Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

There's a guy from Brazil named Sergio who thinks Rickenbacker guitars are great. I happen to agree with him.;)



;>)/
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

Wow there is a lot of emotion here over a brand of guitars.

IMHO, any guitar can play well and feel good if it is setup well and clean. Any guitarist with decent technique can pickup any decently setup guitar and make music happen on it.

The tone thing is more subjective. I'm a mahogany body/nitrocellulose/maple cap kinda guy, so I like my Les Paul sounds. There is a purity to the tone that I love and enjoy. It feels good to play my LPs.

If the Rickenbacker floats your boat, then play it and love it. If a different type of guitar floats your boat, then play what you love and enjoy it. There's really no right or wrong, and in the end.. all the audience hears is the music you play. They don't care what kind of guitar you prefer to play to make that sound as long as it is good music.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

What a stupid thread.

Rics are great quality instruments with an incredible history and place in music history -and are ONLY made in the US, never compromise on quality, and the employees that make the guitars receive a living wage, -Name another Manufacturer you can say all those things about.... I'll wait....

...
..
.
..
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ok Im tired.

OP, Rics often have Vintage Necks and Radii and higher action -it's an acquired feel and not a reflection on "worst" guitar -just not for you -probably because you've not spent enough time to acquire the feel for one.

Their instrument make amazing sounds, their voicings are distinct and original -sounds often not achievable with other manufacturers. -oh yeah, and they make the best Bass guitar ever made.

oh yeah, Fugazi..... Fugazi.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

Thurisarz said:
Tried another Rickenbacker guitar today the 330 model and i still stand by word that this is the worst sounding guitar ever. I don't play metal or hard rock i actually play Byrds and Smiths kind of music but this was just awful. The balance between the pickup was somewhere else and the drop in volume between the two pickups was yucki. There was no sort of characteristics in the sound of the different pickups. If i had to choose my favourite setting it was the bridge soloed with no tone and full volume it was ok but nothing i would pay for to own.
Click to expand...

There must be something wrong with your ears. RICs are known for their clarity, chime, tone, balance, but they take some time to adjust to as you have to adjust your playing style to the instrument, learn the sweet spots, and learn how to use the 5th knob. Rickenbacker production runs are small when compared to Fender or Gibson, and there is likely to be some variance between guitars in the same model runs. My recommendation would be patient and keep looking. When I decided to purchase my 330, I had actually spend several hours with it in the store over the course of a month before purchasing. Price/value? Paid a little less than list price, so I got a deal. Regrets? Zero.
 
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Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

Nice to see a thread about the Rics (It is not so often)... I never ptouched a Rickenbacker in my life except the bass...
I would love to try once but I do not want to buy one : it is too expensive.

That friend bass had a pleasant neck and weak pickups.

Something strange is the size of the Lennon model : so small
I saw many of them for sale in Japan in Ochanimzu (Tokyo guitar street) just because Lennon played it...
amongst an incredible number of Mosrites... just because the Ventures played them.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

Rickenbackers are neat guitars, but they are not nice instruments. I own 4. The company used to be really cool, but my last interactions with them around 2006 made it so I will never buy another Ric.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

I tried a limited edition John Lennon model once at a friend's place that was insanely expensive.

I didn't get it. It did nothing I really enjoyed, didn't think it played very well, the tones were odd, and the geometry and feel was just off for me.

I wouldn't say they're the worst guitars ever for sure. But for me that specific guitar was an awful fit.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

Diego said:
I tried a limited edition John Lennon model once at a friend's place that was insanely expensive.

I didn't get it. It did nothing I really enjoyed, didn't think it played very well, the tones were odd, and the geometry and feel was just off for me.

I wouldn't say they're the worst guitars ever for sure. But for me that specific guitar was an awful fit.
Click to expand...

I have a 320, converted to 325, a la Lennon model. What I discovered that model is best for is: songwriting - unplugged, playing acoustically. Because of the small scale, it’s comfortable to play chords for hours and it’s easy to try chord progressions you wouldn’t normally think of or attempt; and since it’s hollow you can play acoustically and it works fine for composing songs.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

beaubrummels said:
I have a 320, converted to 325, a la Lennon model. What I discovered that model is best for is: songwriting - unplugged, playing acoustically. Because of the small scale, it’s comfortable to play chords for hours and it’s easy to try chord progressions you wouldn’t normally think of or attempt; and since it’s hollow you can play acoustically and it works fine for composing songs.
Click to expand...

I could definitely see fitting in that same route for me, eventually. A quick play at somebody else's place isn't much of a fair test drive.
Also, it was a long time ago. Since then I had a 339 and understood that semihollows are the best there is for me.

Who knows? I guess we'll see.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

I hate threads that start with...I played a XYZ model, I hated it because ABC, therefore it is the worst brand of guitars ever made.

I especially hate it when the thread is over 10 years old and has been resurrected for no particular reason.

I've owned several Rics, including the 330, and have loved every one of them. I especially love their bass (one of the greatest sounding basses ever) and wish I still had it.

And as far as price...have you priced a Gibson LP lately? Do any of you complain about that and feel IT is overpriced?
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

beaubrummels said:
Rickenbackers are neat guitars, but they are not nice instruments. I own 4. The company used to be really cool, but my last interactions with them around 2006 made it so I will never buy another Ric.
Click to expand...

So, that was about the time this thread started...
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

PS: And do you really think the quality of a Gibson is better than a Ric? (If I was ONLY interested in quality, I'd take a Ric any day before a Gibson).
 
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Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

That’s actually an interesting comparison. I find Gibson builds to be solid but the fit and finish lacking. My Rics from the 70’s-80’s were “evidently hand built’ but easier and smoother on my hands to play, whereas my 90’s-2K Rics have immaculate fit and finish but feel a bit like bricks in my hands.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

Rickenbackers? Worst guitars? What? :D

Someone saying that has no idea what a fundamentally bad guitar is, I guess.


My first guitar (used of course, literally for a couple of dollars). Basically, everything was wrong with it. It played as easy as fretting a tanker would be and the sound would cause permanent brain damage after 5 minutes of play... I mean, clamping notes as fretting a simple barre chord here was like lifting a car with one finger. If the first Broadcaster played and sounded as bad as this one Leo would have committed suicide. Five times in a row.

I must also add that to my biggest surprise I met this company @Musik Messe Frankfurt a couple of years ago and today they are making pretty impressive instruments.
 
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Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

They don't sound like Gibsons or Fenders. They don't play like Gibsons or Fenders.
Can''t speak to recent quality because I haven't played any new ones.
But they've always been kind of their own thing.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

Does this count? If so, it is my favourite Rick. :D

efkamis6naq637sodfit.jpg


On a more serious note, I love the sound of their 12-string models. It isn't a guitar I could find much use for, but it has its place.
 
Re: Rickenbacker - Worst guitars ever?

somebody kill this thread

Here is quick list of bands off the top of my head, that had at least one player using Rickerbacker as their primary instrument

Beatles
Rolling Stones
The Byrds
REM
Tom Petty
Eagles
Radiohead
Beach Boys
Paul Weller
Motorhead
Metallica
Queen
Ween
Deep Purple
Joy Division
Thin Lizzy
Misfits
Cure
Allman Brothers
Rush
Yes
Fugazi

List look familiar? yeah because it looks a lot like the greatest bands ever list.
 
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