2003 Rickenbacker 330-12 Fireglo

After I got my Fender Coronado 12 string completely set up by my stellar guitar guy Ron Kayfield of Arpeggio, I realized that even if it played well, it would never be a Rick. I sold it on Ebay for twice what I paid for it and ordered a Rickenbacker 330-12. If you're planning on getting a Rickenbacker, you've got two options: order one and be patient as it will take at least six months, or shop around at stores until you find one you like. I ordered mine and waited for what seemed like an eternity. But it was well worth it. Rickenbacker still makes very high quality, hand-made instruments. However it still needed a serious setup by my repair man to get it just right, even when it was brand new! Apparently the neck moves quite a bit when they leave the factory. Mine also needed a bridge adjustment, typical with any new guitar.

Rickenbacker's craftsmanship is excellent. The finish is beautiful and the guitar is quite solid. And it has "that sound." There's nothing else like it. I opted for the 330 model instead of the 360 for two reasons. First, the 360 has a bound neck, and believe it or not, that extra space you lose on the fingerboard is noticable. It's harder for me personally to fret a 360. And second, of course the 330 is cheaper without all the binding. I actually like the squared look of the 330 better than the rounded 360. Rick also makes a bound version of this guitar, which would resemble George Harrison's first 12 string. They also make "vintage" reproduction models that have different tail pieces and pickups. All of this, of course, costs more which I could not afford at the time. But the 330 does everything it needs to and is a great sounding instrument.