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Had a bit of a sell-a-thon earlier this year, clearing out stuff I wasn't using much.  This allowed me to grab a couple of guitars that have long been on the bucket list - a Gretsch 6121 (Terada made) and a Dallas-era Schecter PT.  Been very happy with both of those!

I had squirreled away some funds for Ric 360/6 as well... as I've lusted after those for most of my life.  I know I've played a few over the past thirty years or so, but I honestly can't recall much about the experiences.  I was hoping to find one locally in a store to try out first, just to see if I'd gel.  I was kinda wanting something from the late 70s-early 80s timeframe, but the cost and general comments about the skinny necks and playability had me hot and cold while watching for them more seriously over the past couple of years.

Couple weeks ago, a 2016 model surfaced at a price I couldn't ignore.  It was none-more-black (err, "jetglo"; my favorite!), had those full width inlays which I dig, and I got it for 1200 and change shipped.... AND it came with a brand spanking new unopened set of Lollar Broilers.  Not too shabby!  I think I could get on fine with the hi-gains, and still debating whether to flip those Lollars or give 'em a go.

Compared to the thrill of a new-Hamer-day, a new-360-day is probably not quite as exciting to witness; however, the neck was a huge (EUGE!) surprise.  It's a bit Gibson-esque.  D profile, and width at the nut is 1 11/16", 7/8" thick and it tapers up to (just shy of) 2 1/8" and 1" thick.  Slightly narrow width at the heel (almost a dead ringer for my '78 Sunburst).  

Were the older ones like this?  Maybe they chunked the necks up a bit in more recent times?  At any rate, playability is great and it feels very familiar coming from (mostly) Gibson and Hamer territory.

jeaMcuE.jpg

 

Here it is lounging with my ol' battle axe '73:

274mrn9.jpg

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I've only seen them in person once at Gruhn's when he was in the old location - never picked one up but have avoided shipping one in here because of the skinny necks.  Now I'm piqued!  

Beautiful guitar; they've such interesting sounds! Love the 4003 (? guess), as well.  CME just sent an email in about a run of custom colors of those.  Again, very curious but they are so alien to me I'd be afraid to just ship one in.  

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47 minutes ago, velorush said:

I've only seen them in person once at Gruhn's when he was in the old location - never picked one up but have avoided shipping one in here because of the skinny necks.  Now I'm piqued!  

Beautiful guitar; they've such interesting sounds! Love the 4003 (? guess), as well.  CME just sent an email in about a run of custom colors of those.  Again, very curious but they are so alien to me I'd be afraid to just ship one in.  

The 360 is pretty loud acoustically - and yeah, definitely has a sound and feel all its own.  Got a great first impression from it, though, and so that was kind of a relief.  That's why I trying so hard to find a bargain - just in case I ended up wanting to bail out.

Saw the CME basses - some of those 4003s are pretty sweet.  I wouldn't mind a shadow or blackstar, or something of that ilk... but dang - prices ain't what they used to be!

That bass above is the 4001.  Biggest difference with those was the hairpin truss rods.  To adjust the neck, you actually pull 'em out, bend them into an arc, reinsert, manually muscle the neck into the desired relief and snug the bolts down to hold it in place.  Whew!  :lol:  The 4003 later emerged with "normal" rods.

Here are some shots I took while setting up my '78 :blink:

tGlRVYF.jpg

yeXbPfd.jpg

Didn't have a pic of the actual "neck adjustment process" on that bass, but I do them like this - getting the neck relief in position with tie down straps lol.  Bass below was a 4003 8-string, which adjusts like a Fender... but I had it on the same jig to fit interference plugs in the neck swimming pool.  It had started folding in on itself due to structural weakness there (whole 'nother story!)

vM6GBv7.jpg

 

For a while, I had three basses - the '73 4001 above, my '78 4001 in maple (had that since the late-80s), and that 4003s/8 8-string.  The latter two are gone now.

qKRy47w.jpg

 

Definitely try before you buy.  They're fun, but unique idiosyncratic creatures.  I like them, but then I like old Gibson basses too - which have their own peculiarities B)

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2 minutes ago, chromium said:

That bass above is the 4001.  Biggest difference with those was the hairpin truss rods.  To adjust the neck, you actually pull 'em out, bend them into an arc, reinsert, manually muscle the neck into the desired relief and snug the bolts down to hold it in place.  Whew!  :lol:  The 4003 later emerged with "normal" rods.

Here are some shots I took while setting up my '78 :blink:

tGlRVYF.jpg

yeXbPfd.jpg

Definitely try before you buy.  They're fun, but unique idiosyncratic creatures.  I like them, but then I like old Gibson basses too - which have their own peculiarities B)

Ah, nosir, nope, not even!  And to think I gripe about having to semi-remove my Fenders' necks to adjust at the heel.  That's just messed up! 

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11 minutes ago, velorush said:

Ah, nosir, nope, not even!  And to think I gripe about having to semi-remove my Fenders' necks to adjust at the heel.  That's just messed up! 

Ha - yeah no wonder they switched.  Sometimes you can get lucky and adjust it without pulling the rods, but for any significant change in relief I usually had to go there.

Gotta watch out on used 4001s, since people sometimes crank the nuts down trying to adjust it in the more traditional way.  Seen a lot of them with cracks and fingerboard separation at the nut as a result.

PITA, but I will say that they've been extremely stable once set.  That was the first time I had done that with the '78 in 25 years, and it was only because I had switched string brands.

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Did I miss the orange Detour Ahead signs.  Seems like this thread started as a Ric 360 6 string and pretty quickly changed lanes to Ric basses. Does this bus stop at ric 660 or ric Tom Petty Limited Edition seems to me is the debut of Rickenbackers with necks that were a little more roomy.  I believe that the 660's that they are making now all have the dimensions of the TP Ltd Ed.   Don't know of the Rickenbacker Co putting the 660 neck on 360's.  That would be blasphemy.  That would be like putting a 25.5" scale neck on a Les Paul.  A neck tattoo on the Statue of Liberty.  I don't talk to those Ric boys much anymore since they got that order of protection against me and that security camera system with facial recognition. 

But a 660 neck on a 360, that would be a major deviation for the venerable Rickenbacker 360, we wouldn't have had R.E.M. or The Byrds.  Bob Dylan would probably make a million less each year because of the popularity of Bob's songs released onto the world by The Byrds. 

a million here, a million there, probably doesn't matter to ol'Bob.  He just hunkersdown in his Preppers Model 10,000 sqft converted missile silo in Frostbite Falls, Minnesota.  Just picture Bob sitting in his paisley upholstered Lay-Z-Bob recliner, an empty bottle of Yukon Jack dangling from his fingers, croaking out "Hey Mr. Tamborine Man tell McGuinn to kiss my ass.  

Clapton owns Don't Think Twice.   Look at GE Smith & Steve Cropper, they know they are seeing & hearing something special.

 

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You SCORED with that 360/6!  With the Broilers too?!?!?!?!

Dayumm.

Here's me (no, 100% NOT stoned - really!) with my new 360 back in the old college days...

FCMnRIC36012872.jpg

I've had some really cool RICs pass through over the years, and have been in that "RIC jones" phase for about a year, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.  I'm looking for something pretty specific, and would need to move something I'm not sure I want to sell to snag it.  

Decisions, decisions..

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3 hours ago, Caddie said:

Did I miss the orange Detour Ahead signs.  Seems like this thread started as a Ric 360 6 string and pretty quickly changed lanes to Ric basses. Does this bus stop at ric 660 or ric Tom Petty Limited Edition seems to me is the debut of Rickenbackers with necks that were a little more roomy. 

That would be my adult ADD kicking in... and first loves.  Been around Ric basses too long.

Speaking of Petty, I've always thought highly of Mike Campbell. Figured if he can make it work on a pencil neck freak of a guitar, then this little experiment would only be limited by my own (marginal) talents :lol:

 

1 hour ago, cmatthes said:

Here's me (no, 100% NOT stoned - really!) with my new 360 back in the old college days...

This thread would not have been complete without that pic!  And I vote maybe 90% max :D  

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3 hours ago, Caddie said:

I don't talk to those Ric boys much anymore since they got that order of protection against me and that security camera system with facial recognition. 

I might be on that list now too :P

4iWL3Hf.jpg

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Ouch chromium, or if I may call by your family name (FeCr2O4), 24 on the periodic table, Cr. Melting point 1907deg C, boiling 2672degC. Hot life. But can be hostile to the environment.

Yeah Cr pealing that flag off that could Rick Pickguard is serious violation of the spirit of Making America Great Again (MAGA)  and will easily get you on that Order of Protection or as its often called Restraining Order.  I hear they share their facial recognition results with NSA, NBA, EPA, NHL, and PTA.

Mmmmm you in some trouble boy, we know where you been. (Eagles, On the Border)

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2 hours ago, cmatthes said:

You SCORED with that 360/6!  With the Broilers too?!?!?!?!

Dayumm.

Here's me (no, 100% NOT stoned - really!) with my new 360 back in the old college days...

FCMnRIC36012872.jpg

I've had some really cool RICs pass through over the years, and have been in that "RIC jones" phase for about a year, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.  I'm looking for something pretty specific, and would need to move something I'm not sure I want to sell to snag it.  

Decisions, decisions..

License, proof of insurance and registration.  Why r u pullin me ovr offsir.  Cuz there was more smoke pouring out you window than your tailpipe, son. 

 

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Nah - I've never had any interest in weed, honestly.  Too many great beers and bourbons out there!

In all honesty, the assholery of the online "RICnazis" and the shittiness of John Hall has been a huge turnoff for me regarding RICs over the last 20 years.  That's probably been a large reason why I still haven't caved again and snagged one again.

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650s have wide, oil-finished necks and HUGE frets...no playing issues there. The 650 I sold in 2015 on this board had a nice neck, fat and it filled the hand nicely. Several of the walnut special run 360s had the fatter neck too so maybe this is the new Ric Normal?  Regardless, except for the 650 series, the 360s now still have the tiny frets and the heavily finished board. This makes bends difficult. And the bridge, which is key to the jangle, floats and doesn't sustain well. I've owned two 360s and for rhythm work and riffs, they basically play themselves. You can FLY on those necks, until it comes time for big bends or a lot of sustain.

if you want that, buy a 650. They ROCK in that regard. I only sold my 650 because the 14th fret area had a dead spot. 

Don't the RicNazis I said any Ric was less than perfect......they are a prickly bunch over there.

Well finished, high quality instruments that are fun to play. Congrats again to the OP!

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43 minutes ago, Jakeboy said:

And the bridge, which is key to the jangle, floats and doesn't sustain well.

Have you (or anyone else for that matter) tried that Mastery bridge? Looks like it could be an improvement, and I'm not really after jangle...

That is one upgrade I'm thinking about doing.

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12 hours ago, chromium said:

Have you (or anyone else for that matter) tried that Mastery bridge? Looks like it could be an improvement, and I'm not really after jangle...

That is one upgrade I'm thinking about doing.

I wanted to but never got around to it before circumstances forced the sale of my 360....supposedly it dramatically increases sustain. You can get the chime from the right amp...

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