Rickenbacker 360/12 12 String

Interesting mix of features.

Neck is unique?double truss rods. I hear that fixing any serious neck problems with this guitar is as expensive to fix as buying a new one, mainly due to fact that neck extends through body rather than bolting on. The skinny neck is an issue?it just is and you need to be able to adapt to it to enjoy this guitar otherwise you?re going to be miserable and never want to play it. The skinny neck is much less of a problem for the 6 string version of the 360, but for the 12 string it requires changing the way you play. Chords that work on a six string can be hard to pull off on this guitar?or may sound too muddy because of the additional strings. Likewise, chords that sound anemic on a six string can sound really great on this guitar. It?s a whole learning process trying to determine what works and what doesn?t?but for me, that?s part of the joy of this guitar. I bought it because I wanted something different. I wanted a new challenge. If you are not open to adapting your style though and simply want to continue playing things the way you?re used to, do yourself a favor and don?t buy this guitar?you?ll just be frustrated. Of course, you could always go with the Dakota version of the 360, which has a wider neck. I think some of the solid body models also have a wider neck.

Tailpiece: beautiful?and fun too, if you?re in to Sonic Youth ?play behind the bridge? tactics. However you pay a price for this beauty. The tailpiece is inherently unstable and known to break off quite violently after time, due to the intense 12 string tension. Rickenbacker hasn?t changed it though because of aesthetics?it just looks really great.

The Rick O' Sound option is cool.

Assuming you can get used to the skinny neck, and can figure out the mix knob, and the Ric?o?sound options, and get the tuning under control?this guitar sounds great and is really fun to play. It?s certainly a very distinctive sound. Everybody calls it ?jangly? which I don?t happen to think is a very good description of its sound. It?s certainly leans toward the treble side and the low e string is has a lot less punch than on most six strings?which can be annoying sometimes. The sound is very full and droning rather than jangly to my ears?but like any guitar, a lot of the sound depends on how you play and what you play it through. The guitar sounds best with some type of compressor going; otherwise the strings tend to be a little uneven. Partial chords and triads sound great. Open chords sound great. A soft touch sounds better than heavy riffing?the notes sing out better. This is not a good guitar for fast and loud puck rock and power chords?it gets muddy. However, contrary to what some people claim, the guitar does very well with overdrive or distortion?it?s gets a really intense driving sound which is great for a lot of single note lead stuff. String bending can be done, but is hard to control intonation because often the octave string bends at a slightly different pitch than the low string and gives an ugly dissonant sound. With some practice and discretion, moderate bends can be pulled off from time to time. Though, one of my favorite bends (F# to G on the low E string) sounds like complete crap?forget trying to play Ventures or Duane Eddy licks on this guitar!

This guitar needs a flat pick to sound good?which is rather limiting if you tend to switch off between Travis-style finger picking and flat-picking as I do. It?s not that you can?t fingerpick?it?s just that it sounds extremely uneven.

I have scatter-wound toaster style pickups. In all truth, I just think the black high-gain pickups are ugly as hell?and that was reason enough to pay extra to get some toaster pickups installed for my new guitar. The toaster pickups are inherently weaker, but are supposed to be more ?sixties? sounding. I haven?t played enough Rics with High gain pickups to be able to point out the differences. I suspect a lot of guys prefer the vintage pickups just because they want their guitar to be as ?authentic? as possible?regardless of the advantages of the high gain pickups.

Ric o? Sound
I like this option and think its pretty fun. I know most guys ignore it. Granted it takes a few more minutes to get yourself set up than if you just plug in to a single channel amp. But I think the payoff is worth it. It gives you a lot of sound options to play with (and the mix knob actually comes in pretty handy too). Anyway? if you?re getting a new 360, I would consider ordering the Ric o? sound box with it (assuming you have a dual channel amp or a second amp).

The construction and finish is really impressive. It is as well crafted as any hollow body Gibson I've tried and costs about a third of the price of a new 335 or L5.

It has a noticable smell of guitar wax and polish when opening the case for the first time--kind of cool.

My only complaint is that the hardshell case is so snug that there is no compartment for picks or strings.

Bridge
I had a 12 saddle bridge installed upon ordering the guitar because I?d heard people complain about the six saddle bridge. I can?t compare between the two because since I?ve never had to deal with the six saddle version. However, I can tell you that tuning and intonation is an inherent issue with this guitar?even with the 12 saddle bridge. Tuning s takes a lot of getting used to. Now that I?ve had my 360 for a couple of months, tuning doesn?t bother me the way it once did?but it is a learning curve. I think it probably helps to get your guitar setup by a guitar tech who is experienced with Ric 12 strings. I?ve played Ric 12 strings where I?ve had to spend an extraordinary amount of time just trying to keep the guitar in tune. I bought my guitar came from the people at the Rickenbacker Pages?a guitar store in North Carolina that is only Rics. Since I knew I was going to get a twelve saddle bridge and toaster pickups put in, I felt like I was more likely to get a guitar set up properly from experienced Ric sellers than from the local dude at Guitar Center. I didn?t? get the rock bottom price I might have gotten at Guitar Center, but I have been satisfied with my decision (plus they had a much better selection of colors?and I was able to get a hard to come by Burgundy model, new in the case)

Tailpiece:
If you want a rock-solid tailpiece you need to go with the Dakota mode. It substitutes a Fender-like tail in place of the trapeze style. I don?t know how it affects the guitar tone, but I?m certain it stabilizes the tuning issues which plague these guitars. It?s also a whole lot easier to string the Dakota compared to the nightmare of stringing with the R tailpiece.

Heard it sucks, but I don't have any experience with them (not yet anyway).

I think this is a great guitar and has a lot to offer beyond the "I've got to have it because I'm into the Byrds and Beatles" cliche. There's nothing wrong with the sixties sound, but I just hate that this guitar has been put into the retro ghetto. It needs a new champion to kick start it's image.

There are some inherent problems with it's design that make it a difficult guitar to play for the average player who is accustomed to a telecastor or strat, but you really know you've got something different in your hands when you pick one of these up. It's worth the extra effort to learn how to adjust your playing to this guitar. It's a lot of fun. My only suggestion is to step away from the Beatles music and try playing something fresh with it.

brand new 360/12 vintage toaster style pickups...as soon as i heard these i knew i had to make a cup of tea.. made in nov 02... jetglow colour.. gorgeous looking .. i have used a 330/12 previously and would have bought one again but couldn't find one with vintage style pickups .. so ended up with this one.. you know all the ins and outs..what can i say ? i didn't like it at first but was quickly won over ... and i'm not talking about corned beef and mustard sandwiches here ?

i love late 60's british pop and rock music so it fits in well there.. i am useing a selmer treble and bass from the early 70's..the one that looks like it was styled in the former soviet union..what a sound as the amp is a two channel ..soon as i can afford it the guitar wil be re-wired to play in stereo .. lovely bright sound ..have not had any time to wack the volume up yet but will de doing so soon... i remember from my 330/12 days amp right up and these guitars come to life .. this guitar will help convert jews and muslims (those slimline killers) to a life of peace and love..."horay" those evil fux

if i turn around there it is behind me on the chair ..so i'm not turning... finish is lovely and shiny, chrome is sexy.. have adjusted the strings i will probably send out for a set up as soon as i can afford/bear to part with ..i bought from a shop in the states and it arrived here in the uk in excelent shape.. lovely vintage case and all..
this is better constructed than my old 330/12 but i would say the finish maybe is not as deep..but still lovely to look at though .. i can't say anything bad about this guitar, it certainly is pretty... there's something germanic about it..maybe its the black or the fact i have removed my leather trousers in honour of its beauty ? the fit was tight and juicy and the finish it glistened ???

i think it will last well..i am not a great beater anymore ( not at this price).. i can't afford a backup so its as with my 330/12 one guitar man ... its stayed in tune all weekend even the octave g string which i never had on my 330/12 as it never stayed in tune..this deos.. will replace with a 12 saddle bridge as soonas i can find the money..strap buttons seem ok to me..guitar feels solid to say the least and looking at some construction photo's i can't see any problems that i will encounter
i think they may be tougher than the 60's ones... rock solid..just like my girlfriend likes ! not as solid as that cheap pot i now have to buy as i am so skint !

i have never dealt with them and have heard of them being a little difficult to deal with.. but what the fuck..you got the guitar you know the score.. no warrenty in the uk ? i have never thought of warrenties before when buying a guitar so am not looking to go down that route. no warrenty but nice card that asks what type of music you play.. the type that gets those kids all hot and bothered and frightens small kids and animals...

i have played all my life. if it got stolen i'd track the fux down and mutilate thier genitals ( in that religious traditional way ) .. i'd have to buy another ..my only other guitar i love is a fender jazzmaster... i will add an extra pickup sometime soon ..
this guitar thanks to the great trade rate between the uk and the usa was a bargain, and it cleared customs without having to pay any duty too... thank fuck for that...

2003 Jetglo model, lovely binding, slash F-hole, Ric-O-Sound, blend knob, high gain PU's, triangle fret markers

What can I say that has not been said? This axe put the jangle in jangle pop. A chord sounds like an orchestra, a single note sounds like the voice of God. I use a Boss MX=50 multi processor, focusing mainly on compression and EQ, making this bird REALLY sing!

If anyone out there is unfamiliar with Rickenbackers, I pity you. Half the price of a Gibson, twice the craftsmanship. The finish is absolutely re-diculous. A shotgun couldn't hurt it. The action is great ONCE PROFESSIONALLY SET UP. Hardware is good, would like to substitute 6 saddle bridge with 12 saddle one though. Still can't figure out blend knob!

Haven't had it that long, although I have owned a 620 for a while and can say that Ric makes true touring guitars, not just show-pieces. GREAT cases.

Don't know, can't see having to call, but have heard that they are SLOW to respond.

I have been playing forever, i bought my first Ric (330) in '88 and have been hooked ever since. This is the guitar that made Peter Buck sound COMPETENT! Ric's are the be-all-end-all.

1966 360-12 Rounded edge top, hollowbody, slash soundhole
checked binding on back, 2 "toaster top" pickups, all maple with alternating walnut strip neck, lighter colored rosewood fingerboard, "crushed pearl" wide triangular fret markers, "R' tailpiece, orig. bridge, old Kluson tuners, 3 way switch, 2 vol,2 tone, & blend knobs, stereo ("Rick-O-Sound") typical skinny Rick neck width, natural finish. Black case (probably later Rick case?)I
am not a big fan of their skinny necks, and my hands aren't that big! I think Rick changed the necks to strenghten the joint rather then for more frets/access, because I don't think many players would do too well on the high frets with such a narrow neck, most guitars have a wider taper. They have come out with some new models with wider necks, but no 12 strings!

This is THE 12-string sound! I had an '84 burgandy 360-12 before this one (I thought it was great too!) but I'd have to say the '66 does have even more of that classic Byrds/Beatles sound. PUs are probably a little brighter and slightly weaker. This ones action seems to be a little better, or maybe I'm just better. It may be slightly lighter in weight then the newer style. I believe the interior routing may be different - less mass. Afterall it does have fewer frets. As you might expect it is somewhat of a specialty instrument but it does it's thing perfectly.

I got this baby in '96 so it was already 30 years old and with wear. It looks cool though. Rick's new guitars always look nice and high quality.

Neck and frets are still in good shape.
Hardware has held up very well, all looks original. It's lastest a long time, but it wouldn't take as rough a time, say like a strat. I think Townsend broke about 30, of course he even broke a strat!
I would always carry another guitar, 6 string that is.

I wrote them in the eighties, asking if they made wider necks, they replied with a nice letter that they didn't. They have come out with some models since then with wider necks but I don't believe there's any 12 strings! They need to think about some customizing, to draw in more players for the future.

I've been playing for about 35 years, so the Rickenbacker legend loomed large in my early days. People still love to hear this sound. I wouldn't be able to replace this now.

I bought mine new around 1998 from Musician's Friend. It was drop shipped from the factory, and still smelled of laquer when I opened the box! The color is Fireglo, which really looks cool on this guitar. It came with a hard case, polishing cloth, and owner's manual. Ric-O-Sound(stereo) output, or mono, two tone controls, two volume, and a pickup blend knob.

This is the guitar to make that George Harrison - Roger MCGuinn sound. No other guitar will do that like this one will. I can't go to work in the morning without playing the "Mr. Tambourine Man" riff, or hitting the "Hard Day's Night" opening chord and saying "Whoa!" Needs to be played through a fairly bright amp to really bring out that jangle, though. I use a Vox AC15 re-issue with a Marshall Edward compressor. Something like a Fender Super would be ideal, I think.

Fit and finish are superb. WAY better than on my Les Paul. Rick really builds a beautiful piece of art. Setup out of the box was pretty much unplayable. The string height was about a mile and a half, the intonation was off, truss rods loose, etc. Hardware seems above average, although there's a little more backlash in the tuners than I would like (especially in a guitar with 12 strings to tune!)

Hard to say - I really baby this guitar, and I only play a couple of songs in a set with it. That being said, it's never let me down, and I don't use a backup for it. Breaking a string on stage would be a pain, but it hasn't yet. It's always worth it to bring to a gig just to see the other guitarists drooling over it.

Never called Rick for anything other that strings and tee shirts.

Well, I had to learn how to fret open chords all over again with the dainty little neck. About 3 or 4 songs is about all my hands can take without permanent damage. But I wouldn't trade this guitar for anything because it sounds so cool. Besides, it'll probably take me the rest of my life to learn how to play it properly. I play mainly Jurassic Rock, which inludes Beatles and other British invasion stuff. And of course the first thing I did with this guitar was to sit down with the "Byrds Greatest Hits" CD.

I think my 360/12 is about 13 years old. Its Midnight Blue and is of course, a hollow body. It has the typical narrow Rick neck, which although I've heard some complaints, I don't have any trouble with (narrow fingers!). It has two tone controls, two volume controls and a tone control that lets you mix the other two tone controls together. It has two pick-ups and is very quiet.

I am an old school folk-rock/psych player. My big influences are Indian, Arabic and British Isles music. My band plays Byrds, Airplane, Fairport etc. Roger McGuinn, Richard Thompson and Jorma Kaukonen are my guitar gods. I play through a Standel XV Imperial and a Peavey. One amp has a mellow warmth to it (the Standel) and the other a sharp, clear ring. I use an equalizer, compressor, phaser,flanger, digital delay, reverse backwards delay and a signal splitter.
I am also a sitar, saz and lap dulcimer player and I am obsessed with the drone tonally and philosophically. The Rick 360/12 is a great guitar for creating drones because it sounds rich and full as well as bright. Its great for playing Eastern or Celtic riffs.

I bought the guitar used, so I can't comment on the factory set-up, but the guy I bought it from just had it to a luthier and the action is great and so is the sound. The pick-ups are adjusted well-there isn't a thing I would do with them.

10 I have gigged with this guitar and its never let me down. I have my Vox Mark 12 too (Teardrop), but I use it on different songs then the Rick because it sounds different tonally, rather than as a backup. The hardware and finish are excellent and dependable.

N/A

10 I've been playing for forty years. I also own a Vox Teardrop Mark 12 and a Vox Ultrasonic 6 string. The Vox Mark 12 is a good guitar, with a really sweet tone, but it can't compare with the Rick. Its like coparing a Cadillac to an Aston-Martin.
I haven't found anything I dislike about my 360/12 except that its a bitch to restring. I have an excellent luthier nearby and have him do it when I periodically get the neck serviced.
I chose this guitar because I play in a folk-rock/psych band. Our biggest influences are the Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Fairport Convention and Buffalo Springfield. I've gigged with my Rick and never had a problem. I have to periodically recheck the tuning, especially the low E and the G strings, but they never go out much and I would be doing that with any guitar anyway.

This is a 2001 Model in Turquoise which I bought brand new with OHS(plastic)C.

Everyone knows the specs of this guitar so I won't rehash them here. It has the stock Hi-Gain pickups.

I'm an old fart and so, my musical preferences are pretty much rooted in '60s British Invasion and Psychedelic Rock. No, I'm not a burnout!

I plug it direct into a souped up '68 Fender Super Reverb. No pedals, etc.

It's not noisy at all. Besides, too many people nowadays are outright paranoid about the noise from single coil pickups. With the volume and effects boxes so many play with today, even with them using humbuckers, they get much more line noise than if they just plugged a single coil guitar directly into the amp.

With a quick tweak of the amp (if necessary), all the vintage sounds are there. I must strongly disagree with those who say that the signature Ric sound was lost when Rickenbacker modified the original design to what it is today. It's still bright and full while duplicating all the vintage tones that a Ric is famous for. The pickups aren't weak either. I even love the way the guitar sounds without being plugged in. You still know it's a Ric.

The factory setup was pretty much unplayable. The action was very high and the neck had a pronounced bow warp in it. Their strings are from hunger too.

The pickups were essentially, just screwed in. I can't see how anyone could call them adjusted.

The guitar's woods, construction and hardware are great. No negatives here except: The OEM bridge was a poorly cut, 6 adjustable saddle job. Ric makes a 12 adjustable saddle model which I bought with the guitar and had my tech install before he set it up. Let's face it, the 12 saddle bridge should be stock on this guitar, end of story.

Unique to Rickenbacker is where the heavy E, A, D and G strings come before their respective octave. I'm still getting used to this but it's no big deal. As a matter of fact, somehow, it makes the guitar feel more like your playing a 6 string.

Clearly, this guitar is built tough. I see no potential problems with it withstanding live playing.

The hardware seems fine to me. There's lots of other "high end" guitar manufacturers out there who use much inferior stuff.

The finish is rock solid.

The strap buttons have the hugh threads into the guitar. These mate with Schaller StrapLoks and so, they surely are dependable.

I'm sure I could gig without a backup with this guitar but no one in their right mind gigs without a backup.

I dealt with them on a couple of issues. They were polite but I wouldn't say friendly. I felt that they couldn't wait to get me out of their face, even when I was raving about how much I was enjoying the guitar. They seemed generally apathetic. Their answers to my questions were either double talk or they kept trying to blow it off on the dealer I got the guitar from.

I've been playing close to 40 years. I have several high-end Fender and Gibson guitars.

The only thing I wished I knew before I committed myself to buying this guitar is the fact that the fingerboard is narrow. It's tough to play certain chords without my fingers slopping over onto other strings unless I'm really careful.

If it were compromised, because of the narrow fingerboard, I'd probably not replace it.

I love it's sound and looks but hate how tough it is to restring it.

My favorite feature is the unique sound and look. I must admit too, it plays effortlessly unless you are trying to finger an open voice C chord.

I didn't compare it to anything else because IMHO, the only thing that sounds like a Ric is a Ric. Again, I wish the fingerboard was slightly wider.

As I've stated, I bought this guitar for it's unique Ric sound and looks. I felt that my 'arsenal' would not be complete without it. Now it is and I'm real happy about that. But again, because of the narrow fingerboard...

360-12 string, made in March 1983, USA made.
24 frets (thin), 24 ?" scale length.
Semi-hollow maple double cutaway body, rear edge binding, with the as-expected fantastic Riccy high gloss finish. This guitar is in the standard Fireglo finish, but it has aged wonderfully to a rich, deep, almost brownish-red, and the binding to a yellowish cream. Although it is 20 years old, it looks like it came straight from the shop.

There are volume and tone controls for each of the 2 high-gain single coil pickups, along with a fifth 'blend' control, which switches the emphasis from the low end to the high end without changing the pickup selection (which is done via a 3-way toggle switch).

The glued-in neck is maple/walnut with a bound rosewood fingerboard with the high-gloss finish, mother of pearl triangle inlays, and has the raised lettering logo on headstock trussrod cover. Interestingly, as well as "Made in USA" on the cover, it also has "Model 360", which is no longer used by Rickenbacker.

Standard 12 string covered bridge, with six shared saddles which can make for problems with intonation. I believe that an upgraded individual saddle bridge is available. As this guitar is 20 years old, the tuners are Grovers, six per side (three side mounted, three rear). The particular Grovers have the 'star' stamped on the machine cover; one has been replaced with a standard Grover, and I am having great difficulty in acquiring a matching replacement, as they are no longer made.

The tailpiece is the beautifully chromed Riccy "R" style, and I an dreading the first time I have to change the strings, what with the added obstacle of the crowded Riccy headstock! Finally, the guitar comes with the usual "Ric-O-Sound" dual jack socket (explained by other reviewers) but no stereo adaptor leads. Basically, it's a complete waste of time.

Came complete with a black, heavy duty vintage-style lined hard case, with polishing cloth & owner's manual etc. Sadly, it does not have the metal "Rickenbacker" logo attached, as found on the vintage silver hard cases.

At the risk of sounding boring, this is THE Rickenbacker sound. Jingly-jangly, sweet, clear, and quite unique. Suits open chords perfectly, almost like an acoustic, and is a joy to play. Having said that, be warned - the neck IS narrow for twelve strings, and it takes a lot of practice not to keep numbing the string next to the one you've fretted. Not suited to heavy rock music, but despite what some say, it sounds amazing when overdriven. As others have said, it's Beatles, Searchers and McGuinn personified. Unless you were developing a unique 'sound' for your band, I think you would take this guitar along with you just to do a few 60's numbers during your set - it's not particularly versatile. Does it suit lots of string bending? Do me a favour.....
Another word of warning - you MUST try this guitar with several amps; it does NOT suit just any old amp. You need a biting, sharp sound (obviously a valve amp would be a start). I've played it through my Fender Stereo Chorus without any added effects and it sounds ok at low volumes, but once plugged into my Sessionette 75, with loads of reverb and through a Boss Compressor, and it really starts to jangle. It has such a good range of sounds available by just using the pickup toggle and the 5th 'blender' knob, you just need a bit of experimentation to develop 'your sound'.

Although the guitar seemed to be reasonably set up when I collected it (thanks Mike, for letting me have this beauty) I wasn't too bothered as I always take any new acquisition straight down to MachineHead at Hitchin to let Barrie Palmer, their SUPERB techie, do his magic on it. Sorry for the shameless plug, but anyone who has ever had Barrie set up their guitar will know that it's money well spent, and with the complexities of a twelve string, it couldn't have been in better hands.

When I collected it, newly strung with my usual D'Addarios and set up to perfection, it played like a dream (well, as far as my fat fingers would let me whilst trying to shoehorn them into the frets!). I like a nice low action, which is particularly well suited to the open chords which sound so sweet on this guitar.

The fit and finish on all Rickenbacker guitars is legendary - their quality control is excellent, and this beauty was no exception. It just oozes quality.....

As someone else said, this guitar has been in production for almost 40 years; George Harrison and Roger McGuinn may have occasionally gigged live, so it's a fair bet that this guitar will withstand live playing! The hardware seems fine (even if mine HAS had one machine head replaced...) and I'm sure it's built to last. Despite some negative comments, the finish on most Rickenbackers is very durable, but like anything, you have to take care of it. I also own a 360 six string, which has an equally impressive finish to it. The strap buttons seem to be well fitted and solid - I've never had any trouble. This is a guitar that you could depend on; well, you would HAVE to - how many players could afford a backup at these prices? As stated earlier, you are hardly likely to use it for a complete set anyway.

I've never dealt with Rickenbacker direct (never needed to), and Rosetti are their distributors in the UK - hardly fills you with confidence! Having read so many negative comments in this respect in other reviews, I think I'll just have to take good care of my two Rics and hope that they look after me accordingly. The 5 year warranty on my 360-12 obviously ran out 15 years ago, so.....

I've been playing now on-and-off for over 30 years. I own a houseful of gear (much to the disgust of my wife), including: Electrics: my 2 Rics, a Gibson 335, Fender USA Telecaster, Epiphone Sheraton, Fender Mexican Stratocaster, Aria Pro II XR Strat-alike, Jim Reed Strat-alike, Stagg Custom Tele copy, a 1965 Harmony H-14 'Bobkat', a 60's Audition (model unknown), an Aria Pro II CG Bass; Acoustics: Epiphone EJ200, a 1984 Ibanez AW-100, a 1982 Yamaha FG-312 II 12 string, a 1983 Yamaha FG-335 II, and a 1973 Eko Ranger 6. On top of that I've got 3 Spanish guitars, an ancient 1916 Temlett Zither Banjo, a George Formby Ukelele Banjo, a Mandoline, and a standard Ukelele.

In terms of amps, I have a Fender Ultimate Stereo Chorus, 2 Sessionette 75s, a Roland Bolt 60, a Fender Frontman 25R, a Peavey Basic 50 Bass amp, and a dinky little Epiphone 1 watt practice amp! Phew!

If this beautiful Ricky 36-12 were lost or stolen, I don't think I'd ever be able to replace it with a similar aged model in such amazing condition. I'd just have to go out there and buy me another one of these babies, 'cos they are just fantastic.

I bought my '66 Rick 360-12 from Ace Music in Miami in 1967. I traded a 1958 Gibson ES-345TDSV for it (I think they gave me $150 in trade). The total price was something like $625. There weren't too many guys with Rick 12's in South Florida in 1967, and I believe I was the first to own a blonde one. My previous 12 was a Bellzouki/Dano, but the body began to warp, making it unplayable.

The band I was playing in back then was doing a lot of vocal group stuff; 5th Dimension, Beach Boys, Association, Beatles....and the Rick twelve was THE sound of the band. The amp I used was a VOX AC-100 (the original Jennings tube model) into 2 - 12" Altec 417A's in a Bandmaster cab. The sound was to die for.....chime-y, jangle-y heaven.

Any 12 string takes getting used to after playing 6 string. My Rick was as easy to play as any other, maybe even more so. Tuning was always an issue and took forever (we didn't have electronic tuners back then) but it held pretty well.

I did at least a hundred gigs with my Rick. Never had a problem. One guy I know who had one had the neck come off the body for whatever reason. Don't know why - either too heavy strings or maybe a Pete Townsend imitation at a gig. I'd heard of other Ricks coming apart at the neck/body joint. Now a funny story. One night as I lay in bed, I heard a loud "pop" from somewhere in the house. I got up to look for a possible burglar or whatever, because the sound was quite loud. Didn't find anything. A few days later, I went to play my Rick, and upon opening the case, I found the strings all tangled and askew. Looking closer, I saw that the "R" bridge had failed - metal fatigue. 1200 lbs of tension released in an instant was the pop I heard from the bedroom. I ordered a new one from some parts replacement company along with a 12 saddle bridge which I'd always wanted to better intonate the instrument. A word of caution to those who order the 12 saddle. It comes un-cut (mine did) - no slots for the strings. you have to do this yourself with a small triangular file and you'd better get it right the first time!! The damn PU switch gets funky and sticks sometimes. Never bothered to try to fix it.

I've been playing professionally for over 40 years. My Rick has been with me longer than any other guitar and I will never sell her. She was even stolen once, but found a day later in a pawn shop by my distraught bandmembers. I was more than willing to pay the $60 the shop owner was asking for her. Over the years, I have played her less and less. She's murder to re-string, and I have gone to reverse stringing because of the sound (octave strings first). Only prob here is that the nut was cut for conventional stringing and I have to use a bunch of shitty little shims to get the string height right. I really don't trust anybody locally to install a new nut. Occasionally, I take her on a gig, just so she knows I still love her. "Feel A Whole Lot Better", "Hard Days Night", "Can't Do That" are some of the songs my band does when I have her strapped on. But, by the end of the set, she's pretty much out of tune and my tired old fingers give out, and I default back to my Les Paul to finish the night.

Others have described the guitar's features well, so I'll not repeat them.

The 5th knob on the control panel, for those that don't know, is a "blend" control. It adjusts the volume of the neck pickup when the toggle switch is in the middle position, allowing for a custom blend between neck and bridge pickup.

The classic Ric 12 string sound was compromised when Ric decided the world needed a 24-fret 12-string, and moved the neck PU 2 inches to accommodate the longer fretboard. They also replaced the old "toaster top" pickups with the High Gain model.

This is NOT the sound you hear on recordings by The Beatles and The Byrds! Not bad, though.

The action on this guitar can be made comfortable with the proper strings and neck set-up, but don't think it's going to play like a 6-string.

The neck is TOO NARROW for 12 strings! You'll find yourself fretting too many strings with your left hand, and hitting the wrong strings with your pick in your right hand! If you MUST have a Ric 12-string, check out the 620-12 with the wider neck before you lose confidence in your playing ability!

Fit and Finish are superb and deserve a rating of their own: I'll give 'em a 9.

Dirty Little Secret Dept:

The "R" tailpiece provided on this guitar WILL one day crack and split! Ric doesn't think this is a problem, so the replacement you BUY will be identical to the one that just broke!

When yours explodes (and it will), order the trapeze tailpiece as a replacement instead, and be done with it. Easier to string, too.

Most folks will never play this guitar in stereo, yet the output is stereo by default until a mono plug is inserted and a little reed switch in the jack moves over to connect the output to mono.

You WILL have trouble with this switch. Get a needle nosed pliers and bend the contact to the mono position permanently, and be done with it.

Also, given time, the foam material or rubber grommets under the pickups will rot.

As far as the woodwork and finish durablity is concerned, it deserves a 9.

Rickenbacker has the worst customer support of any instrument manufacturer I've ever heard of.

The warranties are NOT lifetime, as I've read elsewhere on this board, but 5 years FROM THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE! That's right, kids; that Rickenbacker hanging on the wall of your local music store for 2 1/2 years has half the warranty expired! Put another way: Some folks get more of a warrany than others on a "new" Rickenbacker.

Ric WILL honor the warranty, but you have to ship it back to them as there are NO authorized Rickenbacker repair centers ANYWHERE.

And don't even THINK of having the factory do ANYTHING to your guitar out of warranty, even if you're willing to pay for it. They don't care; leave them alone; it's not their guitar anymore.

Exceptions will me made for Paul McCartney, Roger McGuinn, Pete Townshend, Tom Petty, and other stars associated with Rickenbacker guitars.

This guitar is not one of Rickenbacker's finest moments, although they sure sell all they can build!

It LOOKS like the old 60s design, but all the endearing features have been changed: The toaster-top pickups; the full-width triangle inlays; the 22-fret neck; the neck-pickup placement... all gone.

Yet Rickenbacker refuses to address long standing issues such as the exploding tailpiece, balky output jack, and narrow neck width.

The wood, the woodwork, and the finish are the strong points on this guitar, as they are on all Rickenbackers.

Ric's unwillingness to address certain issues, and their horrible attitude toward customer service, brings the overall rating WAY down in this review.