What do we think about Rickenbacker?

I love the sound but hate the playability. I have huge fingers and the necks are so narrow they're practically unplayable for me. I had a Rick 460 12 string years ago and couldn't play it. Now I have a Danno that sounds just as good, or better, and it's playable for a lot less money.

The 620 neck is fine (although the way it's finished seems to bother some people; not me) - I think it's only the semi-hollow models that have the real narrow necks.

Be aware of the control layout:
Ric:
NT NV
BT BV

"Normal":
NV BV
NT BT

or whatever - I get confused thinking about it.
So yeah, Rics have their little quirks.

Imagine that Fender never made a more modern version of the Telecaster. After all these years, it still had a round radius, three barrel saddles that aren't compensated, tiny frets, truss rod adjustment at the heel, etc. It would be perfect for people looking for the classic Telecaster vibe, but would put a lot of people off who would want some more modern features thrown in. That is part of how I feel about Rickenbacker. They're funny, quirky things and do what they do wonderfully, but there are no "modern" versions (except a couple basses with some mild improvements) to make for a more versatile or useful instrument. Their frets are still small and buried under lacquer making them (in my own experience) rhythm guitars exclusively. It is not the kind of guitar where you'll show up to a jam with just that, unless you're doing some very specific stuff. Setups on them are a pain, but once you get through that, it is less frustrating. (I was researching basic repair shop pricing a year or two ago, and I found that some shops have separate pricing just for Rickenbacker due to higher labor hours. I opted not to do that for my own pricing, but it was still interesting)

But, dang they're cool. I'd love to have a 12 string, and have wanted one since seeing that video of The Who from the '80s where Townshend breaks one out for Substitute.

If you buy new, make sure you get a good setup. If the dealer provides a setup, then that's also good. Out of the box from the factory, Ric setups can be embarrassingly bad. I've heard some... uhh... "interesting" stories.

The only one I've played (and the only model of theirs that I like the looks of) was a 620. I thought it was a great guitar, neck width was normal as I recall.

I bought a midnight blue 4003s about 10 months ago now, and nothing else sounds like it.

I will purchase another one - a 4003W. I plan on using the Ric-O-Sound option to access the Chris Squire/Geddy Lee sound (I also plan to get a Tech 21 YYZ pedal as well) and then take it from there.

Those new bridges they have are a major upgrade to what they had before. Jeff Babicz is also working on a prototype (third one, I believe) replacement bass bridge.

It won`t make me ditch my other basses, but I am a big fan of them. I think an 8-string would be a fantastic addition to my collection, but I doubt that will happen.

I have a MapleGlo 360/6, light and very easy to play, and a Blueburst 660/12. The wider neck of the 660 does make for better 12 string playability as compared to other Ric models. Both are well constructed and very nicely finished, you can tell there's a lot of attention to detail. I feel both are quite unique but outstanding guitars.

I have a 660/12 TP. It’s a great guitar, but I think that 12-strings by their very nature demand respect - that is, if you’re looking to play them well. All of my usual Stratocaster tricks and techniques (shimmer with the bar, volume knob swells, bends, pre-bends, etc.) are either physically impossible, or just not practical.
That said, nothing sounds like a chiming Ric 12, so I feel very lucky to have one. I just don’t know if I’ll ever feel like I’ve really achieved the skills it requires to play it well.
I’d post a picture ... but I’m not clear on how to do that ... lol

If you like the idea of a Ric but are put off by narrower necks, look at six-string versions of their models that are also offered as 12 strings. Generally, the necks on them fill the hand quite a bit better if that's what you prefer

Greg, you mentioned you've not heard a Ric played live...but you have! I think you may have been distracted by the fact you were on drums at one of the Jersey Clamfests, because Jimi and I had our Rics out for a few Beatles tunes.

For those of you that don't know, Greg (TBird) is not only a fine guitarist--he's also a very capable drummist.

I have a 620 in Mapleglo- it has a great bridge pickup sound which I like more than the average Strat bridge sound.

I am definitely not a fan of super skinny necks. I had a Mosrite Ventures Model that I found unplayable because of that. How would the neck on the 330 6 neck fall into the "skinny" category?  And what about the pickups?  Most seem to have SC's, but then there are the "toaster" types.  Are they HB or SC?

The necks don't bug me too much, because my expectation of them isn't to be able to play anything on them. If I grab a Strat, Tele or 335, I want to play a variety of things on it. If I have a Ric in my hands, I play Ric sorts of things. That's part of what I was getting at in my earlier post... they're quirky little things that do some great stuff, but not the kind of thing you'd want at a jam with no other options. Maybe someday they'll make a "modern" version that feels okay for a variety of styles and then you'll have "vintage vs. modern" arguments on these forums to look forward to, about how the modern ones don't capture the soul of the old ones, blah blah blah, but for now we just have Ric or something other than Ric. I'd say if you're shopping for a Ric to do mainly Ric-like things and maybe discover a thing or two on your own, it won't be that big of a deal. Or maybe it will. Who knows.

I have 5 Rics:

'67 366/12, my first Ric bought used in '02. Fireglo and jangles forever.
'03 380L PZ/6 which has Ric humbuckers and piezo. This one is the last year production. Wide, maple neck. Walnut body, gold hardware and a unique bridge.
'04 620/12, bought in Las Vegas at the very infamous to some, guitar store of which I can not remember the dudes name...wait...Roman was his last name, I think. It was modded with one of his CNC billet bridges and I later put toasters in it. Montezuma Brown.
'06 360/6 of which I put toasters in a couple of years ago. Fireglo
'12 660/6 in Mapleglo but, it's really birdseye maple.

I also once had a 325v59/6 short scale in maple which had 3 toasters. Sold it.

Personally, I find none of them hard to play. It's like an acquired taste for playability for those with the narrow neck. just something that takes time to get used to. As has been said, Ric does make the 660 with a neck more like that found on a acoustic. Their quality is second to none and they are entirely built in the USA, electronics included. There's nothing else like'em.  

I am intrigued by the comment, "If I have a Ric in my hands, I play Ric sorts of things."   I don't know what that means, since I don't have a clue as to who's playing a Ric on a given record, except Tom Petty.  Can you give me some examples?  Thanks.

Jangly stuff, Byrds, Beatles, and so on. Less stuff that requires hammer ons/pull offs or string bends.