Rickenbacker 650C

Pretty straight-forward. Solid maple neck-thru body construction. Nice, fat, but fast neck. Two humbucking Rickenbacker pickups with independent tone/volume controls. Pick-up selector with three positions (bridge, neck, mix). This model comes in two finishes, black or blue. Simple, but well-designed.

Sounds great. It can get as bright or as chunky as it needs to get (or both). It's definitely the straight-up rock guitar as you'd expect Rickenbacker to do it: with no serious weaknesses. It's significantly cheaper than a Les Paul, SG or other guitars it might get compared or A/B-ed with (if you can find one-- waitlist on these is about 18 months nowadays), but in my opinion it sounds a lot nicer than any of them. It's simply got a fuller, more organic sound that pushes mids regardless of the rig it's being played through. The only reason I could see someone foregoing this guitar in favor of something like a Les Paul standard is for heat out of the pickups. The Rick humbuckers are not the gainiest guys in the business. That said, they sound plenty loud and you have no trouble getting a hot sound out of them if they're going through a hot amp. They're also a great deal more versatile than comparable guitars simply because the pickups are extremely transparent as far as humbuckers go, so the knowledgeable guitarist will be able to get them to scream nice and loud, anyway.

This is where Rickenbacker truly shines. They never spare any quality control, even if it's on their cheapest guitar (the 650 models). You'll find yours will almost certainly come with an exquisite setup (and if it doesn't, they'll likely deal with that). The necks on these guys are pretty fat (very fat, actually) but the action is just so damn natural that they'll play faster (and easier as a result of the roomy neck) than any other guitar out there. The frets will be so accurate that you'll feel like the necks made of glass and neck-thru-body is just the icing on the cake.

The maple body makes it tough. Beyond that, these guitars need to be treated with respect just like any other guitars do. But make no mistake, this is the gigging guitar for Rickenbacker. It's a tough, solid-body electric constructed neck-thru out of very dense wood. Just be smart with it and it won't let you down.

Rickenbacker will deliver the best customer service you could expect from a major manufacturer and distributor of guitars. If you get something from them new, it'll come with a good, lengthy, extensive warranty and they will honor it in a timely and conscientious manner. I've always found myself pleasantly surprised by the speed with which they've dealt with my concerns.

For the price you pay, there isn't anything better than this. As I said before, this is also a better guitar from top to bottom than a Les Paul or SG Standard (both cost much more). If you're looking for a versatile rock guitar to gig and/or record with, this is for you. It won't disappoint and unless you're in the market for something truly unique, this is the best factory item you're going to find.

A wonderfully simple guitar: not a lot of bells and whistles, but none are necessary. It is the sound and the feel that does it and made this guitar a must for me. The size IS unusually small, but the extreme lightweight is a delight for such a heavily emotive guitar. The easiest and fastest neck I have ever played -- the highest (20th-24th) frets can be a strain to play or bend, but it is ingratitude to lodge a complaint, given the ease and pleasure of playing all but the highest notes on this guitar.

The range of tones achievable between the two pickups, manipulating the tone control on a clean amp, is unbelievable. I went into Rudy's Guitars in New York shopping for a Les Paul Custom, and prepared to spend upwards of $3,000, and I found this hidden piece of gold among the Rickenbacker semi-hollow bodies. Saving money was not a factor, though I ordered this guitar from Rudy's two days later and saved over $2,000 compared to what I was prepared to spend on a Gibson. It was the sound. I plugged this into a Fender amp and it just seduced me. Deep, rich bluesy sound on the neck pickup; and a more rocking, driving sound on the bridge pickup, but no twang. Incredible all around, from low notes to high.

Best action I have ever played on any guitar in my life. So easy to play, it makes it feel like work to play my (aesthetically far more beautiful) Cherry Sunburst American Deluxe Telecaster. I don't know if the great actions is due to the guitar tech at Rudy's or due to Rickenbaker itself, but I am a happy guy. Finish is so amazing you don't even notice it, it's just a perfect skinny shiny little black guitar.

Haven't abused the guitar yet but all indications are, it can take all the phhysical and emotional abuse anyone could dish out at it. Stays in tune much longer than my American Stratocaster, which has locking tuners.

No contact with Rickenbacker.

Bought my 650C in early 2006. Playing since 1986, mostly on Fender electric and Taylor acoustic guitars. I was in the market for a humbucking pickup electric and had been looking at various Gibson Les Pauls for a long time, with everyu intention of bwaiting for the right one and then pouncing, until I found this baby. Nothing but gratitude, certainly no regrets or misgivings or flaws later found and accepted with resignation. I love the sound, the sound, the sound. Track one of these guitars down and drown your ears in its tone, and you will be converted. I love everything from B.B. King to Radiohead to Janes Addiction to U2 and I never bought a Rickenbacker for the jangly Byrds / Tom Petty / Peter Buck sound, but I bought this one for the sound the humbuckers pull out of this skinny but solid little solidbody. Love it!

2000 Jetglo (gloss black) 650C. All Rickenbackers are made in the U.S.A.
Santa Ana, CA I believe. Even the acoustics (separate shops, though).
24 polished frets on maple fretboard; neckthrough body construction.
Two vol pots; two tone; three-way toggle - all Switchcraft or better.
HB-1 humbucker pickups.
Precision machined top loader 6 roller bridge adjusts for string spacing and intonation.
Schaller tuning machines.
Nut width 1.75"

Versatile from Jazz to Country. Good single coil sounds and noiseless until played!
I use class A tube amps from 15 to 30 watts for Jazz; Blues; R&B; Rock; Pop; Showtunes and Old Standards; and Country. All with this particular guitar.
It has some Ric snarl and growl in there too.
GREAT sustain!

I bought it used. It was well setup and buzz-free with 0.010" - 0.042" strings.
I usually use 10 - 46 nickel wound strings, but sometimes Thomastik-Infeld "Be-Bops" in 11 - 47.
The neck is slightly flexible. It is, after all, 24 frets all clear of the body. I just have to be aware of hand pressure and not pull or push on the neck while playing. Not a big problem. It's just a long neck with access to all frets. I am not a delicate player.

Hell for stout.

Old Rics always look good. They use converter varnish that lets the body vibrate some, but protects.

All components are first class quality.

Maple neckthrough construction, and the bridge has room to adjust for any body deflection as the years pile up. Good design.

I have never had to deal with RIC.

Good reputation for customer satisfaction though.

I bought this used, but I have had a half dozen Rickenbackers over the years. Never had any trouble with any of them.

RIC gives a 5 year warranty from the date of manufacture to the original owner.

Been playing guitar since 1960.
I also have a Heritage archtop.
I would replace it with another Ric 650 series available. I do like the black and chrome. The 650C is available in other colors too.
I like the maple fretboard, and the frets are great.
The HB-1 humbuckers are terrific sounding. I've heard they are sumarium cobalt magnets. I love that they sound clear like single coils, have good output, and are very quiet when idling. Silent even.
The chromed metal pickguard probably adds some sheilding too.
The bridge is comfy, stable, and couples to the body very well, transmitting good energy for a lively feel with good sustain.

There's nothing I don't like about it. I'm not that much on painted guitars (I like to see the wood), but it is attractive enough, and was available cheap. Now it's my #1 player for all kinds of jobs and even couch noodling.
It has enough treble for Country leads, smooth enough for Jazz (even with a 24 fret neck!), it's versatile, easy to get sounds quickly, and fun to play.
A workhorse.

Believe mine is 2000, made in USA 650C Colorado. Completely solid wood - not sure of the wood type of the body though, given the thick Jetglo finish -- some are walnut, others ash, etc. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the 650Cs vary in types of wood. One thing is for sure though: mine has a rosewood neck. Yep, rosewood - even though almost all of these have maple necks. Someone told me that John Hall (CEO of Rickenbacker) said they only made a very few of 650C with rosewood necks, and sold even fewer of them. That makes mine very rare; and considering you rarely see 650Cs anyway, it's even rarer than rare. Cool. Anyway, other features include two special Rick HB pickups, 3-way selector switch; and tone and volum controls for each pup. Mine has the vintage vibrato bridge, which is muy cool. Schaller locking tuners which make string changes fast and easy. And the chrome hardware against the black Jetglo finish make for a very striking, classic yet modern looking guitar that turns heads Exorcist-style. Only thing that could be improved is if it had a bone nut... which one could easily add. Some say they prefer the classic Rick toaster-top single coil pickups... but the HBs sound very good, IMO.

This guitar by all accounts sounds great and is very versatile; but if it's the classic Rick 360 sound your craving, this probably isn't the best choice. This guitar has its own vibe and sound; and although it can jangle, it really doesn't sound like Rick 300 guitars. It's got a wide neck, solidbody neck-through, big frets, and humbuckers. So, it's more like a Les Paul or a PRS than the jangle machines made famous by the Byrds, Petty, and the Beatles. This seems to be Rick's version of a lead/soloist guitar -- and it excels in that regard. Sounds very nice playing leads/solos due to the ease of playing (IMO) and tremendous sustain. (Very akin to Rick 4001/4003 basses in that regard.) Works well with effects and such, and is very versatile -- pop/rock being probably it's strong suit. I use mine in such a band and play it through a 64 Bassman, modded to be very present and chimey on one channel, and like a Marshall JTM on the other. Both sound great with this guitar. But again, it's not a 360 and doesn't really sound like one.

Ricks are great guitars for the money, and setup extremely well from the factory. Action can be set very low; and intonation is extremely accurate. Best of all, it stays in tune - even with use of the vibrato.

Have had mine for several months and have experienced no issues... gig worthy and a pro-grade instrument, for sure.

Rick is a very responsive company, and CEO John Hall often interacts directly with his customers. Commendable.

Overall, an extraordinary instrument that sounds as great as it looks. It's a wonder why these aren't more popular. It's really hard to complain about these at all. If I were, I'd have to mention it's smallish size. It's a full scale instrument, but the small solidbody makes it look a bit shrimpy -- if you're a bigger person, this guitar may make you look even bigger. Of course, John Lennon played a 325 - which is a short scale guitar... so, let's not make more of this than is necessary. I guess what I'm saying is I expected it to be bigger. Oh well. Otherwise, this guitar is one of the best overall values you can buy today - and really unique in its looks, sound, and versatility.

Best guitar for the money among American domestic manufacturers. Mine comes with options: Midnight Blue color (MID), Vintage Pickups (VP), and Vintage Case (UP). Go to the Rickenbacker website to see what all is included. Really worth the visit. www.rickenbacker.com

All hardware is first rate, it's probably the lowest cost heirloom quality guitar you can own. Nobody else who builds in the USA can compare to Rickenbacker when cost is factored in, to my knowledge. If you get the standard case and standard humbucking pickups (which are great, by the way), you can get one for under $900 in the USA. The Dakota and Sierra models are the same guitar, but with a tung oil finish (Sierra has gold hardware). They can be had for around $700-$800 if you mail order, maybe even a bit less.

The 650C series is now available in all standard RIC finishes, not just jetglo. That might not be noted at the RIC website yet. Also, the 650C is lighter than a Les Paul or many other solid body guitars. Good feature for us guys that are middle aged and beyond.

I already had a 650D with humbuckers. Great guitar, but I wanted something different. The vintage pickups are warm sounding for single coils. The right choice for a more bluesy type of tone. Not as quiet as the humbuckers, but not a problem in most cases. Rickenbacker will not let you mix pickup types, you have to change all of them when you order optional pickups. I think the bridge and neck pickups are wound differently, and that's probably the reason why. Buying just one would break up a whole set. You can buy the individual pickups from RIC and make this changeout yourself at a later date. I think they cost around $75-$100, depending on type and plating color. The nice thing about the 650 series is that you can play around with the different pickups, get very different sounds, and still stay with original and unique Rickenbacker parts. Some models do not work well with all the pickups available, I have heard from others, but the solid body 600 series seems to be a real sound chameleon in this regard. Everybody has a different taste when it comes to the sound they are after, and Rickenbacker has made it possible for you to play around with your sound very easily. All the current pickups seem to be the same size, so they change right out with no routing mods to the guitar. Easy job to experiment a bit, if you are a pro looking for something unique. I love the "sounds" of Rickenbacker pickups. Notice I used the plural form, as Rickenbackers do a lot more than a jingle jangle sound in their new models. But you decide for yourself.

I have a Marshall AVT20 and an AVT50. Both combos sound good with the 650 series. Any amp thats good sounds good with the 650 series. No complaints from the sound. The usual response is, "that sounds nice and clear".

It's a Rickenbacker! While you may have a minor issue now and then, nobody to my knowledge has ever gotten a junker from Rickenbacker. There are VERY few manufacturers that I would order a guitar from, sight unseen, knowing I would get a basically good one in every case. Yeah, there is some variation among individual Ricks, but NOTHING like you will see on Fenders and modern Gibsons. RIC finishes are legendary, and the 650 series does not disappoint. Order with confidence. The worst part is the wait.

There is no "perfect" set-up. Rickenbackers can usually achieve a very low action, if that is your bag. Once you set it, you can usually forget it for a long, long time. Do an initial set-up, play it for a while to let the neck settle in, do a final precision set-up, and you're set for years. I find the 650 series very easy to set-up, and very stable with the dual truss rods and precision machined tailpiece. The roller-type string saddles adjust in all three axes. The frets are polished very smoothly, so the strings bend like butter. The Schaller tuners hold a tune well. Anything you adjust seems to stay put. The fret ends will stick out a bit after the neck seasons for a while (all unbound necks seem to suffer from this problem), but that is very easy to correct and I can do that job myself in a few minutes. I have yet to find any serious problems. A first rate and very simple design.

As reliable as any other Rickenbacker. Professional gig quality all the way. No custom guitar at any price is more reliable, to my knowledge. Never heard any major complaints regarding reliability. Too soon to tell the durability of the finish, but Ricks of the past always had durable finishes. Comes with a polishing cloth and instructions on how to maintain the finish, and on a guitar finish this good, I think that any reasonable person would want to.

I am not a pro, but if I HAD to use a guitar without a backup, Rickenbacker would be at the top of my short list. I think I could fix almost any problem that would show up on the road. It's a simple guitar design. Rickenbacker uses a REAL STEEL control mounting plate/pickguard on the 650 series where others use flimsy plastic that often cracks after years of use. Something serious like a warped neck is almost unheard of in a Rickenbacker, unless an idiot with ten left thumbs screws around with the dual truss rods or botches up a repair or modification.

I would rate the 650 series as Rickenbacker's toughest and most reliable guitar, based on how it is built.

This is hard to rate. Never dealt with the comapny on a repair issue. Your warranty kicks in on the date of manufacture, not the date of purchase, so beware. Might want to do a serial number check and nail down the manufacturing date before purchase. I think the first two numbers denote the year of manufacture on recent production. All warranty repairs authorized by RIC are carried out at the factory. There is NO network of authorized service centers. It's not worth postage and loss of your guitar for a good while to have minor issues attended to by RIC, so in that regard it is worthless. I suggest buying your guitar from a reputable dealer like Rhoads Music, The Rickenbacker Page, North Coast Music, or Pick of the Ricks if you must mail order. They can check out the guitar before shipping it to you, and take care of minor issues. Have minor issues attended to by a local luthier or just do it yourself if you are capable.

I have heard that Rickenbacker does great work on major repairs, but that will rarely be an issue with a Rick, unless you are the type of person that gets hit by lightning, steps in quicksand, bitten by poisonous snakes, rear-ended by Peterbilts, and such. If that describes you, then RIC has a great warranty and service according to customers that have posted here. I just wouldn't know, personally, and doubt that I ever will.

I'm going to rate it a 7, but as I said, this is very variable depending on the situation. You foreign guys just have to rely on your importer/distributor/dealer for any warranty issues and the support you get. The guitar itself will be solid, so what you see/hear is what you get.

For me, it is perfect. A custom quality instrument without the super high price tag. Affordable to the point that a person could own several in different pickup configurations and colors to cover many different bases, while maintaining a familiarity of feel. That is important to me. I want a lot of different sounds, but don't want to have to change to a lot of different feeling and very expensive guitars to get those sounds. Life is too short for crappy guitars and bad sound, and most of us here cannot afford the guitars turned out by small custom shops. The Rickenbacker 650 Series simply devastates the competition in this regard. I hope Rickenbacker keeps carrying the torch for a long, long time, as I plan on being a repeat customer.

This guitar is incredible: American made, 24 frets, two ric humbuckers maple neck and mahogony body, jet glo finish (looks beautiful) 620 body style (also looks beautiful) set bridge, a one peice body two volume and two tone knobs, and a three way selector switch. This guitar is loaded with features and tone

This suits my style perfect (mello rock) I play through a fender stage 160 with a big muff distortion and 5 or 6 single effect pedals (mostly boss) The amp doesn't make any noise and hs an incredibly full sound you can go from a trebly strat like sound to a bass filled les paul like sound and it sounds great through my big muff

the guitar was set up great the action is really low nd the pickups are awesome. the tuning pegs are great and the guitars stays in tone forever i couldn't find a single flaw

I am a very emotional player and my guitars get beat on during performances. This guitar has withstood. I've never had a problem with it and it stood up perfectly (execpt for some minor scratches, but that's what you get with a black guitar

never dealt with em

I have been playing guitar for 5 years and this is my third guitar. My old guitars were cheap strat ripoffs and it is great to finnally own a real guitar. I tried out tons of other guitars and fell in love with this one after one look i would definite replace if it was stolen my only wish is that the body was slightly bigger

allright, its american made, i think its a 2001 model. 24 frets etc etc etc.. same specs as the dude that reviewed this before me. It fits me perfectly

I play anything from mellow rock?? to metal. the band i'm in i guess is mellow rock.. its hard to describe, i guess on the idea of pink floyd but totally diffrent. it fits my style really well, its good for metal but its really bassy and doesnt have that typical metal sound but i like that, but alot of people probley wouldnt prefer it. its a really good guitar for clean and light distortion, has a really full sound. I use a JCM 2000 head with a jcm 900 cab, and it sounds great, but if you go crazy with the bass on the EQ your guarenteed a crappy sound, you gotta allways have the bass turned down on this baby cause its so bassy.

the guitar was set up well but not to my liking, i keep 10 gauge strings on it with low action, thats just the way i like it. it came from the factory in very good condition but.. when i bought it some dipshit put a huge scrach in the back by accedent so i got the guitar for 800 instead of 1100!!!!!!! but that was some moron's fault from guitar center.

I use this guitar at every show i've played since i got it, it rocks hard and allways holds up, the hardware is pretty good, i mean the tunners rock and everything else on it is damn solid.

i've been been playing for 5 years, i'm 17 and in a band thats been playing some pretty decent sized clubs latley. i've owned 5 guitars, all crappy japanese or korean made guitars, this is my first real guitar and boy is it great owning it. This guitar has a VERY unique sound that some people might not apprieciate, especialy for metal or anything loud like that, its more of a guitar for rock and softer music, which is more my bag anyways. I kinda suck at writting reviews but i know my shit, this is definatly a good guitar.

USA made, 1996 24 fret Colorado 650 model, basic body shape is 620 style, without body bindings. The body has Strat front and back contours and is superthin (thickest part is slightly more than an inch). The body is made out of walnut (?), with jetglo finish. The neck and headstock are jetglo, and the fretboard is like a '70's Fender, i.e., lacquered maple with black dotmarkers, and unlike typical Rics, has a nut width that is closer to Fender than the traditional narrow Ric-style width. The tuners are Schaller minis, the pickguard is chrome-plated metal, as are the 2 vol/2 tone controls and 3-way pickup selector toggle (all mounted on pickguard). The pickups are the Ric humbucking "single-coil voiced" pickups, with the traditional chrome-ring surround. The bridge/tailpiece function as one-unit; it is similar to the flat, Schaller-style 6-saddle roller bridge-tailpiece; each roller acts as the saddle, and, can be adusted up, down, and sideways. The bridge is solid chrome-plated. The neck runs through the body, and the neck heel is contoured, unlike the traditional square RIC style neck heels of the past. Black/silver trussrod cover.
This model is an exceptionally light, strong guitar, rather plain, but overall it is of high worksmanship. The body and neck contours are really unique; they are more flowing than what you find on a Fender product.
It's a sleek baby.

The humbuckers on the guitar are similar to the P100 pickups of the Gibson guitars; they are true humbuckers, but they are not overpowering, and, Ric decided to limit their output to keep a "Ric-Like" single coil jingle-jangle sound. The sound is very different from a Strat, Tele, or traditional 620 RIC. The pickups are super-silent, no squeal or hum whatsoever. I would have liked more humbucker output from this kind of guitar, even in the form of active pickups, where you could keep the RIC sound and then shift to something more powerful with a push-pull or selector switch. Perhaps RIC will think about doing this; I think it would increase the tonal range of the instrument and make it appeal to more people.
That's really my only gripe. Otherwise, this guitar plays some soulful leads and excels at pop and rock. With overdrive and other pedals, you can thrash and trash, too. This guitar has the best sustain of any guitar I've tried, including LPs. That's because the neck runs straight through the body, like the RIC 4000 basses.
The guitar covers a lot of tonal bases.

No flaws whatsoever. Best neck in the business. The action is superfast; RIC finally found a way to combine the traditional fast action with sufficient string spacing to play leads. Beautiful action for chords, too. The neck thickness is on the lean side, but highly comfortable. The action can be adjusted very easily with the Schaller-style bridge and dual trussrod. I like the feature of string-spacing adjustment -- you can roll the roller bridge saddle towards the treble or bass side and increase or decrease the spacing of each string relative to its next buddy.

I've banged the headstock into the ceiling and the paint showed no damage whatsoever. It's as durable as a Strat.

RIC is usually helpful, and their warranty is brief (5 years, compared to Gibson's lifetime warranty) but they stand by their product.

The only real gripe is the pickup output; hotter pickups, or the ability to "boost" the signal via an active circuit/battery setup, would have been the bees knees.
RIC offers the 650 model in a variety of finishes (Atlantis: Turquoise/Natural; other models come in oil-rubbed walnut or other darkgrained woods with gold hardware). A Schaller-style bridge with tremolo is an option from the factory ($150 bucks); that might make this guitar more interesting than the hardtail version I have.