Rickenbacker 360/12 12 String

2007 model in Jetglo. It sports same features and appointments that have been on this model for over thirty years. I won't go into the specifics as they have been outlined here many times over.

This model comes with Hi-Gain pickups, but I installed the "vintage" scatterwounds on it, as I prefer the sound of these. Easy to get the "jangle," but also other nice sounds, as well.

Action as received was very good, although its usually not the fault of the manufacturer if action is poor when received. Too many factors contribute to the change of action once it leaves the factory, so I expect to setup guitars and basses when I receive them. Everything else was as expected from Rickenbacker--flawless finish, frets, electronics, etc.

I am no stranger to Rickenbacker guitars and basses. I expect this guitar to have the same longevity as others I own.

I have never had a warranty issue with any Rickenbacker instrument until this one. One of the tuning machines developed a problem that caused it to grind when adjusted, making precise tuning nearly impossible. I emailed RIC several times about the problem but the contact yielded no response. Now I've known about service/support issues in that past but always took these reports with a grain of salt, as the entire story is never known. Unfortunately, these support deficiencies are certainly a reality, and have changed my perspective of RIC. In the event of something serious happening to a new guitar, one might indeed might be left holding the bag.

This is a fine instrument, as are the other Rickenbackers that I own. But a couple of things come to mind in considering the purchase of another if this guitar was stolen. First, would I be willing to pay the 30% increase imposed by RIC for their guitars at the end of 2007--is the instrument and quality commensurate to this new price? Second, would I be willing to take that plunge knowing that product support is essentially non-existent? The answers would likely be no.

This review is for an April '94 360 12 Maple Glo with the "hot" 12k toaster pickups. It features
2 PUs with 3 way selctor, volume and tone controls, the special RIC 5th knob for blending
between pick ups or panning between 2 amps when plugged into the 2nd RUC jack. Very
well made, 2 truss rods, 24 frets and modern tuning keys.

There are two camps of RIC sounds out there. For Byrds you need the newer 7.4K toasters
for maximum jangle. Others prefer the Hi Gain pickups for more mids but still with that RIC
sparkle. The 12k toaster, manufactured only from about 1988 to 1999 (?) semm to be the best of both worlds through my ALL tube crate 50w Vintage Clun 2X12. The straight clean sound mirror's Tom Petty's "The Waiting". The dirty sound (yes on a 12) mirrors Rory Gallagher"s Strat (with "chang") through a Vox AC30.

In order to get this I had to turn both volumes up. turn the bass tone completely down.
roll off the treble tone by 25%, and THEN roll up the 5th knob to "just" where it engages the Bridge pick up. Toggle switch in the middle=great "chasngle" sound - toggle on
Bridge pick up in fully gained dirty channel= crisp "Voxy" drive.

I tried a few compressors, but didn't like how they interferred with fingering nuances and
the RIC has great sustain on its own.

Can you say Porche, or Mercedes. I had now idea how exquisite attention to detail comes with a real world class hand finished instrument. it feels good just holding it.

One input jack was slippy and it took only a quick rebend of it contact. The toggle was a bit
scratchy from Bass to Middle position - fixed also by a quick visual inspection and hand rebend.

I am a member of the RIC Corp forum site and have had several inquiries answered by
the CEO John Hall himself. The people who complain about RICs probably wanted the guitar
to "do" something for them without taking the time to get to know it on its own terms and
discover how to get what it has to offer so spendidly. Ordering supplies from them has been quick, and i have chatted personally or one-line with 2 current employees.

I give a 9 here only because I have never had any of the major problems others have and i
acknowledge that they do occur sometimes.

I have always wanted one guitar that could do it all. The RIC is strung with the regular
guitar strings first and, now that I have gotten the feel of it, plays just like a 6 string with
the added bonus of that harmonic "shraaang" as was intended when first built. Bends are
workable in 1/2 steps and this guitar is very playable fron frets 12 to 24. Your mileage may
vary.

Very surprised how, once dialed in, versatile this guitar is. Remember i spent time with its
narrow neck, but now it feels so automatic that a Les Paul or Fender actually feels too wide.

1966 Rickenbacker 360 12 string, two pickup (original "toasters"), Mapleglo finish, semi-solid body, passive electronics, three-way pup selector switch, "Ricko-sound" output jack for stereo application with case.

Like everyone else who bought one of these, I was inspired by George Harrison and Roger (Jim) McGuinn and the incredible sounds they got from these guitars. Unfortunately, I traded a 1959 Gibson ES-345 TDSV for it which now would be worth about $45,000. My Rick became the signature sound of the band I was in at the time. We were doing alot of vocal stuff; Association, 5th Dimension, Beach Boys...and the Rick was the perfect accompaniment. I played it thru a Vox AC-100 head (original Jennings all-tube model) into 2 Altec 417-B speakers in a Bandmaster cab (the Altecs were just like JBL's with the aluminum dustcaps). I used no effects - just wire from guitar to amp - tho I would have liked a little 'verb. Can you say "jangle"? I added a middle pickup about 20 years ago so it would look like McGuinn's. Truthfully, the center pup doesn't add much in the way of tone, and I probably spoiled the 'vintage-ness' - not that I will EVER sell this baby...

I don't remember much about how the set-up was when it was new. I tweaked it to taste, lowering the action as much as possible. Then I went to reverse-stringing, putting the high octave strings first before the low ones on the first 8. Had to use ****** little shims on the nut to compensate for height. Biggest problem with this axe is the 6 saddle bridge which does not allow for differences in intonation between octave pairs of strings. Years later, I bought an after-market 12 saddle bridge which helped, but not completely, probably because I use a bastardized custom mix of strings (.020w/.046w, .018w/.036w, .017p/.026w, .008/.017, .013/.013, .010/.010). Changing the strings is a ***** because of the tuner placements. Word of advice; never remove all the strings at once.

I've known a couple of people who owned these guitars and had the necks come off. The neck-body joint is a bit fragile and remember, there's almost twice the amount of tension with 12 strings. That's why in 40 years, I have never had all the strings off at once except to replace the tailpiece which failed after 30 years from metal fatigue. Happened in the middle of the night with the guitar in case in another room. The 'explosion' woke me up out of a sound sleep. I rarely take this guitar to gigs anymore except on special occasions or if I'm playing with a group doing alot of old Beatles & Byrds. It's a bitch to tune and keep in tune (tho I am way more tuning-conscious than most), and as good as mine plays, my left hand gets tired pretty quick.

Never needed it...

I've been playing for almost 50 years and own two Strats, a Paul Custom, a "frankentelly", two ovation acoustics (1 nylon, 1 steel), a Martin D-35, and a Fender bass; all I need to do what I do. Believe it or not, my Rick WAS stolen in 1969 out of our band warehouse. Two bandmembers went looking in every pawn shop in town and found it the next day. Cost me $60 to get her back, but I'd have paid 10 times that. The Rick 360 is THE 12 string guitar that started it all.

One of the most distinctive instruments ever built in terms of design, sound and construction. If you're reading this you know what it does and does very well. Quirky? Yes! Beautiful? Without a doubt!

Nothing sounds like a Ricky 12. Some consider it a bit of a bugger to play but once you get the hang of it.......

Absolutely spot on, no faults in assembly or set up. I've never touched it for adjustment!

All was well until I picked up the guitar the other day and noticed that the R tailpiece had snapped. I was now lumbered with 1000GBP's worth of beautifully made firewood! I contacted the UK distributers to inform them of the obvious manufacturing fault and they told me that I would have to return the broken item with a cheque for over a hundred pounds and they would send me a replacement eventually. The failure was obviously due to a manufacturing defect and the substandard material used in the tailpiece (as my metallurgical background shows!) but Rickenbacker refuse to acknowledge the problem or undertake to rectify it. Look on the web and there are plenty of examples of this!!

Frankly the customer support on this occasion was pitiful. An obvious manufacturing fault and duff materials has rendered a beautiful instrument useless!!!!!
This is a real shame as 10 years ago when I bought the instrument, the original one I'd bought developed a curve in the neck when viewed from above. The instrument was replaced within days with no arguments!
Come on Rickenbacker be all grown up and admit you've made a mistake, we'll love you even more for it!!!

Fantastic guitar, an icon played by some of the finest musicians ever to draw breath but let down by a manufacturer who couldn't care less!!

What you would expect. Not too much has changed, with the exception of the hi-gain pickups, which aren??t nearly as clear sounding as the original toasters, since about 1964. Mine is a brand-new 360/12, finished in June 2007.

As I said, the hi-gains aren??t very clear and favor the lower mids, so if you??re looking for the original Ric sound, get one with toasters. Intonation is also a bear on this guitar, as it has a 6 saddle bridge. Simple physics will tell you that when you have 2 completely different diameter strings, as you do on the bass courses, on the same saddle, there??s no way you can do anything but compromise on string length.

Action was much too high on this guitar when it arrived, so I took it for setup. My tech checked it out and found that the frets hadn??t been dressed properly, and some were too high. As it came from the factory, low action was NOT an option. Don??t believe it when they tell you they come from Santa Ana ready to play. Maybe some do, but this isn??t the first Rioc i??ve had problems with.

Finish had some blems, but overall not bad.

Reliability? Guess it??s solid enough, but as is it won??t stay in tune and is too hard to play.

Forget that. I tried, unsuccesfully, for several weeks to get them to respond to the message service on the site. I finally posted a message on the Ric forum, asking for help in contacting the company, where the CEO, John Hall, responded that such a feature didn??t exist on the Ric site, and that I must be lost (I believe his exact words were, "You must be lost, we don??t *HAVE* email on the site"). Another forum member, Blueflameric, pointed out, with links, that there was indeed such a service on the site. I had asked, respectfully, that he (Hall) inform the service department that I needed to contact them. After his insulting post, I wrote that I felt that was uncalled for and that an apology was in order. Then the entire thread disappeared and my access to the forum was revoked. Other posts I had put up (under a different alias) that were critical of the action and design of the bridge were revised to be complimentary of the instrument and company, or deleted altogether. And, of course, access for that alias was also blocked. It??s well known that John Hall himself is webmaster of that forum, and I guess he??s touchy when someone points out design flaws and poor customer service. Oh, and I did finally hear from the service manager, Kenny Howes, and I wrote him a detailed account of the problems with this Ric. Seems a bad fret job would be covered by warranty, or? He has not responded to my request for assistance, so it looks like the warranty is pretty much worthless.Can??t give Ric very high points for customer support. Sorry.

Overall, I??m very disappointed. I had really looked forward to this guitar, and, I guess if I were to sink more money into it, it would play fairly well, but I think I??ll probably sell it and invest the money in something more playable.

1965 Rick 360-12, Fireglo finish, standard equipment throughout.

Being more than 40 years old the guitar obviously has the classic pickups and construction. Pots and jacks are a bit scratchy but I leave everything turned up all the way so it's not much of a problem. The Rick's sound and playability do not disappoint. OTOH, most of the modern Ricks I've played are also very good.The instrument gets high marks for pride of ownership, though. It's the one iconic '60s guitar that the average player can still afford to buy. Go ahead--try to pick up a '65 Strat at a price you can swallow!

Actually it suits my overall playing needs less than I had imagined it would. I pictured myself using the 12 a lot in my recording work. Things didn't work out that way.

I've concluded that the Rick 12 is a perfect solution for doing covers of '60s tunes that were originally recorded with a Rick 12. Anything else, it sounds like you're trying to resurrect the '60s. No dishonor in that, but it does limit the guitar to a fairly narrow genre.

These issues are pretty irrelevant on a 42-year-old guitar. I was fortunate to find one in very good condition. As is the norm with older 12-strings, the first four frets were badly worn. My guitar guy managed to replace the four frets perfectly in spite of the Rick's varnished fretboard. Other luthiers had claimed it would be necessary to remove the varnish in order to do the fret replacement.

Of course the Rick 12 will handle live playing. Equally important, it will handle full-tension tuning at concert pitch for years on end.

The real question is whether it's wise to take a valuable vintage guitar on the road. I think I'd buy a newer Rick if I was going to gig with a 12-string.

The factory strap buttons are a busted guitar waiting to happen. Replace them with locking types. But keep the originals!

My questions to the factory have been answered promptly and constructively. I have found Rickenbacker to be the most responsive mainstream guitar maker when it comes to interaction with users.

The 360-12 is the perfect tool if you're playing vintage Byrds, Beatles, and Beach Boys material. Significantly less versatile for more modern arrangements. But still a pleasure to own and play.

I tried other electric 12-strings before buying the Rick but nothing else was in the same league. And the Rick just looks right when played on stage. There's no substitute for the real thing.

We all know the features for this guitar: High gloss finish (surprise, surprise, mine is Fireglo), solid maple construction for the body, laminated maple/walnut neck, standard Rickenbacker 360 body (quite comfortable), six saddle bridge (really not that bad for intonation as long as you use a wound low g string, although that goes for all of my guitars.) "R" trapeze tailpiece, a pain to restring in areas where the arch of the R gets in the way. Even worse with 12 strings. Nice Schaller tuners in the 90 degree angle configuration we all know and love. Very comfortable neck for me, it's thin horizontally, which makes lead and chords easier, thick vertically, which makes it fit right in my hand while I play it very comfortably. 24 3/4 inch scale, same as a Gibson. I don't know why everyone thinks that every Rickenbacker is a short scale guitar. Came with a nice hardshell flight case, made out of military grade plastic as opposed to wood covered with vinyl or something. The manual it came with can answer just about any question you will have (which is why I still don't know why everyone I asked prior to getting the guitar had no idea what the fifth knob does. Read the bleeding manual!) Made in March of 06, bought in December of 06 (the shop owner actually forgot that there was a guitar in the case, since he made the sensible decision to keep it in its case and away from grubby fingers.) 24 frets, and yes, I do use them all. All solid maple construction(except the neck.) 3 way selector, standard volume and tone knobs, and fifth knob which works as a secondary volume control for the neck pickup for blending it in in different amounts than possibly with just the one volume. This is why it only works when the neck or both pickups are activated, and not with just the bridge. When using the rick-o-sound stereo, which sends the signal for the neck pickup to one amp and the signal for the bridge pickup to another, it does the same thing, and also serves a a left-right balance due to the nature of the stereo. Two single coil high gain pickups. Anyone who says that these can not get a toaster sound obviously either did not try hard enough (if at all) or is deaf.
The guitar has some quirks about it, too, like the binding only on the back, which makes it incredibly comfortable, and the adjustable dual level pick guard, which lets you adjust it for your specific playing style. That's all I gave to say about features.

My style is whatever I listen to at the moment, which is always sixties music in some incarnation or jazz. This is a very underrated jazz guitar, and can get very nice warm jazzy sounds on the neck pickup. It can also get that stereotypical bright sixties rock/Byrds sound, and it is perfect for that 13th Floor Elevators/Golden Dawn/anything off the Nuggets compilation garage sound. The guitar is way more versatile than people think. The only thing hurting its versatility is the fact that it is a 12 string, and when you accidentally let one of the octave strings ring in the middle of a jazz solo, it sounds out of place. Luckily, the way that it comes strung, it has the regular string and then the octave string, rather than the other way around on conventional 12s. I have no dislikes about this guitar's sound.

Rickenbacker is famous for their finishes, especially Fireglo, their most popular flagship color, which is a burst with red on the edges fading to a natural center that will eventually fade or "amber" to a nice orangey red color that really fits the Fireglo name.
The setup was perfect when I got it, except the strings were a bit corroded (it WAS sitting around in a shop for several months before I got it.)The bridge, even if it is a six saddle bridge, intonates fine. The idea that it will only intonate well with a twelve saddle is such bollocks. Do people not actively seek out 3 saddle telecasters and, if they can't find them, modify them to be that way? With the exception of a few later Tom Petty songs, every well known Rickenbacker 12 song has been played with a six saddle bridge. If you are having any difficulty with the factory set up, it is probably because you replaced the stock strings with ones of drastically different gauge. The stock gauge strings (or something close) will intonate perfectly. Just remember that you should have wound low G and octave E strings. (That goes for most guitars, though.)There were no flaws on the guitar.

This guitar will withstand all kinds of abuse. The hardware will likely last the life of the guitar. It will definitely withstand live playing. The only time it ever failed me was when an ant crawled into the output jack and somehow got crushed in the contacts of the pickup selector, causing the Bridge pickup's signal to cease to exist. The strap buttons are solid, and will fit the Schaller strap locks with no modifications. I have played this guitar exclusively since December 4th or so, and it hasn't failed me yet (except the ant incident.) As such, I have and will use it without a backup, especially since I don't have another electric 12 and I use it for all of my songs.

The warranty is really not as bad as people think. Using different brands/gauges of strings will not void the warranty, nor will modifying it with RIC manufactured parts. It amazes me how many people don't actually read the warranty, which isn't as fascist as most. So far I haven't dealt with the company yet, so it isn't fair to give this area a rating.

I have been playing since seeing the Beatles play on the tele. Figure out how long. I have owned several Beatles guitars now, and this is rally the best (although the unofficial George Harrison signature model, the 360/12c63, is much more authentic to his first one, although if I added toasters to my current one I would have a 24 fret replica of his second 360/12 that he got in 1965.)My next Rickenbacker purchases will likely be either a 325c58 or c64 (the John Lennon models) or a 330 with toasters and vibrato (the poor man's Pete Townshend Signature) This guitar is perfect for fingerpicking due to the adjustable pickguard, the large distance between the strings and body due to the height of the neck at the neck/body joint (about one inch of clearance, even with extremely low action.) If it was stolen, I would buy another in a second (after searching all the pawn shops, etc. first.) I might try toasters in the future, since I have heard they have a slightly less harsh sound than the hi-gains, which would make them better for jazz. For now, the hi-gains are fine.
I think that's all I've got to say.

2005 Rickenbacker 360/12 in jetglo (black). Semiacoustic. Maple body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, triangular MOP inlays. Came standard with bound neck and back of body. 24 frets for bluewailing solos (sarcasm). Treble and bass tone and volume controls plus the famous fifth knob for blending. Came with a six-string bridge and "hi-gain" pickups, several points deducted for this very fact. To keep a 12-string intonated, you need a 12-string bridge. For more on the pickups, see the sound section.

Naturally the 360/12 sounds great strummed acoustically. This is *the* classic 12-string guitar. Everyone knows why you want a Ric 360/12 - for the sound of the '60s, the Beatles, the Byrds, the Searchers, the Beau Brummels, the Beach Boys, and of course in later times Petty, R.E.M., et al. However, this guitar as is will categorically ***not*** give you that. The hi-gain pickups are just that - waaaaaaaaaaaaay too hot to come anywhere near the classic Ric Sound. I had to pay another $160 to obtain a pair of vintage Ric toaster-top pickups as well as another $80 for a 12-string saddle bridge. Okay, now that's a classic Ric 12-string. I play through a Vox 30-Watt Valvetronix amp on clean settings, boosted a bit with a Keeley-modded Boss BD-2 and a four-knob Keeley compressor. A compressor is an absolute sine-qua-non must for any Ric using the vintage pups. McGuinn used one. Anyway, the sound with this set-up is, in my opinion, the Holy Grail of all guitar sound. I love my Heritage 555, but the one single thing it can't do is sound like this. Rings, chimes, sustains, the height of euphony. The guitar equivalent of cathedral bells. Ric places the bass strings above the octave strings to produce a somewhat beefier 12-string sound. I also had my luthier swap the strings to make it more chimey. Just gorgeous.

With the hi-gain pups, my rating here would be a 3. A 360/12 with hi-gains is firewood, absolutely useless (who wants a 12-string with a lot of gain? it's not recognizable as a 12-string!!) and it is a joke that Ric sells them this way. Even more obnoxious is that Ric essentially makes your guitars when you order them, and it takes forever to get them, but they won't install vintage toaster pups in the factory!! It hurts!!

Action was fine, only had to lower it a tiny tad. Naturally, as a 12-string, it requires quite a bit more pressure to barre. The black "jetglo" finish is pretty straightforward, but certainly beautiful and even. Nice job with the bindings. Ric slathers buckets of goopy lacquer finish over the fingerboard, and their frets are narrower than most companies', but neither of those things bothers me substantially.

Why, then, the toiletsville rating in this area? Two reasons - first, the 6-string bridge (which I replaced immediately along with those waste-of-electronics hi-gain pups) had zero business on a 12-string despite the Rickenbacker company's protestations to the contrary. Second, the Kafkaesquely skinny neck. I am sad to say that this guitar, which produces the favored guitar sound of my dreams, is going on consignment, because it is simply too difficult for me to play. I wish I could compare finger girth with you, the reader of this review, because if you're an average guitar player, my fingers are probably a little skinnier than yours. I couldn't fret chords (D, G, and C shapes all caused problems) on the fly without my fretting fingers interfering with other strings at least half the time. I even had my luthier, James at Dietze Music, redo the nut to separate the string sets a little more. That helped a little bit, but it still didn't come close to comparing to playing a 12-string with an un-psychotically skinny neck (an Epiphone Riviera). Absolutely unacceptable.

The kicker is that the Rickenbacker company knows darn well that the colossal majority of guitar players have trouble with the neck width of a 360/12, and yet stubbornly refuse to make one with a wider neck. Why not? I suppose it's a matter of tradition. That's the way they've always made them, and if you can't play it perfectly, you must be a peon. If you want a reasonably wide neck on a 12-string Ric, your only recourse is to buy a 660/12, which is a solid body, a much different look and approach, fortunately comes standard with a 12-string bridge and toaster pups and has the wider neck - and which Ric makes in numbers which are infinitismally smaller than the demand for those three coveted features. "Kafkaesque" fits to a T. Oh, and it gets worse - people say "try a 660/12 first?" How, praytell? They are the rarest of all factory-made Rics. You aren't going to find them hanging on a GC rack. You can "try them" by buying one, or, more accurately, ordering one and waiting over a year for it to arrive. Isn't that great?

If my fingers were elfinly skinny, I would rate this a 7 or an 8 and be keeping the guitar.

It's a semiacoustic, but I would be less afraid of damaging it than with my Heritage 555 (an adaptation of the Gibson 335) because it's more sturdily designed, and the finish is like tooth enamel. Everything seems very solidly done. You pay a fair amount for a Ric, but you certainly get what you pay for (with the caveats I've noted elsewhere).

I can't say much about customer service, because I haven't had to deal with the company. Read other reviews - the experience of many has been that Rickenbacker is arrogant and hard to contact. I would be pretty darn nervous dealing with them if anything happened to my 12-string (before selling it). My only contact came through my dealer when I ordered the guitar and asked about factory installation of the 12-string bridge and toasters. No dice, of course. It strikes me that Rickenbacker has very little interest in meeting customer wants and needs. You will have it their way (the opposite of Burger King) or they will shrug their shoulders and you will buy something else. Of course, if you want "the Sound," no you won't.

I've been playing electric for a little over a year, but I've been a connoisseur of guitar sounds for 31 years. Before you snort and stop reading, finish reading what I have to say, and compare what I say to what everyone else says. I'm right about what I'm saying here! I also own a Heritage 555 and a Ric 330, which is a fantastic instrument (after the installation of toasters, naturally) which is 9+'s across the board except for, of course, customer service.

It makes me weep that I will have to sack this guitar, as the sound it produces is incredible. But I can't play it. Neither can legions of other players. Ric knows this, and they won't fix it by producing a 360/12 with a real neck width. They know that most people like their guitars to be in tune, especially when you're dealing with octave strings, but they won't add a 12-string saddle at the factory. They know that the gargantuan majority of the people who buy a 360/12 want the vintage sound via the toaster pick-ups, but they won't do that at the factory, either. Why not? Because they don't have to. There's nowhere else you can go to duplicate the Sound and the gorgeous look of their instruments. Plus, they can charge more when you order the 12-string saddle and toasters. For the dealer to install, of course. Arrogant, arrogant, arrogant!!! All that said, yes, I will be ordering a 660/12, because there's nowhere else I can go. The best thing about Ric is the price. If you have skinny fingers, and make sure to buy the 12-saddle bridge and toasters for your dealer/luthier to install, by all means get this guitar, and even after those obnoxious additions, you'll have a great value. If not, then you'd better order a 660/12, which, from all accounts, does a better job of producing the Sound than semiacoustic knockoffs by other companies. The difference in price covers the cost of the toasters and 12-saddle, but just think, they were factory-installed! Isn't that great? Just be prepared to wait a year or two, no exaggeration.

My 360/12 is in a fireglo finish, and was made in 1998. I am the second owner and have had it for five years. Nice wood graining is visible where the burst fades to light. This Ric has been professionally modified with a 12-saddle bridge and toaster pick-ups. I also added vintage-looking knobs. Why these come with a 6-saddle bridge is beyond me. All other features are standard. The truss rod system is a welcome feature to help keep the neck straight and true.

Rickenbackers, esp the 12 strings, have a very unique sound, and the toaster pickups are essential if you want "THE sound". I've been using this guitar in a cover band for a number of years and I think it is a fantastic rhythm guitar: rock, country, pop, 60s-70s music, etc. I've found this guitar to be much more versatile than many might think and as a few have posted here. The pick ups are powerful and offer a range from jangle to deep bass. The middle position on the pup selector switch can produce lovely near-acoustic tones. Even when overdriven, the Ric-12 produces some surprisingly nice results. I've never had problems with hissing or other annoying sounds.

I've played my Ric Twelve through a Fender Cyber Twin and now through a modified Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (up-graded speaker and tubes--essential mods for this 40w tube amp). The tube amp really punches the sound and the Ric 12 comes alive compared to the solid state amp I used previousl (the Cyber Twin, BTW, was a very good amp for a cover band that did everything from Motown to R&B, funk, surf, country, classic rock, disco, 80s-90s styles, etc).

Beautiful finish and detailing; the Ric corporation is among the best at this. The guitar was ready to play when it arrived. A tweak by a local guitar tech and it was perfect. The 12-saddle bridge keeps the intonation spot on. My Ric stays in tune, even with heavy use during a gig.

As mentioned by others, the necks on the 330/360 series are narrow, making it a challenge to play. I watched the McGuinn video several times and learned from it how to modify certain chords. I've had this guitar for five years, and the difficulty playing it can drive me mad at times. But the sound is pure heaven and worth the hassle. I've never played a 660/12 (with the wider neck) but would love to compare the two necks. A friend of mine has an older "Harrison" 12-string Ric. The necks are the same width but for reasons I can't figure out, his is easier to play than mine. Bottom line: be patient!

I initially tried Pyramid strings and loved the sound. However, I developed very bad tendenitous in my left hand (non picking hand). This became severe and local doctors weren't able to help. Playing the Ric was near impossible. While on a Ric chat room site, I learned that the problem might have been with the high tension of the Pyramids. Sure enough, a quick change to Ric strings and the problems in my left hand were gone instantly!

The Ric-12 always draws comments at gigs. It sounds great and looks great. The penetrating Ric sound can bring many tunes alive.

This is a very solid guitar, surprisingly so for a semi hollow body. I've used this guitar a lot in the past five years; never had a problem with reliability, never had to go to a back up. It might appear to be fragile, but it is built solidly.

The factory warranty is weak and pathetic. Never had to deal with the factory.

I've been playing for almost 40 years. I'm in a rock cover band and a jazz/blues band. I would be devastated if something happened to this guitar. The Ric 360/12 is a legend and it's incredible to have one and be able to produce that unique sound. I did not shop around for any other electric 12, this was the only guitar that I lusted for.

My other gear: Fender USA Big Apple Strat, Ibanez AS73 (335 style), Gibson L-5 Wes Montgomery. My amps are a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (with mods as descsribed above) and a Polytone Minibrute for jazz gigs.

The best multi-featured electric 12 string on the market! The Rick I have is a 2005 Fireglo, one of the few made in USA hand made manufactured items left in this country. The 360 12 is quite possibly the modern reincarnation of the Geoge Harrison original model. With the high gain pick-ups and more modern shape, the sound is incredible, possibly better than the original toaster model.

Having the Rick-O-Sound is the best idea since stereo was invented. You can play with a splitter box (Rick-o-Sound) cable two different amps and get a treble and bass sound contrast that has depth beyond having just one amp. I actually play the Rickenbacker 360 12 through three amps via two Line 6 pods: A Marshall JCM 800 Combo (For the high end), Marshall JCM 2000 half stack (For bass), and a Carvin Nomad 112 with a Carvin half stack (For a full warm mid range). A couple of Marshall 1912 extension speakers round out the sweet stereo surround sound.

The body style is classic semi-hollow with a Nike logo style sound hole. That is what attracted me from the start when I owned a 300 series Rick 6 string electric back in the 70's. It looks so modern and fresh even dating back to the 60's.

The Tuners are a very compact novel right angle idea, simple, and easy to use with very accurate tuning that stays in tune. In comparison, I have a Floyd Rose system on my Metal Strat that is great but very complex. (The closest thing to my volin fine-tuners on the bridge which I prefer.)

The neck is narrow and takes a while getting use to. I play a Taylor accoustic 12 and that is the ultimate neck. Though once you get to know the instrument, it is still challenging but much easier. The neck is reminencent of my old Gibson 12 accoustic.

The standard plastic case is unreal. Some people don't like the rectangular shape, but it is the most spacious of all for carring accessories. Lots of space for strap, tuners, and even strings and polish plus cloth!

For some people, this guitar is a night-mare. Others refer to the Rickenbacker 360 12 as a dream. In reality, the Rickenbacker is the finest electric guitar ever made and sounds like heaven on earth. If you want to play like the Byrds, Beatles, The Who, (even Led Zepplin) and want the 60's and 70's sound this is "it".

The Rickenbacker is not a guitar for beginners or one with fat fingers. Extensive experience playing an accoustic 12 string is a must to easily adapt to the instrument. It is well worth the trip to master the Rick, as the sounds you can get from this instrument is exceptional. The highs are unparalleled. The base is as good as it gets. The mid range is full and depth of character is very satisfing and warm. For rhythem and lead the Rickenbacker 360 12 is the best all around guitar for vintage and modern sound.

I believe my Rick is factory set and is perfect as far as action. I didn't like the way the factory strings the tweleve string backwards. My Rick 12 is strung like other 12's. The Rick 360 12 is hard enough to play as it is let alone having the thick six strings reversed. Strung normally, it is playable without having the additional tongue twister feature. To Rickenbacker factory: Why?

Fit and finish is exceptional. The fireglo finish is outstanding and layers of lacker is bullet proof compared to other guitars. The lackered neck is a very nice feature and is mirror like, as with the rest of the fine instrument. (Not sticky at all contrary to what some people's opinion of the glossy neck finish.)

The quality of the wood, metal, pick-ups are of the highest order. The guitar is light and comfortable to play. Not like my old Les Paul, very heavy and a neck strain in long sessions.

The cut away body is perfect. And the 24 fret neck is a joy though a challenge to play because the strings are so close together.

A Bullet proof semi-hollow guitar!

I have been playing 38 years. I own two Taylors, a six and tweleve string accoustic as well as a Metal Strat, and a couple of classical guitars. I also have played a Ramerize Concert A in the past.

I would buy another Rickenbacker 360 12 in a heartbeat if it was lost. The only other guitar I would consider is an accoustic Taylor GS with a big accoustic sound. That would augment my collection, not replace the Rick.

The tone, sound, overall look of the Rick 360 is incredible. I love the jingle jangle sound, and the way it goes perfect with my vocals. The Rick 360 is the best guitar I have and would be hard to replace. It blows the doors off of any other tweleve string, as well as any other guitar. Period.