Rickenbacker Guitars

Up for auction is a Rickenbacker 330/12-string guitar manufactured in August 1966 in near mint physical condition and perfect functioning condition. I have a lot of pictures of this guitar so please ask for any specific photos. There are a couple surface scratches on the back of the guitar that could be buffed out, and a couple of surface scratches near the R tailpiece, a small scratch on the tip of one of the horns, but other than that it's about as mint as you'll ever find. I can take the control/electronics cover off the guitar and take some photos but when I bought it I checked and the pots date to 66 and all the wiring and the blue caps are intact and original. Pickups are original scatter-wound toasters (the best kind!), one long-pole, and one short-pole. The only thing non-stock on the guitar is the bridge. It's a reissue 12-saddle bridge made by Rickenbacker to address intonation issues on these guitars. I don't have the original bridge. There is some debate as to whether or not the 12-saddle bridge helps or hinders the sound with all strings perfectly intonated, but the general consensus by most is that it is an improvement to the sound. I've found you have more control and can actually adjust each saddle slightly off resulting in a huge chorusing sound, without major intonation issues as found on most 6-saddle bridges.

I've spent the past 23 years trying to find the ultimate, best-sounding, near-mint fireglo Rickenbacker 12-string. During that time I must have owned nearly a dozen Ricks from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, bound, unbound, f-hole models, bound necks, triangle inlays, etc.. None of them could never give me the sound and playability I was looking for. This guitar finally did, but not that I've found it, I recently discovered my holy grail Rickenbacker guitar (I can't mention what model because the deal is in the works) but I need to come up with several times what I can get for this guitar just to purchase it.

So why buy this guitar? For one, they might look nice, but I'm not a fan of bound necks on a Rick 12. It's a documented fact (by John Hall, owner of Rickenbacker) that cutting the holes in the neck for the inlays weakens the neck, making it less likely to stay in tune over time. The binding on the bound necks always seems to show cracks where the binding meets the frets, due to tension/compression issues. So for me, the best neck on a Rickenbacker is an unbound dotted neck. 1966 was a transition year for Rickenbackers. Prior to mid-66 they were routing the top near the neck for the long-pole magnets. As a result, the top didn't resonate as well, and the necks didn't have the support they needed once they were under tension. So to help cure this, Rickenbacker stopped routing the hole and used a short-pole surface mount pickup, allowing them to make the top thinner to give it a more jangly hollow quality. That's what this guitar has, and every post mid-66 pre early 70's Rickenbacker will have the short-pole toaster pickup at the neck position. In late 66 Rickenbacker started making the tops out of 2 pieces of wood instead of 3. This guitar is a transition model and still retains the 3 part top with the non-routed top, so the pickups are floating on one strip of wood up the center of the guitar, which in my mind would result in a better tone.

The neck on this guitar is as straight as an arrow and parallel with the top of the guitar, resulting in extremely low action all up and down the fretboard with no buzzing whatsover. The frets show little to no wear. The fretboard lacquer is glossy and is not worn like most guitars from this era. The intonation is perfect across all 12 strings. The strings currently on the guitar are a new set of Pyramid flatwounds as recommended by Roger McGuinn. The sound is distinctly Rickenbacker with a crunch and jangle that only a vintage Rickenbacker can give you.

The tuners are double-line nickel Klusons, and clean as can be (quite amazing how clean, really). The tuners turn nicely, and are slightly stiff with no noticeable play. They have a lot of life left in them. The original cast R-tailpiece is pristine with no pitting,cracks, or other issues.

The bridge still has room to move down, but the action is so low there is no need for it. The bridge saddles and screws are solid
and don't rattle. The bridge support screws are from Winfield Vintage. I wanted it to look like an original 60's bridge so I ordered 4 of the dark brown screws to hold up the bridge. I have the original silver screws and (I believe) the bridge cover which I will include in the auction. The case that came with the guitar is definitely from the 60's and is black with black gatorskin end caps and white piping. I previously thought they started making those cases in 1968, but I don't know for sure and perhaps someone well-versed in Rickenbacker cases can weigh in as to whether this is the an authentic case that came with the guitar or not. The outline in the base of the case indicates to me that the guitar was probably stored in the case for some time.

The guitar is perfectly functioning. It plays great and sounds amazing and is a real stunner. The fireglo finish is amazing (as you can see from the photos) and there is some wonderful birdseye on the back of the neck and the front of the guitar. I took about 40 photos of the guitar and all of them came out great, so it's a pity eBay only allows you to upload 12. If you need more photos, please email me and I'll upload them to Flickr or something and send you a link. There are a few mid-60's Rickenbackers on Gbase, all in the $8000 range, and all beat up or worn.

Free shipping to the USA. Will be very carefully packed and shipped via UPS within 3 business days of cleared payment
in my bank
account. Contact me if you need a shipping estimate or have a courier preference, but shipping must be a) traceable b) include signature on delivery.

For International shipping, total shipping cost will be calculated at auction close since eBay is never accurate with shipping. You can figure out estimated shipping costs using the following criteria: 40 pounds, 50" x 18" x 7". Tracking, signature confirmation, and insurance for the full value of the item are required to protect both of us.

Please check my feedback.
I've shipped
many guitars and vintage synthesizers all over the world since 1995 and have always gotten positive feedback on the
condition
of the things I sell and the attention to detail when I pack items. I have a perfect rating so I think my feedback speaks for itself. I'm a lurker (of sorts) on the Rickenbacker forums and have posted quite a few posts over the past several years. I will pack to ensure the guitar arrives in the
condition it left my studio, fully functioning. Please
don't bid if you have
no intention of paying. High
bidder to pay the winning bid plus shipping within 3 days of
auction close. I will not ship to a P.O. Box and will only accept
Paypal
from verified Paypal bidders.