Rickenbacker 350V63

2006 model purchased new Dec 07 & made in America.
21 frets, semi solid body no sound hole, black vintage style knobs, 2 volume, 2 tone & 3 way toggle switch, 3x Rickenbacker re-issue 7.4K "Toaster Top" scatter wound pickups mounted on rubber gromets, Maple neck & body with a rosewood fretboard, typical Rickenbacker high gloss finished in there "signiture" Fireglo, small cresent/capri style body with vintage strap bolts, standard Rick bridge and plain trapeze tailpiece, Rick "Kluson" type tuners, full scale neck with vintage frets and sqaure heal, all supplied with usual case candy and a lovely silver tolex case. All the features of this guitar are period correct "63" with exception of the full scale neck. Other reviews in this section mention "R" tailpieces and high gain pickups these guitars are 350's not to be confused with the V63.

I love early 60's music Beatles/Kinks and this is where this guitar sits. I play through my Vox AD30VT either set on AC15, AC30 or Fender Blackface settings sometimes with the on board compressor or my "JangleBox". This is a very quiet guitar but it can feedback if you stand to close to the amp. Typical Rickenbacker full, rich with jangly overtones, possible to get Strat type sounds to full on brite bighting treble very vintage. I've been using "Pyramid Gold" flatwound strings which add's a lot nailing 60's tone's.

Great straight out of the box again typical Rickenbacker, action & intonation spot on.
The only thing I was concerned about at first was the finish on the neck which appeared to be "very sticky", I've have read on the Rick website forum some issue's regarding this problem. But it turned out to be just dirty from sweat/grime, I think it must have had a bit of use in the shop before I bought it. I cleaned it a couple of time's with a "Carnuba" based wax which cut off the grime and all is OK

I no longer play live, it's a very light guitar which you hardly know your wearing which is great but it does make you feel that it's very delicate. When you consider the use that John Lennon's little 325 had I don't think it would be an issue. I think I would change the strap bolts for Schaller locking types if I did gig with it, I'd hate to drop it as it's not as tuff as a Telecaster!
It's a Rick very dependable.

Never needed it. Warranty 5 Years from manufacture (I think).

I've been playing for 25 years and have had a few Ricks that I've regretfully let go but this one's for keep's. I also have a Rickenbacker 660/12 and a Hofner 500/1 Bass. If stolen I'd get another one for sure.
I love the look and the sound which has played such an important part in a very special moment in music history. I chose the 350 over the Rick 325 because of the full scale neck vs the 3/4 neck, I'd love both but can't afford both.
I wish it had an Accent Vibrato.

93 model

Fireglow (Their other colours are nice but you just can't go wrong with a fireglow rick :) )

3 high gain single coil pickups


Fixed RIckenbacker "R" bridge

what can you say it's a standard (non tremelo) 350, it has what it needs to be a 350 and you don't buy a 350 to own a guitar you buy a 350 to own a RIckenbacker _350_ guitar.

So 10 because it has exactly what it needs to be a 350 but minus 1 because well maybe they should have put toaster style covers on the high gain pickups

Sounds just like a Rick semi should sound full chiming jangle with heaps of sustain.

You know the sound even if you never new it was a rick.

surprisingly versatile can get a Strat/Tele like sound, playing with the blend for the mid/neck pickup can pull some nice almost humbucker sounds.

amazingly quite um wise for a single coil job.

Mine sounds a little brighter than my friends 330's and 360's - this may be because of the lack of sound hole but more likely they all have low gain toaster pickups.

10 for when you want _THAT_ Rickenbacker sound...

Action -
Totally shot, fret buzz all over the shop wouldn't stay in tune but that was the previous owners problem - using ultra light super slinky strings and _no_ (ZERO) truss rod tension (Huh! crazy or what) New set of standard/medium strings and 15 minutes on the setup bench fixed that now sweet


Fit - OH My God!
This is the 3rd rick I've owned (I own two of their basses) and nothing I've ever held in my hands short of mega $$$ high end custom jobs, the best of the best of Matsumoto and some top end Gibsons and Martins come even close to the quality of woodworking craftsman it's a pure, to die for, 11/10.

finish -
Generally top notch
the lacquer finish on the head-stock is a bit thin but not "dangerously so" though I'd probably worry that chips could start to flake
Too one ore two minor flaws so minor I think of them as adding a little character, there was a slight glue overrun on one side of the nut but it was sanded back perfectly before the lacquer went on, and an _ever_so_slight under fit (gap) where the upper body panel meets the neck on the upper cutaway.

Being a semi acoustic I'd probably want to treat it a little gentler than my RIckenbacker basses. That said I have no qualms gigging this.

I've friends who've been playing their RIcks for 10, 20 and in some cases more years and they seem to hold up well enough with due care.

being over 15 years old when I bought it there are a few minor surface cracks and crazes in the finish but rather than spoiling the effect they actually give it character

HA HA Rick support... not here there isn't .... we don't even have a Rickenbacker distributor or even a licensed retailer in this country. ... or the next country either side of us for that matter.

Maybe US, Japanese and European owners can get some factory/dealer support but Pacific Rim countries - just find your self the best guitar tech or luthier in your area.

playing for over 30 years 90% bass player 5% Keys 5% guitar

Been looking for a rick 350 or 325 for last 2 years, be hard to replace here without going to eBay to get one from Europe or the US so if it was stolen yeh I'd want to replace it but ... but...

Rickenbacker, MusicMan, Aria Pro II Status Fender US and Fender MIJ basses + generic Chinese Upright bass.

Martin Acoustic guitar, MIJ Fender Jaguar and Telecaster, Jackson and various no name guitars.

Trace Elliot, Mesa Boogie, Ampeg, GK bass heads and cabs.

Fender Twin Reverb, Vox AC30, Laney VC30 guitar combo's, Laney and Marshall 2x12 cabs.

made in 1987 - R tailpiece - 24 frets - semi-hollow body a la John Lennon - 3 high gain picups (single coil) - Schaller tuners - all maple (neck and body) color is,according to RIC,"Ruby". Light, confortable and well-balanced body.

Sound is full, open, rich. Its also versatile. With the mixer control it could sound as thin as Fender or almost as rich as Gibson but neither Fender or Gibson can come close to sound like a RIC. So if like me, you are not into imitating somelse's sound, a RIC will sure help being more personal thought the massive use of all sounding the same Strats,Teles,Les Pauls and SG's since the ratio of RIC users is very low. Almost noise-free. I used this guitar through several amps over the years from cheap solid state Fender to Thomas old VOX. Right now I am using 2 Vox VR-30 and a Boss VF-1 effect unit. A killer combination at of versatility and small weight.

Factory or store setup was near perfect ( low E needed to ne tweaked for perfect intonation ( 20 sec job). Low action-no buzz and well ajusted pickups. All hardware pieces were perfectly built and ajusted to the neck and the body.o. Great fret work. The finish is still beautiful after all these year.

Bought it June 1988. The only guitar or bass I still posses from that era and God knows a lot of others brands of guitars/basses went in and out of my place since 1988. I live in a cold/humid or superhot/humid region of Canada and this piece of wood never had to be ajusted in any way. Most of all other instruments I owned were sold back at some point because I had to get their freaking neck re-adjusted twice a year and that drives me crazy.

A few times - ordering stuff. Not long ago, I e-mail F.C. Hall questionning him on why Ric 4003 are equipped with plastic bass pickup cover and on some other manufacturing details, Mr. Hall replied to me in the next hour going over every single items pointed out in my e-mail!!!I have read some horror stories about RIC support especially when a customer was not satisfied with a product that he or she purchased. They are surely legitimate concerns amongst these complaints but again have we really heard both sides of such stories.

Ric doesn't make the 350 as such but a vintage version is still available: 350v64C. If I would still be available I would buy a few more of them any time. There are only 2 instruments that I really loved thoughout the years: this 350 and a 1971 4001 that I sold to pay the rent of my first apartment with I moved with my girlfriend back then. Even today, she keeps reminding today (even if we don't live together any more) how stupid that decision was. The fact is that she loved that bass more than I did despite the fact she never played a single of music. She kept that bass so clean and shiny almost to the point that I fell uncomfortable using it...

made in 1987 and purchased brand new in June 1988- Ric color code was RUBY (dark wine-reddish and slightly metallic) - maple hollow body a la J.Lennon, no sound hole - 24 frets rosewood fingerboard. 3 single coil/Hi-gain ric pickups - 2 volume , 2 tone, 1 mix controls. R tailpiece and chrome hardware

richest single coil sound I have ever heard. Used it through cheap solid state Fenders, Vox Cambridge 15, Fender Deville 4x10 and other "real" tube amps. No matter what amp, I can only repeat what I have just said above. Also very versatile ; from soft sparkling strat to ferocious humbuckers. Noise level is also amazingly low for this type of pickups

The most perfect setup of all guitars/basses I have ever owned. Super low action without fret buzzing. In 17 years I never had to adjust the neck or the bridge ( I live in Quebec, Canada, you know where its humid all year long with temperatures ranging from 90 degres in May to September and minus 20 from November to March. I call this exceptional quality. Finish is still like day one I purchased it.

I think I have rave enough about this product. Its the only piece of wood I have ever kept for more than 3 years and I owned over 30 so-called top quality guitars/basses since 1967. Right now (Dec 2005)I own a second hand Ric 230 (purchased Oct 2005),a Fender American Jazz Bass fretless with a neck full of dead spots purchased in July 2005, a so far so good American Deluxe Ash Strat purchased May 2005 and a another so far so good guitar namely a Squier Jagmaster purchased in June 2005 and used strickly as a support to hold a Roland GK-3 synth pickup.

never had to

playing since 1967 - If stolen or else I would buy 3 more right away if only it was still being manufactured. Production of this model stopped early 1990's (I think)

I am writing a review for 2 350V63 guitars that I own. Of interest is the fact that between 1997 when my Mapleglo ('97 mg) 350V63 was made and 2004 when my Montezuma Brown ('04 mb) 350V63 was crafted there appears to be some slight differences in construction and congiguration.

Apart from finish, the two guitars look absolutely identical side by side. They both have 24 3/4" full scale necks with 21 frets. Fretboards are in a light coloured and figured rosewood covered in lacquer. The guitar bodies are both of compact semi acoustic design (without a soundhole) dating back to the late 1950's '325' short scale guitars played by John Lennon. The necks are set into the body. Apart from the rosewood board all wood used in construction is maple.

Finish on both 350V63 guitars is high gloss and bloody immaculate! The '97 mg has lovely dense grain and subtle birdseyes all over the body and neck while the '04 mb has less figure except on the back which is richly streaked with grain and a little flame as well.

Both guitars are equipped with 3 'toaster' style pups controlled by 3 way switch, 2 Volume, 2 Tone and a fifth 'blender' control which can vary pup levels and tones very nicely. Vintage trapeze tailpieces which can be a little difficult to restring until you have the hang of it, feed the strings onto a standard Rick 6-string bridge that sits on 4 height adjustment screws, the saddles are fully adjustable for intonation. Tuners are vintage reissue similar to old '50's Fender specimens, except three a side of course. Strap pins are small vintage types. All hardware is in a deep lustrous chrome which polishes up beautifully.

My 350V63's are very, very light in weight and you could wear one all day and forget to take it off to go to bed.

I mentioned some differences, the '97 mg has a rather full profiled neck with no taper from heel to headstock while the '04 mb has a noticeable taper to the neck which is also thinner overall. On the headstocks the little wood pieces laminated to the center that make up the sides of the head are of different width, the tuners pass through the joins on the '97 mg while the '04 mb side pieces are only very thin, the tuners pass through a much wider center rather than the join. Perhaps this was changed to strengthen this area? The '04 mb seems to have it's body lines carved a little a little more crisply this is evident around the recessed area where the trapeze sits. The slab fretboard is nearly 3/16" thicker on the '04 mb. I received the two guitars in silver vintage style Rick cases with blue crush velvet lining, the case for the '04 mb is not as long as the case for the older guitar by a few inches, both look great and are plush inside. Finally, the biggest difference lies in the pickups, the '97 mg has the hotter '12k' toasters while the '04 mb has the more recent '7.4k' vintage reissue toasters, so what's the difference I hear you ask...

They both sound fantastic, again with slight differences.

First of all they are not noisy at all, I have used them live and for recording, no discernible hum. Only through an overdrive pedal up loud can you hear a very slight bit. Amazing for single coils!

All 3 pup Ricks have the following switch positions, switch up is front and middle pups, switch middle is all 3 pups, switch down is rear pup alone, just by using the standard vol and tone controls many different tones can be achieved, use the blender control and be prepared to be blown away with the endless combinations of tones achievable. Chiming clean sounds to all out 'balls to the wall' rock can all be played on these guitars using the right amp and fx.

The '97 mg with '12k' toasters has a bit of louder output compared with the '04 mb and it's '7.4k' counterparts. The '12k' toasters also have warmer blues/rock sounds when overdriven and have a real Malcolm Young AC/DC tone up loud and are thicker sounding when playing lead guitar. They do sound great clean, but this is where the '7.4k' toasters really shine, they sound legendary on the '04 mb! Jangle, glassy, mellow jazzy, nasal strat-like, chicken pickin' tele like and so clear and bell like when just strumming open chords. Yet the '04 mb can also dirty up when needed and kick out the jams quite effectively thank you. Lack of soundholes means less problems with unwanted feedback.

I am exceedingly impressed with the quality and versatility of the sound created by these guitars through my amps and choice of fx, but the icing on the cake is to just play them unplugged. The semi acoustic design and superb Rick construction result in a surprisingly loud and rich sound, while they're not going to replace my J-185C they are very comfortable and handy for a quick strum, to catch a riff or to practice at low but audible volume levels.

The '97 mg was set up by myself to accomodate the 11 to 52 gauge Dean Markley strings that I use on all my electrics, while the '04 mb was set up by the shop in the USA (PM Blues) where I purchased it. They did a good job but I had to tweak the truss rods for the heavier gauge strings.

My only initial concern was the narrower Rick neck and string spacing, but a Rick forum poster, 'Rich', told me that I would actually find some things easier to do, he was right! Long fast sweeping lead patterns are more fluid with the strings closer, while 'pinch' harmonics also seem easier to pull off in quick succession. These 350V63 guitars are not just for Beatles/'60's Pop fans, they are capable of doing a big number on any Gibson or Fender in the lead guitar department and playability is easy.

I adjusted the pups on both guitars, 'toasters' unlike all other single coil pups that I have encountered seem to sound better the closer to the strings they get! The '7.4k' toasters are a tad closer on the '04 mb to compensate a little for the louder '12k' jobs on the '97 mg. Once again I have to say both versions sound fantastic!

Choice of wood for construction, especially in the case of the '97 mg is excellent, my 350V63's have translucent finishes, most others I have seen are in Jetglo (gloss black) so the wood needs to look good. In particular the stunning grain and birdseye on the '97 mg is enhanced by the slightly aged lacquer coat of a guitar that is already 8 years old.

Both 350V63 guitars are made to the highest standard, indeed they put most of my collection of Gibson and Fender guitars to shame as far as build quality, attention to detail and sheer good looks. They are a joy to use!

I have used both guitars live, they are made for it! Sound guys and fellow guitarists are always commenting on the great and unique tone of these guitars. These axes are however prone to the same dangers any guitar that is left un-attended on a stage, i.e. sometimes careless roadies drop things on them or snatch and run thieves take them for fun and profit. Look after them or you will be sorry! Also a semi acoustic is a little more fragile than a solid body so watch it around the house as well.

All hardware is deluxe quality and once you get used to the trapeze tailpiece you will find tuning is rock solid.

The 350V63's are very well built and designed guitars, very elegant and stylish as well, but there's also an underlying simplicity that ensures little can go wrong, as well as giving a true electric guitar tone.

How many CEO's of major guitar companies do you know of that would advise a customer online about Rickenbacker neck width and string spacing or ID an unknown model guitar for you?

Not many huh?

RIC CEO Mr Hall does it all the time and his staff are just as helpful. They do a tremendous job of staying in touch with Rick owners and future customers. Even better it seems Rickenbacker make guitars that are done right to begin with so you will rarely find a glitch.

Been playing since I was 12 and I am now 47. I never owned or used a Rickenbacker until 4 months ago, then I could not believe how foolish I had been for overlooking them, I now own 3 Ricks, the 3rd being a 2002 Fireglo 660/6, I have some very desirable guitars in my collection but my Ricks are quickly becoming the guitars of choice for all occasions!

I love these guitars, they sound fantastic (have I said that yet).

Basically a full scale version of the little Rickenbacker John Lennon used in the Beatles.
Mine is a 2002 model in black. The finish is beautiful, perfectly applied, glass like.
It has three vintage Ric Toaster pickups, a round full neck profile with a thick glossy lacquer, small vintage frets, a very light weight semi hollow body with excellent fret access.
A much more usable guitar than the short scale model.
It comes in a silver tolex Ric case.

This is a more versatile sounding guitar than you may think.
The three pickups deliver quite a range of tones from bright stinging twang to rich and mellow. I have rewired the blender knob as a middle pickup volume control which now allows any pickup combination possible.
You've got British, country, RnR, blues etc, a versatile little guitar.
Dialing in the middle pickup with the neck or bridge unit will also give very useful "Stratlike" tones.
I play this guitar through an AC15TBX or a Vibro King and the tone is classic.
Be careful with the bridge pickup on it's own as it can be a little too bright.
I dirty things up with a Tube Screamer and it sounds nasty with a moderate amount of overdrive.
Certainly able to handle a range of styles beyond Beatles covers.

Factory set up was good. It arrived with a very low (too low for me)action and 10's.
I immediately through on a set of Thomastik 11's (flatwound) strings and raised the action and with a little intonation adjustment everything was fine.
The pickups output is very low so I raised them as high as possible to maximise the output.

I gig this guitar every week and it's holding up great.
Everything is very solid.

I know people have complained about their customer service but I've found them very helpful.

I've been playing over 20 years and have 2 Gretsches, 2 Fenders, 2 Taylors and 2 Ricks.
This is definately the best Ric 6 string I've had (and I've had quite a few) very light and easy to play with a unique tone all it's own.
The only thing I would change would be the frets. They are tiny and with the lacquered fretboard it makes bending a little harder.
Overall it's a beautiful classic looking guitar with a special tone.

This is a Rickenbacker 350V63.3 Toaster pickups, small, narrow, laquered fretboard neck and Jetglo finish. Appears to be Kluson tuners on this one. Trapeze-style tailpeice.

The sound of this guitar, like many people who have reviewed it before, is unique. You aren't really going to get anything hard rocking, or even bluesy out of this guitar really. If I had to say anything about the tone of this guitar, its just right tone for strummin. On the back pickup its jangle, which if you have the right amp or the right rig going on..you can really get a beautiful crunchy jangle out of it. When all the pickups are on you can use the little Mixer knob to try and dial in less jangle and mix in more bass pickup. The bass pickup in itself is a tad powerful and muddy compared to the treble, but so are some if not most Gibson LPs. I am just an 18 year old child, and you see a lot of the older crowd playing these/reviewing these so I thought I'd throw in my two sense from the perspective of a younger bro. Bottom line. This guitar is the perfect rhythm instrument for a General Rock combo. Would even excell in a "Strokes" style band. In fact I know it would.

Jetglo finish is mirror-like. I used to hate playing the guitar, until I adjusted it to my likings and started playing my other guitars..I came back to it and realized that it was an incredible guitar.

Supposedly Rickenbacker says that their finish is super-tough, but I am not going to take any chances. It definetly doesn't have the knock around, leave it on the garage floor vibe that say a Telecaster would. Keep it in its case when you aren't rocking.

Never dealt with Rickenbacker. Haven't had to.

If this was lost, I would wish I could get another one, but I doubt I could actually afford one. If you aren't much of a lead player, or you are discouraged by lead playing, and you just want that perfect rhythm axe..this is yours. This is also a great guitar for when you have other guitars to play as well. What it comes down to is embracing that Rickenbacker is Rickenbacker. Its going to sound like what it is, and don't try to make it what it isn't, and don't be frustrated with it. Just embrace it..and rock with it. If you are wanting to cut loose with some of those searing Jimmy Page leads..by all means pick up that Les Paul. Otherwise, Jangle On.

Guitar was made in July 2000. Semi-hollow body John Lennon type with a full size neck. Three vintage chrome bar pick ups. Jetglo (Black), Vintage silver case. Two volume and two tone controls with blend knob and toggle switch.

I have owned several Rics and this guitar is really, really nice. I ordered it in August,2000, it arrived in October. The guitar is feather light, which I dig (as an older cat). I play alot of different styles from blues, rock, southern rock, T-40, oldies etc. The guitar can do it all. Has the usual Ric chang-ching sound. But the guitar can have a rough edge as well. The middle pick up is almost non-existant, I don't know why Ric even bothers with that pickup. It works all the time but not by itself. Selector switch in middle, all three pickups on, selector switch on bridge, bridge and middle pick up on, same with neck.I play through an old early 80's Fender Concert head with Marshall 2x12,1936 cabinet mostly. Make no mistake, it is pure myth that Rickenbackers aren't any good for lead. I do use some pedals (all Boss) Chorus, Phase & distortion (not overdrive, distortion). The guitar is really great in channel switching. From ching to BAM!! If you are use to Strats and Gibsons; there is a distinct difference in tone that you may have to adjust to. But and an adjustment easily made. My advice to people that are hung up, ditch those Fenders & Gibsons and get on with something that'll put you out there on the edge. If you want to sound like SRV, Clapton etc. this guitar is not for you. Don't get me wrong, you can play that kind of stuff no problem. But if you want to sound like someone that has something really special, this is it. Dare to be different! One more thing, I would LOVE for Rickenbacker to make a solid body of this guitar, no changes in style or looks. Install some Humbuckers or single coils, it'd be interesting.

The guitar arrived from the factory already set up. I have put 10's on it. The action is incredible, very smooth. I did adjust the pick ups up and down experimenting. Settled on them being adjusted pretty close.I noticed that someone said in the earlier post that there was too much lacquer on the neck, I had no problem with that. Now, the finish, one word, BEAUTIFUL, you will not find a better finish anywhere. If I were to buy another, I don't think I could resist the Fireglo (Sunburst)

Only time will tell. But due to past experience with other Rics, I don't believe there will be a problem. No need for a back up, unless it was another 350v63. I could dig that.

N/A

I've been playing since '67. I use two Fender Concert Heads (Hey I like'em) most often. One Fender Concert Combo. One Fender Super 60 head. Vox Royal Guardsman head, cabinet and metal stand. 8x10 Marshall cabinet. 2x12 1936 Marshall cabinet. 2x12 Fender Bassman cabinet. One mid to late 60's Strat, One early 80's '62 Reissue Strat. 1990 Ric 360. If the 350 were to get gone, I'd replace it in a second. (Have to sell something else I reckon')I chose this guitar cos I had a Ric 320, I dearly loved it except for one thing, yep, that 3/4 scale neck. Man, I could never adjust to that. So, I sold the 320 (and a 330) to buy the 350. Two guitars bought one, hey, sometimes life ain't fair. But I got what I expected to get.

This is the John Lennon Jetglo Rick with a full scale neck. Mine has the trapeze tremelo and came with the vintage silver case which is simply beautiful with it's blue crushed velvet lining. It has the three vintage "toaster top" pickups just like Lennon's.

I grew up on the Beatles, so, go figure, I love the Rickenbacker sound. I bought this mainly for the clean tones, but also use it with a touch of overdrive and it sounds great. I'm playing this through a Vox AC30 and a Matchless 30wt. Simply great tone! What can you say, it's a Rickenbacker!

This guitar came from Rickenbacker with some really thin 9's which would pull out of tune very quickly. I switched to my regular 10's and still was having trouble with it staying in tune. I went up to 11's now and really love the response. More volume, longer sustain. I also switch the factory nut out for a bone nut which seems to improve sustain as well. The neck did come from Rickenbacker a little twisted but was easily corrected with the double truss rod system. With a few adjustments that usually have to be done on every guitar, this is a keeper. It's mine main guitar. I have a Rick 330 fireglo for backup and a Tele just in case.

I use this guitar every week for a four hour set? I do have to tune it in between sets but that's normal. I have had it for one year and it still looks brand new. Lightweight, thin, comfortable, and nothing looks cooler than a Rick on stage. I don't think I would play it without a backup because I tend to pull it out of tune faster than others and I would never be without a backup. I feels very solid on stage. Great guitar!

I was a little wary about the customer service because my local Rickenbacker dealer never stocked more than two. When I asked why they said it was impossible to get through to Rickenbacker to get anything. So I called to order my Rick and had no problems! The phone picks up to the opening Rick chord to "A Hard Days Night" and got me all excited! They were very friendly and helpful and I got my guitar in three months although they quoted me six. I'm a big Hootie and the Blowfish fan and Rickenbaker even helped me find out exactly what kind of Rick Darius Rucker plays. Just excellent.

I've been playing for about ten years and own as mentioned above I own another Rick (330) and a Fender Tele. I love this guitar so am probably a little biased. I dreamed of having this guitar since I was very young and watched Lennon on T.V. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

This is the John Lennon style body with a full sized neck. The body is smaller than the 360 style Rics and very light and comfortable to play. It is a 1997 model year and was made in the United States. The body is jetglow (black) with a white 2-level pickguard and 3 vintage (toaster) single coil Rickenbacker pickups. Inlays are small mother of pearl dots. There are 21 frets. It is a semi-hollow guitar that weighs about 8 pounds. The body is maple. It has a set-in neck, vintage schaller machine heads, and a trapeze tailpiece. There are 2 volume and tone controls with a third dial control for extra balancing of the pickups. Pickup selector switch is a 3-way switch. The fretboard is a heavily lacquered rosewood. A vintage (silver) case is included along with a Rickenbacker dust cloth.

This Ric has the typical Rickenbacker jangle. It has a very nice bright clean sound with a distinctive tone. I have not found a Gibson or Fender that sounds quite like a Ric. Distortion settings yield a nasty tone with good bite. Not as overdriven or full as a good humbucker equiped guitar (like a Les Paul), but a very satisfying tone. I find it to be hard edged enough for most of my styles of play (classic to hard rock). I find the sound to be rich and bright, but not as full as a Les Paul. I have used it with a Peavey Bandit through a Digitech RP-7 or Metal Zone MT-2. I wasn't very impressed with the tone at first and then began to like the tone "big time". I consider this one of my finest guitars and do not shy away from any style of music that I play. I really love the sound of this guitar. Rickenbackers may excel in clean tones, but I think that it sounds very impressive with distortion also. Certainly a distinctive tone to compliment another guitarist in a band or just to get a different sound.
My one irritation was with the lacquer that just dominated the fretboard. Rickenbacker gets a nice look with that lacquer, but this particular guitar was really over-lacquered. Neither my 360v64 nor 360/12 had as much lacquer. I finally had it sent to a guitar tech to take the lacquer off. The lacquer was slowing down the fret action and was sticky enough to really interfere with my playing of this guitar. Since then, I have enjoyed this wonderful guitar without my one pet peeve. If not for that one grip, I'd probably give this guitar a 10 in this category.
My 360v64 was bought used and had no problem at all with sticky lacquer on the fretboard.

The guitar looked spectacular and other than the over-use of lacquer on the fretboard, was in great shape.
I did adjust the bridge pickup to reduce the bass response a bit. Other than that, I have found nothing at all wrong with this guitar.

This is a terrific guitar and seems to be made to last. I have only had it for just under a year and it still seems like new. I would (if I had to) use it in a gig without a backup.
The finish seems very strong. I have seen no signs of wear. I have used the 350v63 in a live performance and found it to be a pleasure to play.

My only experience with Rickenbacker was in ordering 2 guitars from them, since I am a lefty. Each time, I was told that it would be 6 months to a year before I would get the guitar. Both times, I had my brand new Rickenbacker with 3 months.

Since I got this guitar in December of 1997, it has been my favorite of all of my guitars. I own a Gibson SG, 2 Gibson Les Pauls, a Rickenbacker 360v64, Rickenbacker 360/12, a Fender Am.St.Strat, and a Fender Am.St.Tele. At times, I do favor one of my other guitars over the 350v63, but overall I rate this guitar as my number 1. I have been playing guitar for 4 years now.
I love the looks of this guitar, the comfort of playing it, the light weight, and the distinctive tone both in clean and distorted ranges.
I bought this guitar, because I really liked my Ric 360v64 and wanted to get the smaller bodied 350 series Ric. I didn't have a black guitar, so I decided to go for the classic look of a 350 in jetglow. I was immediately impressed with the guitar when I picked it up at the store and found it to be a real beauty. If something happened to this guitar, I would certainly attempt to replace it.
The price is a bit high for this particular guitar (vintage model), which is one of the things (besides the heavy lacquer) that kept this Ric from earning a 10 rating.
The non-vintage 350 could be considered over the 350v63, because of its high gain single coil pickups and lower price.
The inlays are a small dot mother of pearl. I do wish that this guitar had the beautiful triangular inlays of the 360v64 or my 360/12.