouldn't be able to justify buying another one, but I will also never sell it. I would like to give it to my son or daughter some day if they choose to play. The only other electric that I have owned was a Mexican Strat, so it is a huge upgrade from that! I definitely love the guitar.

I bought this guitar new in 2000. It is the mapleglow finish, which is a natural maple colour with white pickguard and chrome hardware. It has 24 frets and the standard Rick high output single coil pickups. It has the lovely trademark R bridge.

This guitar sounds fab. The only problem is I bought this guitar because of Paul Weller in The Jam. He used to get such a bright jangly sound out of his Rick 330s and I just couldn't do the same. My 330 was very warm sounding, even with just the bridge pickup selected and the tone set to the brightest. So I'm not sure how Paul Weller managed it but mine wouldn't do it. However, it still sounded excellent.

My 330 was absolutely flawless. Perfect.

I didn't own it for that long but I never had a single problem with it.

Never dealt with Rickenbacker so can't comment.

Fab. I wish I still owned it. :?(

2004 in mapleglow the usual 330 spec!

Ive always liked the sound of the early Who,Beatles,Jam, so a rickenbacker was a must! Bright punchy! nice and clear on the bottom strings.its a very tight sound with not alot of sustain. The idea is not to use too much (preamp)gain on your amp,again as we always know drive that power amp!!! i use a Marshall 100w DSL head thru a peavey classic 4x10 cab,this guitar is very lively IF used with a bit of thought. I dont find lead playing a problem on this as others do,u just need to dig in a bit more! I find the neck pickup setting a bit wholly sounding clean, but driven its nice smooth sounding, but 90% i use the bridge and middle settings. Overall a cool sound!

Out of the case this guitar was setup superb, i dont like very low action, it was a nice medium, ive had it 8months and after several string changes and tempreture changes i havent adjusted anything at all. Finish is absolutely fantastic!!!! put Gibson to shame! and i own a few Gibbos.And it comes with alot of paper work care guide and special polishing cloth etc...

Use this along with Les Paul all the time, live and studio work.The hardware is bomb proof,stays in tune well, plus it comes with Schaller stap lock buttons Fitted,nice touch if you use them on your other guitars! wish more makers would do that! finish looks as it could outlast gibsons and reissue fenders. string changing can be awkward if you leave the bridge cover on,but thats nothing really to worry about.

Never dealt with them.

Try Before you buy!!! but if you are looking for another guitar its well worth the attention, makes a nice break from the normal gear we use gibbos fenders PRS..etc.. build quality is fantastic,sound is unique and so is its look and vibe! cool guitar!!!!!! im off to rip out The kids are allright!!!!!!!!!!

I've got a 91' "snowglo" 330, with the vintage- style, alnico toaster pickups and accent vibrato (i guess that makes it a 335!). "snowglo" is basically white on white, i've only seen one of these one other time. it has a very thin/ fast neck and jangles like a charm. all other hardware is standard 330 fare. i gave it a 10 because it has all you need plus the pickup panning knob, which is brilliant.

it definitely suits my style. i play generally indie stuff. it sounds great through tube amps, that ricky tone shines through nicely. the toaster pickups give it a evenly balanced tone, from highs to lows. it's wonderfully resonant, which i'm sure is due to the neck-through body design and chambered/ hollow body. you can really get the sweetest feedback when coaxed. the vibrato is charming, comfortable to use, and works surprisingly well considering its simplistic design.

the action is low and perfect for my taste. no factory flaws from what i can tell in terms of action or fit. the only issue is that the white finish is fading to a vintage cream. from what i've heard, this is one of the reasons why this color was produced for a very short time. it actually doesn't bother me too much, but i have to rate it fairly.

this one's very reliable. i've never had any issues with it whatsoever. i'm really impressed with how durable it is. rickenbacker quality at it's best

never had to deal with them.

Rickenbacker created one of the last truly original guitar designs. I think the design is visually stunning and absolutely magnetic. i think the ergonomics are definitely where the guitar could be improved, but that might detract from its visual character. it's a little awkward/ angular in its "feel" compared to fender, gibson, gretsch, etc. but i guess that's the price to pay for style, right? women don't wear high heels because they're comfortable. nonetheless i love this guitar, it's a real keeper.

1992 Mapleglo 330/6 with black pickguards & hardware. Semi-hollow, 24-frets, ebony fretboard. Neck thru body. 2 volume, 2 tone, groovy mix knob for optimum balance between powerful single coil pickups.

I've found that people either love or hate these guitars, and those who hate them usually haven't had much experience with them. The fact is, the 330 is certainly capable of the jangly, rock and roll sound, but it's capable of subtle nuances as well. Rolling off the bridge pickup somewhat produces a warm tone ideal for jazzy solos. Crank up the distortion on that neck pickup and it can sound really crunchy and mean. Tone controls span a pretty broad swath of highs. A very expressive instrument.

Incredibly easy to play. For all the "thin Rickenbacker necks" talk that goes on, I think the neck might be best described as "flat". For we guitar players with small but nimble hands, the flatness of the neck combined with the reasonable size of the frets make this guitar a godsend. Be sure not to use any strings greater or less than .10 since anything greater may snap the guitar in half and anything less will cause intonation problems.

Speaking of intonation, it's generally very good, although I've noticed that the neck thru body design combined with posture has an effect. I've been playing this guitar for 13 years, so I feel quite comfortable with it and have learned how to put the best spin on it to get it to do what I need. Driving it from the humid summer temperatures in Memphis to the dry, cooler climate of say, Wisconsin in one day does have an effect. But this guitar is unique in that the more time you spend with it and understand what it wants to do, the better it will sound and respond for you.

The cover over the bridge that people complain about can be taken off. In fact, I think I took it off in 1992 and haven't been able to find it since.

Had to remount the toggle switch about five years ago. Big deal.

This guitar is extremely well made and has stood up to countless hours of road and stage time. Apply the same care you would to any quality instrument. And no fooling around bending the body as the poor man's whammy bar--you'll be sorry. It is a guitar that is delicately balanced. Fans of the Who will find this guitar very easy to smash as chunks of maple fly away effortlessly into the mosh pit upon contact with the stage or another band member. No backup necessary unless you're planning to do this.

I've never had any reason to contact Rickenbacker, which should say something.

This guitar has never failed me. The mapleglo finish is unusual, since most people like the red or black, and that usually turns a few heads at gigs since one doesn't see them too often. I'm a guitarist trained in jazz and classical, although I routinely bash out power pop. It's a great sounding, great playing, aesthetically pleasing, pretty blonde firecracker and she's MINE---ALL MINE!

Couldn't help but notice that these guitars cost a significantly greater amount right off the line these days than they did in 1992, so I consider myself lucky. Many consider the 80s to be a rough time for Ricks, but apparently they got all of the kinks out by the time the nineties rolled around. I love this instrument.

2003 fireglo 330 6 string with modern hi-gain pickups. This is an awesome guitar, what more can be said. I like the separate tone controls for each pickup and the sound is simply amazing, live and recorded. Regarding the "thin neck", I prefer the thin neck which feels very comfortable to me. It's one reason I have a hard time playing other guitars as they feel like logs compared to the Ric.

My band plays a "rickenbacker" sound, which is punk/powerpop influenced by The Jam, who's Paul Weller used the Ric almost exclusively. Driven thru the right amp, this guitar sings with that jangly OD sound you hear on "in the city". I am playing through a TopHat Club Royale 2x12 with the following pedals: MXR 10 band EQ, HAO Rust Booster, DD-3 Delay, and ISP Decimator noisegate. The sound is rich and full, while maintaining that trebly bite I like.

This guitar plays itself, which is good since I can barely do it *haha*. The finish is FLAWLESS fireglo. amazing workmanship. I have it set at a low action which makes playing effortless and there is no fretting out.

I have a Ric 360 for a backup but either guitar needs no worries. Everything on both the 330 and 360 is solid as a rock.

I also own a 1982 Ric 360 that is just as awesome as this one. but personally, i like the aggressive looks of the 330 better. and this one seems to have hotter pickups than my 360, which suits my sound better. I would buy another Ric in a second. I am sure i will be at some point, just to have a bigger collection.

Made in 2004. Coluor is Midnight Blue. Came with a Hard Shell Case.
Has everything what you need.

It's a POP-Guitar! Great for Beatles, Smiths...
The Sound is absolutely fantastic, when you have a good tube amp.
I was testing with a Rickenbacker solid state amp (TR 7), and the sound was really crappy, even with a Fender Blues de Ville it didn't sound really good.
So I bought a Vox AC 30 and: Bang! Perfect. Chimy jingle jangle is easy to get. Of course, it's not a perfect lead guitar.

The guitar is made nearly perfect.
Only the frets aren't polished, so this was a bit disappointing.

It's a professional instrument. It will last forever.
A gig, without a backup - no doubt.

Never dealt with them

Playing for 15 years now. I am owning a 2004 Fender Highway Tele, a Johnson Rickenbacker-copy 330/12 and some Hofner acoustics.
If the 330 was stolen or lost, I would buy another one at once.

Mine was made in the year 2004, I acquired it in January of 2005. Time is real. It's the 330, Fireglo, with the Vintage "Toaster" Pickup option, which was important to me in deciding to by this guitar. Two Tone, Two Volume, one "other" knob which acts as some sort of hi-pass filter/mix/blend/magic combustor knob which make the whole guitar more interesting to play from an electric point of view. The Vintage Toasters pickups are Alnicos, Alnico V's - as opposed to the ceramic hi-gains. From what I have read, the vintage pickups are supposed to be about 7-7.5k

"The original pickups used in the 50s were typically wound to 4.8-5.0k ohms. The 60s pickups were typically wound to 7.0-7.5k. The early reissues were wound to about 8.5k"

By Ted A. Breaux

There seems to be a whole world of modding the Toaster pickups by:

"All the old Ric 3 and 6 series guitars had a .0047mF capacitor placed between the treble pickup and its volume pot. Go to a good electronics parts supplier, and get an audio quality (silver mica or polypropylene) capacitor (less than $1.00), and insert it between the hot lead of the treble pickup and the volume pot. There is a ground lead (to the shell of the pot), and a hot lead (to the terminal), so make sure to put the cap in the right place."

I am not at that point yet, but I advise any of you to look into it and post results here. I am a young man, I never experienced 1964, I was drawn to Rickenbacker's because of their historic place in the world of guitars, their quality, their beauty, and Guy Piccioto.

I had a 12-string Rickenbacker 610 from the early 90's it was awesome, I wish I never sold it - but I didn't like the hi-gains, they weren't chimey enough - they were really punchy, very mid-rangey.. the toasters seem to have a lot of top and bottom and not much mid-range, this is a good sound for me. I do not like mid-range punch.

I don't know what kind of wood Rickenbacker uses, but it smells great. I got this guitar - and immediately took a big whiff of its sound hole.. it smelled like forever, and I knew that this particular guitar has something special about it.

Th bridge is weird, you can't see it, it's hidden behind a square metal plate, if you strum real hard a la John Mellencamp, you might cut yourself on the bridge cover. Some jerks complain about these bridges - but I can assure any of you potential Rick players out there that no string is going to fall out of the bridge string holsters.

I have recently become enchanted with soft picks - but i do use a heavy pick on quite a few songs, and I can assure you this guitar's bridge can withstand a heavy hand.

The tuners are Schaller, not Grover, but Schaller.

The neck is interesting, and I am here to solve a lot of problems. The word "thin" is used all to often and without a care when describing a Rickenbacker neck. What is thin? Are these folks refering to its width, its radius, its fretboard? I find nothing thin about this neck. It feels like a solid bat in my palm. I usually play an ASAT Classic with the standard vintage radius 7.5" thing, and I think the 330's neck is wider then that, and fatter. It's a girthy piece. Don't listen to any single person who tells you about the thinness, or thickness of a guitar neck... It's more subjective then another man telling you who to fall in love with. This baby's got weight.


Mine came with a fly silver hard-shell case. It's got a "Rickenbacker" metal name tag on it that is more then enough to raise an eyebrow of a fine feline who might be on the train home from far away across the aisle from you.


No Opinion = 10.

This guitar suits my musical style because I like to play messed up music. It helps me achieves this by being so perfect. I cannot make a mistake on it. Every person is a different being, and every guitar is a different piece of wood. If you think that you can change the world, you can - but if you are trying to be someone else, you might not be - if you played your strat licks on a 330. Rickenbacker is an enigma, their guitars are a weird combination of musical sounds. I could play funk, jazz, noise, acoustic-folk, or lead-sh+t on this thing.

Is it noisy? If I'm lucky.

Rich/Full sound? Yes. I once told a friend that this guitar sounds like (and I am not talking to fools here) that it sounds like if you took two strat guitars' bridge pickups voice with opposing harmonics (i.e high + low) and put it through its neck pickup. The versatility debate over Rick's is interesting, some people might say they are very versatile - others complain that they can only jangle. "Only Jangle"... if only.... I conclude that the man/woman who complains over this guitar's versatility has no musical ear. You've got to understand, however, that I am into full sounding rich harmonic guitar sound but I am not afraid to also embrace the weird and ineffectual, I like to work around a solid 60hz buzz.

I want to add one quick note about the beauty of the Toaster pickups - they really sound like a tele neck and a strat bridge at the same time. I love them. They are even nicer then Jazzmaster pickups when it comes to dead on strum-tastic discourse.

You can read other remarks on this category. This guitar was limitlessly loved in its creation. It's finish is especially beautiful because I bought it at Buffalo Bros. Guitars and I think they only take the nicer Ricks from the factory. Also take a look at PM Blues Guitar in Rhode Island. This guitar appears to be flawless... it's fantastically gorgeous... looks like a salmon caught fresh from the coast of Maine if white man had never arrived in the New World. You know white man is only spreading his pox still, but Rickenbacker's instruments might be working to fix this. They are spiritual, mechanical enigmas of time.


I might replace the round wound strings with think flat wounds. I like flat wounds because they sound nice when playing swing-style licks a la Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker.

I'll use this guitar for rhythm parts, but if you know anything you know that the best rhythmn parts can quickly become the lead, look into it - see Keith Richard/Pete Townsend/Tom Petty/Peter Buck/Guy Piccioto to realize that you don't need 9's and a L.Paul to take over the high-gain sonic space.

I figure that this guitar is reliable. It's seem pretty tuff. I always respected Rickenbackers that way. They look like figure skaters, but they play like hockey players. The neck is part of the body in a human way. I think this guitar will withstand some pure beatings. My luthier/guitar man says that the best thing you can do to your guitar is to play it. I'll play this thing.

Who cares. I support myself.

I've been playing guitar for over 10 years because I started playing guitar in 8th grade, when I was 13. I play music in a spiritual way. I am not looking to change the world, but I can see the world change what I play. I worry a lot when I buy guitar. I traded in a Guild Starfire III to get this guitar. Please allow me to tell anyone who might be reading this; the Fender owned Guild sucks. Fender Guild's are crappy lifeless instruments - don't be lied to, don't buy Fenders. So now that my Starfire is gone, and I have my 330 I feel great.

My main guitars are these:

1) ASAT Semi-hollow Classic: for blues licks, general treble pick-up ice chicken picken. This is my Zoot Horn Rollo guitar.
2) Guild '79 S-300D: I'd get a Les Paul if I could, but I haven't the cash.. meanwhile this thing mahagony set-up number is kickin' some righteous 70's DiMarzio's and ebony fretboard with 24 miniscule frets. This is my Santana guitar.
3) My 330. A strummer, a drummer, a bummer - a life sized versatile beauty, a trident with its Toaster Pickups from the ocean that make me wish I was dating again.

Ok, if you are still with me; allow me to drop some science on you. A Rickenbacker 330 (with toaster pickups) is (imagine this) a perfect smash-up between a Fender Jaguar and a Gibson ES-335. You can funk it up on the bridge pickup, you can blow blues somewher in the middle, or you can jazz forever on the neck pickup. If you have class, and an interesting idea about music; then I think you would be well served rocking a Rick 330. It might not have a Bigsby, but it sounds like an orchestal piece -- and it smells wonderful.

I will never get rid of my 330, everyone needs one.

Desert sand color. Not sure of the year. Looks like a gold top.USA baby. It has a big mahogany slab on the fingerboard.Built like a truck but graceful. Very well balanced and easy to put your arm around. 2 pickups, that are stock and very versatile.Very effective "blend control"that adds another tonal dimension.
Beautiful finish, no more like stunning....
"R" bridgepiece. I find it very easy to change a string quickly with it, despite the rock stars views below.

The high gain pickups are louder than my teles. Quite a difference. It has more treble than my teles, but it is a nice treble, not an ice pick in your ears that has to be tamed by an eq. (I find on most fenders and gibsons I only ever use one pickup as i have to change the amp eq or else the other one sounds awful.) Impossible to do on the fly. By way of contrast, on the ric, I set the amp, use any combination and it sounds nice to me.

Beautiful finish, puts my american custom strat to shame. I had to readjust the neck and reset intonation as it was bought used. Cannot therefore comment on the factory set up in all fairness.

Yes it has played live with great effect. It is a very versatile guitar and looks neat. It breaks up nicely with gain. The bridge is a breeze to change strings on, as you just have to catch the end slot of the string in the R tailpiece. My strings come wound in a circle, I'll bet your do too. So I unwind them, take the end, turn it so it sticks up and fish a bit under the tailpiece..I dont play in front of 30,000 screamin fans so it works. If I did play in front of 30,000 screamin fans, I'd have a guitar tech wouldn't I? Get a grip folks.

5 years. Never dealt with them. They've done their work building a fine guitar. The rest is up to me. A fair exchange I think.

I have too many teles, a les paul,a strats. ( All american by the way) This has a better rounded tone to my ears. As a special treat add a marshall 800 and let it feedback. Very stable. Doesn't do metal cause I don't. Doesn't do bluegrass and i do. It is my favourite electric guitar! Add it to a 40 watt traynor tube amp and there are no excuses for sounding bad. Unless you're not in tune, whch also would be your fault as this baby stays in tune no matter what. ( OK knock the tuning heads and it goes out daaaa) American made quality, took it apart for a look, nice woodworking, no gouges like my tele custom with the end pin that gets stuck open for 1400 US. I like the schallers strap locks added at no cost. Buy some straplocks for your strap and rock on. Great value as now I get to unload the more expensive ones listed above, ok maybe I'll keep just one tele as a backup.

I was looking for "vintage tones" without paying vintage prices.I do have the normal critters in my locker,Tom Andersons,PRS,Heritage,Fender, etc.I called Chris Clayton of Pick of the Ricks and he helped me with info that he knew or found out for me after 2 or 3 calls.I decided on a Rickenbacker 330/6 In Montezuma brown.Old style scatter wound toaster pickups were installed. Gold plastic guards and name plate with vintage knobs finished off the package. Schaller tuners keep this piece in tune. This guitar does what it is supposed to do VERY well.

This 330 is plugged into a Carr Rambler 2/10 or Vox ac30.The style I play is classic rock,country,blues. These rigs fit these styles perfectly. Some times shades of John and George are with me in the studio.

For a medium priced guitar made in the USA,the 330 is a very good value. Chris Clayton handled the setup chores because I was a little too anal about tone and setups. Therefore,I am not sure about the factory setup. Fit and finish are flawless between the woodwork and the hardware. Neck width may be a bit thin for some players but the frets are dressed in a very pro manner.

I have only played the piece on 7 gigs and have been in the studio for only about 2 weeks.This is too early to talk about durability ,but it seems to be built like a tank

I have not delt with Rickenbacker. I have only delt with Chris Clayton of Pick of the Ricks in NJ. He will treat you with respect and try to answer your questions. He is in the same class as Jay Wolfe of Wolfe Guitars in Florida. I have spoken to the Rick dealer in Las Vegas. All I got was attitude from a guy just trying to make a sale. HE DOESN'T EVEN PLAY. For a Rick call Cris, For a Heritage call Jay.

I will rate the guitar a high 9. This guitar does it's vintage functions well. I would get another 330 if this was stolen. My usual line up now is a Tom Anderson Tele style,Heritage 535, and this new 330/6. These guitars satisfy all my needs in a live situation along with the Carr and Vox. In a four piece band all the players and instruments must be of good quality even if you are at the local pub playing The Beatles,Stones,CCR and all the other guitar based bands.

Rickenbacker 330 "Montezuma Brown" (Ric's take on vintage sunburst)dual hi gain single coil pickups, neck thru body construction, bass/volume/tone and blender controls, schaller machine heads, standard hard case. Maple neck/body with rosewood fretboard - u know the score - everything you need and more. If you have to buck the hum and have a trem you can fit these mods aftermarket.

This guitar has a beautiful sound plugged and unplugged and that chime...! Also that blend control is so original and effective. Massive range of rhythm and lead tones can be coaxed from this 330.

I use a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp I play my own stuff - it is difficult to categorise - a kind of progressive indie rock with the focus on complex arrangements and many guitar layers. Anyhow the point is this guitar works brilliantly for me and my music resides in a different solar system to Townsend/Buck Weller Beatles or any of the other ole Ricky cliches. This guitar is versatile and a powerful creative tool - don't rule this out until you try one and don't stereotype the 330 - some ignorant folks call it an anachronism but the sonic versatility and tonal soundscapes that can be produced from this guitar drown out any misconceptions.

Before I bought this guitar I read with some scepticism the endless praise bestowed upon Ricks in this section - surely its not possible that a guitar manufacturer can consistently produce intruments of such quality in such quantity? - surely at the very least my luthier would have to spend an afternoon or two sorting my Rick out?.....but, no, no, no some minor intonation tweaks that took all of ten minutes and otherwise perfect action straight out of the box - unbelievable quality finish and set up - I thought someone was playing a practical joke on me when i opened up the box for the first time. A mindblowing painstakingly finished guitar that puts Gibson and Fender totally to shame.

The only thing worth mentioning in terms of negatives is perhaps the heavy lacquered neck. This does create drag and was a bit of a shock at first; however things are getting better now - the guitar just needs a little wearing in like a new pair of shoes. I personally have no problem with the narrow neck - it feels extremely comfortable and natural to me.

I'm sure it will outlive me - why do people keep saying these guitars are fragile - they feel as solid as a US aircraft carrier. As for the case - well I reckon this material could withstand a direct hit by a Daisy Cutter missile. The schaller straplocks are safer than the NORAD command and control bunker.

I am saving up for a fireglo 360 as a backup and am getting rid of my other guitars now that i've found the Holy Grail.

No idea - can't see why I'd ever need any

I've been playing for 7 years and have gone through twelve guitars in a nightmare of trying buying selling losing money and forever hunting for the Holy Grail in terms of tone, playability, asthetics and versatility. I've had three Gibson Les Pauls (each with completely different specs), two strats (one with a HB), two teles (one a thinline), a firebird, an ES135 etc I can barely remember them all. I experienced four serious quality problems with my Gibsons and have now sold them all. Fenders didn't really work for me either - quality and playability were always good but the tone somehow didn't quite do it for me. Some people hate Ricks and love Gibs/Fends/Gretchs etc everyone's different and has different priorities interests and tastes - that's really great and is what makes life interesting. I hope everyone finds a dream guitar that works brilliantly for them whatever the make/model.

Speaking for myself I love this Rick - I can't put it down - if only I'd tried one earlier. I am saving up for a 360 now and will hold on to this special piece of craftmanship.

Rick has a relatively low profile and their guitars are easy to overlook but try one - if you are still searching for your identity(guitar-wise that is) who knows it might be the end of your journey.

Oh and if someone stole it i would hunt them down, handcuff them to a ghetto blaster and max the volume with Britney, NSYNC and Avril Lavine on the CD changer.

Manufactured in March 2003 and purchased in June 2003 so it was still fresh! Ordered it from a local shop from the catalogue as no-one in our area keeps Ricks in stock. After much deliberation, I went for the Montezuma Brown (2003 colour) and fell in love with it as soon as it came out of the box - I still think WOW every time I take it out of the case. High output pickups and a hard case. Two volume controls and two tone controls plus that wierd 5th knob which on my model does blend properly unlike some that I have read about here. Schaller tuners and THAT Rickenbacker tone - no other guitar sounds the same.

Nothing sounds like a Rickenbacker. That jangle is just priceless. My only problem is that my amp needs to be pushed to get the true tone out of any guitar, which makes it impractical at home as there is no headphone socket. One minor dissapointment is how quiet the guitar is when being used as an acoustic - my Les Paul Custom is louder!
On the tone front, anyone who says that the Rickenbacker is a one trick pony, has never played one. There is a huge range of tones that come from this guitar - my favourite is the classic jangle.

When the guitar arrived at the shop, the box was still bound and had not been opened at the distributors, so I was the first one to open the box since the guitar had left the factory. Action and intonation were perfect. Only the bottom E string was out of tune ( and even that was only slightly ). Not bad for a guitar that had been shipped accross the Atlantic. As for the finish, this thing could be used as a piece of furniture - it is FLAWLESS.

Guitar feels very solid and reliable - despite looking slightly fragile. Finish is tough and looks like it will last forever. Have not gigged with it yet as I would die if anything happened to it.

Hope I never need to find out.

Been playing for around 20 Years, my other guitars are Ibanez EDR470 (impulse buy - much regretted - I hate that thing), Fender Strat (highway), SG Standard and a Les Paul Custom. The Custom is the pick of the bunch, but the Rick is a close second. This is one of the classiest looking guitars on the planet - much better than the 360. No one apart from me has touched this guitar since it left the factory and it's going to stay that way.

This is a 2003 model in Fireglo with the Vintage RI Toaster pickups. If you're even reading this, I'm sure you know all the specs. It came with the standard black plastic case and case candy. The dealer even threw in a new set of strings which I totally didn't expect seeing that he gave me such a great price.

My tastes in music are the British 60s Invasion stuff and the early 70s American FM Radio stuff.

I'm using a 1965 BF Fender Twin amp with factory Jensens. I don't use any effects. Frankly, I don't know what most of them do.

This guitar is not noisy at all, I'm real happy about that.

It gets all those signature Ric sounds that can only be associated with a Ric. I wanted the Toaster pickups because they have Alnico magnets whereas the new High Gain pickups use Ceramic magnets. I find the Alnico more "musical" whereas the Ceramic is too "in your face". And to have the genuine Ric sound, especially for the (now) vintage stuff that I play, high gain and Ceramics just won't do!

Needless to say, this guitar IS all of the sounds one would expect from a 'true' Ric. Loads of variety and it is extremely versatile. It has a wonderful frequency response which surely covers all bases. Just for kicks, I wanted to see how it "dirtied up". Believe it or not, it holds it's own reasonably well.

I don't want to sound like a "rubber stamp" here but I like everything about it.

The factory setup was awful: High action, lousy strings, bowed neck; the neck pickup was barely missing touching the strings because it was up so high and the bridge pickup was set way too low and far away from the strings. ANY guitar I buy is immediately setup to my own personal specs and so, I really don't give much weight to any OEM setup, even if it was 99%. Sure, it would be nice if nothing had to be done, but that's not reality (to me, anyway).

From a construction/hardware point of view, the guitar is flawless. There are no buzzes, mystery rattles, etc.

This guitar is built to last. Rics always were and still are one of the most durably made guitars.

The strap buttons are Schaller Straplok mates and so, no worries.

I'd depend on it as my #1 on a gig but on general principle, I'd never gig with only one guitar on hand.

I perceived them as in a hurry to get me off the phone. They aren't too quick to answer e-mail either.

Luckily, the guitar is first rate and so, I never had to deal with any warranty issues.

Warranty: 2 years for the finish, 5 years for construction. There's a twist: Commencing from the day the guitar was born.

I've been playing 40 years. I own several "high end" Gibsons and Fenders.

Rics are an enigma in a way. It's strange. To those who truly desire one, they will know all about it well before they purchase it. There's never any surprises

Sure, I'd replace it if it disappeared.

I just love the whole Ric thing; you gotta love 'em. Again, and Ric players know what I mean, you take the good with the bad and be more than satisfied with what you've got. And believe me, there really isn't any bad. I honestly can't pin it down to one feature. The guitar has it's own unique personality which works with you and that silly grin you have on your face while just enjoying the heck out of it.

I compared it to other guitars such as my 335, a 137, etc. I chose this one because there's something about the sound, the look and the ease of playability a properly setup Ric gives you. It's truly unique.

I'd like to mention that the guitar is now properly set up. The neck is wonderfully straight, the action's nice and low (not overly) and it sustains like a ....! It is a joy to play and I guarantee, you can get lost for hours playing it.

its got all the same spec as all the other reveiws say its got..However mine has a Turquoise finnish and ive only heard of another Turquoise finnish and that was after reading it on here.. but i must say old chaps it is rather raunchy..

Now onto the juicy bit and most interesting..the sound on this thing is just perfect. The set up i use is Boss Ps2 pitch shifter/-Electroharmonics Big Muff P1/-Electroharmonics small stone/-Unknown brand Chorus(held together with masking tape and cost #30 new about 10 years ago and probibly worth about a quid on ebay now!!!) and then on into a V100 Valvestate Marshall Combo + 4x12 Cab.
The music style that i play is that New blues type, hence the pitch shifter and the fact we dont have a bass player, but also i play other stuff along the indie rock lines. My influences come from british bands such as The Who, Small Faces, Kinks, but also to add to that i enjoy bands such as the Flur de leas and the Chilli Peps along with American 70s funk and even German Techno Techno Techno.
We are a very loud band, by telling you that i dont think you could possibly imagine unless you heard us live but to get to the point this guitar delivers every time, from the inflences ive forementioned and the lineup i use this guitar exceeds all my expectations.
The only problem from playing at high volume is the feedback and as we all know these bad boys can really screach so to offset that i wear earplugs and the crowd have hearing aids during working hours.
To get that warm Townsend sound i use the 3rd overdrive channel without any gain, every thing elce on 10 with reverb on about 6-7, this gives me that warm full thick sound thats clear and you can hear every note then kick on the muffler for that instant fuzz thats trippin me back to the 60s dude...

I bought this second hand and found out that this was made in 94 in America. I thought that when i bought it, it was brand new and i mean 10/10 condition.The guy in the shop just said " we got this off a private collector who needs some cash" and i assumed that it was some kid who bought it, got bored, sold it 2 months later. I aquired this axe in August 2003. A lot of people say the necks too thin, action to high blah blah blah.. i have had no probs with anything play wise or sound wise except the 3rd string rattles but you cant hear it when at volume and when it comes to re stringing the little monster that "R" tailpeice is plop. However i did read two other reveiws who said they found the same things as i. The "R" tail peice thing was resolved by using a capo during restringing manouvers.. what a clever chap.
I think the build of this thing is so tuff it makes me wanna fart.

This guitar will last forever if looked after i think... come and see me in 50 years and i will tell you i guess.
I think the strap nuts could let it down though as they need to be tightened every other song and if you forget it may fall off mid song and make you look a right pratt.
I do gig with a back up. it is an Epiphone Casino. The sound is simmilar but not the same.

none needed so far.

To sum up this axe i would say im very happy. The build, the finnish, the sound, and the classic look that no other guitar can touch make it a true classic.
I also own a Epiphone Casino, Epiphone 335 Dot and although both have reasonable too good qualities, they both feel as if they could snap at the first sign of fire. Two things that spring to mind are when i use the old "turn down the oposite pickup and flick between the two" to give that Pete Townsend stutter, the Riccy could go all day but the Casino after a while, the selector switch came loose then fell off, and the 335 Dot has a crackle when i turn any of the dials around and at times the dot can sound cheap.
People say they would buy another if it got stolen... ive got mine insured for well over and above the value so i would just claim.

june 2003 Mapleglow 330/6.the usual configuration. Bought new with all the case candy -wrenches, cloth, and the like- all harware is high end-consistant with rick standards- Two points keep it from being a 10: 1.the "R" tailpiece is neat looking but, frankly, a bad design from a string-change-on-the-fly-standpoint. 2. I wasn't expecting a les paul "tiger top" but the wood is not only bland but has some knots that detract from the gracefulness much admired in a rick.

If you're not aware of/into the skinny neck, tiny frets, and the whole trancendant quirkieness of a Rick you probably will never read this

This guitar has an amazing tonal variety and range. I bought it for very clean jangle pop (suprised?) but I also play in a very heavy band and this produces everything from punk to thrash tones as well. Listen to the Smithereens or Fugazi if you doubt. The rick's ability to handle distortion is the least understood aspect of this guitar. Try it. Also, The 5th high cut knob can be used to great effect with practice. It will jangle, but also a lot more.

I use it with both solid state and tube amps and get great results all 'round. The major flaw is the typical single coil/semi hollow tendency to feedback at high volume. The rick's thing is bright clean tones and it does the job as advertised.

What you are buying in a rick is not only "the sound" but the quality and reliability it implies. I sort of wish I had gone with black because as I mentioned the maple is a little bland but this is not a reflection on the workmanship. Maple will have knots and variations in it but one always hope. If it leaves the factory there are no flaws. I do wish the bridge had more height clearance but within its range it is infinitely adjustable. Be prepared for itty bitty frets and imagine how cool this would be with gibson jumbos.

With the understanding that it is hollow, this is very reliable. The neck through /carved to combo is tough to beat. the laminated neck is very stable and, while a little goofy looking, is well made. For a grand it ought to be. Having spent more for guitars, this is actually a good value. It will last forever and maintian resale value.

Well, here we go... Rickenbacker seems to feel that if you make 'em right you don't need customer service, or even basic civility. They will NOT return emails and if you call them on your dime they are abrupt to the point of rudeness. Also having owned a pirate/lawsuit rick copy I respect their copyright zeal but making parts impoossible to get only harms the legit customers as the serious pirates will make thier own. Thankfully the product is great because service after the sale is a joke.

I have a thing for retro/ vintage guitars. I have a pre cbs strat and reissue fenders and gibsons and the like. The rick is worthy of the hype. Force of habit is the only thing keeping it from being a sole daily driver -gotta have my strat- and I plan on gigging it this weekend w/o a backup. Built like a brick, only wish I had bought one years ago.b

MOst of the features have been listed in prior reviews. I did a lot of experimentation with the knobs when my Rick came in. Ya know what? The 5th knob is pretty much totally redundant. It's advertised as a "blend" between the two pickups when the selector is in the middle position. In reality, it does NOT role off the bridge pickup volume . But it DOES role off the neck pickup, when the selector is on neck only! In other words, on a 330 it's an extra, reversed neck pickup volume knob. Whoop-dee-doo. Apparently it has more functions with the stereo output that comes on a 360. OTOH, at least there's an extra knob to mess with if I ever want to modify the electronics- no routing necessary.

Now that that's outta the way, this is a 330 6-string in mapleglo. Ordered painlessly from Elderly, in Michigan, and apparently made in June of 2003. I've been looking for a guitar for approximately a year before pulling the trigger on this one. I initially looked at strats and clones. While they are very comfortable to play, I just don;t dig on strat tones at low volume levels. Too thin for my uses. I also looked at some ES-335 styles, but went with the rick for reasons of price and aesthetics. I'll get a vintage ES-335 when the lottery favors me, or maybe a heritage or hamer after my next raise.

Now, let me go over the features of this guitar that stand out after aproximately 20 hours up close and personal.

I like the neck. It's a tad narrow for some people, but I don;t understand what all the fuss is about. My other guitar is a 12 string accoustic. THe backup for that is an MIM Jazz bass, so I was predisposed against the thin nut width, but after about 10 minutes it felt totally natural. I actually consider the lack of neck binding (which comes standard on the 360s) as a bonus, because it leaves more real estate for bending and such.

If overall aesthetics and design is considered a "feature," then highest points in this particular category. This is the classiest looking axe out there, bar none. Not as gaudy as a super-flamed-maple boutique guitar, yet more sophisticated than a mullet-rockers' LP or battle-axe-shred-machine; yet again not nearly so generic as a fender. I'd have paid good money for a non-functioning version of this guitar to admire as fine art.

Overall, some great features, most of which you can read about below. Because of the redundant 5th knob (which actually could have been used for something useful) I'll dock a couple points. This is a qualitative rating, not quantitative, btw.

I play Indie-pop stuff, clean and distorted, as well as faux-jazz and Celtic music. Sometimes I'll get ideas for pieces by listening to Anonymous 4 and other early music groups.

The gear list - right now, I'm just using a cheap peavey SS practice amp, so take the following comments in the proper context. However, I have played many 330s and 360s through tube fenders and a few voxes, so take that into account as well. I'll echo other reviewers' comments - the fenders sound better to me than voxes. This thing has gratuitous upper end, and fenders complement it well.

The sound, unlike some would have you believe, is multi-dimensional. The most prominent feature of the trademark "ricky sound" is upper-mid + treble TO BURN. MOre than most of us will ever need. It's NOT ice-pick-in-the-ear treble like on a mexi-strat bridge pickup, however, so it is quite useful. I'd imagine it's fantastic for cutting through in a live situation, and many prominent musicians would probably agree.
Lurking under the high end, surprisingly, lies a lot of warmth and semi-hollow "woody" tone. The trick is to find the sweet balance between these two ranges of the sonic spectrum. For me, the best way to get there is to adjust tone from the amp, rather than the guitar. I do not know why, but rolling off the guitar's tone knobs seems to take out most of the volume as well, which is kind of a bummer. On my POS amp, I get the best clean sound by putting the treble tone control at about 10 O'clock and cranking the bass and mids. This might sound like heresy, but give it a shot. If ya don't like that setting, use this review as evidence of declining taste and moral decay in our fast sinking culture.
On the guitar, I get mnost of the volume from the neck pickup, with a little from the bridge for bite and clarity. If the tweaks work out right, you get that luscious, ringing chime that everyone knows, but also with substantial bass and midrange. It's an awesome tone. Ricks are famous for the high-end, but a 330 or 360 will blow 90% of all strats out of the water in terms of ballsiness and guts. My pocketbook wanted strat, my ears wanted a rick.I suspect that with a decent amp, the overdriven tones would be fantastic, but that is not the type of music I normally play, so I'll refrain from comments there.

To recap, loads of upper frequencies + warmth that can be brought into the mix with a little creativity. This works for rhythm in a pop-band (duh) but also for blues and jazz!

Positives and negatives here.

Pain first.
On many settings, string volume varies considerably. The G and B string are significantly louder than everything else. The high e sounds underpowered. After talking to a respected Rick luthier about this, apparently the volume unbalance is caused by the pickup design, relating to pole-pieces, bobbins, magnets, and other details. I couldn't solder if my life depended on it, so I'll skip the arcana.
Anyways, I'm gonna try a few things to see what can be done. Already, the problem seems most prominent on the middle pickup setting. Since I mostly use the neck pickup soloed (can you tell I am a bottom-feeder?) the guitar is quite usable as-is. The next step would be to try a different guage of strings, which I would be doing anyway. Options after that get more involved, and range from truss-rod tweaks to open-heart surgery on the pickup to gettting new pickups entirely. This is an annoying problem.

That said, the solution might be quite simple - don;t let this scare you off the brand. Most 330s do not have this problem. Just play your guitar before you buy it.

Cosmetically - WOW. Fantastic finish, beautiful natural-grain maple. The back piece has some nice if irregular quilting, enhanced to a 3-d look by the clearcoat. First rate.
The guitar came with a free special polishing cloth so it's easy to maintain. They lacquered fretboard is quite beautiful, if a bit draggy, but you get used to that fairly quickly. Unfortunately, it looks like some air but under the lacquer where it comes in contact with many of the frets. The lacquer has whitened in these locations. But this is not a big deal and does not really bother me in the slightest.

The action was medium-low and very comfortable when it arrived from elderly. A wee bit of fret-buzz, but it does not transfer through to the amp. Besides, the neck should bow a little bit more when I get around to heavier strings.

One other minor issue- the G string vibrates sympathetically and audibly between the R tailpiece and the bridge whenever I play a note on that string. It does not transfer to the amp, but it's a minor nuisance. Again, I'm hoping something as simple as a string change will solve this. In the meantime, there's the old ALvin Lee feedback-control trick - stick a piece of masking tape on the strings behind the bridge. I tried that, works like a charm, The tape is behind the tailpiece too, so aesthetic sensibilities reman gloriously unharmed.

All in all, an extremely playable and attractive instrument. The workmanship is first rate. I am a bit disappointed with the string-volume issue, and will update this review when I learn more.

Er, not too much insight here. The finish will last forever with proper care, as will the hardware. The schaller strap pins are a bit goofy though, at least until they get fitted with strap locks. I have no worries about the electronics, switches, or tuners, either.

I'd gig without a backup as long as the guitar remained comfortably distant from clutzy roadies and mosh pits. Seeing as this is my only electric six-string, there is not much choice in the matter. I'll probably pick up a 650, 380L, or ES 335 clone as a partner to this guitar at some point.

This is another pro-con category
5 year warranty - con
One authorized repair location, on the left coast. BIG con here.

Prior experience with Rickenbacker - none over an actual guitar. However, I do participate in a lot of online forums. So does John Hall, CEO of Rickenbacker, guitarist, and surf-rocker. He has taken time to answer my questions about particular models. From his dealings with other owners, he has created the impression of intense dedication to the company, but more importantly, to these instruments. Definitely a Positive here!

As far as Elderly is concerned, they did a good job with the set-up. My case arrived with no keys or adjustment tools, however.

On the basis of no actual warranty conferenes with RIC, this category goes unrated.

Been playing guitar since 1989 and bass for a year longer than that. Before that I played Highland bagpipes competitively. (seriously). Before that, it was a kazoo.

I wish I had asked the guys at elderly to check string volumes.

Assuming my rick went away, I'd definitely get another rick if I could afford it. Otherwise I'd simply save up and practice my bass playing.

I love the aesthetics, the uniqueness, the vintage mojo and vibe of this guitar. Is is tremendously elegant, in a classy, understated kind of way. It sounds fantastic, and it is very well-made. I hate the string-balance problem, but there's penty of dead horses to beat over in the discussion forums, if you're up for that.
I looked for a guitar for about a year before pulling the trigger, so this was definitely not an impulse buy. I considered strats (too generic and wimpy-sounding) Gibson semis (Too expensive OR questionably constructed - read ES333 comments here) and Korean 335 clones like the Artcore and the Epi Sheraton. In the end, nothing seriously challenged the Rick that I could afford. MOstly, because the Rickenbacker is unique, perfect for the type of music I play, and cool as all! I also considered a 650 and a 380 Laguna, but since those are as common as Red Sox world Series victories, I never really had the chance to play one before buying.

In terms of finish and 330 vs. 360, those were tough calls. Nothing beats a black 330 for balls-out attitude. OTOH, nothing beats a natural 360-12 for mellow grace. In the end, it was a compromise. NO regrets - it's beautiful.

I wish this guitar came with talent and skill in an easily digestible pill.

Find a guitar you love and play it. I have. If this review leads you to a Rick or something else, more power to you!

1998 Rickenbacker 330 in Turquoise. It has all the standard 330 features but mine seems to be different in that the neck width measures a good deal wider than my other Rics. This is very noticeable in the bridge spacing which is completely different from my '88 360WB. The finish on this guitar is amazing, very deep and tough. These are about the most well built guitars out there and the attention to detail is unmatched in the guitar industry. For a guitar with a fairly basic set up (2 single coil HiGain pu's and a 3 way selector) you can do more with this guitar than just the typical requisite rhythm playing that Ricky's get pigeonholed into. I have a Roland GK2 synth pickup attached to mine which fits perfectly between the bridge and the pickup with the rest of the unit affixed to the R tailpiece. I use mine for anything you could play on a guitar and find it suits every style I can throw at it. The neck (which takes some people getting used to) becomes very familliar and is as fast as any neck you will play as long as you don't hold back. Don't be afraid to push this instrument hard, t will reward your efforts. 9 for a well done standard setup, though I would like humbuckers with coil taps to be available.

Being a largely experimental guitarist I require a greater tonal range and responce from a single guitar than most. Do you like the way a Strat, SG, Les Paul or Telle sounds? Well, I have studied the sounds that those make and with the right pick attack and amp settings you can do them all with this and you can get that amazing Rick tone that is only possible on one of these. Super bright to thick and warm lows are all built in. Just spend the time finding them. I use a great deal of feedback based sustain and you can only do that with a semi hollow guitar. You can really get notes to ring long enough to grab a bite and come back and it would still be playing, Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! These sound GREAT with an overdriven amp. And yes, you can play metal solos on it.

I bought this at Sh*tar Center and they are known for not treating their stock with the greatest of care so I'm not supprised that the set up was off. Ric's have 4 way adjustable bridges so you know that you can get any action you need. I have had my action so low that it was TOO low yet had no buzz at all. The fit is 100% right on and perfect. All hardware is of the highest quality and nearly bulletproof. Ricks are great about never going out of tune as well.

I have used this guitar live as long as you don't Pull a Pete Townsend on it you should have no worries. I do recomend you get some strap locks because of the position of the strap button, but that is good advice for any guitar. Playing live or for extended periods of time is not a problem as the guitar is well ballanced and fairly light for its size. As long as you aren't prone to breaking strings this is possibly one of the best guitars to gig with for a whole show. Even holds perfect tune for a week or more! SOLID.

Rickenbacker service? Don't bother Emailing them. The guitar is pretty bulletproof but if there is a manufacturing flaw (which is very rare) Ric will take care of you. The warranty is a year or so. Chances are you won't need it, ever. I can have most stuff fixed myself if need be. I haven't talked to them in a while. Be warned, they have a bad rep, BUT you are getting a great instrument at any price. I think the company that sells you an instrument should do more for you than the manufacturer. Oh Ric is very selective about the people that sell them. That may be in their favor. going for the 'ol 5 here

I have been playing 12 years and for 9 of them I've been using Ricks almost exclusively I have a custom Ric 370wb with 3 humbuckers and a 330/12 with a custom finish, also a Riff rick 330 copy which is no comparison to the original. That quality can't ever be duplicated, just the look. I've got 3 danos, an eppi 6/12 a $48 strat a flying v and I play through a 4x10 Fender hot rod and the Ricks and hot rod make a fine combo. If you haven't tried one out give one a chance. trust me, I was a staunch Les Paul guy for a while. Les Paul's a Les Paul but the Rick has proven itself limitless to me. It is fun to do music your own way this is the instrument for me to do just that, be myself.

I own a lefty 330/6 fireglo. I ordered it with vintage pickups. If you're here to read about it, I guess you know the guitar I'm dealing with...a '60ies looking gewel!!!

I play thru a digitech 2112 and two vintage vox ac 30, I also own a standard srtat. I really like bright sounds, a little bit crunchy even when clean, but even setting my amps so, I can run to dark/totally clean sound, just working on the knobs. If I use well the noise gate, or the volumes (one for every pick up) I can totally eliminate nasty feedback, even with tons of overdrive; not so with the compressor on clean sounds, but when you work with fx you never know...
This is not that kind of guitar you can arm on, changing pickups for ex., but it has a soul, I love it like that (nevertheless I tried to play blues metal and so on, just to see where I could go with a Rick, and it worked!!!)

Everything right, the action is lightly high: it helps to obtain that rough vintage sound I love

'don't know coz I've owned it for just one year

kuytcvt

I'm 28, I play since I was about ten, but 'never loved to be a guitar hero, I love tone and melody. If I was a professionist, I would also buy a 12 stringed one, I love Rickenbackers!!!!!!

My guitar was made in late 2000. It is a FireGlo finish. I was going to get the JetGlo and be John Lennon, but I heard from more than one sorce that the JetGol smudges easily then looks lousy. Anyway, the finish should not be your deciding factor. Probably more than anything, the comfort and feel of this guitar is what has blown me away. I have been playing for a long time and have own many guitars, the way this guitar feels on your lap or around your neck is something special. Like nothing else.

Don't let other people fool you into thinking you can only play clean with this guitar. I crank it up with plenty of distortion and sounds full and ballsy. I have found it suprisingly quiet for a single pick-up guitar, of course this could be my sound gate kicking in. Anyway, the sound is unlike anything I have played.

My action is set moderate. The best part about this is that all of the adjustments are accessable and are adjusted with Allen wrenches. I set my own intonation and string height. I leave the neck bow to the pros. Anyway, this guitar plays itself.

Don't know yet

Don't know yet

Best guitar I ever owned, and I have owned quite a few!
After owning one, I would probably pay twice the amount I paid for it.

I bought my 330 second-hand from a trade show here in New Zealand. This is the 3rd I have owned and it will be my last. I should have kept the other 2. I have a 335 and a Tele but still keep coming back to Ricks. I bought it because Paul Weller from the Jam used one so well and the early Townsend/Who sounds that I like('Pictures Of Lilly').
It is a mid '90's model I think in 'midnight blue' with 2 high-gain pickups and came with the usaual Rick case that weighs a ton. I paid NZ$1400 but know that to replace it would be between NZ$3-4000.00.

I read other reviews that said this guitar can cover most sounds and styles. I think that's true but I bought this guitar for what it excels at which is the Weller/Who sounds that can be rung out of it. I play through a 50 watt Marshall JCM 900 and turn it up to 7-8 and it's magic. It's bright, twangy and roars all at the same time. I play loud and cranked up through a valve amp and this is where the Rick comes into it's own. Load's of treble and lot's of bass but I feel it lacks a bit in the mids. I eq all my guitars because I can't leave well enough alone but I think straight through an AC 30 would solve that. I feel there is no such thing as a guitar that marks 10 so I give it the next best mark of 9.

No guitar bought in New Zealand is ever set up properly and finding a good Luthier or halfway decent guitar tech is like finding gold. However, the finish and quality of Rick's is excellent in my opinion and once I had a luthier "set it up" it was great. Great action and nice to play. The frets are small and since I have small hands, that suits me well.

Built to last. I played live a lot with it and had no problems. Never had the luxury of a backup when I gigged with it. Don't drop the fucker though because it won't take to much bad treatment to wreck it as Townsend has shown. Beware of moisture though. I lived in a damp flat with a 330 and it rippled the paintwork.
Hardware is all good and solid

Here in New zealand we never get to deal with the manufacturers which is a bad thing. We have to deal with asshole retailers and I can't slag them off enough. Most music retailers should here should be in prison. They either don't know their products or don't give a fuck because they know they have you buy the balls due to the fact that variety of gear in so scarce.
We don't have rows of Gibsons and Fenders to choose from like USA or Europe. You're lucky if they have one Gibson in the shop. Buying a guitar here can be a horrid experience, especially if you know what you want and don't want to be pushed into buying some crappy piece of shit.

Playing pretty badly for about 25 years but can't leave it alone. I was a wanker to sell the other 2 330's I had. Have a Fender Tele and a 335 but if I would replace the Rick if I lost it. It has a magic of it's own and when you strap it on and play, you know it's great. I'll have one till the day I die. Get one!! They are great

My Rickenbacker is from 1991 and has a gorgeous "fireglo" finish, I immediately fell in love with this guitar because it looks SO impressive!! It has the grace of a Lady... Mine has two pickups (so-called "hi-gain", but don't take it for granted, they are still single-coils), a three way switch, 2 volumes, 2 tones and a special button that works as a mix between the neck pickup and the bridge one.
This guitar was built with skill, all Maple except for the Rosewood fretboard -beautiful-. This is one of the most comfortable guitar I've ever owned, and one of the best-sounding of course!!!
Oh, I had almost forgotten, this guitar has a double truss-rod in the neck, so there won't ever be no problems about it (the neck).

This guitar sounds a bit like a Telecaster thinline on which the pickups would have been changed (they are more powerful). The tone is crystal-like on the bridge PU and delightly warm on the other. The treble is sharp and the bass precise. It is not so noisy as I've had the opportunity to read in other reviews and it suits my music style perfectly (I play in a "grunge" band inspired by the 70's and garage bands from the 60's). The sustain is amazing and I'll give you a hint: get rid of the metal part above the bridge, the guitar sounds even more better! I use my Rick with a Marshall Bluesbreaker combo and the result is great (for clean and crunch sounds). If I want more distortion then I use it with a Tubescreamer TS-9 and I have one hell of a Rock sound!! Great for Indies, Garage, Punk or Pop music. However, you won't be able to play Metal stuff with it and this guitar isn't well suited for solos. It's a "powerchords" machine as said one of the previous reviewers.(think Pete townsend)

This guitar contained no flaws of any kind, everything was great: the finish, the action. I only removed the metal part above the bridge because it had provoked several noises. Well, do it, and the guitar will breathe a lot more!

I 've had it for a year and everything's still prefect. Think it will survive...

No comment. I have never dealt with those guys.

I've been playing for 9 years, I also have a 1991 Gibson LesPaul Standard which I love dearly. It seems to me that those 2 guitars are very complementary. The rick is one trick pony, but it's unique, definitely.

I borrowed this guitar form a friend of mine's cousin to try it out to see if I liked it It was a semi hollow bodied with 2 pickups Everything on this guitar was all standard. Finish was a beautiful fireglow

This guitar had a beautiful angelic tone. It seemed as if it wanted to sing out on its own with a bright full bodied sound. I played it through a Fender 65 reverb twin to which it matched spledidly. Distorion really made it growl. Noticed a faint buzzing, but most likely attributed to the wiring in my house.

All that glitters is not gold!
I flat out did not like the action on this guitar! Why? it seemed to me that the strings were set too close together for any solo work. I didn't care for the rounded feel of the neck either! I play mainly blues (Clapton, Hendrix, SRV) and can easily fire off licks on my 1974 Strat or 1982 Les Paul but this guitar has the kind of action I liken to those Harmony electric guitars that you ordered for around $80 from either the Sears or JC Penny catalog back in the 70's & 80's! I notified the owner to which he informed me thats how they all were! No damn wonder I never have seen anybody play lead on a Ric!

Not much to be said here. Seems to be rock solid. Finish looks fairly durable.

N/A

I was looking for a guitar with a good hollowed or semi hollowed bodied sound, and I found a good one in Rickenbacker. However, I think that it would be sheer stupidity to spend over $1000 on a guitar only to have shitty action. My conclusion is that apparenly the gang at Rickenbacker are still stuck in the 60's with their design. If this is the case, its time that they come out of their time warp and modernize some of their guitars! I give this a generous 6!

American made, fireglo. Features are listed in all the other columns here.

The hi gain pickups are a lot more midrangy than the old pickups and a lot ballsier...still single coils but a bit thicker and louder. I was sold because I like a guitar where I can crash full open distored chords and they don't sound like mush. The lead sound is not exactly as kikken as my Les Paul but it's interesting. I do have to work a bit to get single string stuff to punch through. I give it a nine cause the lead sound is not "quite" there. The sound quality of full chords though is good enough that I don't mind working a little harder on the leads (we're not a "lead-heavy" band anyway)

I bought this thing on a Friday night, off the rack (it's used but if the former owner played it you couldn't tell at ALL) and i gigged with it the next night. The action is very good, intonation was dead on, and I'm notorious for breaking strings and knocking my guitar outta tune. My Les Paul Standard is the only guitar I own that, with a new set of strings, can make it through a whole set with all strings still attached, but I knock it outta tune a lot. This rick just wouldn't go outta tune...nice.

Seems like it will last and I've read really really good things about rickenbackers in that regard. I've only owned it for a little over a week though. I trust it, it seems solid.

Dunno

This guitar isn't perfect (hell, none are for me). I have to admit though, I LOVE the sound I get out of it for the most part. I play in a three piece and the rhythm sound is pretty damn meaty (surprisingly so to me) and let's face it, the 330 just looks goddam cool. My backup guitar is a Les Paul standard if that tells you anything. The Les Paul is a little nastier and leads cut through a little better, but the rhythm tones of the Les Paul just can't touch the rick. I've been playing twenty-five years, I love this guitar. I'd definitely buy another one if this was lost or stolen.

I own a 1994 330 Ric. The color is very rare. I have only seen one other. It is a deep blue color, and instead of crome hardware it has black metal hardware, which could be painted crome. It is not the midnight blue color that you see on the Ric website. This is a much darker blue. When I first fell in love with the 330/360 I was after a fireglo colored instrument. But when I came across this gem I had to have it. This color is amazing. It has all the normal features of a 330 such as 5 knob selector, Hi-Gain pickups etc. I love the thinline neck. The only thing that I don't like about the 330 is the bridge. It is pretty weak.

I play alot of rhythm. I am not much of a lead player. so the 330 suits me just fine. I play it through a Fender Prosonic and it sounds amazing. I eventually would like to buy a Vox ac30. I am pretty sure this guitar would sound good through anything. The five knob selector allows you to use this guitar like an EQ. You can make it sound rich and jingley, or warm with deep tone. That is my favorite feature of the guitar.

I bought the guitar used from a guy who doesn't really know alot about guitars so he didn't mess with the set-up of the guitar. The action is pretty low which is how I like it. The guitar had a couple of dings on the back of the neck. Nothing to cry about. One of the knobs is loose but in no danger of falling off.

Naven't had it long enough.

N/A

I also own a Washburn J-9 hollow body and a Fender American Standard Tele, and the Ric by far is "the catch" of the lot. I have been playing for 7 years. I hope to add a fireglo 360 to my collection soon.

Beautiful fireglo 330 made in March 1984 (while FC Hall was still running the company), and purchased by me in June 1984. Unlike recent 330's, this guitar still has the '60s-style narrow headstock, which I find much more attractive than the paddle-sized headstocks on the current ones. The body shape on my guitar is also closer to '60s spec than the more pointy ones available today. A couple of years ago I swapped the hi-gain PU's for scatterwound toaster reissues. The hi-gains sounded very good (ie: Paul Weller), but the toasters have a more authentic, jangly '60s tone. The tuners are Grovers, although the new guitars have Schallers, I believe. The little "blend" knob is pretty handy. It acts as a bass boost when the PU selector is in the middle, since it boosts the level of the neck PU. Sometimes the bridge PU is a bit thin-sounding on its own (especially at lower volumes), so it's useful to dial in a bit of the neck PU for more oomph. One very odd thing about my 330 - it weighs about twice as much as any other Rick 330 that I've ever played, including vintage '60s ones and even 330's from the same era! Another interesting fact - one almost never sees 1970s/early '80s Rickenbacker guitars for sale anymore! I only know one other person with a 330 from the early '80s (his is an '83). My guess is Rickenbacker was concentrating on producing the more popular 4001 basses at that time, and what 300-series Rickys were made are not for sale (like mine!). I remember my local dealer having to special order my guitar from the factory, and it took a month or so to arrive.

Nothing else sounds like a Rickenbacker. Extremely bright and jangly. If you want that classic early Beatles/Townshend/Jam/REM/Petty jangle, this is the one you want. It doesn't do a lot of different sounds, but what it does do is beautiful. I've used it through a Vox AC30 and a Vox AC50 (the classic counterparts to Rickys), as well as through a silverface Fender Twin Reverb and blackface Fender Bandmaster. You know what? I much prefer it with the Fenders. The Vox's are already very bright sounding amps, and it was too thin with the Ricky (except at loud volumes). The Bandmaster (my current amp) offers more tonal variety, so I can dial in a great complementary tone for this guitar. The neck PU on it's own, with the blend knob up all the way, gives an uncharacteristicly rich, deep, full jazzy tone! Who woulda thunk it?

The fireglo finish on my guitar is beautiful and hasn't faded at all in 18 years. It's much darker than the newer Ricks; more of a brownish red with yellowish center, as opposed to the candy apple with wood-colored center of the new ones. Rickenbackers are known for their extremely slim necks, and many find them to be too cramped, especially if you have fat fingers. I personally love it. In fact, it's the most playable guitar I own. The action is also incredible low, with no string buzz. I have also owned a '60s reissue Rickenbacker made in 1998, and think that the 1984 guitar is much better made. The finish is a much nicer color and seemingly thicker, and the components seem sturdier. Overall my 1984 330 seems to have more in common with the '60s guitars than the later ones; I figure that in 1984 there were still some veteran Rickenbacker luthiers were still with the company, and FC Hall (owner since the early '50s) was still boss.

I've given this guitar heavy use since 1984, and the only servicing it's ever required is an application of contact cleaner in the knobs. The only problem I've ever had is the output jack comes loose once in a while; it just needs to be screwed back in tight. No big deal at all. This guitar will most likely be with me until I die, and then I expect that my daughter (now 2 1/2) will be able to enjoy it as much as I have.

I spoke with customer service a few times about buying replacement parts for another Rickenbacker I own, and have found them to be very helpful and friendly. John Hall (current CEO) even answers questions via email. The parts that I ordered arrived very quickly.

Ever since I began playing in 1977, as a Beatle-obsessed 13 year old, I lusted after a Rickenbacker. I originally owned a 320 which my dad bought for me in 1981, and soon found its short scale limiting. The 330 has been with me for nearly two decades and is a very prized possession. It has helped define the music I've made over the years. I notice that I play differently on the Ricky (more powerchords!) than on the Gretschs, Fenders, etc. that I've owned over the years. If it were lost or destroyed I would be heartbroken. It's an old friend now, and in some ways a part of me.

Rick's SN system is weird, so I don't know the year, but think it's 1990. US made like all of them, came with 2 Hi-Gain pickups and that R tailpiece that makes changing strings...uh...interesting. Thinline mainly maple semihollow with the nice slightly pointy shape (I like this much better than the "fancier" 360 model with the blunted ends of the "new style" body). three-way selector, two tone and two vol, and a weird blender that as far as I can tell, just rolls of the bass pickup a bit.

Like all Ricks, a very classy, top-notch construction job. makes other guitars (especially Fenders, even the nice ones with a few exceptions, like my old Jaguar) look like highschool shop projects.

has everything you need if you are guitar player, but not if you're one of thoe "Guitorgan" or Midi people.

oh, they have these bridge-covers. they don't really get in the way too much but they are kinda pointy, so I took mine off, I was afraid to play it hard and risk a hole in my hand. not a big deal, though.

OK, one caveat: I've REPLACED the HI-GAIN PICKUPS with reissue "toaster-top" pickups. I like these much, much better. These are basically the same as pickups from the 60's so if you want that 60's rick sound, you gotta ditch those hi-gains. (50's pickups were even lower output, wound to about 4 ohms..that seems a bit too far in the other direction to me). The toasters have less gain, so don't distort the amp at low volumes. If you want flat-out distortion, by all means keep those pickups in. but the newer "reissue, vintage" toasters (like mid-60's ones, wound to 7.4 ohms) I think are better. Same basic sound, but not overly loud and bassy like the high gains (neck pickup setting with hi-gains is so bassy, loud, and muddy I would never have used it. ) So, from here on you're reading about a guitar with 7.4 ohm, toaster-top pickups (these are about $80 each new, easy to install, and highly recommended. If you wan't to switch, don't bother with the other, stock, non "vintage" style 15 ohm toasters ...they are just as loud and basically identical to the hi-gains))

these guitars sound smashing, for everything. (I never understand why people thing some guitars "are for" some kinds of music. they'll sound like they do, and you'll like that sound for what you do or not.)

Can I be of help to undecided or unenlightented people who, like me untill recently, were not tipped off to the obvious, whout repeating everyone else..hmmm... Ok, I like the sound of Fenders mostly, but also I like to play Les Pauls for the sustain, where I can do little arpeggios and leave notes hanging and not have to strum away furiously like on a Fender to keep the sound going. But Les Paul pickups (humbuckers generally) lack clarity and the nice bell-tones of a good single coil..also I think the wood blend takes some high end away. Well, this Rick gives me everything the LP does but with clarity, more high and more low, and more shimmery harmonics, overtones, and resonance. It sounds like an INSTRUMENT, something a self-described "real" musician wouldn't snort at. Like a magic, Monet-painted guitar. It also rules on chords. You can play any power chord on it and it sounds like two guitars at once. It sounds great clean or distorted. However, it's picky about amps, I think mainly because it has a very distinctive midrange character. It sounds best through cleaner amps that don't mess with the midrange, i.e. not on amps that thicken up the sound to add body to thin guitars. It sounds better through a Showman (clean, 85 W Fender) than a Bassman (less clean, 45 W Fender). It sounds good through Class A, british-style amps (AC-15, AC-30, etc). It sounds good through Marshalls. just go play one already.

perfect finish, like a mirror. quality of bygone years. dual neck truss rods are very adjustable. Seems like there are a lot of metal peices, but it works.

these guitars look dinky but are not. The hardware is solid, heavily chormed, and looks indestructible. Odd, small strap pegs, though, so either punch your own holes in the strap, get lock-thingies, or stand still. Nice Shaller tuners. You won't complain about stringing that tailpeice once you've played it. Well, ok, you will.

I have no clue, but everything I've heard makes them out to be very helpful, like they'd invite you over and feed you too if you ever called.

I have way too much stuff, mostly fenders, a Les Paul, lots of different amps. This is the guitar sound I've been hearing in my head. It sounds focused but complex. It's literally awe-inspiring. I just sit and stare at it before I touch it, and when I do, I feel like it's taking me to school. It may not be the sound for you, but shouldn't you check to make sure? I did, and I'm happy to say I have been an idiot for a long time.

Same as the others reviewed here. It was made and purchased in '01. The bridge is a disappointment as it's not of the same high quality as the rest of the instrument, and I think it's a misnomer to call these
pickups "high gain" as they are no louder than the Duncan Pro Alnico 11's I have in my Tele. They sound nice and are very quiet, however.

This guitar is a wonderful rhythm instrument. Chords are well defined and there is alot of air and wood in it's voice, and the controls can take you from bright chime to dark chunk. Single notes are very musical, but are weak and don't penetrate.

The near flawless finish is called Desert Sand and is very similar to Shoreline Gold. The construction was very well done save for the nut which was cut narrower than the neck and left some adhesive exposed. The action when purchased was unexceptional, but became very low once I'd straightened the neck and lowered the bridge. The frets are small which facilitates playing funk, scratch rhythms but demands great hand coordination when playing single note lines.

I've owned the guitar too short a time to comment.

I have had no communications with them whatsoever.

This guitar reminds me of an american made 50's reissue Strat. It's a very good guitar but some of it's features are antiquated and I think that the guitar suffers due to this. Ric makes hum-cancelling single coils and I'd like to see them on this guitar along with some medium tall frets and a tune-a-matic brige. However, this is still a good, unique guitar and a very cool design.

Beautiful mapleglo 330 rickie, from 1996. All maple with glossy transparent finish, with awesome grain and same features as other models: rosewood board that is glossy and shiny ( has some sort of lacquer like the one used for maple necks), 5 controls (two tones, two volumes and blend), schaller machine heads, chrome hardware and huge sounding single coils. The neck is quite nice, not too thin and incredibly comfortable for someone with small hands like me.Hard original rectangular rickenbacker case, came with original Rick cleaning cloth.

The sound on this guitar is unlike any other Ive ever tried. Airy open sound because of the semi-hollow construction, but not too open like archtops. The single coils deliver an amazing sound through dirtied up amps, the clean sound on both pickups is quite astaounding. The neck pickup is very bassy and has a jazzy feel, althought its single coil nature comes out. The best sound you can get is when turning up the volume on old valve amps - get that clanging sound like The Jam or even The Who, thats what I use for most of the time.The tones coming from this guitar are so characteristic, albeit a bit limited, but they are so incredible, that just the sound on the bridge pickup is worth it every single cent.

The guitar came spot on. Action was fabulous, pickups needed a little tweaking because they were too close to the strings and distorted a little. The top looks lie heaven, and my girlfriend gets mad at me cause I drool at it, he he. The construction of this guitar is almost custom like, not a single flaw and I have yet to see a gutar so beautifully constructed.

I have used this guitar on numerous gigs and concerts. The only problem is feedback, unless you get to grips with it, you have to turn the knob down constantly, but I guess thats the norm with semi hollows. The hardware is quality and the guitar is all around solid, sometimes I have trouble tuning it after heavy playing, but this guitar is not only a looker on stage, but its sound through a revved up amplifier will leave the audience dropping jaws... I always carry a spare, sometimes after heavy sweating the fretboard can get quite slippery, but thats no problem for a normal gig.

N/A

Finally, this guitar is probably the "best buy" I have purchased, for only 600 bucks I got the guitar almost brand new, with original case, and must say that Pick of the Ricks is a great store specializing in Rickenbackers, so they know their stock. The sound on my mapleglo Rick is so different to my other Fenders or Gibsons that I use it almost exclusively to get that incredible sound. It complements my music which is mostly old style British Invasion type, so the clean vs. kerrang suits my band perfectly. I am now considering buying one of the solid bodied rickies or even a 12 string model. If I had to choose one guitar out of all the ones I own, this would definitely be it!

hehehe. Went to guitar center today and played a bunch of things including this wonderful 1998 Rick. I'm pretty sure everyone knows what this guitar looks like. It's not exactly electronics heaven but it has plenty of features.

The sound was absolutely amazing. I played it through a vox ac 30 hoping to get that Tom Petty thing going but the only ac-30 in the place had a blown speaker. I plugged it into a 59 reissue fender bassman and the sound was breathtaking. The bright pickups were full of life. The neck pickups were a lot muddier but still cool.

The guitar's finish is impecably rick-like. It's nowhere near as lush as the PRS's guitars nor as expressive as the Gretsches but the finish was solid all around. The neck seems long to me. I don't know if this is typical of Ricks but the neck seemed quite long (maybe it's the cutaway that induces that feel). The setup was low and easy to play.

don;t own one but I will :)

The rick was an amazing guitar. It held up well against the Gretsches, Pauls and PRS I played today. There was an amazing sound from the guitar out of its bright pickup. It's not the best guitar I ever played but it was damn near close to it.

I've got several rickies: two of this model, an all black built 1990 and a tomato red from 1999. Usual setup: two superb pickups, 5 knob layout with built in morse coder.

I play mostly full on power pop (Who/Beatles) style and its great for that - a power chord machine Pete Townshend called it - but underrated for other syles like blues/country. This guitar has the richest, warmest single coil sound with singing feedback to die for.

Absolutely flawless from factory in finish fit and setup. The only problem I've encounted is the jack socket which is prone to work loose.

If you treat with respect it will outlive you for sure. You need to clean it occasionally as it has so many hidden crevices and watch out for chips off the old finish.

Never dealt with them. they sound extremely uptight about their babies tho'. Probably that's how they keep the quality so high.

I play it through a Vox Cambridge 15. Sounds fab through just about anything. In a world of massively subjective opinions, heres another. For a combination of style, looks and unique sound, this is the best guitar you can buy. If you play classic rock 'n'roll play it on this

My Rickenbacker 330 is Jetglo and made and purchased in 1999. Same features as all other reviews. Rickenbacker seems to be the only guitar manufacturer to use the "fifth" knob for blend control. It's a neat little feature although I don't use it much. I replaced the "R" tailpiece with a vibrato unit like on the 325 model (like Lennon's) but removed it shortly after. The vibrato tailpiece requires no modification or damage to the guitar so I can put it on agian if I choose. But it cuts down on the chiming sustain and the trem arm is short and more suited for the smaller 325.

There is nothing else that can sound like a Rickenbacker. Unlike Fender and Gibson style guitars that have numerous clones, there is no other manufacturer that rips off Rickenbacker designs (this is probably because of fear of a lawsuit). If you want the Rickenbacker "sound" - get a Rickenbacker. The sound is very unique and versatile. Yes it's known for clean jangle, but it can growl when put through an overdriven amp.

I bought this guitar when I worked for a large guitar retailer so I got the pick of the litter. I just waited until this shipment of Ricky's came into the warehouse and picked through the spanking new 330's until I found this beauty. Rickenbacker set-up from the factory is always great. The reason you see many warped necks and bad action when checking out Ricks at a guitar mega store is because of neglect. Generally employees don't maintain any equipment unless asked to do so. Customers come in and mess around and mistreat guitars. And the weather plays havoc too. For example, my 330 came in set-up perfectly and I took it home with no one else touching it. But after coming from warm, sunny California to dry, cold Chicago it took only a few days for the neck to need tweaking. Also since 330's don't have neck bindind like the 360 models, the cold dry air made my fingerboard shrink ever so slightly and I needed a fret edge file in a couple spots. Never had any problems since then!

Very reliable guitar. I have heard many morons who have never played a Rickenbacker say that those guitars look fragile. This is not true! I play very aggressively and I will fall apart before my 330 does. If you want to confirm very extreme use of Rickenbackers that will not fall apart think about Fugazi, The Church, The Jam, Flickerstick. Don't think of Rickenbacker killer Pete Townshend. The most aggressive I've met was Marty Willson-Piper from The Church who also can play amazing things on a Ricky 360 twelve string.

Never used.

Rickenbackers are classics. Made in USA with no cheap dumbed down versions like Fender and their Squire brand. I recommend this guitar to anyone who lacks a single coil sound that is unique from the usual Fender Strat. It doesn't matter if you don't have a Vox AC30, this guitar sounds good through anything and is more versatile than expected.

Mine is a 1999 Jetglo (black) Rickenbacker 330 6-string, made in the USA, of course. 24 frets, semi-hollow body, 2 Rickenbacker single coil pickups, independent tone and volume controls for each pickup, plus a fifth blender knob for adjusting the mix of the two pickups when both are on. The body and neck are maple, fretboard is rosewood.

Contrary to popular belief about Rics, I've found that this guitar is fairly versatile in tonality, without ever losing that unique Rickenbacker-esque nasality and shimmer. In the bridge position, you can go from twang and snap with the tone knob up high, to smoky, almost acoustic sounds when you turn it towards the bass end. The middle postion with is probably the most useful, because you can get the widest range of tones out of it. In this position, you can do fine tonal adjustments using the fifth blender knob, mixing different combinations of the two pickups (for example: bringing the neck pickup forward in the mix and putting the bridge at a lower volume, all the while adjusting each pickup's tonality with the independent tone knobs). The middle setting gives you the most typical Rickenbacker sound: creamy, yet shimmery. The neck pickup allows for some deep, clear, throaty tones, and turning the tone knob towards the bass end mellows things out and allows for some jazzy, archtop-sounding fatness. Also, the 330 sounds amazing when you lay a slide to it with a little bit of distortion. I use this guitar with my Fender Deluxe 112 amp and a load of effects stompboxes (Line 6 Delay Modeler, Boss Phase Shifter, Chorus, Flanger, etc.) The single coil pickups are actually pretty quiet, especially compared to my Telecaster's pickups. The only gripe I might mention is that when strings start to go dead on a Ric, you can tell right away that they are DEAD. In other words, just keep fresh strings on it and it sounds fabulous. I give it a 9, because no one guitar can do everything.

The factory setup on my particular 330 was perfect, and I haven't adjusted it yet. I've played other Rics at the store however, and their factory setup seems to be hit and miss: some play great, some are hardly playable. The action on mine was just right, not too high so as to be a pain in the butt, not too low so as to compromise tone or clarity. The finish was perfect except for one tiny chip on one of the horns, which I'm almost positive was the dealer's fault and not Rickenbacker's. Rickenbacker finishes are amazing, they look flawless and they're very resistant to scratching and checking.

It seems to be a dependable, well-made guitar; I have no worries about it falling apart any time in the next 30 or 40 years. Like I said, the finish is durable and resistant to wear moreso than any other finish I've had to deal with. I'd gig without a backup, sure. I'm a poor college student, so I'm certainly not about to go out and fork over another thousand to buy a backup.

I've only had one minor dealing with Rickenbacker. The dealer I bought this from does not have his act together at all, and so I called the company to try and ascertain whether or not my guitar was actually new (like the dealer claimed) or if it was simply a used one in "like new" condition. The representative I spoke to was pretty helpful once I explained my situation, but I did have to call back more than once to get the information I wanted.

I've been playing for 6 years. I own currently or have owned in the past a Gibson Les Paul Studio, a Fender Stratocaster, an Ovation Celebrity, and a Fender Telecaster. My Ric 330 is definitely the finest guitar out of all of them. If it were stolen or lost I'd be predictably upset, and then I'd miserably save my pennies and buy a replacement. Admittedly, the laminated freboard takes a little getting used to, but it's not that big of a deal, and it has actually helped improve my fretwork. I use this guitar in way that most people don't traditionally think of Rickenbackers, which is the whole 60's Beatles/Byrds pop-rock thing. I employ it in making ambient, dreamy, textured rhythm parts- sort of a space rock type thing (but I hate that label). The point is, this guitar is definitely not just a 60s revivalist instrument. I got outside the box of tradition and I've found that this a versatile, unique guitar suited to many styles of music.

The 330/6 features neck-through body construction, a semi-hollow maple body with a double cutaway design, and Fireglo finish that I became enamored with immediatley. It has 5 knobs for treble and bass, and one that acts as a mini-EQ for blending the two buttoned single coil pick ups. The bridge is of a unique design and allows you to "customize" the action for treble strings and bass strings of the guitar. It has a classic "R" tailpiece at the end. The neck is thin, (though not thin enough to bust out shredding) with a varnished roswood fretboard. This option may be the most troubling;despite the looks of the varnish, it doesn't allow for easy shifting of the fingers to adjacent frets due the friction between the fingers and the gloss. It is equipped with Schaller tuners that work well. The body had no binding at all (bummer). I also had to pay 100 extra for the deluxe hardshell case.

This guitar is ideal for vintage rock. Obviously the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Who are what this beauty was meant for. However, I can get some very fat jazz sounds out of it through a Fender Deluxe chorus while it is on the neck pick up. The pick-ups are single coils and have a great classic tone, although they are noisy at times. I use two MXR Reissue pedals (Phase 90 and Distortion+)and a VOX wah - they sound excellent. I recommend playing this guitar through a vintage Marshall Plexi-head or a VOX amplifier such as the AC-30 with some Electro-Harmonix pedals to fully utilize the vintage sound.

When I bought the guitar, the factory set-up seemed good but a little too high for my tastes. The pick ups were very high and were almost touching the strings so I had to re-adjust them. Finish on the guitar is vibrant and great looking, and could easily be one of Rickenbacker's greatest craft. My only gripe really is with the saddles on the bridge. The strings seem to pop out of the grooves sometimes and my B string seems to make a clicking noise by the saddle after a bend or vibrato.

The finish is strong and durable, and it only has minor wear. I was glad that Rickenbacker equipped strap-locking buttons on the 330/6. I am quite impressed with it, and it keeps in tune longer than I would have expected.

I have not dealt with Rickenbacker yet, nor do I hope to unless the problem is extremely mundane. I have heard that Rickenbacker is notorious for their lack of customer support and maybe that is why the dealer I bought from gave me a 2 year warranty at no extra charge

I have been playing for five years and play various styles. I think that this guitar sounds and plays great and is, contrary to what others may say, a versatile axe. I like its good sustain as well as its surprisingly fat tone. It is crafted with great care and am not regretting I bought it. One would also be hard-pressed to find an American made guitar with such great features and reliability.

Mine is a 1989 Midnight blue 330 with all black hardware and pickguards & nameplate. Today, all colors come standard with white pickguards & nameplate. It's a semi-hollow body with the classic unique Ric dovetail shape (double cutaway). The body edges are squared and there is no binding; unlike a 360 which has rounded body edges and white plastic binding. Personally, I like the look of the 330 better. I own a 360 (you can read my review if it's posted) and definitely prefer the 330. Same electronics as a 360 except without the "stereo Ric-o-sound" which I don't use anyway; just a single, mono output jack. 2 single coil pick-ups with volume & tone knobs for each. 3-way selector and a blending knob. Double decker pickguard. Set neck (solid) with a glossed rosewood fretboard. Dot inlays. F-hole which is shaped more like a car's tailfin from the 50's. Very retro yet modern look. A classy axe. All of the features it needs.

I really like the sound of this guitar. Very resonant as a semi-hollow should be. I do recommend heavier gauge strings (10-46). I can get classic Ric jangle out of it but I can also get beefy tones. The neck & bridge pick-ups sound very different and many tones can be found depending on how you use them. The neck pick-up can easily do jazz. The bridge will get that biting Tele type sound. The pick-ups suit the guitar well and I've had no inclination to change them. My favorite setting is using them both but favoring the blend toward the neck pick-up. The tone is truly better and more versatile than on my 360, but doesn't do that classic Ric jangle as well. A little overdrive or distortion on a tube amp is truly inspirational. It ranks with my Hamer USA Vanguard (w/P-90's), my Gibson ES-335, my Gretsch 6120, and of course the Ric 360 & 620. I play it through a Vox AC-15, Fender twin reverb, and a Marshall JCM 2000 half stack. It doesn't sound as good (too brittle) through the solid-state amps (Trace Elliot, old Yamaha). The guitar interacts well with Chorus & Phaser pedals (Boss) and an EQ pedal will really round out the sound if you need it (I like more low end, sometimes, which is why I didn't give it a "10" in this category).

The neck is thin, the frets are small, and the fretboard is glossed rosewood which isn't bad, but it ain't a Les Paul. But then it's not supposed to be a Les Paul. Its strength is that playing chords is very very easy throughout the entire neck, even above the 12th fret. Lead playing takes some getting used to, but I've had great success taking it to blues jams. Again, it depends on your hand size, what your preferences are, and what you're comfortable with. The action is low but without buzzing. The guitar plays & sounds great all over the neck. Very consistent. The cosmetics were perfect until I got ahold of it. Now it's a little scuffed, but that's my fault. It was before I learned what belt buckles can do.

Solid. The neck & frets have held up well. It's a professional quality, well-made guitar.

Unfortunately, this category is Rickenbackers greatest weakness, at least in my experience. The full story is in my review of my 360, but the short version is that I've now been waiting 3 months for replacement pickguards and an "R" tailpiece that Guitar Center in Texas has ordered for me. It is possible to order parts straight from the factory, but you are charged full retail/retail/retail. AND, They won't send you a new nameplate for the truss rod cover unless you send your old one back to them first; and yes they still charge you for the new nameplate without reimbersing you for the old one. All just because I wanted to change my other Rics from white to black pickguards. Oh well.

I love this guitar. I think it looks, plays, and sounds better overall than my more expensive Ric 360, but the 360 definitely fills a niche in my collection. I own 26 guitars and no 2 are the same. I go for diversity in my collection. I can't imagine not having this guitar in it. In fact, it's what prompted me to get a 330-12, a 620, and a 360 for the collection. It's fun to play and looks cool. Definitely not another strat, tele, or Gibson copy. If you like playing pop or classic Brit rock, then this guitar is a must have. Players with small hands will also dig this axe. Just hope you don't need to special-order parts for it.

This is a 2000 model Ric 330/6 in Mapleglo. The natural maple finish is really eye candy, with beautiful wood grain polished and buffed to an incredibly durable shine. It has a classic, unmistakable Ric profile. The body is made from maple and has a double cutaway, semi-hollowbody design with the signature Ric "slash" F-hole. The set maple neck is 1 5/8" at the nut and has 24 frets and dot markers on a polished rosewood fingerboard. The headstock is the unique Ric design with the famous slash nameplate and 6 Schaller tuners (3 up and 3 down). Two Ric high-gain single coil p/ups switched through a Switchcraft 3-way toggle are standard on this model, each p/up with individual volume and tone controls. Ric refers to the p/ups as "bass and treble", versus "neck and bridge" or "rhythm and lead". Kind of odd, but accurate. As I'll describe below, although most people think of the jangly, twangy tones you can get from a Ric, you can really get massive bass tone from it as well. The 330 also has a unique fifth tone control, which I find most useful as a master tone control once the individual tone pots have been set where I want them. Output is mono on the 330. The bridge is a unique 6 saddle design and the tailpiece is the Ric "R" style trapeze. The first thing you notice about the 330 when you strap it on is how unbelievably light it is (about 8 pounds). My Tele seems to weigh a ton by comparison. The 330 is a very, very comfortable guitar to play.

I play classic pop/rock from the 60's through 90's and the 330 obviously fits much of oldies set perfectly. Beatles, Beach Boys, Who, etc. - I mean, come on, this is the original article. On the other hand, the 330 is (surprisingly) a very versatile guitar, capable of a wide range of tone from 50's Duane Eddy twang to jazz rhythms to gut smashing metal riffs and most everything in between. It has an airy, live sound that does not rely on any effects or electronic tweaking. I have played it through an Acoustic Simulator pedal and it was practically overkill. It sounds marvelous through a trem pedal, where the ringing, bright tone really sparkles. With the tone turned down and switched to the treble p/up, the 330 is capable of really nasty punkish toned power chords pushed through an overdrive channel. For the classic tones, you need an AC30 or a vintage Marshall. I play it through a DSL401 and it sings.

My 330 was perfect in terms of fit and finish - I literally found no flaws whatsoever. The Schaller tuners, strap lock buttons, switch and controls were all tight and perfectly installed. The guitar was shipped from the factory with a very low action that is incredibly easy to play. It came stock with Ric 10-42 gauge strings, which are a little stiff but add some sustain.

The finish on this guitar is very durable, the parts and components are all first rate - I'd say this 330 will hold up under steady gigging. I currently play out 2-3 times a month and at that pace this guitar should last me a lifetime. The strap buttons are strap locks that are a very nice standard feature. I will always bring my Tele as a backup and for sets where I will use D tuning on the Tele, but I doubt my 330 will ever crap out in the middle of a gig. It is built like a tank.

A 1 yr warranty is standard and Ric is pretty fussy about making sure you get the warranty registration sent in within 2 wks of buying the guitar. Have not needed repairs yet and Ric insists on having repairs done at their plant in Santa Ana (they don't have any factory authorized service centers).

I've been playing for 15 years, primarily as a rhythm guitarist in pop/rock and oldies bands. The 330 makes a very sweet rhythm guitar, perfect for layering behind a hot lead player. If it were lost or stolen, I'd replace it with another Ric in a heartbeat. I compared the 330 to a few other guitar makes: Gibson 335 (way too expensive), Guild Starfire 4 (too heavy) and the Epiphone Casino and Dot (nice finish work, but cheap components). The 330 is an incredibly well built American guitar at a very reasonable price.

Mine's a 330FG, born in the USA Aug, 1994. I purchased it at the Dallas Guitar Show from the Rickenbacker regional sales display the summer of '95. I'm it's original "owner" though this one was being demo'd. at the show. Because it was a floor demo model and probably because the distributor didn't want to crate it back home I got it and the case at what I consider to be a great deal - around $450. Fantastic maple grain under that deep fireglow finish! You know the features: 24 frets glued-in 3-ply neck with rosewood fretboard (laquered), all maple thin line hollow body, 2x Ric single coil pickups, 2x vol and 2x tone plus 5th blend knob, 4-post floating 6-saddle bridge with chrome cover, "R" tailpiece, 2-tiered white plastic pickguard. It always fascincated me that Rickenbacker saddles are just hunks of what looks like lead, with a string notch just crudely cut into them - but they work, and I've had no broken strings.

I replaced the hi-gain "button" pickups (which I liked very much - like a Telecaster on steroids!) with Rickenbacker "vintage" "toaster" pickups. I like the look of that extra chrome, I guess. Huge difference in output, in favor of the modern hi-gain p/us. The modern pickups are more versatile as well - more midrange, lots more output, more "spank" and, especially in the neck position, less muddy. But I like the looks and it sounds like 1964 in the bridge and both pickups positions! But the modern "button" pickups are better than the vintage, in every case, unless you are looking for that specific vintage sound.

Originally, with the "button" hi-gain single coils it was what I refer to as "a Telecaster on steroids". But I wanted the more authentic Ric chime, and liked the looks, of the vintage "toaster top" single coils. The vintage pickups really de-fang the guitar. Not so much variety, not nearly the "spank" or output, and the neck position is very muddy.

Unless you just gotta have the look and sound, keep the "button" hi-gain single coils on your guitar.

I play her through a VOX AC15TB "reissue" (2x10, which I don't believe are made anymore) and a 1968 Fender silverface Princeton Reverb. Through the VOX, with those vintage pickups, it is pure 1964. The "CLANG" of "Hard Day's Night"? - I got it, buddy! Sounds great for those Beatles/Byrds/Beach Boys tunes, but not as versatile as the original pickups.

Factory set-up at the show was not all the great. The neck could have been straighter (and now is) and the action lower (and now is). It was a pretty darned average-playing guitar until I got her set up better. Now running 10s on her, neck is FLAT, action is low but not quite rediculously so. Great player - and very comfortable, to boot.

As with almost all Rickenbackers, fit, finish and construction was flawless. Astounding.

I'm a bass player, so this guitar just gets taken out of its case and admired from time to time and in the safety of my music room at home. It looks and feels like a toy - but I'm not fooled. I own (and play/gig) 3 Ric basses, and play in and have played in bands where Ric guitars were featured. They LAST. They hold up. Sometimes the pickup selector is noisy or feels "loose", but that's just the nature of the switch Rickenbacker uses. The floating bridge often seems to have buzzes in it - but these never get transfered to the amp. Rics also have very small strap buttons. Use strap locks. But I know from experience that Rickenbacker instruments are astoundingly durable and reliable. Case in point, one of the guitarists I play for plays a 1984 jetglow 330 (with original "button" single coils) as his only guitar - no backup. He is the original owner. He plays it ALL the time. In 16 years of ownership and playing he has finally worn a small "hole" in the finish above the low E where his pick often hits when he's flailing. That's just the finish - the rest of the guitar is just as tough. Yes, you can depend on a Rickenbacker.

In another review I gave Rickenbacker a "10". That review was for one of my Ric basses, a 4003JG - which likely won't get posted becuase I gave it straight 10s! Anyway, they (RIC) answered my letters promptly and professionally (this was way before the internet), and I've called them 1 time - years ago. All were positive experiences. But all were years and years ago. They were all for "good stuff". I've NEVER had to contact Ric for any repair/warranty or even to complain in any way except about their old guitar cases (which that year were changed to the plastic anvil cases of today - that's how long ago). Rics give years and years of enjoyment and faithful service - they just don't give problems. But I'll leave this "no opinion", because I haven't contacted them in almost a decade.

Bass player for 20 years. Guitar is for fun and to write with, and to humble myself. I play (gig and studio record) with Fender basses as well as my Rics, but Rickenbackers are my love. And I appreciate Ric guitars as well, wanted 1, have 1. Wish I had 4 Ric guitars (and at least another Ric bass): a 4001/V63, 660/12, 650D, 620 plus this 330. Slowly but surely, I'll get them. There's something about them - they have a soul. And there is no denying that they are works of art.

If my 330 were lost or stolen, I'd probably get one of the 350 reissues and keep working on the collection above. Or maybe a 1997. Or maybe another 330FG and keep the original "button" pickups in it. But I'd definitely get another Ric guitar.

I have other guitars, and other basses besides Rickenbackers. I just plain LIKE playing Rickenbackers. They feel and play great, and sound like nothing else.

For those of you with vintage 3-pickup Rics and want to split the neck and middle pickups, one of my guitarists wired his 350 like a 2-pickup model and wired the middle pickup (volume) to the blend knob. He no longer has the "blend" capability, but now has a more versatile guitar since he can dial in the middle pickup in tandem with the bridge, neck or both.

I own a 1995 rickenbacker 330 fireglo made in USA
has 24 frets
semi hollw body /wood
5 way selector

has that classic jangle

had to sen it to a luthier for complete set up

I would not use it without a backup

playing 30 years...own Fender / Ovation

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.

My rickenbacker 330 is a really cool atumn glow color. I think the guitar is an 88, as I bought it used. The guitar came in great shape,and the previous owner took great care of the guitar. The rick has 24 frets and individual tone and volume controls for the two pickups. The guitar neck has dot inlays and chrome hardware. The cool thing about ricks is the little blend control that can do a lot for the sound of a rickenbacker. This is guitar has a a lot of useful features .

ok first off, the big complaint about ricks is that you cannot play lead on them. I have to agree to this some what. Stay away from this guitar if van halen and fast guitar runs are your deal. This guitar is a great rythmn guitar, a great live guitar, very versatile and I can play lead on the rick well. I like a variety of music , but I go for stuff like oasis, U2, the cure, jimi hendrix, a great deal of differnt music. I play through a fender hot rod deluxe, and use various boss pedals, a vox wah, and an ibanez tube screamer.i Can pretty much do whatever I want to with this guitar.The rick is suprisingly thick through a metal zone ( watch the feedback on the neck pickup!)Using reverb,you are in clear chordal heaven, kicking in a tube screamer, gives a great rock over drive. I like this guitar because it is a lot thicker that a fender, yet not as chunky as a gibson with humbuckers. It is a great guitar if you want a an alternative to fenders and gibsons.

My finish is a nice sunburst as it fades from red into an almost briwn color. I have seen the edge of U2 with my same guitar. Every aspect of my guitar is great. I like to use 10's on my guitar and they feel really nice, the neck is nice and smooth . The string spacing and the neck width might be a little to small for some players.The guitar feels great for me though.

I have played a couple gigs with this guitar. It is light so you can stand up for hours palying this rickenbacker. I have had no problems with this guitar. Sometimes it goes out of tune, but I think this common with most guitars anyway.Most people I talk to say that Rickenbackers are the best crafted and built guitars on the market today. The craftsmenship is superb.

i bought it used, so there was no warranty, had no problems either

I have been playing for 5 years now, and I am really happy with this guitar. It is a great rock guitar, and is very versatile. I think you should give it try. If it was stolen I would buy it again. Rickenbacker doesn't make this autumn glow anymore,whcih is a real shame.I have a 62 vintage ressiue strat, and a les paul standard. When I go out and play i choose the rick. I like the statemnet it makes. I am not one of the dime a dozen players who have strats and act like they are the great stevie ray vaughn. The rick is awesome, I wish the neck was a little bigger, but that's ok. Also sometimes I have to pull out the les paul when I want to play lynard skynard's freebird or any other fast guitar song. This guitar is highly recommended

I purchased my Rickenbacker 330/6 in March of 1998 being made in 1997. It came with a custom SKB, Rickenbacker cloth, 3 keys, and official Rickenbacker adjusting tools. It's considered a thinline hollowbody with a beautifully glossy finish called fireglo which fades from dark red around the sides to a lighter red in the center and is made out of maple with a thin rosewood neck. It has a bass and treble pickups which are high-gain. It has Shaller tuning heads and while at first I had to tune it every couple days, I now only need to tune it about once in every two weeks. It has a tailpiece and the by the straplock shaped like an "R" and all the components (including this) are chrome. Has 24 frets and is handmade in America.

It has quite an amazing array of sounds ranging from a bright Beatles sound to a to a dark bassy sound that can get so bassy that a chord will sound like a note on a bass. My musical style is mostly Rock. My favorite things to play are the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. I use a Mesa/Boogie with it's clean and distorted channels and am planning to get a WAH WAH pedal. This guitar is so amazing it can even sound like a acoustic guitar. I really don't have any dislikes but I do love the tonal ranges that this guitar can create. It is noisy but in a good way. It would also sound great for blues players having a strong bass pickup. Awesome if you like to play the early Beatles songs.

I find the action on this guitar wonderful. It is so light and dreamy that I can now play ten times better than with my old Yamaha 112M. The finsh on this guitar is flawless. I fell in love with this guitar the first time I played. The finsh and feel of this guitar are much better than that of a Les Paul Standard which was what I was originally going to purchase. The pickups never seem to pickup any annoying sounds. The only thing I ever needed done to it was it needed an intonation after a friend tuned it off to play "Across the Universe."

I believe this guitar could withstand anything and I can tell, after you've had it for a few weeks, the need for tuning is minimal. The hardware on this guitar excelent. My only complaint is that it is hard to string but with all the ups, what's one little down. Nothing is perfect, but my Rickenbacker 330 gets pretty close to perfection and is more than any guitarist can ask for. I don't see a need for a backup because it's about as dependable as they come (I also couldn't afford it). Th e finish seems extremely strong and dependable.

Warranty: 5 yrs. Customer service: wonderful; even if I e-mail them, I still get a responce within no longer than a 2 days.

I have been playing for 3 years. I wish I would have got made the upgrade to a vintage case because I prefer the vintage look over the modern (they both unique in a good way.) I compared it to the Gibson Les Paul Standard and Classic, and a Fender Custom Shop 1960's Telecaster. If my RIC got stolen I would definitely buy a new one. I love the tonal versatility but extremely dislike changing strings on it because it is awfully hard to do and I have broke a few strings doing so.