1971 Rickenbacker 360 vs 2000's Rickenbacker?

contramark · 30th January 2012

A guy at my work let me borrow a 1971 360 Rickenbacker for a year and I loved every minute of it. However the day came where I had to give it back and I am missing it big time.

Can i find a similar mojo and sound in the new ricks? I need to get a guitar with the toaster pickups not the high gain stuff. Any suggestions?

Bad Machinery · 31st January 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by contramark

A guy at my work let me borrow a 1971 360 Rickenbacker for a year and I loved every minute of it. However the day came where I had to give it back and I am missing it big time.

Can i find a similar mojo and sound in the new ricks? I need to get a guitar with the toaster pickups not the high gain stuff. Any suggestions?

Current production Rics are also incredible. Don't write off the "hi-gains" though--they're NOT EMGs, by any means. Great rock sound.

The place to shop for Rickenbacker Guitars, Basses and Parts

contramark · 31st January 2012

do all the new ricks have hi-gains? do you know what year they switched from the toasters?

maybe i need to goto guitar center and try out the new ones.

RedWallStudio · 31st January 2012

I've got two 360's. One is an older 360 V/64 (first year they made them) and the other is a 360WB (With Binding). The V/64 has the toaster tops and the WB has the high output. As it has already been said, the difference between the two is not like the difference between a Telecaster Deluxe with Humbuckers and a standard Telecaster with Single Coils. I will say the 360 V/64 definitely has more vibe to it and is the one I use exclusively for recording. I purchased a spare Toaster Top for the WB and have swapped it out from time to time... the difference is very slight to my ears.

As far as quality goes, Rickenbacker is one of the few (only?) guitar maker that never really had a dark period. They have always made super high quality instruments and I've never played a bad Ricky. The 360's have the fastest most comfortable neck out of any guitars I own (and I own quite a few).

contramark · 1st February 2012

ok thanks for the advice. if its not a huge difference im probably not willing to spend an extra 2 grand for the extra vibe. but i just love those old pickups on the 1971 version.

Jeff Scott · 2nd February 2012

The newest ones are great guitars, the current hi-gain pickups with adjustable pole pieces can be very jangly if you want them to be. I own a '67 330 and a friend of mine has a '08 330; the major differences are in the feel of the neck and the weight of the guitars. Mine has a thinner neck and weights quite a bit less, mostly due to the construction techniques of the bodies. Tonally, they are pretty similar, even though mine has vintage 1967 toasters on it and he has non-adjustable hi-gains.

contramark · 2nd February 2012

do you know which years have the adjustable high-gains? can you get these on any of the models?

Jeff Scott · 3rd February 2012

RIC started putting them on instruments sometime in 2007 IIRC. Yes, they are available to buy new if you want to put them on your Rick. Any good Rick dealer or from the RIC Boutique.

30th January 2012	#1
contramark Gear addict Joined: May 2005 Location: philadelphia, pa Posts: 447 Thread Starter	1971 Rickenbacker 360 vs 2000's Rickenbacker? A guy at my work let me borrow a 1971 360 Rickenbacker for a year and I loved every minute of it. However the day came where I had to give it back and I am missing it big time. Can i find a similar mojo and sound in the new ricks? I need to get a guitar with the toaster pickups not the high gain stuff. Any suggestions?

31st January 2012	#4
RedWallStudio Lives for gear Joined: May 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 974	I've got two 360's. One is an older 360 V/64 (first year they made them) and the other is a 360WB (With Binding). The V/64 has the toaster tops and the WB has the high output. As it has already been said, the difference between the two is not like the difference between a Telecaster Deluxe with Humbuckers and a standard Telecaster with Single Coils. I will say the 360 V/64 definitely has more vibe to it and is the one I use exclusively for recording. I purchased a spare Toaster Top for the WB and have swapped it out from time to time... the difference is very slight to my ears. As far as quality goes, Rickenbacker is one of the few (only?) guitar maker that never really had a dark period. They have always made super high quality instruments and I've never played a bad Ricky. The 360's have the fastest most comfortable neck out of any guitars I own (and I own quite a few). __________________ "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." Stephen Bishop

2nd February 2012	#6
Jeff Scott Gear nut Joined: Mar 2010 Location: Cleveland Ohio Posts: 100	The newest ones are great guitars, the current hi-gain pickups with adjustable pole pieces can be very jangly if you want them to be. I own a '67 330 and a friend of mine has a '08 330; the major differences are in the feel of the neck and the weight of the guitars. Mine has a thinner neck and weights quite a bit less, mostly due to the construction techniques of the bodies. Tonally, they are pretty similar, even though mine has vintage 1967 toasters on it and he has non-adjustable hi-gains. __________________ www.labwork-bw.com

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1st February 2012	#5
contramark Gear addict Joined: May 2005 Location: philadelphia, pa Posts: 447 Thread Starter	ok thanks for the advice. if its not a huge difference im probably not willing to spend an extra 2 grand for the extra vibe. but i just love those old pickups on the 1971 version.

3rd February 2012	#8
Jeff Scott Gear nut Joined: Mar 2010 Location: Cleveland Ohio Posts: 100	*RIC* started putting them on instruments sometime in 2007 IIRC. Yes, they are available to buy new if you want to put them on your Rick. Any good Rick dealer or from the *RIC* Boutique.