Affordable Rickenbacker/Rick alternative?

toog · Post by **toog** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:43 pm

Hi everyone,

I'm desperately trying to get the "rick" chiming 60s sound but I don't have a rick! I just don't have the money to spend $1,000 on a used one. Anyone know of an affordable way to get something "close" to that Rickenbacker sound?

amishsixstringer · Post by **amishsixstringer** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:47 pm

are you talking about a bass guitar or a 6 string?

toog · Post by **toog** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:49 pm

6 string guitar. The chimey Beatles/REM esque sound.

helmuth · Post by **helmuth** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:56 pm

Get a rick copy?
But then again, a AC30 is probably half of it.

curtiswyant · Post by **curtiswyant** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 1:13 pm

I would LOVE to know the answer to this question! I think a real Rick is probably the only way to go, because they take copies very seriously. I occasionally see a Rick-inspired copy on ebay, but since there aren't very many (since Rickenbacker sues the pants off anyone that tries to sell a copy), I never know if it's a good buy or not.

mattallen · Post by **mattallen** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:28 pm

I seem to really get a nice jangle from a Danelectro 59 reissue. It's become one of my favorite guitars. I can say it is different from my Rick 12 string, but I get a nice early 60's jangle with the Dano and my Victoria amp.

modernkicks · Post by **modernkicks** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:48 am

mattallen wrote:I seem to really get a nice jangle from a Danelectro 59 reissue. It's become one of my favorite guitars. I can say it is different from my Rick 12 string, but I get a nice early 60's jangle with the Dano and my Victoria amp.

They realy are kind of similar sounding to a 330 or something. Not nearly as good, but similar. Probably the closest sounding thing I've heard that's nowhere near as expensive.

miamidevice · Post by **miamidevice** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:19 am

I'm not sure what a used Charvel Surfcaster sells for these days, but one of the single coil versions of those might be a decent alternative. Someone is making a limited series of Surfcaster RIs called Kokocasters. I've always had a soft spot for those guitars.

m.

Gebo · Post by **Gebo** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:00 am

I got a Ric. Dakota on ebay for <$600.00, but its not as chimey as what you might want. It has "humbucker voiced single coils" or something like that, but you could switch the PU's to regular Ric pickups and it would be perfect. and still way under a grand.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:04 am

Try to find a Brownsville Choirboy. They were Korean-made guitars that were exclusively carried by Sam Ash, but aren't made anymore. It's a semi-hollow guitar wher the neck radius is entirely different from that of a Rick (which many people find uncomfortable). It has Alnico toaster-style pickups and in the bridge position it's ridiculously chimey-sounding. I found out about these earlier this year when I picked up a 12-string version for about $300. I've used it on lots of sessions since and everyone who's played it really seems to like it, both in terms of sound and feel. I also own a Rick 360 (6-string) and although they're not exactly the same, the Brownsville does a very respectable job of copping that same kind of sound.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

toog · Post by **toog** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 8:34 am

Is compression and possibly chorus a little bit of the equation? Call me crazy but I'm listening to Ladybug Transistor "Arbermarle Sound" and the new Jens Leckman record and sometimes the ricks sound a little squishy and chorus-ed. Maybe it is doubling.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions! I'm on my way I think.

pantone247 · Post by **pantone247** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:14 am

mattallen wrote:I seem to really get a nice jangle from a Danelectro 59 reissue. It's become one of my favorite guitars. I can say it is different from my Rick 12 string, but I get a nice early 60's jangle with the Dano and my Victoria amp.

I agree, a nice Dano can do something similar alright

Godin Radiators, I played one for a while a long time back and it had a certain jangle too it... not a rick copy by any means, but somewhere around that type of thing. Lovely guitar too.

Coco · Post by **Coco** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 11:38 am

Embryo Electro wrote:I got a Ric. Dakota on ebay for <$600.00, but its not as chimey as what you might want. It has "humbucker voiced single coils" or something like that, but you could switch the PU's to regular Ric pickups and it would be perfect. and still way under a grand.

How do you like the Ric humbuckers? I have been tempted to buy a pair and try them in my Ric 360 but I never read any feedback on them.

Mabe the Ric vintage style Toaster pickups might give me a bit more bite than the regular ones that are on there.

Gebo · Post by **Gebo** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 12:06 pm

I like them, but I have a few complaints. They get muddy easily. When playing overdriven through my JMP, full chords kinda blur a bit. Well, a bit more than my other guitar with a classic 57 in it. They are also a little lower-output than I would prefer. That said, it is my Fav axe that I own and I love it a shit load...

ckeene · Post by **ckeene** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:59 pm

a rick 330 is my main guitar, so I am pretty familiar with the construction and sound, and I think while a lot of "the sound" is the pickups and the hollow body, there's a particular character that's related to the bridge design and the way it connects (via 4 bolts resting in recesses) to the plate on the body.

Message Board

Affordable Rickenbacker/Rick alternative?

Affordable Rickenbacker/Rick alternative?

Who is online