Why I Will (Probably) Never Buy Another Rickenbacker

Jangle and chime. The sound of the 60s. Jangle Pop in the 80s. An iconic look, a unique sound and… a bit of a pain in the ass. Are they quirky? Niche? Worth every penny? Or are Rickenbackers overrated? And how’s that famous, or infamous, Rickenbacker quality control?

When I was a little kid I fell in love with music. I was raised mostly by my grandparents and developed an eclectic taste in music, going through their records and listening to Glenn Miller, Buddy Holly and The Beatles (among countless others) again and again. I wanted nothing more than to be a musician. And The Beatles imprinted on me the most.

I listened to their records, the original Canadian versions (which were possibly more butchered than the US Capitol versions), watched A Hard Day’s Night and Help! and every documentary I could find and read every book I could get my hands on and had three dreams as far as gear – To have a Vox AC30, a Gretsch and a Rickenbacker. And over the years, I achieved all three. But owning a Rickenbacker became a disappointment that bordered on nightmare.

In 1995 I bought my first Ric, a 330/12 in Mapleglo. I will always remember that day so clearly. The music store called me to say my guitar had arrived, I excitedly called the woman I loved, who met me on her lunch break, and we went to the store together. Feeling like a little kid again on Christmas morning I was so excited she couldn’t help laughing. I was a college student at the time, I’d scrimped and saved, eaten like a bird to afford it, and the thought of attending my afternoon classes didn’t even cross my mind. She went back to work and I went home and played. And played and played.

Rickenbacker 330/12 Mapleglo

Rickenbacker’s Lousy QC and Customer Service

Remember, this was 1995. The internet was primitive by today’s standards and I didn’t get my first computer until 1999. So Rickenbacker’s well deserved reputation for hit and miss QC and horrible customer service was unknown to me. I learned first hand. The hard, dream shattering, way.

As the months went by I had issues with tuning, intonation and buzzing so I took my guitar to a luthier (one of Ontario’s best). He showed me the nasty knot in the neck by the 12th fret that had lead to the neck warping. That wood never should have been used. That guitar never should have left the factory.

Since my guitar was under warranty and I’d done my due diligence and sent in the warranty card, via registered mail to ensure its delivery, I naturally reached out to Rickenbacker. They claimed there was no warranty card on file. Here I was, a college kid, calling long distance to California from Canada, with a highly expensive lemon of a dream guitar, and Rickenbacker was just brushing me off.

So I involved the dealer. They reached out on my behalf and Rickenbacker brushed them off too. So the dealer dug in deeper. Rickenbacker then said they did have a warranty card on file after all but it was in someone else’s name. Um, what?

Now the facts were very simple: I went to the dealer and ordered the guitar. The dealer ordered it from Rickenbacker. It was shipped from Rickenbacker to the dealer and I went in and picked up my guitar. From the factory to the dealer to me. The dealer even sent them proof – copies of the order info, the bill of lading, my purchase receipt, even a copy of my receipt for the registered mail when I sent in the warranty card.

And even with all that, with what would be overwhelming evidence in a court of law, Rickenbacker refused to acknowledge me as the owner and honour the warranty. So much for my dream guitar.

(Note – Shortly after my incident that dealer stopped dealing with Rickenbacker because, well, they’re a pain to deal with and mine wasn’t the only problem they encountered.)

Years later, in 2003, I was willing to give them another chance. What I wanted was the George Harrison reissue 360/12C63 (I don’t have heroes but if I did, as a person and a guitarist, it’d be George) but there was a wait. A long wait. With Rickenbackers there almost always is unless you luck out and a store has one in stock. Fortunately the store I went to this time was something of a British Invasion store.

Usually, you walk into a music store and they have a wall or two of Fenders, a wall or two of Gibsons and Epiphones and then a guitar or two of this and that brand, a “mixed tape” if you will, on the remaining wall. Well, this store was the exact opposite. It was almost all Gretsch, Hofner and Rickenbacker. I might have drooled a little. So, not wanting to wait two years for the Harrison model, I chose another 330/12, this time in Fireglo.

Rickenbacker 330-12 Fireglo Are Rickenbackers overrated?
Rickenbacker 330/12 Fireglo

Being once bitten and twice shy from my first Ric experience I looked over this one very, very carefully. It was flawless. And a thing of pure beauty. So I bought it and fell in love all over again.

And shortly after discovered what my youthful exuberance had blinded me to with my first Ric… those damned narrow necks – 1.63″ (41.4mm) wide at the nut. That’s narrower than your typical six-string. My Epiphones measure 1.68″ (42.67mm) and my Gretsches measure 1.685″ (42.8mm) and Rickenbacker is crowding twelve strings into less space than any other manufacturer uses for six. It was not fun to play.

I’m a fairly big guy at 6’2″ (though I’ve shrunk an inch or so as I’ve aged) and typically weigh around 195-200 lbs. And I have big hands. Playing chords was not comfortable. Take a typical open A-chord at the second fret for example. Crowding in three fingers and getting all the strings/notes to ring cleanly just wouldn’t happen. I tried contorting my fingers in bizarre ways (I played a lot of jazz chords so I was used to it) but the simple fact is the standard Ric neck is simply too narrow for twelve strings. I tried to love it, I tried to adapt but it just wasn’t worth it so I sold it.

Tom Petty and Pete Townshend had the same issue. They both approached Rickenbacker and specifically stated they wanted wider necks. So Rickenbacker came out with the 660 and 1993Plus models respectively which both measure 1 3/4″ (44.45mm). For years players had been asking for a wider neck on the 12-string models and were ignored but you don’t ignore Tom Petty and Pete Townshend.

Rickenbacker is not a corporate behemoth. They remain as they always were – a family owned business in Santa Ana, California. Every single Rickenbacker is made in their factory in the USA. And there’s something to be respected about that. But that’s also part of the problem because being family owned, it’s their way or the highway and, as so many have discovered over the years, their way is all to often stuck in past and covered with what I consider an unjustified amount of arrogance and hubris.


John Hall – You Are Not The Customer

The problem starts with the owner/president, John Hall, and trickles down to the employees. He has a reputation for being rude and condescending to customers/non-famous players on the phone and on public forums.

You see, Rickenbacker does not consider the average player/guitar buyer to be their customer. They consider the dealer to be their customer and don’t give a damn about anyone that isn’t famous. I experienced this myself with my first Ric and I’ve read many, many exchanges between him and customers over the years. Once something’s online, it tends to stay online.

He’s resistant to change (their website speaks to that in spades) and has stated that, since they sell every guitar they make and that they’re back ordered 18-24 months, he’s clearly in the right and there’s no reason for him to modernise the guitars. This is despite a plethora of posts online about the poor, outdated design issues.

Seriously, one of the worst bridges you will ever find on a guitar or bass is a Rickenbacker bridge. And if you bought the 660/12 or 1993Plus model for the wider neck, guess what? The factory still puts on the standard bridge, designed for the narrow neck models, which means it’s utterly pointless unless you buy an aftermarket bridge and install it (which will void the warranty assuming you can even get them to acknowledge you as the owner in the first place).

Oh, and the bridge you get on a 12-string is a six saddle bridge and if you want a twelve saddle bridge, well, that’s extra (and poorly made anyhow – it’s a hacked up six saddle bridge).

With most products and warranties the warranty starts the day you make the purchase. Not so with Rickenbacker. Their warranty starts the day the guitar is made and if it takes a year or so to get from their factory to the dealer to you, the paying customer… well, that’s a year of your warranty gone. And if you try to broach the subject of quality control issues or customer service with the company, or John Hall in particular, you’re more likely to be brushed off, told you don’t know what you’re talking about, or outright ignored than to receive what passes for even average customer service with any other company, because, well, again, you’re not their customer.


Rickenbacker Owes Everything to The Beatles

I wrote earlier that the company’s arrogance and hubris is unjustified and that’s because Rickenbacker pretty much owes its continued existence, even now, to The Beatles and to the clever marketing of FC Hall, then the head of the company.

The Beatles – And John and George with their Rickenbackers

It’s well documented in many books and on many websites – John Lennon got his first Rickenbacker, a 325 Capri, in Hamburg before they were famous. Then they did the Ed Sullivan show and got very, very big. Then FC Hall went to visit them in their hotel room in New York and offered John Lennon the 12-string that George Harrison soon made famous. John didn’t want it, George did. So FC Hall offered John a shiny, brand new 325 (and offered Paul McCartney a right handed Ric bass because he somehow missed the incredibly obvious fact that Paul is a leftie. Paul’s leftie bass came a little later).

Then one day a young Roger McGuinn and his friends watched A Hard Day’s Night and George’s Ric blew him away so The Byrds built their entire sound around that guitar. It seemed like soon every band had at least one guitarist playing a Ric. And pretty much everyone after that that played a Ric did so because of The Beatles. Mike Campbell even said in an interview that when he bought his first Rickenbacker 12-string (used) he was disappointed when he got to the seller’s house to discover it was a 620/12 and and not the model George had.

When most people think of The Beatles they immediately think of Rickenbackers but the truth is they didn’t use them that long. And they used them as long as they did because, well, they were free, given to the band for marketing purposes and the band used them on tour for the sake of image. Once the touring stopped, the Rickenbackers went away with McCartney’s bass being the exception. He toured with his Hofner and used his Ric in the studio but even when they became strictly a studio band he switched back and forth between his Ric and Hofner.

It’s entirely possible, maybe even probable, that if FC Hall hadn’t given John and George free guitars in ’64 the company wouldn’t even exist today. And as for the oft bandied about “They sell every guitar they make and are back ordered so they must be amazing” claim touted by John Hall and parroted by Rickenbacker’s faithful followers… well, that’s marketing too. And one of the oldest tricks in the book – increase demand by deliberately decreasing supply.

I’ve been a musician for well over 30 years and been surfing around online for about 20 years and I’m hard-pressed to think of any guitar/bass brand that has a more love/hate relationship. A few seconds searching on Google will lead to lots of reading about the company, its design flaws, its treatment of customers who do anything other than praise them and dare to honestly speak of QC and CS issues. Some fans border on sycophantic absurdity while some “haters” go to the other extreme, going out of their way to rail against Rickenbacker. I prefer the middle ground, an honest, accurate, critical assessment.

It’s well outside the scope of this article for a detailed delve into all the issues, or all the famous players of their guitars and basses, but I’d like to dispel a few myths before closing.


Rickenbacker Myths Dispelled

1) Rickenbackers are “One Trick Ponies” – Absolutely untrue.

While it’s true that Rickenbackers have a characteristic chime and distinct sound they are not just limited to jangle pop or people in Beatles tribute bands. They can handle almost style if you know what you’re doing. A quick read of the long list of players of both their guitars and basses will establish that very quickly.

2) Rickenbackers are overpriced – Absolutely untrue.

While “Made in America” often means very little to anyone outside of the USA, Rickenbackers aren’t overpriced. They may be more expensive than what you may want to pay but stating as an absolute that they’re overpriced is daft. Seriously, anyone that says that needs to look at the prices of an American made Fender or Gibson. Especially Gibson.

3) Rickenbackers are the best/worst made guitars ever – Entirely subjective.

I’ve come across this so many times on various forums. Someone gets a good quality Ric and proudly proclaims the company’s quality second to none. Someone gets a bad one and proclaims they’re the worst guitar maker ever. Are the bridges absolute garbage on both their guitars and basses? The overwhelming response there is yes. The guitar bridges are cheap and haven’t changed in 50+ years and the bridges on their basses, well… just Google it.

And I haven’t even touched on the exploding “R” tailpieces on the guitars. They’re poorly cast, rough and jagged underneath where the strings go through and over time, the tension of the strings could make them crack and, in some cases, essentially “explode”. There’s some more fun reading there. Hell, there are companies out there that specialise in making replacements parts for Rickenbacker. Still, all companies make diamonds and duds.

4) Rickenbackers are the only 12-strings worth owning – Entirely Subjective

I’ve seen this said too and it annoys me. Someone will post a question on a guitar forum, asking for suggestions for a 12-string, and some elitist will come along and state that Rickenbackers are the only 12-string worth owning, that everything else wants to be a Ric and is just garbage. Stating your personal opinion as an absolute truth is pointless (and speaks more to the ignorance and/or underlying insecurities of that individual than anything). There are other options, for less money, and less money doesn’t automatically equate to lesser quality.


I can’t imagine not having a 12-string electric. It’s simply part of my “sound” as a musician and composer. I’ve written so many songs on them, songs that just sound wrong when played with anything else, that it’s almost a need. (And no, pedals do not replace 12-strings which is another stupid claim people make.) When I decided to recommit to music as a profession a couple of years ago I knew I needed another 12-string. I debated, seriously so, whether I wanted to give Rickenbacker another chance. I knew the 330/12 neck wouldn’t work for me and took a long look at the 1993Plus. And then I decided to give Danelectro a try. And I couldn’t be happier.

Danelectro is overlooked far too often and has an undeserved reputation as being poor quality. That’s easily dismissed if you do a search online for famous Danelectro players. So when I decided to try one my wife bought me a D59 12-string as a Christmas/birthday gift and it’s simply great. I love the quirky, art deco look, the neck width is what a 12-string should be, it has all the jangle and chime I want and when I’ve recorded with it people have mistaken it for a Ric. And it’s 1/4 the price of a Ric 330/12.

My current stable with “Art Deco Dani” as I named my Danelectro 12-string

Still, there’s an almost undeniable allure to Rickenbacker. As I said at the start of this article (which turned out to be longer than intended) they’re iconic and unique. If you pull one out at a gig you immediately have everyone’s attention and almost invariably get a “Dude, sweet Ric!” comment from other musicians and again, every guitar manufacturer makes diamonds and duds. And a good one, if you get a good one, can be a thing of beauty and inspiring to play.

I’m still tempted but my temptation is tempered by a few factors – I have a 12-string I love in my Danelectro and the only Ric 12-string I’d want is the Harrison model and I know I wouldn’t get along with the neck. I’ve also thought of getting a six-string 620 in Jetglo but what stops that acquisition are memories of my very first experience with Rickenbacker’s QC and CS. Even though my second Ric was flawless from a build standpoint I’ll never forget that first experience. Oh, and my wife says we don’t have room for any more guitars.

Joseph Avery-North
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8 thoughts on “Why I Will (Probably) Never Buy Another Rickenbacker”

  1. I’m glad you wrote this I was wondering why so many Ric’s were used and for resale so much. I almost bought a $5,000.00 blond on blond (Don’t remember the exact model) but when I put it under the microscope (so to speak) I found a lot of flaws in it and especially the bridge which was so messed up, I said no thanks and lost a down payment because that was the policy of the guitar shop at the time. (2005) Thanks I may never buy one unless I can play it, because I never want to buy a guitar without seeing and playing it 1st. Especially a RIC…..

    Reply
    • Hi Scott,

      Thanks for reading the article and commenting. I’m happy you enjoyed it.

      I really want to like Rickenbackers. They’re iconic, I love the look and a lot of great music was made with them. But they definitely have some quirks and drawbacks.

      I’ve read a lot of folks replace the stock bridge with a Mastery bridge or one from a company called Winfield Vintage (who also, from what I’ve read, make a far better, more durable tailpiece than exploding stock “R” tailpiece).

      In my opinion, modding a guitar should be something you do because you want to, not because you have to. With a Ric, I’d feel a need to immediately replace the stock bridge and tailpiece and if I’m spending a two or three thousand on a guitar I shouldn’t have to replace key parts.

      I was seriously tempted a few years ago to get another Ric. Writing this article was a cure for that. I have read that they’re now no longer coating the fretboard in lacquer so maybe, slowly, they’re coming into the 21st century and updating just a bit.

      Reply
  2. Hi Joseph, Well, I always wanted a RIC so I bought a 1993+ which I liked at first. Then the problems started. One of the tuning machines broke which was replaced by RIC. I took the broken one apart and found real poor quality. Replaced them all with Gotoh open gear tuning machines which are great. I couldn’t get the RIC to intonate correctly with the RIC bridge so I replaced it with a Tune-O-Matic bridge and intonation was easy. Replaced the RIC wiring with a JangleBox on-board compression system which was a piece of cake to install. Had my favorite guitar tech set the truss rods, fix the lousy original fret job on the neck, reset the nut and dial in the bridge and replace the lousy fragile RIC strings with a custom D’Addario set. Now I have a great RIC that plays like butter and sounds like the McGuinn RIC. I did spend 25% more than the RIC cost to get it done but I’m now happy with the result. I would never send my RIC back to them for service. Just thought I would let you know about my RIC experience. I doubt if RIC would care though. Bill

    Reply
    • Hi Bill.

      I wish I could say I’m surprised you went through all of that but I’m not. I took a few longing looks at the 1993Plus and 660-12 models. But even with the wider necks you get the stock lousy bridge – which is designed for the narrower width of a 300 series neck. That completely defeats the purpose of making the wider necked 1993 and 660 12-strings models in the first place and you have to buy an aftermarket bridge. I just don’t know what goes through their minds at Rickenbacker. I’ve heard they’ve recently stopped lacquering the fretboards so maybe, slowly, they’re coming into the 21st century.

      I still look at normal 330 and 620 six-strings too because, six or 12-string, Rics have that Ric sound… but I’m not paying their prices for hit and miss QC and the immediate need to swap out a poorly designed bridge and poorly cast tailpiece. There’s a company out there called “Winfield Vintage” that pretty much specialises in making replacement bridges and tailpieces for Rickenbackers. It’s a shame such an iconic look and sound requires so much work to get it playing right when it’s brand new, right out of the box.

      Reply
  3. A hello from the UK here… Can I just say thanks so much Joseph, for this in-depth, really well-written and informative piece – which I only came to via your one on the Danelectro D59-12, as I was looking for an impartial opinion on them – they looked potentially too good to be true and I was unsure of the brand – but plenty of great artists clearly use them, as I now know thanks to your link. I’ve been mulling another Rickenbacker as an electric 12-string is the one thing I’m missing in the armory. I can’t really justify paying full price – nearly picked one up on E-Bay for a relatively bargain price (£1500 sterling – they’re usually anything from £2,500 to £4,000) but was £150 short of the actual winning offer – and still had my doubts, as my 6-string 610 (which I bought while on vacation in Edison, NJ, when things were much cheaper over your side of the pond, in 1993) has given me quite a few issues – loses tuning, low-end pick-up crackles and disconnects – despite a pro-reset – though it did serve me well for several years gigging in my low-rent Windsor-London indie band in the 90s. But you’ve convinced me it really is paying over the odds for a name – albeit also an undeniably beautiful look.

    I’m going to try the D59-12, as I may even be able to get one for as low as around £550 (if in stock from the place I found) – I’m looking at the f-hole version in cherry red, vaguely like the Ric, hopefully as good as your one, which looks solid-body? I think I have smaller hands than you describe yourself as having, which is my only slight concern – but it sounds like it should make things easier in the long run, once I’ve adjusted. Anyway – I just wanted to say thanks – it really helped me arrive at a more sensible – and informed – decision.

    On an unrelated note, I saw from a couple of your other posts that you’ve been having a tough time recently – sorry to hear it – please know there are folks out here who, while maybe only stumbling on such amazing literary/musical rabbit holes as yours by accident, find them incredibly helpful and worthwhile – hope things are looking up for you and yours anyway, my friend.

    Reply
    • Hello John. I’m sorry it’s taken a little over a month to reply. I really want to express my sincere thanks for your comment and the compliments within. It’s nice to know my writing and reviews are helpful.

      And yes, I’ve been having a bit of rough go. I’d say it’s partly that the entire world seems to have gone mental (cost of living, shrinkflation, etc) and part of it’s because companies, especially musical instrument makers, have taken a dive in their QC. My latest Gretsch (VS ’62 Tennessee Rose) is flawless. My new Danelectro “Red Hot” Longhorn bass is pretty damned fine too but don’t even get me going on Hofner. If you’ve read my last two review… and there’s an update coming because the damned control panel just fell apart this weekend. And I barely play the thing. I just need to sit down and start writing again. I’ve got about a dozen articles and reviews in differing states of completion.

      Oh, fun fact as a the kids say – I may be on this side of the pond but I’m as British as one can get living in Canada. So too my wife. Though she was born here, she lived in the UK for a few years… in Stoke. Poor bird. Says she had a blast though.

      Reply
  4. Joseph,
    I am a Rick addict. Saw them first being used by various British Invasion bands as an early teenager, I really wanted one (or a Gretsch Country Gentleman). Now, at age 74 I have been blessed with having the means to get the Ricks that I’ve desired by a lifetime of work. I even spent about 13 years in a British Invasion tribute band. I had all the Gretsch guitars and Hofner basses, also. So, first of all, I thank you for your very in-depth view on your Rick experiences. I really like this type of writing on my favorite guitars. Here are my Rick experiences: Yes, the neck is small, so I dealt with it, because I wanted the guitar to work for me. I modified the way I used my finger shapes in the chords, and largely succeeded. I really like having only one guitar to use, so I moved from model to model to be able to use one in an all-types-of-music band. I am a lead/rhythm player so they also have to be able to accomodate this need.
    Now, at this stage of my life, I have bought my last guitar. It is a Rickenbacker 325C64. I have always wanted a 325. Had two different others, a 325V63 and a 325V59 earlier in my career, but not for long. Now, I’ve made my peace with this tiny last 325. I love getting it out of its case and just gazing at it for a moment before playing it. I squeeze my fingers into the tiny fretboard and do my best. I don’t regret buying it for one minute. I will admit to buying a Mastery M5 bridge for it. It did wonders for the unamplified and amplified sound. The Rick roller bridge is far from perfect. I am also going to try a gold pickguard set to give the guitar that extra visual zing.
    I know this is a long, disorganised comment, but bear with me a little longer. My summation of my Rick experiences having owned at different times in my life, 12 six and 12-strings: the quality of mine were always great. I never had to deal with any broken parts. They fulfilled the need of the time, uncomplainingly. Love em’.
    One more thing. I emailed John Hall back in late 2001 and mentioned that I was coming from Ohio out to California to visit a few relatives. I asked if I could visit the Rick factory. I know that they give no tours and just generally want to be left alone. And I know John Hall can be very difficult at times. I think its his personality and the way he has been treated over the internet at various forums. But, I got a response from him that said, let him know when I was in town. So I did when I arrived, and he said come on out. Was I surprised? You bet! He spent about an hour and a half, one on one with me. Gave me a complete tour of the factory, his personal Rick museum and at the very end of the tour, asked me if I wanted to see the new “C” models that had just arrived back from the January NAMM show. Yes, I did. And I did get to see the prototypes that Rick exhibited.

    So, maybe I originally caught him on a good day with my questing email. But I can tell you that the John Hall that I met was cordial, friendly, and engaging. He took valuable time out of his CEO day to show a person around that he did not know. He answered every question that I posed to him. I remember him asking me if I frequented the various forums that were around at the time and I told him that I did, but was not one of the troublemakers. I never felt hurried at all during the tour.
    I feel very lucky to have gone there and also feel lucky to be able to have lived with my Ricks over the years. Now its down to me, Little Ricky (my 325C64), my patient wife, and 3 adorable little pups.

    Reply
    • Hello Steve,

      Thanks for reading and replying. I love comments like yours, comments that cover a lifelong love of music and guitars. I’ve always tried to make my articles a little different than cookie cutter reviews that just check boxes so when someone like you comes along, reads and replies, I’m content.

      I envy that factory tour you had. Only two guitars brands make me sit up and take notice. Fender Strats and Teles don’t move me, a Gibson Les Paul means nothing to me but whenever I see a Gretsch or a Rickenbacker I take notice. And I still have urges every now and then, thinking “Well, if I get a six-string instead of a 12-string the narrower fretboard won’t bother me…” Because Rics are gorgeous and the tone, unmistakeable and iconic. My second 330-12 was flawless. Looking back I regret parting with it.

      I also envy that 325C64 you have. Didn’t they call that the “Miami” or was that another of the C series? I always wanted two Rics, one for John and one for George. Enjoy that “Little Ricky”. A patient wife, three adorable pups and a 325C64. Honestly, what more could you ask for? 🙂

      Reply

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