Rickenbacker 360

2003 Made in the U.S.A Rickenbacker 360 Jetglow(black). Came standard with a hardshell case. High Gain single coil Pickups, hollow body, ric-o-sound etc. Alot of cool features including the ric-o-sound and the dual trust rods.

Im into soundgarden, tool, hendrix, pearl jam, ac-dc...basically hard rock...so most people would not expect the ric from me, instead more of what i normally use, the SG. But i would take the ric over any guitar any day. This guitar gets an amazing clean sound(of course)..but i use it more with distortion, it sounds so cool and unique. Being in a band that does some cover music, i have played alot of different types of music and this guitar works great with all of it. I use a Peavey Ranger 212, 120 watt tube amp, and it sounds amazing through it.

When i first picked up this guitar i couldnt believe how perfect it was already set up, the action was comfortable and the neck felt great. The finish is amazing looking, this guitar gets the ladies looking just becuase it is so good looking. This guitar is so perfect right now being new that i will probably cry when i get my first ding.

I havent had this guitar too long but long enough to know that its not as delicate as many think. Basically i wouldnt go throwing this guitar around but i wouldnt worry too much about it. Besides the durability the reliability is very good. I have not had a single problem and other people i know that own a ric havent had problems either.

The warranty is five years long, but only one year for the paint and finish. Other than that i havent had to deal with the company yet.

I have been playing guitar for about 5 years now, I have owned a telecaster, and i still own a gibson SG, but this ric is the best thing i have ever owned. I have been looking for a guitar to buy for about 3 years, and i played many guiars over and over again, and this is the one i got becuase it just had something special about it that no other guitar had. Also the fact that it was fairly priced for such an amazing guitar. I agree with Tom Petty in saying that these guitars are beyond normal guitars, and are more peices of art.

1992 Rickenbacker 360 deep rich fireglow made in the USA.
All maple bound body and neck, with highly polished rosewood fretboard.
Schaller tuners, R tailpiece, ric-o-sound, 2 high gain pickups,
2 volume/tone, blender knob.

played through an ampeg 212 reverberocket.
guitar just chimes on clean channel.
gets a wonderful gritty sound when you turn up the gain.
chords don't seem to get muddy...
this rick is not as bright as others i've played (not a bad thing)
i also don't think it has a limited sound...
i can get country twang
brit pop
stonesy rock...etc.

bought guitar used at action music in arlington, va.
(one of the best guitar shops i've ever been to?based mostly on their customer service).
guitar was set up perfectly (for me)...very low action...
0ver 10 years old and looks brand new...
finish is perfect
i think the sharkfin shaped inlays are a bit sloppy (uneven with too much fill)
hardware still shines
nice silver case

rickenbackers are solid, well built instruments...
nice wood and sturdy hardware...
just don't give pete townsend one...

never dealt with them...
i think there warranty is a bit lame though...

had the guitar for about 2 weeks...think i'll keep it...
i've tried and owned quite a few rickenbackers but this one just works for me...
i really like playing it (they way it sounds, the way it feels)
though, again, i think they did a poor job on the neck inlays and dot markers on the side of the neck...just very sloppy...
i also have a 660 rickenbacker 12 string...

2002 Rickenbacker 360, jetglo, with vintage pickup option, made in the USA, of course. All maple body and neck, with highly polished rosewood fretboard. Schaller tuners, R tailpiece, ric-o-sound, 2 pickups, 2 volume/tone, blender knob.

I didn't really think these pickups would be that different from the hi-gains, but man was I wrong! This thing chimes like nothing else! Beautiful, beautiful sound, just what I've always wanted. I had a 330 with hi-gains, and it was also a very nice guitar. It had what I would call a "dry" Rickenbacker sound. Very little sparkle or chime, but still could cut through anything. The hi-gains were also louder and much better with distortion than the toasters. However, I think you get THE Rickenbacker sound with the toasters. There is no comparison. For $100 more, I got the authentic vintage sound I've always wanted. Absolutely perfect!

No flaws, that I can see. It's black though, so it's bound to show every little smudge and fingerprint. That's ok, though, because it looks killer! Most people wouldn't know it from John Lennon's 325. It also plays like a dream. Neck is nice and smooth, a bit fatter than the one on my old 330, but that's ok, this is better. It really is the most comfortable Rickenbacker you can play.

Rickenbackers seem very fragile, but I don't think that they are. It's not a solidbody, so you do have to be somewhat careful with it. Everything seems to be very solid, though, so I have no worries. I would use it without a backup, no question about it.

Haven't dealt with the company....haven't had to. I also have a 370/12, and have had no problems with it, either.

I've been playing for 17 years, now. I also have a Ric 370/12-string with hi-gains, a Gibson Les Paul Special w/humbuckers, a Martin D-15, a Yamaha APX4A acoustic/electric, a Rogue violin bass, a MIM Fender Telecaster, a Danelectro Baritone, a Fender American Standard Precision Bass, and a Gretsch 6119-HT Tennessean re-issue. I absolutely love this guitar! I'm even considering selling my 370/12 and getting one with the toaster pickups. They are that good, trust me! If anyone stole this.....well, it won't happen, because I won't let it out of my sight. I wish the black finish didn't smudge so easily, but I can deal with it since it look so good. Excellent guitar from Rickenbacker!

This is a new Rick, fire burst, standard features including two single-coil pickups, two volume, two tone, small blemding knob, rick-o-sound and standard jacks. Schaller tuners, overall excellent parts & features.

I play lots of styles of rock, almost exclusively studio work these days. At home I use a Mesa-Boogie 22 watt and a Tech 21 10 watt. In the studio I generally play through a 5 watt tube amp, miked, sometime s with a Pod, J-Station, or other outboard effects. But the main thing is the standard sound of the Rick - nothing else sounds like it. It is also capable of a very good variety of sounds, but that strummed, open crystalline Rick sound is the reason I purchased it. It is slightly noisy though, like most single-coil guitars. I would give the sound a 10 for character, but I had to subtract slightly due to the noise.

This is a brand-new guitar, and it is flawless. Parts, finish, fit, etc. all top-notch. The setup was OK, but I changed strings from 9's to 10's so I had to do a little adjusting (very little, actually).

Well-made instrument. I'm confident that it will perform & last well. I do take good care of my instruments, though I often dream about arriving at a gig and finding my guitar neck broken. Anxiety? Hopefully not a premonition. The Rick looks and feels like it will outlast me.

Have not needed to deal with them.

I have been playing guitar for over 30 years, and someday I hope to get it right. I have a PRS, a 70s Fender Lead I, a Gibson Melody Maker, Carvin fretless bass, and a couple of cheap bargain guitars. The Rickenbacker occupies its own territory, and has its own personality. I would certainly replace it but hope I never have to. The Rick is all about sound - it's unique.

Standard Rickenbacker 360/6 Mapleglo finish,top quality hard case supplied-the rest you know/read before.

Perfect-what more can you say?.I mostly play rhythm and this is the perfect guitar for it. A multitude of tones can be achieved by experimenting with amp/guitar settings -from solid crunch/distortion to the trademark 'chime/jangle' sound that could make a grown man cry with it's clarity of tone.I play my Ricky through a Vox Cambridge 30W twin-a perfect combination, and sometimes through my Marshall 15W Valvestate-good for when i want some heavier sounds.I use the fifth(mixer) knob a lot to get the tone/sound i require, but have not tried the rick-o-sound option yet

Perfect-straight from the box, plugged in and strummed-no string buzz/pick-up probs/rough frets.etc- An immaculate finish.

It should last a lifetime if you take good care of it-i recommend purchasing strap locks, just to be on the safe side. Overall a top quality/trustworthy guitar.

Brand new-so no contact yet as such-i did find the Rickenbacker website helpfull for info/history on the various models.

Been playing now for 5 years-i also own a Yamaha MSG deluxe and a Yamaha APX6-NA-but my 'Ricky' is my fav. The sounds, looks, build quality, playability are perfect. If it was legal over here in Scotland i'd marry it, and if i ever lost it-i'd goto prison because of what i'd do to the guy that nicked it.

Made in the USA ( the Rickenbacker factory is actually about three miles from my house!). Not exactly sure about the year, I would guess late '90's. Solid maple semi-hollow design. Two high-output single coil pickups (high output in comparisson to Rickenbacker's vintage "toaster" pickups). Two tone and volume controls with a pickup blend knob (that small knob at the rear). Standard and Ric-o-Sound (stereo) inputs. High gloss Jetglow (black) finish. Non-locking Schaller tuners. Thin vintage-style neck with small vintage-style frets. Mine came with a beautiful black tolex case with a deep blue lining.

Rickenbacker 360's have a unique, instantly recognizable tone. "Jangly" is a cliche description, but it does fit. Through my Fender '63 Vibroverb R.I. this guitar sounds heavenly. The neck pickup is warm yet articulate. It can produce mellow, jazzy tones or rich, biting blues tones if you add a bit of overdrive. Plenty of bass, but never muddy. The bridge pickup is much thinner sounding compared to the neck pickup. I had to lower the neck pickup slightly in order to balance the output between the two. Add some overdrive to the bridge pickup and you get a nice bright, cutting sound that is great for rhythm and vintage-style lead tones(think Paul Weller's tone on the early Jam records). The middle position combo of the neck and bridge pickups is, in my opinion, THE classic Rickenbacker tone and one of the greatest ever guitar tones, period. To say that it is complex would be an understatement. Through a clean tube amp, this pickup setting produces a pure, bell-like tone that is a perfect balance between smooth and bright. I have never heard another brand of guitar that can achieve this particular tone. Add some tremolo, and it will make you weep. If you want to nail Peter Buck's chiming tone on the early REM records, look no further. Add a little dirt, and you can get those cool Fogerty tones, too. Sometimes, I run my 360 in stereo through my Vibroverb and a Laney LC15. There are alot of cool options when you use the stereo output and run through a splitter box. This is a very cool feature.

Overall, the guitar is very well made. However, mine has a few minor flaws. There are some cracks in the fretboard binding near the bottom of the neck on the right side. Luckilly, they are not visible from the playing position. Also, two of the frets past the 12th fret were not completely leveled properly. This caused two dead spots on the high e (first) string. I fixed this problem easily by slightly filing down the right sides of these frets. Otherwise top notch action, fit and finish. I bought this guitar used, but the owner hardly used it. I lowered the action slightly and that was it. The intonation was dead-on as was the neck relief. After 2 years, I still haven't had to make any truss rod adjustments (the neck is equipped with 2 truss rods). This is a beautiful looking guitar!

This is a very high-quality well-built guitar that should last forever if you take care of it. It is somewhat fragile due to its hollow body construction and set-neck design. You can't just throw around this guitar like a Tele, but it shouldn't give you any problems as long as you are careful with it(no Townshend immitations!).The hardware is very good and the Schaller tuners are smooth and accurate. The strap buttons look cool but I would install strap locks if you plan on playing this guitar live.

Haven't needed to deal with the company.

I own alot of other guitars (Fenders, Gibsons, G&L, Gretsch) and I can say that the 360 is unlike any one of them. This is a truly unique guitar, both visually and sonically. The neck is more suited to rhythm playing because it is somewhat narrow and the frets are rather thin and flat. Bending is not as easy as on guitars with fatter, taller frets, but definately possible, especially if you have smaller hands (like me). This guitar is not for everyone, but that's one of the main reasons why it is so cool. Its not a conformist!

Standard Ric 360.Sturdy case, beatuiful instrument.

I purchased this guitar after 3 months of searching many many music stores. I played at least 200 guitars in the price range. A salesman at a favorite music store told me he had a Rickenbacker 360 in the back that was on hold for someone else,but i could try it. That day changed my life. Never in my dreams could I imagine an instrument so smooth. I held it in my hands for only 2 seconds before I knew my search was finially over. I ordered one the next week. I am very happy and convinced this is my perfect guitar.

WOW---PERFECT----WOW

I needed to find a guitar that I will grow old with.I have purchased my final guiar. I will never be in the market for another guitar.

never delt

Ok I have playd almost everything before purchasing. The runner up was a G&L semi-hollow tele style (very nice) Tone wise,cannot match. As far as finish goes nothing comes close. All my equiment is insured. I would get another. Strap Locks are a must. Uses Schaller. This guitar lives in it's very sturdy case and is only removed 3-5 hours daily for exercise. Then carefully polished and returned. Very fine instrument.

1991. 24 Frets. All Ric Stock features. If Rickenbackers were cars, they would be Volvos...no nonsense, narrow market, perfect everything, unique marketing and does not manufacture their product based on meeting competing company's initiatives. There. The Red paint on this guitar looks like a mile deep.

As a chunky rhythym player, it kicks ass and no, I don't have do Beatles, R.E.M., etc., I get everything out of this thing. I run it through a Fender Ultimate Chorus, so obviously, the Ric is not running at full pop. It's probably like running your Volvo without a couple of spark plugs. I am not pro anymore, but when I do get asked to gig, it's often: "definitely bring your Rickenbacker!". This from non-guitarists. I am known to come play with a Gibson ES-150, Les Paul 25/50 and a old Tele, but no...bring the Ric, they say, bring the Ric! It's obviously better than I am. The Ultimate Chorus does though allow the Ric to have the 12-string brightness with the Chorus ON.

Action perfect for me and to everyone who picks this guitar up. The fit and finish are flawless. I actually have seen so many Fire-Glo Rics, that I am sick of them (sorry George), so this torch red version seems very rare and easy to keep shiny.

I don't know why this guitar screams "fragile" by the feel, but when I look at my collection of "rugged" fenders, they are worse for the wear. The Ric is already 11 years old, but looks new and fools the casual observer. I can conclude that it is more durable than it appears. I loaned this Ric to a touring pro about 5 years ago. It was gone for about a year. While I have heard rave reviews about what it did for this guy's band from numerous people, the guitar looks like it never left it's case. (I was lucky, but I have grown to rely on this guitar so much, it is never leaving my hands again.)

Owned since 1993, but never a problem...wrote for an owner's manual as I bought used, got a current (wrong year) owner's manual promptly in the mail...no charge...plus I am in Canada. They did NOT ask for a dime.

I have been playing since 1964 @ 7 years old, why I still do not play well is confusing. I collect and trade (not sell), because it is more fun than dealing. I have all the popular stuff. Growing up, I was considered weird as I played a Gretsch Duo-Jet and not a "whatever". I was laughed at for declaring my goal as someday having a Rickenbacker. "Are you nuts?...why not a Strat/SG/Tele/Les Paul?". Well I loved the Sound of the Rics from Johns Kay, Fogarty and Lennon, George Harrison, Pete Townshend and Roger McGuinn (although he should have practiced that solo in Eight Miles High before hitting the record button). Finally, when I brought a Ric 325 into the band, I was actually disappointed, wrong model I guess. When I play with the Ric now, I have audience approaching me with comments about the sound of this thing. I am also surprised of the non-guitar people who will comment that I have John Lennon's guitar. Well, John never played a 360, nor did he ever play a fire-engine red guitar, but this comment is frequent...go figure. A Rickenbacker, regardless of model or year, is still one of life's really good deals!

The 360 has a maple body and neck, with a rosewood fretboard. It has a really nice finish on the fretboard. The wood that can be seen through the finish looks very nice too. The inlays are not mother of pearl, actually they're plastic, but it looks fine. Good enough for Peter Buck of R.E.M. This a thinline semi-hollow body, with binding around the neck and body, also on the slash f-hole. 24 frets, schaller tuners, 2 high gain pickups. There are two tone and volume controls plus a fifth knob for more tone control. I never use it except to make the middle pickup selection more trebly (by turning the fifth knob clockwise.) This guitar has a big round neck and a thin width to the fretboard, the frets themselves are easy to slide over. Very nice playing neck and comfortable body. I give it a 10, though it doesn't have tons of features, what it has is perfect for me.

This is a great sounding guitar. I play through a Fender Vibro Champ, usually with no effects, except maybe chorus. It has a great clean tone, contrary to what some people say. A good example of its clean tone can be heard on records by Fugazi. (Also, on their new album The Argument you can hear the beautiful lead sounds they get from it.) They use a 330, which is similar to this except 15% larger in the hollow body department. It's very bright but has some sustain and is not just a piercing, harsh, Mexican strat type sound. I hate to use this word but it is LUSH sounding on the chords. The bridge setting is biting and the neck setting is full, although it is still pretty bright for a neck setting. It is pretty hard to describe the sound of this guitar. The most remarkable sound that I've gotten out of it is on the middle pickup selection, using both pickups, with the Vibro Champ turned up to 8, 9, or 10. It has an incredible bass sound to it, but also extremely jangly. It's a jangly yet crushing distorted sound. It seems like this guitar is well suited to amps with 6v6 tubes. Played it through a silverface Super Reverb (6L6 tubes) and it sounded like the perfect guitar for dub reggae along the lines of Augustus Pablo. If you are even remotely interested in this guitar you should try one out through an old Fender amp and see what you think. It gets a good range of sounds, of course it won't sound like a guitar with humbucking pickups. Fugazi sounds great because they use a harsh distortion/lush clean Rickenbacker in conjunction with an SG for crunch. This is an excellent rhythm guitar and also good for lead, despite what people say. The band The F**king Champs lists it on their album liner notes (where they include what equipment they use.) They used it with a Marshall (like Fugazi) and get good video game music sounding metal leads from it. (Apparently the guitarist uses a Yamaha synth device.) Radiohead uses this guitar too, apparently. It's good for all kinds of "art rock" applications. The notes on the higher frets have weird rings and sustain to them, like on an acoustic guitar. (With distortion it sounds crazy, I know all guitars do that on the high frets but this one has a unique sound to it.) Kind of a smooth sounding guitar for one with single coils. Pretty incredibly good all around. But I can't do it justice with my description, you have to play one to see what you think. You could easily find a $400 guitar that you preferred to this. A guitar is a guitar, as Nels Cline says it's "the notes you play and how you touch the instrument" that matters, and they all sound like guitars when you come down to it. That said, with the middle pickup selection and the fender amp turned up, it chugs in a way foreign to most rock music. Practically sounds like a snare when you palm mute fast chords and un-mute for explosive emphasis, remotely comparable to Shellac. This guitar is not really going to sound like a jazz guitar or a les paul but it does what it does extremely well. I give it a 10 because it has a unique sound and that sound is extremely good to my ears, and it can do alot of variations on the sound it gets.

What is going on with the g string tuners? The ric 220 I used to own had that tuner FALL OFF of its own volition. This expensive, new guitar, from a respectable company, also had the g tuner loosen on its own. This is kind of strange. But the action was great when I got it and still is. Everything else is fine and will probably last forever. I've had it for over a year and people think it looks like a vintage one, except in the condition of a new guitar. But due to the mysterious tuning peg failure I have to give it a 7.

I use strap locks, it seems slightly unreliable in the strap-staying-on department and a dropped one would not look pretty. Everything on it seems like it will last forever, although I wonder what was going on with the tuning pegs. This bridge is not too friendly to people like myself who are not "technically adept."

Only had one contact through email, they were helpful.

I've been playing this nonstop for over a year and I love it. I've been playing for about 9 years, not really seriously but very obsessively. It's conducive to just messing around and being mesmerized by how amazing it sounds.Itdidgive me some problems with the tuning pegs and once I tried to adjust the bridge (stupidly) and that caused me some distress. I wish I had a fireglo or midnite blue one sometimes but that is pretty unimportant. This one looks impressive too, and is more hardcore looking since it is black. There are alot of rickenbackers out there, this might not be the one for you. It's great but I want many more Ricks. Particularly the 481, that's insane, also probably cheaper than this one. If you want a rick, maybe you don't want this one, because it won't do the crunch that most people deep down really want to play. There are ricks that do that out there. But this does what it does really well. Of course I want dozens more guitars but this one will do fine. It is not that expensive and will last you forever and sound vastly better than most guitars you would walk into a store and play. Also, PM Blues Guitar Heaven in Pawtucket, Rhode Island is a great store. They were helpful when I told them what was wrong with the tuning peg. Of course I never bothered to go and have them fix it but they were friendly about it and inspire alot of confidence. It is great but I could never be happy with just one guitar. But it is stil great. It deserves a 10 for playing, sounding, and looking great. (tuning peg problem being completely ignored in this equation because I have such a love for the instrument.)

A 360 fireglow (1995) semi. this guitar has 2 more frets than most electrics which is useful. I love how the neck is higher than the body which give you alot of room to attack from the bass E which makes it great for rhythm. It's a guitar, how many features does it really need?

This is why I like this guitar - it has a really amazing tone - there is so much personality to it. It isn't as quiet as a Tele USA standard, but it is all part of this retro sounding axe. It has this gritty sound which is perfect for rock distortion and subtle overdrive. though I wouldn't recommended it for very very clean sounds, it gives a clean channel a little bit of overdrive which takes away the clinical sound of digital amps and adds personality to any amp. this guitar isn't for metal or pop but anything inbetween. it is an amazing rhythm guitar and is also good for riffs etc. but isn't as good for lead (lead is quite hard to play on it). Brilliant.
i would give this a 10 for how i use it and a 9 for being the only guitar in your set up.

the only thing i don't like is the fretboard, as it is mahogany(?) which isn't as good as maple.
the build quality isn't great (the neck isn't very tighly attached), but it isn't going to be as strong as a solid body guitar.
i'd give it 10 for playability as it's addictive.

this guitar is used by so many famous people at gigs (e.g. my fave. radiohead). i've never had any problems with it in 3/4 year, for gigs and recording. i'd trust it with my life.

5 year warranty

i own a USA Tele Standard, i've played Strats alot (not to my liking), i've been on LP Standards and for rhythm and character this has been the best.