On 2001-12-02, Steve Tracy gave this Rickenbacker Electric Guitar a 3...(946)
Purchase: Purchased new in December 2000, from Shinseido Rock Inn, Tachikawa, Japan, for around US$2000. There was only one good reason for buying this. To"hang on the wall" as a piece of John Lennon nostalgia! I was also informed at the time (by the agent),that this model was about to be discontinued. Don't know how true that is, because the 325V64 now advertised looks identical!!?
Pros: It's Jetglo(black) finish is very even, and the instrument is put together in a typically Rickenbacker fashion. That is, very well! I think this about where I would draw the line as far as "liking it" is concerned.
Cons: All Rickenbackers seem to be very limited in their versatility, but this model, even more so! After owning it for a year, it is totally beyond me why Lennon (or John Fogerty) ever used it live! Now I can understand Susannah Hoffs(Bangles) using it, as I assume her hands to be much smaller,but honestly, for your average guy, it is a very difficult instrument to play, especially up the neck. Compared to my Parker Fly, PRS & Steinberger GU, it feels and sounds like a dinosaur! It sustains notes like a house brick. In other words,THERE ISN'T ANY! Three pickups on such a short scale can give only a very limited(and antique)range of sounds, and what's more, you really are restricted to Rickenbacker's own short-scale, fairly heavy strings in order to tune it to correct pitch.(At least,that seems to be the case) I dislike them intensely.If anyone knows of any others, please let me know! I've also never fathomed out the logic behind the "blend" control. It does sweet nothing, so I leave it in the middle,and forget it!
Quality: As I said, well made,with high quality components, Pity the company is still locked in the 60's. Releasing the same old models in a garish range of colors that look like they came from an old Chevy catalogue, won't improve things either! I thought they were breaking out when they introduced the"Glen Frey" model that Joe Walsh used. What happened to that?
Summary: It looks nice hanging on the wall in my Living Room, but I doubt whether I'll ever play it again. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who aspires to advance beyond strumming a few open chords. It's had it's day, and I'd suggest that the amount of money involved could be put to far better use.(Read my Steinberger Spirit GU-7R Custom review) However, a piece of music history it most definitely is! That alone rates the 3 points i'm giving it.
