Rickenbacker 360/12 12 String

Bought new in 1996. Maple Glo. The Rickenbacker 360 model is a step up from the 330 model. I own a 330 6 string also (see my review for 330/6 for that guitar). The upgrades on the 360 from the 330 are bound body and neck, rounded front edge of body, stereo or mono output, and shark fin fret markers. Features have a vintage vibe to them. Warning: the frets are thin on Rickenbackers - if you are used to playing on jumbo sized frets it might take some geting used to. I use the stock 6 saddle bridge because the intonation is close enough for me and the tiny amount of dissonance I get sometimes creates a very lush "chorus" effect. That's what a 12 string is all about!

Rickenbacker 12 string guitars have set the standard for what electric 12 strings should sound like. Nothing else compares to it. I can't think of the right adjectives to describe the sound. Shimmering is the only word I can come up with. Adding a compressor and boosting the high mids really make this guitar shine. If you want the sound of Beatles, Byrds, jingle-jangle look no further.

I would also like to mention that besides jangly stuff, Rickenbacker 12 strings sound great when put through an overdriven amp. This guitar has balls. For example: check out the lead part on "North, South, East, and West" on the CD "Starfish" by The Church. Marty Willson-Piper is one of the few guitarists I have seen that uses Ric 12 strings to their full potential.

This guitar was not messed with at the store I bought it from. It went stright from the case into my grabby hands, so the action and neck were great. Took it out of the case and started playing. The wood grain on the body and fret board is very stunning. Of course it needs to be set up a couple of times a year due to weather changes, but the adjustments are always very minor. Changing strings was hard the first 3 times, but I soon devised a system and now I actually look forward to changing the strings! Maybe I'm crazy!

When I first got this guitar I was very careful when playing it. I have learned over time how much abuse it can take, and it can take a lot more than I expected. I don't want to damage the guitar, but I feel comfortable enough to play aggressively and not use a backup.

If you buy a guitar from a mega-store guitar chain, inspect it carefully and you have the right to buy a guitar that has NOT been sitting on the showroom floor gathering dust and played everyday by kids with boogers on their fingers.

Never have dealt with them. My father actually spoke to someone at the Rickenbacker plant years ago and not only got his question answered but was invited to stop on by and take a tour of the plant if he happened to be in Santa Ana! That would be my Mecca!

Like I said before, this is the standard at which all other electric 12 string guitars are judged. It costs a hell of a lot more than one of those new Danelectro 12 string guitars, but the Rickenbacker will blow it out of the water. This guitar would not be lost or stolen because it's the one that I will not let out of my sight. The quality of this guitar led me to purchase another Rickenbacker (330 6-string).

It's a 2000 fireglo that I paid $1000 for new six months ago in Austin, Texas. Check the other submissions for details, but if you're reading this, I bet you know most of the specifics on the guitar anyway. It's a dream to play. People stop and look as well as listen when I gig with it. I've been gigging for about eight years as a solo artist.

I play folk rock blended with Zeppelin, Neil Young, the Stones, Dylan and so on. I run a "Y" cable out of the the ric-o-sound port; one end goes to a Peavey Ecoustic 112 and the other to a Peavey Classic 30 tube amp. I have a pedal that allows either one or even both amps to play simultaneously. The only effect I use besides a compression pedal is a Danelectro chorus (with the Ecoustic 112) and the Classic 30 is usually set on the distorted channel. Listen, I'd like to clear up one issue now . . . "try stuff" with this guitar. It is not as limited as some articles would have you believe. I do Hendrix from time to time and using both amps simultaneously, "it sounds like an entire band" to quote some of the people who come to my gigs. Then right after "Hey Joe" I change to the clean channel on the Classic 30 and perform "You Ain't Going Nowhere". I have had no trouble with noise, but I don't play it in smaller venues due to its volume...I'm a one-man act and rely on my Ovation Custom Legend 12 and my Ovation Elite 6 for the smaller venues. I feel good playing the 360/12 and singing with no other back-up musicians. It's versatile. It can make all the sounds that I need and much more.

As stated by others, Rickenbacker is a top level act. I've had no problems, though I'm not clear on what the "blend" knob really does.
The guitar is so versatile that it is really a dream to play. Some players may have trouble with the narrow fretboard, but I started out years ago playing a mandolin and therefore I feel comfortable with the narrow neck. Try one before you buy it in that respect. Changing the strings may be a nightmare . . . but in each life some rain must fall. People actually come up and check this guitar out while I'm playing. It's a lot of flash backed up with heart and soul. Man, maybe the tooth fairy will put new strings on it for me in the night...again this is a concern. Don't buy without a try!

I've been gigging with the 360/12 since the day I bought it six months ago. Many people here have learned a new word, "Rickenbacker". It has paid for itself about twice. It actually got me out of the acoustic coffee house scene and into the local rock clubs. George Harrison's seems to have lasted, right? I depend on it to change the color of my performance from folk rock to rock. I would use it without a backup if I were to play a solid rock gig, but it is my habit to open up with it doing Neil Youngish thrash and eventually mellowing out with my Ovation Custom Legend 12 doing "Going to California" and such, and then I break it out for the last half of the last set.

These guys aren't quite as generous as the Ovation people. I wrote Ovation a letter expressing my love for my Elite 6 string (one of the real ones made 7 years ago... none of the more recent "Standards" or Celebrity copies) and they sent me two packs of strings and a golf shirt! I guess Ovation's the exception though. The warranty is lifetime if I take care of it...I kiss mine goodnight sometimes.

I've been playing for nine or ten years and "playing out" for $ for about eight years. If this guitar were stolen, I would get another one just like it, and talk to it for a long time before I bought it. I watched them unpack mine from the shipping crate, so no one else has had his hands on it, at least without my blessings. I really like the playability, the quality, the sound, and the statement this guitar makes. It pretty much screams that I am serious about this music thing . . . so I try to be. There is not another electric 12 string that I would even have . . . blame my childhood and Roger McGuinn for that. I worry about changing the strings; however, this is an instrument that pushes me to its own level, and I can see improvement and growth. Remember, try it first...I've read of people who buy them and can not play them because the strings are so close to one another...but if you can handle it, you'll probably love it. One more thing...I read that if I gave this guitar superficially high ratings that they would not print my review...well hey, "It's a Rickenbacker!" What would you expect? I am also a 12th grade English teacher...I'm not allowed to lie. Save up and get one. But try before you buy.

Made in USA, 1999 model. FireGlo (red sunburst) finish, all other features are standard. Trapeze "R" tailpiece and Tune-O-Matic style bridge. Triangle neck inlays, Schaller tuners. Rick-O-Sound stereo outputs.

Tone is great, chimey on the bridge pickup and well-rounded on the neck. A lot quieter than my other guitars (60's reissue Strat and PRS CE24) which is a pain to deal with live, but I just turn up the amp a little bit when I play it. Nails the vintage Pete Townshend tones, and stays really well defined and warm even with a lot of gain.

Bought it used. Had to tweak the truss rod a bit to get proper action with Ernie Ball 12 string custom lights on it. The neck is also quite narrow for a 12 string, which aids playability but takes a lot of getting used to in order to prevent muting strings by accident. Finish around neck joint has a couple of small imperfections. Otherwise an incredibly beautiful guitar.

Feels light but solid. Wouldn't take an accident as well as a solidbody, but what do you expect? Knobs feel sort of cheap, and the toggle feels a little weak. I break the high E's on occasion. If it weren't a 12 string I'd feel comfortable gigging with just this guitar and maybe a cheap backup in case of a broken string or something.

Never dealt with Ric.

Awesome sound like nothing else, very comfortable and easy to wear for a long time despite its size. Like a normal 12 string its a bit more fatiguing to the hands, but not extremely so. Beautiful to look at. Overall craftsmanship is on par with my PRS. ONE MAJOR GRIPE- strings take forever and a day to change because of the headstock design. Sure the small headstock keeps weight down, looks cool and helps balance the guitar, but you have to plan string changes way in advance. Maybe get someone else to do it for you. That said, it holds tune very well for a 12. Pickup blend knob is not very useful, I would prefer to have an overall volume knob instead. Still, I would hate to part with it.

Typical layout except for its left handed.

The guitar sound is like nothing on earth. It is the only company I know that has retained it's vintage tone. When you play a byrds riff it SOUNDS like the byrds. It's not like those crappy OVERPRICED re-issues by other manufacturers...you know who you are.

The setup on the guitar was great for me. As could be exspected with a 12, the strings are stiff if you need to bend at all.

Rickenbacker (at least mine) has the BEST build I have EVER had in a guitar. I have owned Gibson, Fender, ESP, Ibanez, Guild, and several guitars by a few of those maufacturers and RIC blows them all away in the quality department...yes ESPECIALLY Gibson.

Very nice. Helped me out with various questions about the guitar.

I've been playing for a long time, 16 years. This is best built guitar I have ever seen for the money. The parts, quality of wood, hardware, even the fretboard material looked nicer than most guitars I've seen. Unfortunatly, I can't seem to find enough music to incorporate a 12 with.

Im a salesman at Mars music. we sold 2 ricks. same model, different serial number. the warrantee cards got mixed up. rickenbacker wouldnt issue another warrantee card. they were very rude to us and acted as though they had no feelings for the customer. also, they said they wouldnt warrantee the guitar anyways because the buyer is from england and he bought it here in the states. now does that make sense? Rick even faxed a letter to corporate stating that we were in vialation of their warrantee procedures. As a salesman i am discusted with their actions and i DO NOT recomend their products.

Sorry, this is less a review, and more a posting of questions. I just acquired an apparently new, US? model 360-12. It is solid top. 5 pots, plus the toggle. Black pickups, seem hot. passive elecs. Maple throughout, except for the rosewood fretboard. No case was included, nor did I get wrenches or other tools. fireglo model, and find the features overall favorable. Questions to you all will follow by category, along with my own early & subjective comments.
Brian

Wonderful sound, especially from the fretboard p/u. I use a Crate and an old Ampeg VT40. The guitar is NOT noisy, but demonstrates good gain for passive electronics. Very rich sound on the mellow pickup, and predictably Rick on the other.

I'm not sure whether this was set up from factory, previous owner, etc. The little cover over the bridge is missing, so I assume someone fiddled with it. Super low, with no buzz, it plays with such little physical effort, that I want to BEND the sucker. Ofcourse, that is heresy with such a 12, in terms of the tuning ramifications. FIt and finish is so impeccable, that I will keep this thing, even if I never learn to play it accurately! It is simply a guitarmaker's work of ART!!! Having said that, the bridge pickup has an intermittent short, which I will deal with using judicious application of contact cleaner and compressed air.

Had it two days, but it looks solid, especially the neck construction. However, since it is set-in (glued?) I would not suggest abuse. The hardware is better chromed than my Harley Electra Glide. The finish is a cabinetmaker's wet dream. I would use it without a backup in the sense that I will probably NEVER own multiple 12 strings. I would grab something that's in tune, if need be, even if it were an Ibanez copy of something.

No idea, because the thing is too new to me. THeir website is very confidence inspiring, though.

I've been playing, though not very well, for 22 years. I am a popster mostly, and I have Pauls, Strats, and the most amazing Paul Stanley one-off Iceman (not the bolt-on neck, mass produced one). I would not replace this one because the one I bought probably WAS stolen (kidding!). I LOVE the fit and finish. THis thing speaks in volumes, of the pride of the people who built it, and just handling the thing is a sort of religious experience.

It is late: read the other folks' submissions.

If you are a fan of the Beatles, Byrds, Tom Petty, etc. get this guitar. It will make you smile. If you are a mediocre player, Ricks are very unforgiving. They highlight every wrong note or badly-placed chord. The 12 strings take some getting used to, but the neck is slender and after you play it awhile, you won't want to play your other guitar. It jangles like a Rick, but unlike a 6-string Rick, that's about the only tone this will do. I play it through a Crate DXJ112 and it sounds almost the same on every amp model. This guitar is amp-specific. It won't sound right on just any amp-try them out with the guitar. You are also gonna need some watts, because it will overdrive any practice amp and sound really crappy.

The Mapleglo finish is flawless, the neck is superb, the action low but not buzzy. The top and back have some nice figure in the wood. These babys are not slapped together. They are made by people who have pride in their work. Everything fits, everything works.

Yes, Rick is anal about their finishes. Wipe it off after you play. Don't beat the stage or your amp with it. I would suggest straplocks. Get the 12-string bridge and throw away the 6-string bridge it comes with. Geez!

Never dealt with them, but they obviously get off on what they do. They should stand behind what they make.

Also have four Taylors, a Strat, a Hofner Beatle Bass. Please don't come break in my house or I will shoot you. There is nothing like a Rick if you like that sound-I do! They could only improve it by putting on a 12-string bridge, but most people won't notice the difference. Choose an amp carefully. I feel like I got what I paid for. It is terrific and makes me smile just to look at it.

Ric 360 semihollow 12-string model, Japanese made. It's from that some part of that glorious time in the 60's when the imports were virtually indistiguishable from the American ones, even down to the checkered binding. They stopped doing so, because imports were being sold as USA models. It has 21 frets (w/ cool 'sparkly' triangle inlays). It has a Gibson-style 3-way pickup selector, a vol. knob and a tone knob for each pickup and...SOMETHING ELSE; it's not quite a master tone control, but pretty similar. I can use it to get some odd wah-like sounds by messing with it.
Odd, odd pickups, don't know whether they're single coils or humbuckers, have 2 black bars and an indented part, and sound wonderful.
I think the new Rics are maple, I don't know if that's been changed since the manufacture of this instrument. Has a gorgeous transparent 3-tone sunburst finish, I think they call it fire glow or something like that. It's a 360 style body, which is a double-cutaway semihollow body with 1 f-hole, I like to think of it as a fusion of a PRS and Gibson 335. Has a trapeze-style bridge.
It has 12 nondescript tuners, ingeniously staggered, as to avoid a gigantic unwieldy peghead.
Neck is same width as any 6-string; occasionally, I'll accidentally mute a sting as strings are closer together, but overall, it's easier for me to play with a normal-sized neck. The neck is a little thick for my taste (among my other guitars are a Jackson and 3 Kramers, hee hee), a little bigger than a Gibson's, but nonetheless is remarkably playable.

I play all kinds of music--rock, blues, funk, metal, pop (the GOOD kind, Beatles, Boston, REM, none of this britney spears crap), jazz at times, (roughly in that order) and others, in short, whatever I feel like playing at the moment. I'm particularly fond of progressive rock, such as Rush, Yes, Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, &c., and this guitar suits everything I play in which it applies perfectly.
I generally play all my guitars through a Dunlop Crybaby wah->Big Muff->Zoom 505->Boss noise surpressor->Ernie Ball vol. pedal->Peavey Bandit 112 amp, and everything sounds pretty good with that setup.
It's fairly noisy with real heavy distortion, which I use a fair amount in general, but that kind of defeats the purpose of a guitar like this, with which I usually stick to clean/delay and overdrive, and it sounds fine with those.
It has an exceptionally bright sound, not all that different from a strat, albeit without that classic chime-like quality, but also produce really nice grinding overdrive. I can also turn this up pretty damn loud without any feedback. It's tone is amazing, though it's not quite as versatile as some of my other guitars, particularly my Jackson.

The action is very nice, low to the fretboard but it doesn't buzz anywhere. Serves somewhat to offset the fat neck. Pickups were fine, I really have no complaints as far as setup & playability. It has a good number of chips in the finish, a pretty bigone between the neck and one of the pickups, and another near the bridge, as well as innumerable smaller ones. I didn't decrease the rating that much for it though, because it has been played *a lot* over the years, and considering also that it is likely over twice as old as me, I think it's in very good shape.

I haven't played any gigs with this yet, but considering its age and its condition, I think it's built pretty solid.
I _never_ play without a backup, even to practices, if that can possibly be avoided, but in a pinch, I trust this guitar would hold up through the duration of the show.

I've never had to deal with them, but frankly, I trust the guy I bought it from to be as knowledgable and capable as they, so I probably won't ever have to.

I've been playing for about 4 1/2 years. I also own a Jackson, some seriously pointy Kramers, a strat-clone and a no-frills acoustic guitar, the brands of the latter two escape me. Of course the Ric is not an instrument built for mindless shredders like so many of my others, and I don't think of it nor do I play it as such.
My room where I keep my guitars barely has the volume to accomodate another, so there's not much chance of it getting lost, but if it were stolen, I would absolutely buy another, if I could track one down (from someone who wouldn't charge me an arm and a leg and whatever other appendages he desires, that is).
Before buying this guitar, I had tried several others, many acoustic/electrics, which weren't quite what I was looking for. I tried a similar one (semihollow, double-cutaway, 2 pickup thing) made by Dean, i think, which was pretty good, but I tried this one which was about $100 more expensive which had a *much* better feel and tone.
Very few drawbacks, the biggest of which is the big neck, which really isn't that bad a problem, for me at least. Of course it will sound horrendous playing Limp Bizkit or something, but with all due respect, peopke who play music like that are better off butchering an Ibanez or a Schecter 7-string which are so popular among neo-metal "musicians", rather than an instrument of this style and quality.

This is a Rick 360-12, who's serial number runs through the Rickenbacker web site as having been manufactured in January, 1998, and that is how the instrument was sold - as a 1998 model. So far as I know, it is identical to the 2000 model. All Ricks are made from top to bottom in their California plant, save the German-made Schaller tuners. The 300 series have a one-piece top/sides that is routed from a solid block of curly maple (part of the reason they are so expensive - a *whole* lot of curly maple gets routed out to the workbench in making a 360 top). Back is a "just-slightly-less-gorgeous" piece of curly maple, too. Laminated maple and walnut neck and headstock. Bound "cat's-ete" soundhole, and shark tooth inlays for fretmarkers. Rick makes their own pickups, and these are contemporary single coils, quite hot in output. Standard 3-way toggle, with dual tone and volume pots, but with the addition of the fifth knob, a blend control that can be used several different effective ways (more under "Owners Manual", below). All chrome work is *heavily* plated - Rick and G&L are the only two manufacturers I've seen that are still chrome-plating the way it used to be done years ago. Mine came with the original HS case, an SKB that is the best SKB I've seen yet - excellent hardware
and latches. Also included were the original owners manual, wiping cloth, and wrenches. Thereby hangs a tale . . .

I am absolutely convinced that the original owner used this axe as a wall hanger. It simply *had not been played* in the 20 months before I came into possesion of it. Absolutely no fret wear, not even the microfine scratches on the pickguard that occur after the first five minutes of playing. Case/manual/cloth: Ditto. I paid $850 for this guitar, about half of what Rick's factory price is for a new one. A deal? Oh, yes!

I play a lot of 60's, and the Rick 12 is a "de riguer" part of that sound, of course. It is the most unmistakable sound in pop music, and through any good amp (mine is a Fender), it hits you instantly: *That's* the sound, all right. It is very quiet (for a semi-hollow with singles), and a subdued mellowness can be achieved with the fingerbord pickup only, and careful tone control adjustment.
It never, however, loses it's Rick identity - a compliment to the company, IMO. The much-better-than-average owner's manual give three different suggestions for use of the fifth "blend" control, all of which are good. Extremely versatile, for a 12. My "Sound" rating for this category is based on the fact that I bought a 12-string Rick because I specifically wanted the 12-string Rick sound. If you're looking for a comfy, "generic" 12 string electric sound, you probably don't want the Rick, though.

I purchased this guitar from Elderly in Lansing, famous for their setup work. Neck/nut/bridge/intonation setup was flawless, but the bridge pickup was set as low as the fingerboard pickup - much too low. But a few twists of the Phillips head on the pickup height screws, and the sound was perfect. Action is hard to describe - this is the *only* 12 string I have ever played with a six-string neck: Width, thickness, etc. That's a blessing and a curse both. I am fortunate in that I adapt to any neck/fret configuration quickly, (and having played them for years, I knew what I was getting in the Rick 12),
but if you have sloppy technique, this guitar will force you to clean it up in a hurry. Also, Ricks are the only 12 I've seen with the *thicker* of the string pairs closest to the guitarist (the opposite of most 12's). This required me to angle the pick down more for flatpick work to get the full sound, but I adjusted to it OK. General workmanship and materials is absolutely flawless. The people at Rickenbacker take a fierce pride in their work, and it shows, brother.
Again, only G&L and Paul Reed Smith would I put in the same category regarding today's mainstream guitars. There are two Achilles heels to this instrument though, as any Rick owner will tell you. One is the 6-saddle bridge on a 12 string. If you are fortunate enough to have one that intonates perfectly with the six saddle bridge, (some do),you're home free. If not, you either live with it, or buy the 12-saddle bridge from them or one of their suppliers. Rick's price for it is $70, so I'm guessing about $45 street. I may eventually do that - mine's not bad at all, but not perfect either. I agree with the others that feel they should put a 12-saddle bridge on ALL of their 12 strings.

The other rub is the beautiful - but nightmarish to work with - "R" tailpiece. If I may quote John Sessoms, a fellow Rick 12
owner, your best bet before putting on new strings is to "put a piece of sticky tape on the underside of the "R" before restringing. This makes the string slots string 'tunnels' and helps a lot". We won't even talk about restringing the horizontal "in the slot" pegs.
Arrrggghh! Allow three times what you'd normally allow to restring a guitar for restringing this one. They're the only things that pull the score in this category down to an "8".

As solid as an instrument of this type can be - and Harrison says his plays as good as new 35 years later. Since few of us have the wherewithall to own two electric 12's, I would use it without a backup, yes.

No experience there yet, but they get good reviews from most customers. I'm told that the company president is a regular contributor to alt.guitar.Rickenbacker, and has a personal interest in seeing his customers kept happy.

I've been playing 35 years, and have done it all: Rock bands, solo work, pit orchestra, U-name-it. The Rick 12 joins a Gretsch Country Gentleman, G&L S-500 and Fender Jazzmaster in my electric stable. If lost or stolen I'd get another in a minute - it is really nice to finally get something for your own that you have vivid memories of from 30 years ago - and it's just as good as you remember it (that doesn't happen often!) My only dislikes are Rickenbacker's
last-minute stinginess in putting the 6-saddle bridge on it, and restringing it (shudder). But when you come down to it: Would you turn down a guitar that was practically perfect in every other way you wanted just because it was a bitch to restring? No, I wouldn't either! :>)

This guitar was made in 1999. It's a stock Rickenbacker with all the usual features. It has Hi-Gain pick-ups and Shaller tuners. The bodys Maple and it has the "R" tailpiece. It is a beautiful red called Fire-Glo. I bought it used for $900. and it came with a SKB hardshell case.

There is no way to get that "60s 12 string electric sound without owning a Rick 12. I've always loved the sound of Roger McGuinn's songs and this is the only way to get it. It's why I bought it and it delivers.

Who ever set this guitar up knew their stuff. The strings are so low you only have to think about pressing them and they're down. Incredible action. This is a high quality guitar and the bodywork and hardware reflect this. Nothing is low grade,poorly fitted,loose,or rusty. You get what you paid for.

This is a pro's guitar if you can't gig with this one you can't gig with anything.It will hold up. If you don't believe me ask George Harrison. I would put strap locks on it because if you drop it the necks are prone to breaking. The only reason for a backup would be the fact that the strings are very hard to replace quickly.

Contacted Henry McGuinn at customer service about a new pick guard as a replacement for the one his father autographed for me. I got a responce by e-mail within 24 hours. The new guitar warrenty is 5 years from date of manufacture

I just started playing a year ago and own 5 guitars. This one is the gem. If it was stolen I wouldn't replace it because I would track the theif down torture and kill him as slowly as possible. Then I would get everybody with his DNA. Your Rickenbacker is like your kids. You can get a new one but it's never the same. The only thing I wish it had is an on-board compressor. There's something special about owning a Rickenbacker. You tell guitar players you own a Strat and no reaction. Tell them you own a Rick and people are impressed.