Rickenbacker 660/12

Brand new 660-12 in Jetglo (Gloss Black), an absolutely beautiful guitar. Made near the end of 2005 in the USA. If you're checking this review, I'm sure you know what you're looking at but I'll give it a quick rundown. This is pretty much the top of the line in many ways, with a combination of fantastic features.

This is a solid body Rickenbacker 12 string guitar. It has 2 volume, 2 tone and 1 blend controls. Pickups are 2 single-coil vintage toaster top Rickenbacker pickups. Body is maple, neck is also maple with a rosewood fingerboard. The neck scale is 24 and 3/4", The fretboard is marked with the full-width triangle inlays, the body has checkerboard binding and the neck has solid white binding. The fingerboard is wider than standard Rickenbacker 12 strings, and the space is very much welcome and comfortable.

The finish is Rickenbacker's beautiful glassy Jetglo. The body style is referred to as the "Cresting Wave" seen on the 660, 620 and other 600 series guitars. This model is accentuated by having gold 2-level pickguards and a gold nameplate, so its a very posh looking instrument.

The bridge is Rickenbacker's 12 saddle style for separate intonation for each string, which is a great thing as most of their 12 strings have a 6 saddle bridge. The tuners are Schaller vintage types. The tailpiece is the vintage "trapeze" style, not the stylized "R". Allegedly the trapeze tailpiece is more sturdy than the "R" which has been reported to snap. I prefer the look of the "R" but I was told that the trapeze is actually much easier to re-string.

The guitar comes with the standard black Rickenbacker case containing keys, a polishing cloth, warranty card and current catalog.

I love the classic 12 string sound, and this is the third 12 string electric that I've owned. The first was a beautiful Rickenbacker 370-12WB that had high-gain pickups on it. Plain and simple, you can't get the classic Rickenbacker 12 string sound out of those pickups. The other problem I had with that guitar is that my fingers wouldn't fit comfortably across the standard Rickenbacker fretboard. I had a Brownsville 12 string after I sold the Rickenbacker - it was alright but it wasn't a Rickenbacker. So my problem was that I wanted a Rickenbacker with a wider fretboard and vintage pickups. The 660 solves both of those problems.

So, if you're looking for THAT sound, this is the guitar for you. I was a little worried about having a solidbody 12 string, as the classic sound of The Beatles and The Byrds and all the other bands using that sound were pretty well created on the semi-hollow models. No such worries now that I've played it - this guitar chimes like its supposed to.

I play the 660-12 through either a Vox or a Marshall and it sounds brilliant through both of them. For an extra treble boost I'll turn on my Janglebox, but that's not always necessary. So yes, you get that bright and chimey sound that you're looking for if you are buying a Rickenbacker 12 string.

The one thing I found brilliant about my earlier Rickenbacker 12 string was how great it sounded when played with overdrive or distortion. The 660-12 is good too, but the vintage toaster tops aren't quite as suited to an overdriven or distorted sound as a model equipped with high-gain pickups. Still, there are a lot of useable sounds you can get with this guitar - it is definitely NOT a one trick pony.

Everything about a Rickenbacker is top notch. This is my fourth Rickenbacker and I honestly believe that they have no peer when it comes to the action, fit and finish of their guitars. I have Fenders and a Gibson, and tried many other guitars. Rickenbacker is the tops in my books. All 4 of my Rickenbackers have been perfectly set up and adjusted with absolutely the best finish there is.

As I mentioned this is my 4th Rickenbacker. I wouldn't hesitate to play it live as they are built to last, and the finish on a Rickenbacker puts that on other guitars to shame. They are like mirrors, and very dent resistant. No worries about the reliability or durability here. As for gigging without a backup, I don't gig so its not a concern. I would think everyone would have a backup guitar of some kind.

I've dealt with Rickenbacker many times over the 10 years I've owned them. I've received emails answering my questions each time I've asked them. On occasion, Rickenbacker CEO John Hall himself has answered my questions. I have heard stories about bad customer service, but my experience has shown the good people at Rickenbacker to provide exemplary customer support. I've never had an issue with one of their guitars, and they answer questions very promptly and accurately. Check out the Rickenbacker website forums, and you'll a CEO actively participating, offering advice and on occasion questioning why some of his products are offered. Mr. Hall does not like his guitars with 3 pickups, and his favorite 12 string is the 660-12. What higher recommendation do you need?

I've been playing for about 25 years. I've owned about 9 or 10 guitars over the years, and I currently have 8 - 2 Rickenbackers, 1 Gibson and 5 Fenders. I've had 2 Marshall, 2 Fender and 2 Vox amps and a lot of different pedals. I'm a guy who, like most of you out there, is a guitar junkie.

A lot of people simply don't like Rickenbackers. They don't like the lacquered fingerboard, the neck or the small frets. A lot of people they think they only do 1 thing. Most people I've talked to over the years have never actually tried a Rickenbacker, as they can be tough to track down.

If you shop around, you can find a brand new Rickenbacker 330 or 360 for around $1000-1100 US dollars. The 660-12 is more expensive and harder to find, but is still a bargain at $1400. In my opinion, you absolutely cannot find another guitar with this level of workmanship, quality and tone for that kind of money. That's the price of an American Series Fender, or half of a Gibson Les Paul and neither of them come close to matching the quality of a Rickenbacker.

On occasion I try every guitar I own and rate them in terms of the best sound clean and distorted, and my Rickenbackers come out on top every time. They are way more versatile than the other guitars I own because they sound good under every circumstance. Run them through a Marshall, a Fender or whatever amp you want and they sound fantastic.

If you have never tried one, you're cheating yourself. Find one, try one, buy one if you can. Then again, maybe you shouldn't - you'll only make it harder for those of us who love them to find ones we want. Now that the wait time for some models is over 2 years, that could be a really bad thing.

it was made in 2004. very beautiful tiger maple or flamed laminated. two toaster PUs. with each having tone and volume control. A three way selector
switch, and a blend control knob to blend the two PUs. 1 3/4 inch width maple neck and fretboard. comes with a classic case. It has all the features you need.

It sounds fantastic and perfect for my style of folk and folk rock. I work with women singers at this time, with three part harmonys. We do alot of Dylan and folk songs. The ric is inspring to hear for all involved. I use fender tube
amps a DR, champ and a princeton with speaker upgrades. I like the champ its light and I use a Holy Grail reverb and a bellari LA 120 tube compressor limiter. The sound is pure rickenbacker classic. The sound is also in how much you practice. eh

the guitar was set up by the dealer. every thing seemed great.

this guitar will last for years, but I will wear the fret wire out from playing it , faster than the average picker. All fine guitars need to be babied.

Its under warranty and I have not dealt with the ric factory yet.

I have been playing 45 years. I would replace the 660-12 if lost. I chose the ric
of course because of Mcguiin and the byrds early recordings. I dislike changing strings. I also chose it for its wider neck. Yes I would like to see Rickenbacker make other models with a wider neck. A 370 12 with a 1, 13/16
inch neck.

Phloggo down below in his Baggins has written a better review than I ever could. I don't disagree with him in any item or way that would make a whit of difference to anybody... My Rick is identical to his: Monty Brown (color of the year 2004). Spectacular! I've wanted a Rick 12 ever since I first played one in a music store as a 15 yo teenaged wannabee in 1964. Got a hankerin' last week for a Rick 325C58; saw one on eBay brand new and bid it up to just short of my limit on eBay itself, and right at my limit on esnipe for backup, and then went to my company's Christmas party, secure in the knowledge that I would return home half-loaded to some good news. WRONG! I was outbid by $25.00 an hour before my snipe went in. Yeah, go ahead and chuckle...serves him right, huh? Then I noticed that there was a year-old Fireglo 660-12 also on eBay, sitting at about $850.00 with four days to go. I was blown away by the look (never liked the common "tubby" 360-12s) with its lean solidbody, wider neck, and that checkered binding. Having 11 six-strings already, I decided it was the time to take the plunge. I put in a bid on esnipe (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em) and start looking for a new Fireglo 660-12. I do a search and find a lot of pics of Fireglo ones (a fantastic finish!) but I luck onto a site with a high-resolution picture of a 660-12 in Montezuma Brown. I'm in love, lust, whatever...it's going to be a brown one fer sure... I check around. List price on the Monty Brown: $2099.00. Yikes. Look at all the usual big dealers online (except Ed Roman, who I'm a little leery about because of his humorous but BLOWHARD website): everybody showing out of stock with 270 day leads. Won't do. Not even listing Montezuma Brown anymore. Idea: Google "Rickenbacker 660-12 Montezuma Brown". Bingo. Third hit was Dave's Guitars in LaCrosse Wisconsin. Drop Dave an e-mail and he responds promptly with a "yes, I've got one in stock for $1375 with case". I blast him my debit card number, along with $100.00 next day shipping, and the next day at 10 am it's delivered to my office. Instant gratification, huh? FABULOUS GUITAR. Meantime, I get an e-mail offering me the 325C58 at my lower bid price because the original high bidder backed down. Doesn't matter--I've got the 12 now. Then I get ANOTHER e-mail from the seller of the 325C58 warning me (two days late) that the second chance offer was a fraud so I shouldn't take it. He did in fact sell the C58 to the highest bidder. He has several more though, having picked up a load of them from G*****C***** when they had their infamous $795 blowout sale on these earlier this year. So I'll get another chance I'm sure. Meanwhile I've got a lot of 12-string catching up to do! And if I hadn't bought this 660-12, I might have gotten taken by the fraudster on the 325. The Web is a Jungle...Final Irony? The year-old Fireglo 660-12 on eBay went for $1350.00, when Dave has them in stock NEW for $1275.00 Can you say "got carried away in a bidding frenzy?"

This guitar has "that" sound. All the Byrds stuff (buy the McGuinn video--it's INVALUABLE if you own a Rick 12), "You Can't Do That", all the other Beatles 12 string stuff. It's got the sound you remember. Makes you feel like a 12-string GOD. And I'm currently a 12-string NEBBISH. But now I can dream real dreams.

The guitar was set up OK for the strings it came with. I do plan to play the heck out of them and then switch to the legendary Pyramids. Tune in. Virtually everything about this guitar is perfectly rendered. I could find only one minor flaw--a small scratch on the BACK side of the upper pickguard that was in the perspex before it was painted gold and only shows up in certain lights. See below for my other finding re: flaws. Wood nice (not very flamey; should have asked but suspect that's why it still was in stock 3 months after it was made...) Controls feel like the dash knobs on my old Rolls-Royce did. Pickups and mountings beautifully detailed. Love that unusually glossy neck. Binding and paint/clearcoat flawless, except (see below).

I couldn't bear right now to take this guitar out of my living room. Ask me later. Will switch to Schaller strap locks soon. Feels 100% solid, though! Now, do I remove the "Made in USA" sticker? Hmmm. I've ordered some replica stovetop knobs and will machine up a blend knob to "blend" with the vintage ones. Have tried the three setups for the blend knob as described in the Owner's Manual and I was not impressed. I may make a new 4-hole pickguard, painted to match, and wrap the blend pot in cloth and hide it underneath the guard, set to "Max".

MANUFACTURER: Strange about Rick warranties. I've heard horror stories, but seems like a few gripey people (many of whom bought from dodgy unauthorized "dealers") raise a lot of ruckus and John Hall does his best to keep the ball in the air. I did make sure I sent off the card and got a receipt with date and serial number, too, so presumably I'm covered. Looks perfect out of the case and checks out structurally and mechanically. Hopefully I'll never have to make a claim. DEALER: Here goes. I got the guitar in the original standard Rick hardshell case, not the "vintage" silver/black trim item. I opened the case after waiting 24 hours for the guitar to acclimate, and try to smell that legendary "new Rick" smell. Nada. (This applies, t seems, only to the hollow and semi-hollow guitars they make, as the insides of the guitars are raw wood and impart a wonderful scent to the case. I pulled out all the case candy and find everything new and in order except: no adjustment tools for either the 12-saddle bridge (a piece of fine jewelry, by the way!) or the truss-rod. I understood these were included (could be wrong!). No keys for the case! I'm certain somebody slipped up on this one. I lift the guitar out of its case--surprisingly small but heavy!--and give it a careful once-over. Flawless--except for the small scratch I mentioned above and--a dime-sized patch of belt-buckle rash on the left-hand (top when you're playing it) lower bout. Not serious, really quite faint, and nowhere near through the finish, but a spoiler nonetheless. Next day, I phone the dealer. They put me on hold while they check other new Ricks they have in stock. Nope. At least in this shipment, none have tools or case keys. Looks like I'll have to write the factory. Abut that rash: they are a bit dismayed and suggest I return the guitar so they can buff it out. This suggests that they don't have another Montezuma Brown one in stock, but for some reason I fail to ask. Not knowing their skills at buffing and feeling very confident about mine (I'm a professional finisher), I decline their offer and decide to wait until it really begins to bug or bore me (one or the other). So next week, the request goes in for the keys along with an inquiry on the toolkit, and we;ll see how long a reply takes to materialize. Still, I've been very lucky and the guitar is an amazing, heirloom-quality instrument.

I've been playing since 1964. My other gear, much of which has been reviewed here, can be seen in detail in my review of the ARBOR AJ140 Gretsch copy guitar elsewhere on this site. All I can say is "for a 12-string, there is nothing like a Rick". And, oh yes, I still am going to purchase a 325G58, probably later this year.

Features
Montezuma Brown finish 12-string solid body guitar. If you are reading this review you are probably considering a 360 or 330 12-string. I spent many moons pondering a decision between the two and the 660 ended up the winner. There are a lot of cosmetic differences between this and other 12-string ricks, but really around 5 to 6 functionally important "features" that are different between a 660/12 and a 360/12.

NECK. This one is nice and wide, compared to a 330 or 360. It is quite easy to play - much more so than my accoustic 12 (with a pick, at least) and even than my 6-string 330. Fingerstyle, the action is actually a little too low and you can get some sitar-style fret buzz. I'm gona let it season for a bit and then get that straightened out by a luthier. The neck also not especially deep, at least to me. Fretting an A dom 7 chord with open strings is still tough to do, but light years easier than on another Rick 12.

BRIDGE. this one has 12 saddles, not 6. My intonation was right on out of the box. On a 330/360, you get a 6-saddle bidge. Intonation can be waaay off or you might get lucky and not have to replace it.

TAILPIECE. This one has the rather plain looking trapeze, which is not as gaudy as the "R" that comes on the 330/360. BUT - it won;t suffer metal fatigue and perhaps crack. . . which has been known to happen on the R's. It's also easier to restring.

PICKUPS. this one comes with 7.4K Ohm toasters. regular 360s come with hotter "Hi-gains." This isn't so much an upgrade as a difference. My 330/6 has hi-gains and I like them a lot. Subjective preference here.

TUNERS: For some reason known only to God, Tom Petty, and John Hall, the 660 comes with vintage style tuners -not sure which brand. I prefer the modern ones, but these may be technically just as good.

STRAP PINS. The least important feature but still worth noting. regular ricks come equipped with schaller locking bolts. For some reason known only to God, Tom Petty, and John Hall, the 660 comes with normal pins. . so you have to swap them out if you have another rick and use the schaller system. My dealer was cool enough to do this before it shipped, no charge, which was nice of him.

BLEND KNOB: Exactly the same as a 330. The ONLY thing this does is duplicate the Neck volume knob. I suspect they put it on the 660 to make it look like a traditional rick, because it does not serve a useful purpose. For me, anyway.

Compared to another stock Rick 12, I'd give this one a 15 for features if I could. It's possible to mod a 360 for better string spacing + 12 saddle bridge + toasters + trapeze tailpiece. However, it will end up costing more and the neck will still be narrow. In its own right, most of the "features" are well thought-out with the exception of the second neck volume knob and the tuners.

Everything you would expect and then some. Really brilliant and full in a way that a recording cannot capture. The best description I've arrived at is "tangy" - like a sonic jolly rancher. It's a sweet sound with an addicting, tangy quality to it. The toasters work really well here. Yes it's trebly but never in an ice-picky, harsh sense. You do not get a lot of variety in the clean sound - in fact, I use the middle setting for chime and the neck for a fuller, more acoustic sound. The bridge is like the middle setting but lacking cojones (think AM Radio) and not terribly useful for me. But what you get elsewhere can be used in a lot of different ways.

Versatility? Not in terms of raw sound, but perhaps in application.
Something that really surprised me is how well the 660 sounds with overdrive. It's a shredding/grinding tone for single note passages and HUGE + full for diads or triads. Anything more complex than that can lead to mush. Nonetheless, it ROCKS, in addition to jangling. Full yet articulate, with essentially built-in chorus. For recorded evidence, listen to the lead part of Tom Petty's live rendition of the Byrds' So you want to be a rock n roll star. Great stuff.

This has a lot of sustain. I think I got a heavy one, because it feels as weighty as my 330, if not more so.
I play indiepop stuff (duh!) but also folksy stuff & harder, grungier music, and occasionally try my hand at jazz. For a sense of what a rick 12 can do beyond the obvious classic rock icons, listen to Lush or XTC. Dave Gregory is one of the most criminally underappreciated guitarists of our time. Anyway, a 660/12 can *excel* as a rhythm guitar for most styles of music - even getting into hard rock territory due to the good sustain. As mentioned above, distortion and OD make it sound HUGE. The one thing that is hard to do is anything blues-based, because serious bending is not going to happen. But, thinking outside the box, this guitar has a wide application.

This will never be as versatile as a 6-string - NO 12 string ever will. In it's own right - a 10.

This had a good setup from the dealer. Action was low with just a hair of fret-buzz low down on the A and low E courses. I suspect that will disappear after a switch to higher-tension strings & a setup.

Manufacturing quality and workmanship are great. The bridge looks like 1940's quality engineering, so it is not the most modern available, but it works. Sometimes you need to tweak a Rick bridge to get rid of some unmusical clink-sounds. . .but that's a fairly minor problem.

The finish is what Gibson would call "tobacco Burst" - brown exterior fading to a golden-natural burst in the center. Very beautiful, and works well with the gold pickguard and TRC. The finish on my 330 has held up well, and I fully expect this to do the same. The 660 supposedly comes with figured maple. Mine is flamed, but very lightly. From many angles you would never notice it. My 330 actually has more obvious flame, but it's less regular. I happen to really like this piece of wood (On the 660)- it doesn't look like an overgrown lollipop in the manner of a PRS or other boutique guitar. Very subtle and not gaudy. Many 660s are more lush - so check out pictures of the actual guitar beforehand if that type of thing is important to you. In fact, I originally had a black one on order, and I learned through the net that the same dealer had this one in stock. I guess the Jetglo will have to wait for a rick bass, should I get one on the future.

Intonation is good. Getting the low E course to sound consistently in tune is tough, but I speculate that that is the nature of an electric 12, not a flaw of this particular guitar - it's hard to put consistent pressure on the fat string, and very easy to muffle the octave string. Guess I need more practice :)

Yes, there is a bit of neck dive. a 360 is ergonomically just a bit more comfortable to play, perhaps. Unlike others, I have not been bothered by the sharp binding digging into the forearm.

Not much to see here. . . I'm not gigging, so no real stress has been put on this or my other rick. If you polish it after playing, it will smell nice years down the road (You other rick owners know what's I'm saying). From what I can gather they do last a while, but I've not had this one long enough to say authoritatively.

No direct experience so no comments here w/regard to RIC. That issue has been politicized enough by others :) OK, the warranty issue - 5 years from manufacturing date is pretty weak.
Chris Clayton, my dealer, was very helpful and professional. He threw in strap bolts and a set of Pyramids (which cost more than $20.00 a pop) for my 330. Pick of the Ricks is a very good online dealership.

Rating reflects the warranty, not the dealer.

This is a very, very good guitar for what it is designed to do. I play a 330, accoustic takamine 12, and bass. And bagpipes, and recorder (seriously. . .not my plastic 3rd grade model), and a bunch of other obscure instruments. Guitar for 15 years, give or take. I am very happy with my purchase and would buy it again if necessary. FOr backup, the 330 + a chorus patch would have to do (At $1500, who can afford a backup?).

Like many who buy the 660, I wanted a semi hollow rick 12 but was not willing to gamble on getting used to a narrow fretboard. A 360/12 with a wider neck would be an amazing guitar, hands down. Nevertheless, this is a great axe in its own right and has more sustain. I didn't buy it for the cosmetics (checkered binding, Gold pickguard and all are nice, and the body style grows on you) but for the sound and the overall quality.

Montezuma Brown Sunburst

The guitar rings. Very sweet

Flawless. Bought over phone from Mick at Ed Romans Guitars. Guitar was set to my specs as requested. These are the most righteous group of people you can deal with. If your looking for a Rick, this is the place to go. They have them, and they have the nicest ones.
Mick is the man, he will hook you up.

Built unbelievably well.

Ed Roman is a no bullshit person, everything about their store is First Class.

I've been playing for 15 years, and I'm a guitar junkie. I own a Parker Fly Maple Classic, 52 Tele reissue, 50th Anniv Deluxe Strat, Martin D 35 , Takamine Santa Fe, and a Takamine 12 Sting acoustic/electric.
The Rick ranks up there with thse baby's
I would replace this in a heartbeat if something happened to it.

A brand new 660-12 FG (Fireglow) with the "upgraded vintage silver case". The 660-12 was made January of 2004,in Santa Ana, CA. USA. I purchased the guitar from Audio Light and Musical in Norfolk, 757-853-2424. http://www.audiolight.com/ , VA. Be sure to ask for David in the guitar department. David offers an incredible level of positive customer service. He is the man! The 660-12 has an amazing flame maple top to it. That's what got my attention. I choose the 660-12 because of the wider neck. For me, much,much easier to play than the standard ric 12 string neck. The control panel is set up diffently than a LP set up. Easy to learn. I like the 5th knob as a blend, or eq for the neck pickup. The Ric Toaster top Pups sound fabulous. I was very impressed last night, first gig with the Ric. The body style is unique and a very classy attention getter. When playing standing, the balance of the guitar is a bit strange. The strap you use will make all the difference on how you play. The guitar has a mono output. The Rick O sound feature is not available here. The bridge is a 12 saddle. More about this later. At this point I don't know for sure who builds (gotoh or schaller)the tuners for Rickenbacker, they suck! Neck Scale is 24.75, same as a Gibson LP, feels great, easy to play, and yes, inspiring! Included in the case are the hex keys, owners manual, warranty card, and Rickenbacker product catlogue. The case is made by G&G, same folks who make Fender, PRS, and host of others. Excellent quality and great customer service from G&G. The guitar out of the box has the "factory setup". I guess every player has his own preferences. So, I re-adjusted the action and pickup balance! Again, sounds inspiring!

I guess when you want "That" sound a ric 12 is the way to go, period! For guitars I have a 68 ES-345; a 74 LP with Fralins; an 89 LP with Fralins; a 52 RI with Bill Lawrence tele pups; 74 strat with Bill Lawrence pups; a 76 strat with Bill Lawrence pups; For amps, depending on the venue; a 72 Twin, with complete black face mod and cosmetics; a 71 Super Reverb with complete black face mod and cosmetics; a 73 Vibrolux with complete black face mod and cosmetics;and a 73 Deluxe reverb with complete black face mod and cosmetics; The 660-12 was the missing ingredient. The 660-12 just sounds better than I imagined! The tonal variety simply make the guitar so versatile. I would recommend you consider adding a 100pf cap to both volume controls. The tone is still there even when you decrease volume. Pedals I used are a Boss TU-2 Tuner, Fulltone Wah, Fulltone FDII; Barber Direct Drive; Fulltone Fat Boost; Barber Tone Press; Fulltone Supatrem; Fulltone Choral Flange; H&K rotosphere; and H&K replex. In addition I use Bill Lawrence Cable and plugs (makes a huge difference in tome) from the guitar, on the pedal board and back to the amp.

Action needed to be adjusted to my preference as did the pickup height and angle. The flamed maple top is stunning. The fit and finish of the wood and binding is breath taking. Ok, the bad part. I have a peterson strobe tuner. I like to intonate all my instruments. So, I put the 660-12 on the scope. Low E and octave E no problem. The A ok the octave A..whoops! This string required flatening on the bridge. So, moving the saddle toward the neck, I notice the tension was released because the spring was too short. Fortunately, I service guitars and amps and have longer springs on hand. I had to change out the springs for longer ones on three different saddles. After this pain the 660-12 intonates perfectly! The bridge height sets up great as does the pickup height. The tail piece is fine and the tuners suck. The gear rations seems about 5:1. The stock rickenbacker strings with just don't stay in tune very well with these tuners. Once again I amazed at how a $2K guitar can have these mechanical flaws.

Yes to all the above.

I had the opportunity to visit Ric in Santa Ana, CA. When my friend and I reached the door an 8X11 sign read" "Not Open to the Public". Not much of a welcome.
I called and spoke with Jay in Customer Service. Jay was most cordial and very helpful with my questions. He explained that no tours are available and they are not open to the public(The PRS tour was incredible! as is Gibsons!)I enjoyed speaking with him and he left me with good feeling about wanting to buy a Ric.
The warranty: interesting company policy; The warranty starts from the day the the serialized jack plate is fitted on the guitar at the factory. The Ric warranty is for 5 years. My guitar was built in January of 2004 and purchased on the 7th day of July 2004. So, my warranty is good for the next 4 years and 5 months. Can you imagine if you purchased a car, or appliance,TV or an expensive guitar that retailed for $2000.00 that had such a warranty? the warranty starts the day it was built not when you take physical delivery. Gee, what if the item was delayed in shipping, or it sat in a dealers store for 6 months? Oh yes, make sure you get the warranty card back to Ric with in 10 Days of purchase. Hmmm, suppose you purchased your Ric from a dealer out of town, it took 3-5 days to get to your home, its friday and now you have to pray the warranty card gets back to Ric in 10 days from date of purchase when you have already used up 5-6 days and its over a weekend? Somehow I am not feeling warm and fuzzy.
I give Jay a 10 for his help. I give a 1 for the company warranty policy.

I've been playing since 1964..scary! I attended Berklee College of Music, still gig and love it. I play Blues, rock, Country and Western (both types, Jazz, Ragae and whatever else. I have always wanted a Ric 12 since the beatles and the byrds. I tried a 360 many times and just couldn't play it. The 660-12 is awesome once its set up correctly and accurately. I invite you to check one out. It's not going to be my main guitar (at least for now). However, it certainly enhances creativity,inspiration, and will be played as often as the music lends it self to the ric. So, with all my bitching about the flaws, I still love this guitar. I wonder what Tom Petty's version of the 660-12 is like (wish I could ask him)? Did he have the same issues?
If you can find a 660-12 to audition do so!
I think it would be very cool if Ric mad a three pick version of the 660-12 with the Rick O Sound Feature.
Good luck and all the best on your Rickenbacker quest.

An instrument of the Gods. Made for me over the past year as I patiently waited just 12 days short of a full year from date of purchase-order. Made in California of course. All maple neck through body in flawless Mapleglo. "Scatterwound Toaster" 60s vintage pickups and tuning machines. The classic 5 knob control configuration which is set up backwards from everybody else's configurations. Plus...that little fifth knob that causes so much confusion for so many. Trapazoid tailpiece with full twelve saddle bridge. Tiny bodied,(smaller than my Gibson SG's) but full 24 3/4 inch neck scale. Rosewood fretboard, trianglar fret marker inlays. Medium frets on a wide, (for a Ric) neck. The neck is the same width at the nut as my American Strat. All the usual Ric goodies, hardshell-tools-polishing cloth etc...

When I first bought my 360 6 string years ago, I began to believe there just may be a "God" because I could swear I heard him humming in the shower. Now I know he must exist 'cause I can hear him singing in there now. I'll be honest, this is a very limited sound. One should only buy these axes when they know what they're looking for and why. Nothing ever sounded like the Ricky 12 strings before or since they appeared some forty years ago. I grew up on the Beatles and the Byrds and such. It has THE sound...but that's pretty much all it has. For me and mine it's a true 10. For a serious working musician who needs the economy of versatilty. Maybe a 5 at best, but if he does classic covers of those classic songs that used the Ricky 12s, this model is definatly the model to go with. It gives you the most guitar for the already reasonable list price. For the classic 60's 12 string sound, a Ricky is a must in any working musician's arsenal. This fact alone raises this rating to at least a 7.

Nobody builds them like this this consistantly. It had been just 12 days short a year from when I ordered and paid for it when I finally got the call. I got to open the packing box myself. No one had touched this axe from the moment it left the factory. I had to tune 3 strings. People came out of the woodwork to gape. The entire shop had waited to see this just as long as I had, even the techs. The guys in the recording studio downstairs even came up when word that the Rickenbacker guy was coming to get his prize got around. Serious professional eyes where everywhere. I was congratulated accordingly. Everyone, including me, heavily scrutinized it. Most of them were far more qualified for this operation than I am. Everyone agreed. Typical Ric...totally flawless.

There is no point in going into details here. Ricks are built like tanks. The finish is one of the things the company is most famous for. The only thing I don't like is the fact that it has vintage style strap buttons. I use Schaller locks on everything. Schaller buttons are standard on Rics these days. I can't find any locks I'd trust without switching the buttons out. I know, this is a stupid personal problem, and it has no reflection on the strap buttons themselves. With reasonable care one could gig thier life away with this axe and it would still be in good enough condition to hand down to the grandkids someday...and they will probably hock it for beer or dope money...such are the ironies of life.

Don't know. 5 year warranty. I think that's very weak, but very few people ever have any trouble with Rickenbacker axes. I know it does happen, but it's very rare. From what I read and hear, the company itself jumps from a -1 to a 10+ then back again. One person insists Mr. Hall himself called and sent his aging mother out to personally fix a problem, then another claims that Mr. Hall told him to go fuck himself and then killed his dog. Who knows? From the track record of Rics I have known over the years, I doubt that I will ever have to find out. I'm keeping fingers crossed.

Been bending it for nearly 25 years. It takes time to reach my level of still sucking. My electrics are a 360 Rickenbacker, Gibson SG Special, American Series Fender Strat, this Ric 660 12 banger, and an old 300 series Yamaha P bass I bought when my 22 year old was still in diapers. Everything was bought new but the SG. My accoustics are an old Fender Gemini 3 in black enamel that was bought before the P bass was, a Seagull Cedar topped 12 string and a soon to be gotten out of layaway Fender Global Design 200 SCE accoustic-electric. Amps are several Crates, one of the better Laney twin heads and an Ampeg R50 bass combo. I also have a 25 watt Fender Frontman for dragging around town and country with. Bought that one used. Next one will probably be a Traynor Twin 40 or Quad 80...yes, it's time for the old man to step up to a tube amp...scary isn't it? I'm also interested in an Ampeg Super Reverb but I haven't gotten around to checking one out yet. I also have an old Schaffier soundhole pickup for accoustics and a Smokie pocket amp. Both gadgets are really cool and serve thier purposes very well. I've had the pickup nearly 20 years and it still works like the day the wife gave it to me for our 5th wedding anniversary. Effects are an Ibanez delay and echo pedal, a Boss Wah pedal, and an Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress. I also have, and have had, a lot of odds and ends not worth mentioning. The Rickenbacker 12 strings are specialist guitars. No rookie, in my opinion, should go for one of these. One should know what it is and what it does first to avoid being disappointed, or worse yet, disillusioned. They are limited instruments. They are incredible instruments. They have thier niche in both the pratical sense and the historical. For some, thier reputation far outshines thier performance. For others, like myself, thier performance outshines thier reputation. There doesn't seem to be a lot of middle ground with Rics. Players seem to either love 'em or hate 'em. If you love 'em, they're one of the greatest instruments ever made. If you hate 'em, they're still one of the greatest instruments ever made, the sound's just not to your tastes. To each his own...Peace.

April 2004Maple-Glo finish. Solid body like the 620 model with the wonderful addition of the one piece maple wide neck and 12-saddle bridge. It also comes with the vintage style Kluson deluxe tuners and "Toaster" pickups--a real selling point for me. This model also comes with the checkerboard binding around the top and the gold pickguard and control plate.

I play a wide variety of pop, pub, and punk so the twelve fits in very well in certain places. I usually play through a Fender VIbrolux and/or a Fender Prosonic combo. I bought an old Boss CS-2 compressor which is an obligatory item to get the full jangle out of the twelve-string. It has a pretty good range on tones with each pickup and their combination. Sounds wonderful--that's what I was looking for exactly.

The guitar was set up by North Coast Music where it was purchased. Spot on perfect. The finish is great, as usual for Rickenbackers in my experience--I've had a 360-6 and a 370-12 previously. Everything is perfect.

I think this guitar would serve me well live. Very stable and stays in tune reasonably well. The finish seems durable, I've not seen any evidence fragility in any Ric finishes. Being the only twelve I own I would use it with or without a backup. It is a guitar to be played!

N/A

I've been playing for 27 years and have owned more guitars than I can count--probably 30 different guitars--but not all at once! I have long favored the Telecaster but I would say I've tried to live with a wide variety of guitars. I currently play a Tele, and a Gibson ES-137 Classic. I had a RIc 370-12 which I sold a year or so ago and have regretted it so I decided to get another Ric 12 string, was set on a 360-12 but decided to try the wide-necked 660-12. An excellent choice. The 12-saddle bridge and vintage pickups make it a winner. The only down side I can think of is that the 90 degree edge of the binding on the top of the guitar is a little uncomfortable--the 360 model is much more comfortable but I can live with it. If only Rickenbacker made a 360-12 with the wide neck....

Price: I forget, around 1300 bucks, new. Nov. 2003 660/12 in beautiful Turquoise with gold pickguard and TRC. Visually stunning. Bought new in Aug. 2004 from Mike Parks. If buying a Ric, He's the man. He's on the other side of the country from me, but I'll not go the 1/2 to the nearest GC to. He's the best. As usual, case, accesories were included in price. I think the blend knob is stupid and redundant, someday will have it converted to master volume. A 9 just because of that dumb blend knob.

I play in an original band, alternative-garagey-poppy-psychedelic-hellbilly-rock and roll. A strat is my main guitar, this is used on certain songs. I play though 40 or 60 watt Fender tweed amps with 1-12 or 2-12's or 4-12's (12's, get it?). I like reverb. Lots. Usually use only a Fulltone Fulldrive. First time I gigged with this 660/12 (hadn't even rehearsed with it) blew me away! Only one song in the set. Has leads, sort of Indian-middle-eastern type riffs, a few small bends, mostly rolls. Stomped on the Fulldrive for these, awesome overdriven 12 string sound!. Stomped again for the verses, clean, perfectly jangely rythmn. Even on the strat I prefer the treble position. But this ric gets mighty full sounding in the neck position. Pup's not noisey, especially compared to the strat. Used oncurrent recording, woke up any track it was added to. Wide neck great, I have huge fingers and still can't manage everything perfectly, but the smaller necked 330's and 360's are real hard for me to chord on. I get hints of that Lennon chunck rythmn sound, so I am considering a 660/6 also, but might go with a 650 model, reviews of those have been great. No dislikes except setup wasn't perfect when it arrived, then again it was the hottest day the world had known and it was last off the oven-like UPS truck. Stay with the Ric factory strings, they know what they're doing. Tried my beloved Pryamids (which I use and love on my 2 ric basses and '60's Hofner Beatle bass). Rate it a 10, it's all it should be. What other company would you want a 12 string from?

Action was affected a bit by hot weather when it arrived. Had it re-set, probably needs it again after settling. Volume even across the board. Fit and finish perfect, so much so I think the builders at Ric must be anal. Beautiful paint. Eyes bulge and jaws drop when even non-ric fans see it. Now that they have discontinued this color (turquoise) I worry more, but the paint is almost bulletproof. A 10, rics are famous for their fit and finish.

See above, it's built to hand down to my great grand children. Don't have any yet though. I've a '67 ric that feels the same. since it's a 12 string, it's not my primary axe in the band, so can't say about the backup thing.

I know Rickenbacker will take their guitars in and correct any thing, but I feel the wait won't be worth it, nor the shipping if it's somewhat minor. Even a for big problem I wouldn't send it in. John Hall, Company CEO gets involved in web discussions, cares a lot about company reputation/misinformation. Believe me, I know.

I've owned/own 4001, 4003 and 4005 Rickenbaker basses, an Alembic bass, Hofner bass, numerous strats, Gibson accoustic, blah blah, woof woof. I'd get another 660/12 if this one dissolved or was lost. Tried a '60's Fender 12 string, nice, but I wanted the Ric vibe/mojo/sound. This guitar has That Sound, and sustains nicely. Smallish body made me lose my gut, made it look bigger. Now I'm fit and look good at the beach. Bang for Buck on this and all Rics is top of the heap.

Maple Glo finish, on solid maple body / neck, Kluson "vintage" tuners, RIC "Toaster" pickups, 12 string saddle, two volulme and tine controls plus the fifth "blend"
control unique to Rickenbacker Guitars. Body and Neck are HIGHLY figured,
the finish on this Guitar is one of the the best I've ever seen. Has the vintage style tailpeice as opposed to the "R" tsailpeice found on other models. Body style
is a smallish but lavishly contoured design fitted to rather large neck (the largest neck Rickenbacker offers apparently). An ungainly combination at face value but it works - the guitar is both light and well balanced. Body is bound with checkered "hound's tooth" design that nicely accents the Maple Glo finish. Came with Rickenbacker's
standard hardshell case. Sum it up, it looks great.

The defiinitive Ric sound. The Toaster pickups are MUCH better sounding the one's
shipping on the 360 / 12. I own a recording studio- I've recently auditioned both the 360 / 12 and 660 12 side by side. In a controlled studio environment anyway the pickup's on the 360 /12 have a noticable hum whch quickly gets annoying plus they have a certain harsh quality which just does not sound as smooth as the "Toasters"
(at least to me) The 660/12 does not have the Ric-O-Sound jack like the 360 /12 but I don't miss it. Sounds best when run through a compressor. I use a Pod XT run through a TC G Major effects processor in my studio and also have a Fender Princeton Chorus stereo amp.

Again, compared to a Ric 360/12 the playablity of the 660 /12 is night and day for the better. I have large Hands. the 360/12 felt cramped, hard to play at upper frets and hard to play chords on in general. This is mostly doe to the 360/12's small neck and 3/4 scale. The 660 /12's wide neck on the other hand is much easier to play on,
albeit the 3/4 scale of the guitar takes a but on getting used. to. The store where I bought it adjusted the action to my tastes which helps the playability a lot. I've only had the guitar a couple of days but what I've seem this a extremely well built Guitar with lots of attention to detail

Yes it will standup to live Playing. Feels solid, dependable, etc. It terms of long term durability, ask me in a year.

This guitar was a PAIN to find. The wait for these guitars is typicially long, are backordered at just about every dealer I talked to and usually spoken for before they
hit the sales floor. Rickenbacker, while more or less plesant to talk to is not exactly forthcoming on when and where their Guitars are available. Given the unique appointments of the Ric 660 /12 and the amazing fit and finish yes it appears to have been worth the effort to find one but it definately took some doing and paitience on my part and process was not without a degree of fustration. Honnestly I'm not looking forward have to deal with them directly for service but the Guitar seems so well built I guess I'll not worry about it (for now anyway).

I've been playing for 30 plus years, have a degree in Music and have worked in the music industry must of my working like. As said above I own a small recording studio and have handful of other high quality guitars. I looked high and low and evalualted first hand every available option in the electric 12/string catagory before finially setteling in the 660/12. For Electric 12 Strings there are just not that many options out there. Comparer to other Ric's Burns, Epiphone and Gibson alternatives the Ric 660 /12 is for me the Electric 12 /string that makes sense fo me. My favorite feature is that it that its a bueatiful Guitar and nails the Tom Petty / Beatles sound cold and overall is a joy to play. I'll probably post a follow-up post is a few months after I've lived with it for a while.

2003 Ric 660-12, 21 frets, Mapleglo, 2 volume, 2 tone, and 3rd tone blend switch, pickup selector, single coil scatter wound vintage pickups, 12 string bridge, 24 3/4 " scale, case, poster, and cloth included. I give the features a 7. Could have better tuners, and a louder treble pickup. A little tweaking of the amp solved that and overall the pickups are great. I like bigger frets-these are medium low and are more like fret markers to me, but this does not distract from the sound or feel. Great Wide neck!!! A longer scale is just as important for big fingers though.

There is nothing like a Ric 12. It is the kind of guitar that is hard to put down. It sounds brilliant. The 660 does not come with the Ricosound extra jack, which surprised me, but this is easily remedied by using an ABY box if you're into stereo sound. Treble pickup seemed a little quieter than the bass. For these 2 reasons, i am giving it a 9. Once I dialed in my amp, it was Beatles and Byrds all the way. No other guitar sounds close. I am going to try a compressor, which I understand is essential for this guitar.

The guitar came set up perfectly-very low action. The pickups were height adjusted well, though the treble pickup seems a tad quiet compared to the bass pickup so I may need to raise it beyond what I would normally. The workmanship on the guitar was exemplary. Great looking maple top.

These guitars are built rock solid-top notch finish. I could easily depend on this guitar. Every guitarist needs a backup guitar.

No experience here, but be careful to submit your warr card right away. If you buy it mail order, you have to let it sit 48 hours before opening.

I have been playing professionally for 13 years. I own a Taylor, Seagull, Strat, G & L tele, and an Epiphone 335, and have owned PRS guitars in the past. I wished I had been able to try it out before buying, but these are rare. I wish I had known these only have a mono output. If it were lost or stolen, I would buy another. I love the sound and the wide neck. Wish it had locking tuners and bigger frets. I also wish I could get a 360-12 or 381 V 69 with this neck, and that these were 25" or larger scale instruments. Many complain about the 300 series narrow necks, but the short scale of the guitar seems to also contribute to why Ric's are hard to play. The wide neck on a 660-12 solves most of this, but a longer scale would really make it comfortable.

Rick 660-12 Mapleglow 1999 make date - gorgeous construction and superb quality

I play in a church band at a very large contemporary church (5,000 members). We play primarily popular Christian Contemporary music. We play a 30 minute set every Sunday. We practice on Wednesday nights.

I purchased the Rick 660-12 to add a 12 string to my existing aresenal. I also have a Gibson Les Paul (which I used 90% of the time), a Fat Strat and an Ovation acoustic. I play the Rick through two amps: a Marshall AVT 150 and also a Crate GFX 212T. I play the Rick through the clean channels on both amps. I use a Roland ME-33. With that pedal I set up a patch which is uniquely for the Rick. It consist of only Compression and some very light chorus. I noticed another reviewer below does his the same way. The compression is a must to achieve the favored McGuinn sound which I quest for. The toaster pickups are quiet as a mouse and very, say again VERY, sweet sounding. No wonder Rick hasn't made any significant alterations to those in years.

I acquired the guitar used from a top-flight dealer and expected the guitar to be perfect and it was. The setup was completely dialed. No complaints. Note that it is VERY difficult to really nail the intonation on the number 11 and 12 strings near the 1, 2 and 3 fret, but you can get it close. Prior to purchasing this rig, I played a number of new 360-12 Ricks which you can find virtually everywhere (Mars, Guitar Center, etc.) and they all had this 11/12 string intonation setup issue. But I have to say that mine is near perfect, so I KNOW it can be done. One trick is to not mash the strings quite as hard on those frets. I am rating this category an 8 because I do think Rick could put out a bit more effort to ship new guitars with more "tweaked" intonation setups. But, it's not that big a deal.

This guitar I BUILT. It can handle anything. 20 years ago I had a 600 class Rick 6 string and I really abused it. Not only did it handle the load, but remained gorgeous looking through it all.

Never used the Customer Support at Rick. So no rating here.

I've been playing for 30 years. I would definitely replace the guitar if it were stolen. But, take note, it took me 2 months to find this guitar. NONE of my local stores could promise me one this year. Music123.com shows them in stock, but when you try to order one, they tell you to call an 800 number. The clerk who answers tells you that it will be 7 months to get a 660-12, but you can get aa 360-12 today. WRONG. No comparison in the guitars.

My final comment is that you can look, look and look and NOTHING will sound like a Rick 12. There are literally hundreds of reasons for this. And a 360-12 (although a totally awesome axe) will never sound like a 660 does, the solid body makes it ring long and sweet. The wide neck lets a 6 string player move back and forth between 6 and 12 string guitars without that 5-10 minute lost feeling: "let me remember how to play this thing" you know: when your fingers feel about twice as wide as they actually are and nothing sounds clean. This doesn't happen with the 660-12. It's also due to the sweet action.

Since my original review of the Tom Petty 660/12 didn't go through, I thought it easier to use the 660/12 review, so bare with me if I seem redundant.
I have a 1994, #772 out of 1,000 made, Tom Petty signature model.
It has 21 frets on a one piece maple neck which runs the length of the guitar. The fingerboard is wider than Rickenbacker standard with triangle inlays the width of the fingerboard. White binding on the neck also. The body are peices of solid, birdseye maple which sandwich the neck piece on both sides. Two vintage pickups are controlled by a volume and tone for each pickup with the mysterious fifth control knob for "blending".
Fireglo finish and checkered body binding are standard.
It has a 12-saddle bridge and trapeze tailpiece.
12 vintage Ric deluxe tuiners are used and they are OK.

Clean sound with more sustain than the hollow body. I prefer the hollow body, because I like the unplugged sound. If you din't have an amplifier handy, than playing without one is useless. Only the hollow bodies are gifted with the imaculate unplugged Rickenbacker sound.
It goes from clean to a nice distortion if I choose. I tend to stay towards the cleaner sound. It's perfect with an acoustic duo. They compliment each other.

The guitar came setup fine. When I got home I needed to reset the truss rod a bit and then I was just perfect! The rest was adjusted great. The look and consruction are top notch. No flaw on the finish and construction.
My only critisism was the vintage tuner's lubrication caused the oil to seep into the screws which hold the tuners in place. This caused the holes to strip. I tapped the holes and redrilled them. I used to build guitars before, so I wasn't too worried about that. I play, not collect. "Mint, schmint, who cares." As we say at work:"It a tool, not a jewel."

Ii will play wonderfully, but keep in mind that because the neck/body wieght ratio in in favor of the neck, you will need to protect the neck from dropping down accidently and stricking amps, furniture and other damaging items. The hardware and finish are absolutely great.
I could trust it. I would always feel a bit worried about playing any 12-string without a backup. The nature of the guitar makes it difficult to mantian tuning. Electronic tuning is a must.
Again, the weak point are the tuners. This makes me give this guitar a 8. Good tuners, a 10.

The dealer where I bought the guitar gave me a spare pickguard, so as to protect the Tom Petty signature one. Thought that was nice of the guy.
That right there is worthy of a ten, after all that is also customer support.
As for Ricknbacker's cutomer supprt, I can't say. Never needed 'um.
The grade is for a good dealer. That's important when buying.

I've been playing for 20+ years and have been building since 1980. I don't build any more, you see life somtimes make you do unspeakable things like WORK. I used to work for Jackson/Charvel in 1984-1985. I can see the Rickenbacker quality show.
My dream would be a 330 body with the Tom Petty neck. The wide neck sold me on this one.
The tuners are its Achilles heel. If it don't atsy in tune, then that makes it kinda' tough. It seems like Rickenbacker chose to put a $.10 tie on a $1,000.00 suit when they put the "cheapo" tuning machine on this beautiful guitar. I'm still looking for replacements without having to enlarge the hole in the peghead.
With good tuners, this guitar is fabulous!

Updating my 7/21/01 post: I never notice the "stickiness" of the clearcoat fretboard anymore. This is my main guitar now. I have found myself using the pickup selector in the middle with the bridge pickup set for full treble, the neck pickup for full bass, and twiddling the little blend knob almost exclusively to tweak the tone as desired...

Since my original post I've used this guitar with a Fender Princeton Chorus amp (clean channel, EQ at midpoint across the board, no amp effects) and a Boss ME-33 effects box. I run a compressor in the ME-33and, IF repeat IF any other effects at all, just a VERY light chorus/echo and reverb. With this setup the Rick works great for straight, chunka-chunka rhythm playing and just gives you chills when you play more "arpeggiatted" (is that a real word?) Beatle-y/Byrd-y/Petty-ish things. It is so versatile that I can twiddle the blend knob and back off the volume a bit to get a more mellow sound that I use instead of an acoustic 12 for softer tunes by Heart, Alanis Morrissette, etc. I rarely change the setting on the ME-33 so the range is coming from the guitar.

I use Rickenbacker strings on it now vice the mythical Pyramids that came on it. This one rates "11" on sound

Same as before - No scratches yet, knock wood

No change from earlier review

No change from earlier review

I have played this guitar almost exclusively since buying it last year. I will be buying another Rick, maybe a 660-6, when I'm in the market for my next guitar, so impressive is everything about it. Musician friends who have heard and played it are also now planning to buy their own Ricks, both 6 and 12 varieties. I'm traveling to the US again soon and wish I could take it with me but I don't want to risk the airlines turning it into toothpicks so will have to leave it home. I will miss it while I'm away...

Comes new with a molded hardshell case, a owner's manual, alan wrench, and polishing cloth - and a warranty card. Pickups for the 660's are the Rickenbacker vintage re-issue 'toasters' for the 60's jangle Ricks are known for. Solid natural finished maple (mapleglo) body, and this one is so full of bird's eyes that it's absolutely dazzling - you don't need to be a guitar enthusiast to take notice of this simply gorgeous hunk of maple. WIDE NECK - I also have a 360/12CW with the thiner Rickenbacker neck, and while many swear by Rickenbacker's thinline necks, I love the wider neck on the 660. Vintage syle tailpiece is easier to restring than Rickenbackers flashier, and relatively cumbersome 'R' tailpiece. The 660 series also comes with Rickenbacker's vintage checkerboard binding and gold pickguard and nameplate - very nice touch, espeically with the natural maple finish.

Simply MAGICAL 12-string sound through the vintage Rickenbacker toaster pickups.

Dealer setup was flawless... Thanks to Mike Parks at the Rickenbacker Page for taking a bit of time to check it and tweak it before sending it out. A 12 string guitar that plays like butter.

Rickenbacker finish and hardware was also perfect in every way - something Rickenbacker is legendary for.

This 660/12 is built like a brick house, yet it is light, balanced, and effortless to play. The wider neck may give the 660's more rigidity than their thinner-necked Rickenbacker cousins in the 330 and 360 series. However, this may simply be wishful thinking, as I'm not really sure.

Rickenbackers are supposed to be legendary for their finishes, but I haven't had it for long.

The Rickenbacker newsgroup (alt.guitar.rickenbacker) has posters with frequent complaints about Rickenbacker's lack of customer service, and equally as many devoted fans who worship the company.

The CEO's wife is reputed to be a lawyer, so that may or may not explain the pains Rickenbacker takes to wash their hands of warranty liabilities.

Common complaints are: If your dealer has lost your warranty card, Rickenbacker will not honour the warranty without the original card. If you mail your warranty card in later than 10 days after receipt of the card (as stated on the card), the company may not warranty the guitar instrument. Even the Rickenbacker shipping box states that you must wait 48 hours for the guitar to acclimatize the finish before opening it, which again seems to be another way in which Rickenbacker can opt not to honour a warranty in the case of a customer who wants to SEE his/her guitar when it arrives.

Finally, and importantly, Rickenbacker's warranty starts at the date of manufacture, NOT from the date you bought it. Hence, if your dealer has had a Rickenbacker guitar sitting in stock for a few years, as the purchaser you may not have any warranty whatsoever.

That being said, the guitars are reputed to be very well made, and luckily for many that means never having to deal with the good folks at Rickenbacker.

Their guitars are legendary, but customer service may not be Rickenbacker's strongest suit.

Been playing 30 years and learned on a Fender F55-12 12-string acoustic. Also have a Ric 360/12CW (gorgeous), a '78 Fender Stratocaster Hardtail, '79 Fender Precision Bass, a 52 Fender Telecaster reissue (I'm in love with it), a Fender electric mandolin (cheapie), and a gorgeous L'Arrivee C19 acoustic guitar (check this one out on Larrivee's website)

As for the Rickenbacker 660/12, many people shy away from them and go for Rickenbacker's classic 300 series semi-acoustic electrics with the thin necks, only to find the thin neck 12-strings are more difficult to play than they expected. Don't ignore the 600 series guitars from Rickenbacker, and espeically the top of the line 660's.

My overall rating for the 660/12 is right near the top of the heap if a premium 12-string electric is what you're looking for.

I don't know if a [52 year-old] man's toys really say anything about the man, but I do know that my Rickenbacker 660 12-string guitar is my favorite toy. It's just a beautiful, birds-eye maple, factory stock-equipped, US-made delight. I was surprised that it is so small - I'm accustomed to big Gibsons. I have lived with this little guitar for a year now and I am still utterly infatuated. I have retired from the night club scene and now play only rare, small concert style events in my home town. In the absence of a smoky bar environment the 'new' smell of the wood still greets me each time I open the case.

An opportunity to reunite my old 60's rock group - after a 31-year hiatus - started all the fun. I actually HAD no guitars and I needed an amp, too. When we realized that many of our cover tunes required a 12-string I began an Internet search. I wound up with a Gibson ES-135, a Rivera 112 amp, and the Rick 660-12. The Rick makes 'the sound' we want - the George Harrison-Roger McGuinn-Tom Petty sound. I use a Boss Compressor and I just can't believe I am finally, after over 30 years, able to play those old covers accurately. The compressor is the 'secret ingredient'; McGuinn's is built-in on his signature model; he relied heavily on compression on the recordings. [If any of you know of a better compressor for a Rick 12, please drop me a line.] What is 'the sound'? Listen to the opening TWANG of the Beatles' "Hard Days Night" or "Mr. Tamborine Man" or "Eight Miles High" by the Byrds - THAT's 'the sound' I'm talking about. This guitar will produce mellow, sweet sounds, too, but you can get those on a lot of other guitars. For the 'Rick Sound' only a Rick will do.

I haven't had to adjust the pickups - they sound fine. The guitar has no flaws. Now, on the issue of set-up and action, well, this is where we separate the men from the boys.
You must work with the action and set-up but if you do you can be rewarded for your trouble. I have McGuinn's video, "The 12-String Guitar of Roger McGuinn" in which Roger lovingly and patiently changes the strings and tightens the truss rods while describing the 'care and feeding' of a Rick 12. It didn't look too scary so I tried it and those strings just laid down on that neck. The thing is, you have to do this from time to time. Don't be afraid to work on this guitar. It is hard to get the low E strings intonated - in fact, it may be impossible, perhaps due to the small scale of this guitar - but with careful playing, applying careful finger pressure to 'play in tune', you can work around it. I find that if I play with a light touch and let the 'Ninja Boost' on my Rivera amp and the Compressor box do their share of the work, I am thrilled by the sound. My pal Danny Morgan worked on it for about 30 minutes one day with noticeable results. When I asked him what he thought about the guitar, he said, "It's a little baseball bat - but I love it!"

This is a solid guitar. It is built with care. No backup is needed. A good tuner is highly recommended. New strings add sparkle.

I have had no need to contact Customer Support at Rickenbacker. Their reputation is excellent and friends of mine tell me they are very responsive.

I've been playing almost 40 years. I've always wanted a Rick and when the reunion show came up, I just took the plunge. I also, in the name of fairness, had to purchase a new dining room set, so the cost of playing a 53-minute set at the show was about $6,000. And worth every cent.
The tone of the Rickenbacker is unique and that is why I chose it. It will seem surprisingly small if you are accustomed to a large box or semi-acoustic guitar. It requires occasional attention to intonation and neck adjustment. To maximize amp tone and for sustain a compressor is recommended. Playing this guitar puts a grin on my face - priceless!

Ok,I've done many reviews here on HS and well this is gonna be a bit differant in approach then usual.I LOVE RIC's.I don't own allot but I love the craftmanship and they are made in AMERICA.GOD BLESS aMERICA! As with most ric's this is all MAPLE a very bright wood and at the same time mellow in the mids and bass. Mine was produced August of 2001. Ahhh,sweet,sweet simmer time!I bouht it over the internet from PM Blues in RI and I live in Arizona
! Why the distance,well these guitars are HARD to find,almost imposible to just walk in and snatch one...maybe in the bigger city's where the chain stores are like LA where I was raised....I was spoiled because you could get anything in LA. But now it's internet shopping.Gmall.com is where I found this very rare gem. It's a Fireglo(redburst for those unfamiliar with RIC lingo,lol). It is very very flamed.There were several pictures so I could see and size the guitar up...very important when shopping on the net. I just could not beleive the tiger strips and burst on theis thing.If your into Gibson burstd this would be considered by Gibson as an AAA piece of maple for the body. Interesting is that the guitar is a thru BODY guitar.In in ither words the neck and body are made from on piece of Maple!!!! And the two sides with the AAA tiger flame are just glued on on each side.A very good design.Stays in tune and sustains allot more than a neck that is just glued on.It comes with two vintage 'scatterwound' pick ups known as 'toasters'.The sound is pure 60's tone wise.My only bitch is it has just one plug which is ok but most RIC's have at least two or even a stereo rigged inputs. But this ia a small thing since TOM PETTY was the guy responsible for the design.He knew what he was doing since he insisted on a 12 saddle bridge...a must for intonation and a slightky wuder neck which I find more comfy than the 300 series 12's.

RICH FULL BRIGHT SOOUND or you can shape it anyway you want since it has 4 knobs,3 volume,2 for tone and a 5th smaller knob for mixing the PU's.This is a tonemisters dream come true!The retro vintage 'scaterwounds' RIC is making are really great and sound spot on . The older vintage PU's were about 13.0 ohms or something..high gain which meand no vintage jangle ala Mr Tamorine man ect. These new PU's are scatterwound at 7.4 ohms and sound like a real 60's RIC.The wider neck hekps too with the 12 saddle bridge you won't go wrong. It's a solid body guitar unlike the 300 series 12's like the 360's .they aRE everywhere but IMO this axe creams them ALL! Sound wise and comfort wise. I owned a 98 36012/v64 with reqwound pick ups but still no satisfation. It never stayed in tune with the traditional skiny neck. I got tired of fighting with it,the bridge would move sometimes and I was always having ti fuss with it to keep it in tune. With the new 660's there is no problems so far and the intonation is perfect.One bad thing about not just this 660 but all RIC 12 strings including the 360's is you NEED a compressor pedal to get 'that' sound everyone wants. Maybe someday RICENBACKER will get a good onboard compressor but for now no soap. I recomend a good MXR comp or similar pedal...it makes allot of differance in the tone if you want to sound like what you hear on recordings.Enough from me...the tone is the best,period of any of the RIC 12's IMO unless you own a ROGER MC QUINN model with a built in comp.

RIC'S are pretty much handmade one at a time.It may take 3-4 months just to make one so if you order one you'll have to get in line unless you lucky enough like I was to find a 660 on the net.They go fast. As far as materials and craftmanship.....they are the best. Far supirior to most custom shops. Only the finist wood and parts used.

Built to last. Look around at all the vintage sales....most are in exellent condition.Made like Sherman TANK!

John Hall the vice prez I think or CEO is a nice guy and you can even email him and he will respond usually. very good relations.No complants.

OK,not many guitars get a 10 but this one does.Maybe I got a good one I dunno. It's perfect for my playing which includes from bashing out power cords to picking like Roger Mc Quinn. Open cords and bar cords are no problem. I love playing leads on this thing .It is to easy compaered to some RIC 12's I've tried. I wanted a straight from the factory NEW guitar with the RIC warranty and that's what I got. Like I said before I was in the right place at the right time to snag this GEM!Tiger Strips and all.The other posters got a bargain buying used and I guess if something hangs on the wall long enough in a Guitar Center or Mars store long enough you can get one for less ,but they retail at $1999 and I feel I got a great price for spanking new axe nobody has fooled with. BTW,the guys at PM BLUES went out of there way and set it up perfect. They only had it three weeks and it wasn't hanging on the wall,no it was in a glass case for serious buyers only. Play on......It's basically the 92 TOM PETTY SIGNATURE MODEL without the signature and higher price.

My newest guitar is a Rick 660/12 (SN 0033921, Aug 2000 build date). The body construction, etc. are well-known or easily obtainable from www.rickenbacker.com. The color is "Fire-Glo" with lots of "flame" visible. I really like the body's finish and appearance. My only gripe - albeit minor - is that the fretboard has a "clearcoat" finish on it that I find to be somewhat "sticky" - higher than desired friction with my fingers - when I play it. I'm used to Les Pauls and others that have non-coated fretboards.

Structurally, this guitar is the "cresting wave" body style with neck-through-body construction. It seems bullet-proof. A personal quirk is that when I'm playing in a sitting position, the angle of the "crest" pokes me right in the sternum so that after a while playing, I have a sore spot and/or a bruise in the middle of my chest. (Probably bad posture on my part.) A BIG plus is that slightly wider neck present on this model. I'd played some 360/12's in a local German music store and found it quite tight. I could have gotten used to it, I suppose, but the 660's neck felt "right" from the first time I played it.

I play mostly rock/pop, with some country-rock on occasion. For now, I have only played it at home through two practice amps fed in stereo from an old Boss Chorus pedal (those things NEVER break!) in the A minus B mode. The spaciousness with this little rig is overwhelming! The stereo spread with that one-of-a-kind Rick 12-string sound makes it the aural equivalent of a laser beam and mirrored disco ball. (This model doesn't come with "Rick-o-sound" so the pedal is the stereo source, however it still sounds fantastic by itself through a single amp.) The little mini knob blends the front and rear toaster pickups so, with proper settings, you can use just the one knob to go between the bass and treble extremes of the guitar.

If anyone ever purchased this model, or ANY Rick 12, he/she will have loads of fun, and lots of "Wow!" moments playing any song previously played on a 6-string. The unique tone adds a new dimension to the most familiar of songs so that it's like hearing your favorites for the first time again.

I have found the volume of the low E pair to be significantly higher than the rest of the strings but this is probably the same with most electrics when played as enthusiastically as I've played this one since I got it in May.

I would recommend a clean, bright tone with little or no distortion for playing this guitar. In my opinion, there is too wide of a range of frequencies created when playing it to keep overdrive or distortion from turning into noise insted of staying nice and fat sounding. A chorus, light phasing, some reverb will make it sound like it came straight from heaven.

Cannot describe this guitar as anything but a dead-mint GEM, appearance-wise. Really sharp! The gold pick guards really set off the Fire-Glo color.

This could easily be a main guitar, no backup needed. The strap buttons are NOT Schaller-compatible like newer models. The ones is came with are called "vintage" on the Rickenbacker web site, where you can find a diagram if you dig hard enough. I ordered a set of Schaller Strap-Locks but was surprised to find that the screws that came with the Schallers had a MUCH thinner shaft than the Ricks, whose strap buttons are actually one-piece - no screw-through-the-middle - in contrast to my other guitars. The Rick buttons' shaft is also much thicker than the screws that came with the Schallers. I tried to order a set of Schaller-compatible buttons from Rickenbacker but was only referred to "my local German dealer", which is actually a three-hour drive away. To the rescue came "Pick Of The Ricks" (www.pickofthericks.com) who sent me a set for only $7.00

I've only dealt with Rickenbacker once (see above) and was disappointed. There is a caveat, however: I'm with the US Army in Frankfurt, Germany. I have "APO" mail (i.e. the US Post Office) but MANY vendors are unaware that APO mail is actually US Mail and constantly treat us as if we are "foreign" and have to use international mail and dealers. I can't AUTOMATICALLY fault Rickenbacker for the case-closed referred to a German distributor.

Been playing for fun and the occasional beer money since 1968. I have a '71 Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop, a '64 Jazz Bass, an '89 Ovation Legend, and a little yellow travel guitar as seen in "Back To The Future." The Les Paul and Jazz Bass were purchased for $200 each in the '70s. I bought the Ovation new for $900 while stationed in Israel. The Rick is therefore the most expensive guitar I've ever purchased, HOWEVER I CONSIDER IT MONEY WELL SPENT! (You get what you pay for, right?) My purchasing it was somewhat of a gamble, however, as in all of Germany I could only track down a single solid body Rick, and that was a narrow-neck 620 at a store three hours drive away (and that's at 100 MPH Autobahn speeds). I would like to see more widespread examples of Rick solid 12's out there on the market. Most high-end music stores here in Europe have a 360 or two but that's all. I'm probably going to be quite the celebrity when I take the 660/12 down to use when shopping for a new amp!

Y2K Rickenbacker 660/12 in gorgeous Fireglo, Rick's sunburst motif. 21 medium low frets on a maple neck with rosewood fretboard sporting Rick's 'sharkfin' triangular pearloid fret markers. This is a solid, neck through solid body guitar. It is of Maple construction, neck and 'wings', with a very lovely Birdseye pattern on the front and back. (Some examples of this model sport flame or tiger maple ). This guitar has the Fireglo coloring, a sunburst of dark red at the edges to a lighter colored 'salmon'in the middle. This color isn't pink and it isn't yellow, it's ?salmon? I guess- But it is the nicest sunburst I have ever seen. Also the Rick 'glo is transparent and except for the darkest of the colors, the excellent wood grain shows through. It has two single coil pickups. These are the much vaunted 7.4Kohm vintage "Scatterwound" toaster top pickups that were resurrected to produce the desirable sounds of the 60's.

The body style is of the "cresting wave" shape and is bound on the front with checkered binding/ the neck is bound in white. This is a very pretty shape, with a double cutaway design with that wave shape on top and a sharp point on the lower part. This is a small body compared to my 380Laguna or other 335, or dot, or Newport, or other thin hollow body, but it compares favorably with the solid body makes of other manufacturers.

The tailpiece is a polished crome 'trapeze' that is anchored at the tailpin. I has six holes in it for the strings. Two strings share each hole. This tailpiece is considered easier to restring than the R tailpiece which is an option for some guitars and standard on others.

The bridge is a multi adjustable job/ height side to side/ and twelve saddles that are adjustable independently. There is a shiny bridge cover that some folks remove to muffle the sound, but I don't have a need for that,yet.

This guitar has vintage Schaller tuners in an interesting combination. Instead of having twelve tuners sticking out horizontally from the headstock Rick has a setup where one string of the two-string group has its tuner horizontal and the other string's tuner sticks out of the back of the headstock like a classical guitar. You have no doubt about which string you are tuning with this configuration. Also- Rickenbacker strings its twelves backwards from other makes. On a downstroke you hit the larger, bassier string of each group. This is one of the things that makes their sound so distinctive. The other major contribution to the sound is the pickups and the tone knobs.

The tone knobs consist of a volume and tone knob for each pickup; a selector switch to select N/NB/B pickup combinations. There is a fifth knob that can be used in the middle selector switch to further blend the two pickups which gives you added tonal choices than with just the selector switch. This is hard to explain and it turns some people off to these guitars ( because the retail sales people don't understand it) But this is one of the coolest features of this guitar. It can be used to set a particular tone, to bias volume between bridge and neck, or as equalization between bass and treble. You gotta look in the book and play with it, but it is a good feature.

Vintage hardshell case a crushed velour royal blue interior. Very nice case with a small Rickenbacker tag near the handle. The groove in the case that the neck rests in is too shallow. I noticed after going from home to rehearsal that the neck would not stay in the slot. I wadded up the polishing cloth that came with the guitar next to the neck in the slot and that keeps it from moving.

So many people rave about its sound as a Beatle/Petty/Byrds/U2 guitar that I have to make the following statement- This piece kicks major ass and I use it in a lot of modern songs that my band has written, in addition to songs by Sixpence None the Richer, Del Amitri, Splender, Badlees and others. There is no sound on this earth that compares to a Rickenbacker 12 string. No other 12 guitar can match its tone. Period.

I play this thing, "Little Ricky", through a Tech21 Comptortion pedal that I have set on mild compression and higher gain, into a Tech21 Trademark60 combo amp with a 12 inch Eminence speaker.I use the pedal because I use the amp with a Rickenbacker 380 Laguna with pz option through the same amp. The humbucker and active pz equipped 380 is much hotter than the single coil 660/12, so I use this pedal to boost volume and to compress the tone, which is what the god of the electric twelve, Roger McGuinn,does.

I love this guitar for the tone: it stays in tune real well; at 8 pounds it is not too heavy; the tuners work very well; the wider than normal neck ( like the 380) is a blessing to this twelve.

This guitar had zero defects. The only thing I don't like about it is the pickups sit on top of a substace that is obviously a foam gasket. No, you can't see this from 5 feet away, but hanging from your neck you can see it. I would prefer a more solid looking gasket, but this is a super-minor problem.

This is one solid piece. I play this guitar practically everyday, and many times a month for rehearsals and gigs. I have no doubt that this guitar is going to last and I would buy another of its ilk in a heartbeat. I don't plan on buying another 12 to back it up. I think a six will suffice as backup, but it wouldn't sound the same.

My other Rick, The 380 had to be sent sent back for a faulty Piezo bridge pickup. The company dealt with me straight and quick. The only thing I had to pay for was shipping from Pennsylvania to California. Other than that, I have nothing but positive things to say about this company.

I have been playing 30+ years. The only other guitar that compares to it is the Rickenbacker model 620/12 and the hollow body 330/360/370 twelves. My 380 is a hollowbody of the 360 variety. I wanted something different for the 12 but when I played a 620/12 with its narrow neck I was put off-but when I played the wider neck 660/12 which shares a fingerboard width similar to the 380, I was hooked.

Just one comment- Rick has this double pickguard thing. The lower guard serves to cover the routing on the surface of the guitar, much like a tele or a strat. They also have a second level guard about half an inch above the surface guard. This second guard is a lot like a 335 or a LP guard, but these guitars are routed from the back and have no cover around the tone/volume controls. That double pickaurd thing is cool in itself.

This Rick 12 is exactly the same as the Tom Petty signature model, with two exceptions: it doesn't come with the signature pickguard, and it can be had for less money. It has all vintage features, with two toaster pickups, RIC Deluxe tuners (identical to Kluson Deluxe), gold pickguards, vintage black control knobs, checkered binding, large triangle inlays, and trapeze tailpiece. It also has the 12 saddle bridge like the MGuinn model. It has a solid maple body ("cresting wave" style like the 620's and 650's) of charactered maple with the kind of gorgeous finish Rickenbacker is famous for. It is also different from most Rick 12's in one important area (an area that is often a source of complaints): it has a significantly wider neck than the typical Rick 12 (same 24.75 scale). If my memory serves me, most Ricks are 1.625" at the nut while the 660 is 1.75". I've owned a Rick 325, 330, 360, and 430, and this neck has a very different feel.

Since I'm a big Beatles, Byrds, Who, Petty, etc. fan, a Rick 12 is a must in the collection. I started playing in 1964 and spent most of the 60's in one garage band or another, so that should explain the Rickenbacker fetish ;-) I currently use a Laney VC30-210 and a Vox Pathfinder with a Boss CS-3 and a Dan-Echo. I won't repeat what everybody already knows about the sound of a Rick 12. Bottom line: This guitar has "the sound" with a wider neck. I love it.

Flawless fit and finish. I had to change the setup when I went to Pyramid strings. The only complaint I have is the tuners. The non-vintage tuners that RIC puts on its regular models are better, IMHO. These stay in tune OK, but they have a little too much "play" in them for my taste.

I have a '75 Rickenbacker, and have owned and played a number of older Ricks. They are made to last. They are good, USA made guitars.

Absolutely the best. You can go on the alt.guitar.rickenbacker newsgroup and get feedback directly from the CEO, John Hall. I've never needed a repair, but parts and information are readily accessible.

I've been playing guitar for 36 years and currently own a new US Tele, a '72 Gibson J-45, a new Dano, a '75 Rick 430 and the '98 660-12. The only problem with a Rick solid body is they are hard as hell to find. Having a chance to get your hands on one before buying is practically impossible. The big stores only stock the 330's, 360's and the vintage reissues. You'd probably have to spend a lot of time trying to find one on the net, or order a new one from a dealer. The Tom Petty models are actually easier to find right now since the 660 has only been out about a year. This is, in my OPINION, the best Rick 12 available. I like the vintage toaster pickups; I prefer the trapeze tailpiece to the "R" - much easier to string. And, the wider neck is much easier for me to play on the 12. I'd like to see RIC put this neck on a 360-12... then I'd have 2 Rick 12's! I think I like the playing comfort of the semi-hollow body of the 360's a little better, but without the wider neck the 660-12 is my choice.