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.