Rickenbacker 12 String Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

The cool factor on this guitar is a solid 10. So many "quirky" things – the double pickguard, poly on the fingerboard, soviet-era rocket hardware…. This is my third Rick (two basses) and the workmanship on the frets/setup is second to none. But…it did take me three tries at the 330 to get an instrument that did not have unacceptable finish flaws. The first had "orange peel" along the edge of the body and headstock. I used to work for a major US guitar manufacturer, and I recognize that a right angle edge is difficult to finish, but for this price, a good finish is to be expected. #2 looked like whoever painted the inside of the f-hole black, was in a hurry and got paint on the top and then it was cleared over. Touch it up, THEN send it out. The third one had some finish bubbles on the headstock, but after three tries, sometimes better is the enemy of good and I kept it. When they get the finish applied properly – it is stunning. The Fireglow is much better than in pictures and draws you in and "moves".Reviewinbacker

I own a number of Fenders and Gibsons. Having always wanted a Rick and knowing its limitations, I bought one at the local GC. It is truly a beautiful guitar, set up was perfect out of the box for the pure nickel 10's I installed. No fret buzz whatsoever and really, really low action. Not a great neck for bending notes and that's why, in my opinion, this is a rhythm guitar. Tonewise, it's got one characteristic "Rick" tone, achieved with both pickups. Single pickup tones are ok but not noteworthy. In summary, I would not recommend this as your "only" electric, but certainly a worthy component of any musicvian's multi guitar collection. Get the Fireglow…it's the best colorBob the Strat Player

I own a Rickenbacker 330 in MapleGlo, which I purchased new in 2004. As I started to get into home studio recording, I went shopping for a Rickenbacker guitar, and literally bought the first one that I found, which, at the time, was probably the only one in town. I tweaked the set-up when I first got it, and it has only gotten better since, with almost zero maintenance, aside from string changes. It really is a great guitar, that sings wonderfully before even plugging it in, with a full chime, and smooth, blooming notes. I have long been a fan of Peter Buck from R.E.M., which was my original impetus for getting a Rickenbacker guitar, but once I got mine, it quickly worked its way into my own world of music and sound. I use D'Addario EXL115W strings on mine, with a wound G, which helps me play perfectly in tune, up and down the length of the fretboard. For jangle and chime, I tend to favor the middle pick-up position, with the 5th knob turned all the way to the neck pick-up, i.e., counter-clockwise, and the two tone knobs at the half-way point. The 330 does appear to have a slightly larger body than the 360, which I think lends itself to a fuller chime, although the 360 may rock a little better … I would say decide for yourself, if that is possible. In any case, I definitely and whole-heartedly recommend a Rickenbacker 330 in your favorite color. It is, in my estimation, the best rhythm guitar money can buy, made by a company which exhibits impeccable artistry and craftsmanship. Every Ric is exquisite, and the 330 is right up there with the very best of them.Steve

This one stands the test of time. What it does , it does the best in its class. Tom Petty incorporated his personal ideas into this particular design. The first thousand models were signature guitars and are now worth a lot of money. Rickenbacker however did not stop producing this guitar after the signature run because they knew a great thing was worth keeping. Tom Petty was not happy with that decision but it worked out wonderful for the rest of us . One suggestion to everyone is to buy a Janglebox pedal and play it through that in order to achieve the best potential so it delivers the purest classic shimmering chime 🎶😎🎶Billbass1

This guitar is not only gorgeous to look at, it sounds and plays like no other. I've been coveting this particular model & finish (360 Fireglo) for years, as they are hard to find — and worth the wait & money – no question. If you are new to Rickenbacker, they have a very unique feel that is both responsive and… WARNING, it makes it extremely hard to put down. The pick ups have a unique sound, superb range and versatility. You can add any effect to that and they just deliver out-of-this world tones. The little fifth "blend" knob is a great tool to balance your pick up sound. The more I play with this, the more stuff I discover. You can do rhythm or lead on ANY style, with 2 full octaves fretboard and easy reach to the highest frets, you can see why so many savvy guitarist have at least one of these beauties in their collection. BTW, this guitar comes with 2 cable jacks. The Rick "O" Sound (the hole for the cable on the bottom) will only work with a stereo cable when connected to two different inputs (amps/mixer). If you connect a regular cable to the Rick"O"Sound your neck pick up will not sound, it is not broken, it is because each pick up goes to a separate speaker with that mode (and it sounds like a fantastic beast). If you use the top guitar hole "standard" you will be good to go, because it still sounds amazing. Just don't connect cables to both holes simultaneously. The guitar came perfectly set up from the factory, the intonation, action and any calibration was spot on. Once I tuned it, it was close to impossible to put down. This is definitely an investment that passes down the generations as "inheritance." If you are interested in one of these beautiful guitars, please don't cheat yourself getting a "counterfeit" instrument. Even if you have to save for a while longer, it will be worth every cent and waiting minute. The pictures do not make them any justice. I am saving already for my next Rick (I'll do the 330 jetglo next).BeeZee

I use to own 330/12 I sold it foolishly, but Im glad I did. I love this one so much more, for starters its more authentic in look and feel, its modelled after the famous George Harrison Rick 12 string Its a stunning guitar in real life. I highly rate this guitar, 10/10 Not to mention the beautiful case it comes in Regards Andrew Armstrong (Australia)andrewma1959

Lefty Rics are few and far between, even more so for the twelves (no new ones have been produced for a number of years now). This one turned out to be very well cared for and in near mint condition for a twenty five year old guitar, and plays and sounds like the dream guitar I always believed it would be. Fellow lefties, keep the faith, keep an open mind and one day yours will turn up too.longnecklefty

Overall stoked with my fireglo Rickenbacker 330 purchase. With any guitar I buy, I'm most concerned about sound and feel, which are absolutely exceptional on this 330. It is legitimately the most comfortable guitar I've ever played and the sound is exactly what I was looking for from a Rick. It set up perfectly and I didn't even have to touch the truss rods, regardless of a pretty drastic climate change (traveling from IL to FL) and swapping the factory roundwound strings (which felt like 9's) to TI flatwound 11's. To me, that indicates a very stable neck. Aesthetics are not a top priority for me, but some minor quality control issues which may bother other buyers: small spots of clear-coat imperfections on fretboard edges and around the neck joint, as well as a somewhat sloppy black outline of the f-hole. Though not noticeable without close inspection, these are the reasons for the 4/5 star rating, as I know others may find them irritating on a new, $2000 guitar. At the end of the day though, I bought this 330 to play it, so I know I'll eventually be adding a few unintentional dings and scuffs of my own. Not to mention, the wood grain and fireglo burst are totally stunning. Aside from minor cosmetic/QC issues, everything else was perfect with my 330. 100% a keeper.Ingo H.

This is not to bash C & M Music, whom I purchased this guitar from. They have been nothing but professional. However, it is Rickenbacker who should be ashamed of themselves for their quality control regarding their fret work on their finished guitars. The neck on this guitar is practically unplayable due to the frets sticking out of the sides of the neck. If you do any sliding along the neck to play bar chords, or are thumbing a chord, you seriously run the risk of slicing yourself. This is unacceptable for a company that prides itself on "American" quality. I have bought brand new guitars made in Korea and China that have had better QC than this, and for a company that is so adamantly American, this is a disgrace! I own many Rickenbackers, from their vintage reissue guitars, modern basses, and 6 and 12 strings, and have never once had a neck this so shoddily prepared direct from the company. Let's hope this once great company will get their act together soon.thetasigma

Overall stoked with my fireglo Rickenbacker 330 purchase. With any guitar I buy, I'm most concerned about sound and feel, which are absolutely exceptional on this 330. It is legitimately the most comfortable guitar I've ever played and the sound is exactly what I was looking for from a Rick. It set up perfectly and I didn't even have to touch the truss rods, regardless of a pretty drastic climate change (traveling from IL to FL) and swapping the factory roundwound strings (which felt like 9's) to TI flatwound 11's. To me, that indicates a very stable neck. Aesthetics are not a top priority for me, but some minor quality control issues which may bother other buyers: small spots of clear-coat imperfections on fretboard edges and around the neck joint, as well as a somewhat sloppy black outline of the f-hole. Though not noticeable without close inspection, these are the reasons for the 4/5 star rating, as I know others may find them irritating on a new, $2000 guitar. At the end of the day though, I bought this 330 to play it, so I know I'll eventually be adding a few unintentional dings and scuffs of my own. Not to mention, the wood grain and fireglo burst are totally stunning. Aside from minor cosmetic/QC issues, everything else was perfect with my 330. 100% a keeper.Ingo H.

This is not to bash C & M Music, whom I purchased this guitar from. They have been nothing but professional. However, it is Rickenbacker who should be ashamed of themselves for their quality control regarding their fret work on their finished guitars. The neck on this guitar is practically unplayable due to the frets sticking out of the sides of the neck. If you do any sliding along the neck to play bar chords, or are thumbing a chord, you seriously run the risk of slicing yourself. This is unacceptable for a company that prides itself on "American" quality. I have bought brand new guitars made in Korea and China that have had better QC than this, and for a company that is so adamantly American, this is a disgrace! I own many Rickenbackers, from their vintage reissue guitars, modern basses, and 6 and 12 strings, and have never once had a neck this so shoddily prepared direct from the company. Let's hope this once great company will get their act together soon.thetasigma

This one stands the test of time. What it does , it does the best in its class. Tom Petty incorporated his personal ideas into this particular design. The first thousand models were signature guitars and are now worth a lot of money. Rickenbacker however did not stop producing this guitar after the signature run because they knew a great thing was worth keeping. Tom Petty was not happy with that decision but it worked out wonderful for the rest of us . One suggestion to everyone is to buy a Janglebox pedal and play it through that in order to achieve the best potential so it delivers the purest classic shimmering chime 🎶😎🎶Billbass1

This guitar is not only gorgeous to look at, it sounds and plays like no other. I've been coveting this particular model & finish (360 Fireglo) for years, as they are hard to find — and worth the wait & money – no question. If you are new to Rickenbacker, they have a very unique feel that is both responsive and… WARNING, it makes it extremely hard to put down. The pick ups have a unique sound, superb range and versatility. You can add any effect to that and they just deliver out-of-this world tones. The little fifth "blend" knob is a great tool to balance your pick up sound. The more I play with this, the more stuff I discover. You can do rhythm or lead on ANY style, with 2 full octaves fretboard and easy reach to the highest frets, you can see why so many savvy guitarist have at least one of these beauties in their collection. BTW, this guitar comes with 2 cable jacks. The Rick "O" Sound (the hole for the cable on the bottom) will only work with a stereo cable when connected to two different inputs (amps/mixer). If you connect a regular cable to the Rick"O"Sound your neck pick up will not sound, it is not broken, it is because each pick up goes to a separate speaker with that mode (and it sounds like a fantastic beast). If you use the top guitar hole "standard" you will be good to go, because it still sounds amazing. Just don't connect cables to both holes simultaneously. The guitar came perfectly set up from the factory, the intonation, action and any calibration was spot on. Once I tuned it, it was close to impossible to put down. This is definitely an investment that passes down the generations as "inheritance." If you are interested in one of these beautiful guitars, please don't cheat yourself getting a "counterfeit" instrument. Even if you have to save for a while longer, it will be worth every cent and waiting minute. The pictures do not make them any justice. I am saving already for my next Rick (I'll do the 330 jetglo next).BeeZee

I have a 370 12 string that I purchased in 1998. Over the years I had used several other brands of 12 strings, I found they offered no perceptible increase in quality, tone, or life on my 370 than Rickenbacker's own branded strings. The on-line price for the strings is very competitive, especially when combined with the free shipping. I had my strings within 4 days and I was extremely pleased.DougYC72

Sure, you could buy other sets of electric 12-string strings. Probably. But I haven't seen any other set with the same gauges as the factory ones. They're not widely available and they were half the price here as they were at the next cheapest place.Zev

I use these for my Gretsch Country Gentleman 12 string, I like the balance on the string tension and the correct intonation on the two G strings. Sound great!ROBERT

Overall stoked with my fireglo Rickenbacker 330 purchase. With any guitar I buy, I'm most concerned about sound and feel, which are absolutely exceptional on this 330. It is legitimately the most comfortable guitar I've ever played and the sound is exactly what I was looking for from a Rick. It set up perfectly and I didn't even have to touch the truss rods, regardless of a pretty drastic climate change (traveling from IL to FL) and swapping the factory roundwound strings (which felt like 9's) to TI flatwound 11's. To me, that indicates a very stable neck. Aesthetics are not a top priority for me, but some minor quality control issues which may bother other buyers: small spots of clear-coat imperfections on fretboard edges and around the neck joint, as well as a somewhat sloppy black outline of the f-hole. Though not noticeable without close inspection, these are the reasons for the 4/5 star rating, as I know others may find them irritating on a new, $2000 guitar. At the end of the day though, I bought this 330 to play it, so I know I'll eventually be adding a few unintentional dings and scuffs of my own. Not to mention, the wood grain and fireglo burst are totally stunning. Aside from minor cosmetic/QC issues, everything else was perfect with my 330. 100% a keeper.Ingo H.

This is not to bash C & M Music, whom I purchased this guitar from. They have been nothing but professional. However, it is Rickenbacker who should be ashamed of themselves for their quality control regarding their fret work on their finished guitars. The neck on this guitar is practically unplayable due to the frets sticking out of the sides of the neck. If you do any sliding along the neck to play bar chords, or are thumbing a chord, you seriously run the risk of slicing yourself. This is unacceptable for a company that prides itself on "American" quality. I have bought brand new guitars made in Korea and China that have had better QC than this, and for a company that is so adamantly American, this is a disgrace! I own many Rickenbackers, from their vintage reissue guitars, modern basses, and 6 and 12 strings, and have never once had a neck this so shoddily prepared direct from the company. Let's hope this once great company will get their act together soon.thetasigma

First, from every photo I have ever seen John Lennon plays a 325C58 with the Bigsby tremolo but this one is a good comparison of that one. That said, I would also say that this is NO toy, but it does feel like one to play – not because it is cheaply made (it is NOT cheaply made) but because it is so small (check out the scale length). Wonderful instrument for what it is. Don't know if it is really worth the asking price (I got it for 1/3rd off – scratch & Dent with only two small abnormalities to the fret board lacquer). Beautiful instrument. Comes with a really nice case. Really recommend if you are looking for that 60s Beatles vibe (or Byrds, Steppenwolf, Tom Petty, or anyone else who plays Rickenbackers). Go for it, you know you want it….Brazil Bill

I purchased the Rickenbacker 325 after researching electric guitars for over a year. I had very high expectations about this guitar. In this fairly extensive review, I hope to touch on some important and useful aspects not covered by other reviewers. I hope that you'll conclude along with me that even with its shortcomings, the 325 is truly an amazing guitar. Sample Specs: (Scale length, Fret width at nut, Weight, Overall length) Rickenbacker 325: 20.75, 1.63, 7, 34.5 Fender Stratocaster: 25.50, 1.69, 8, 38.6 Gibson Les Paul: 24.75, 1.70, 9, 39.0 If you want to outfit your 325 with strap locks, buy the strap lock buttons through the Rickenbacker website. These buttons have built-in screws that match the holes in your 325, so there's no drilling needed. Rickenbacker designed these buttons to fit Schaller strap locks, which you'll need to purchase separately. Be sure to order two buttons. The 325 comes with medium-gauge strings. Although these strings work well for rhythm guitar, I found them too stiff for playing leads and a bit harsh on the finger tips. I put light-gauge GHS Guitar Boomers. The E string sometimes buzzed when I played the first few frets, so I had to slightly raise one side of the bridge with three turns of the Allen wrench. I recommend moving to light-gauge strings. Pros Aesthetically pleasing. The 325 is an elegant double cutaway with the rich interplay of colors: white pickguard/trim, chrome hardware, and reflective black lacquer finish. Comfortable feel. This enclosed semi-hollow guitar is lightweight at just under seven pounds. Further, one of the more unusual features of the 325 is it's a ¾-size guitar, both body size and neck length. The guitar's shorter scale, shorter fret widths, and narrow neck make it easier for people with shorter fingers. Indeed, the shorter size renders the 325 an ideal fit for smaller people. I have done a lot of research on shorter-scale electric guitars. Such guitars are very rare. In fact, I would submit to you that if you want a very good quality short-scale electric, this is the only new guitar on the market. Versatile and iconic sounds. In shorter scale acoustic guitars, you end up compromising sound, but in the 325 there's no such compromise. The three pickups along with the tremolo deliver a wide-range of sounds. The single-coil pickups tend to deliver cleaner acoustics. Another unusual feature of this guitar is the pickups aren't embedded in the body of the guitar but are elevated above the guitar's body. This characteristic gives the guitar the classic 60s muffled sound. The 325 is one of only a handful of guitars equally adept at rhythm and lead. In the Beatles' early years, John Lennon shows this guitar is great for playing driving rhythm guitar. Then John Fogerty played a similar 325 in his peak Creedence Clearwater Revival years. We can see Fogerty's Fireglow 325 in the legendary 1970 concert. Indeed, Fogerty demonstrates the 325 is also a formidable lead guitar to be reckoned with. Cons High cost. The 325 is rarely discounted. The price tag for this guitar isn't for the faint at heart. The 325 is a specialty item with low demand (e .g. Beatle enthusiasts), and low supply (few of these are manufactured). Flawed finish. The first 325 I got had a flawed textured finish along the edge of the top of the body and along one edge of the head. Musician's Friend's replacement 325's head is nice and smooth, and its body is better with lighter texturing along the same edge of the top of the body. The replacement is acceptable, but I'm a bit disappointed. Since Rickenbacker can make the rest of the finish nice and smooth, surely they can do so along these edges. I would encourage Rickenbacker to set the bar higher and do a better job. You can't "try before you buy." There are so few of these guitars around that you can't drop by your local guitar dealer and physically try one out. So there is some increased risk here in whether you'll like the guitar. Sensitive tuning. Because of the tailpiece design, the tuning of each impacts each other. You may find yourself going over each string a half a dozen times or more before all strings are in tune and stable. You can reduce this effect if you remove one string and replace it before going to the next string (in other words, avoid changing all strings at the same time as the instructions say). Also, I found using a narrow diameter wood dowel helps to hold the end of the string wrapped around the tailpiece as I tighten each tuner. Less comfortable flat fret board. Curved fret boards better fit the natural shape the hand and fingers form when making bar chords.OldFriend

If you want a cool little guitar with that 1960's vibe, this is the one…. I've had four Ric 325s and I have loved each one. The 325c64 is the replica of John Lennon's second 325. It has a great mid-range sound that I have only heard on the 325. The little 5th control knob is a little weird, a sort of blend knob, but over all a cool sound. Some might find playing lead a little difficult higher up on the short scale neck. I would suggest playing one before buying. The roller bridge is a pain sometimes, but this is period correct, so be forewarned..Engineer909

Overall stoked with my fireglo Rickenbacker 330 purchase. With any guitar I buy, I'm most concerned about sound and feel, which are absolutely exceptional on this 330. It is legitimately the most comfortable guitar I've ever played and the sound is exactly what I was looking for from a Rick. It set up perfectly and I didn't even have to touch the truss rods, regardless of a pretty drastic climate change (traveling from IL to FL) and swapping the factory roundwound strings (which felt like 9's) to TI flatwound 11's. To me, that indicates a very stable neck. Aesthetics are not a top priority for me, but some minor quality control issues which may bother other buyers: small spots of clear-coat imperfections on fretboard edges and around the neck joint, as well as a somewhat sloppy black outline of the f-hole. Though not noticeable without close inspection, these are the reasons for the 4/5 star rating, as I know others may find them irritating on a new, $2000 guitar. At the end of the day though, I bought this 330 to play it, so I know I'll eventually be adding a few unintentional dings and scuffs of my own. Not to mention, the wood grain and fireglo burst are totally stunning. Aside from minor cosmetic/QC issues, everything else was perfect with my 330. 100% a keeper.Ingo H.

This is not to bash C & M Music, whom I purchased this guitar from. They have been nothing but professional. However, it is Rickenbacker who should be ashamed of themselves for their quality control regarding their fret work on their finished guitars. The neck on this guitar is practically unplayable due to the frets sticking out of the sides of the neck. If you do any sliding along the neck to play bar chords, or are thumbing a chord, you seriously run the risk of slicing yourself. This is unacceptable for a company that prides itself on "American" quality. I have bought brand new guitars made in Korea and China that have had better QC than this, and for a company that is so adamantly American, this is a disgrace! I own many Rickenbackers, from their vintage reissue guitars, modern basses, and 6 and 12 strings, and have never once had a neck this so shoddily prepared direct from the company. Let's hope this once great company will get their act together soon.thetasigma

This is an awsome little guitar, light weight awsome finish awesome sound, and it plays like dream. I have owned this guitar since 2004 and I love it, I played it with the 12 strings for a while but being a young musician my style changed and the 12 string sound was really wasn't the style I was looking for. So for the last year I havn't played it all that much, until last month my custom tele with gibson humbuckers did the job. I always dreeded restringing this guitar, and it was way over do so I only strung 6 strings and now its the only guitar I play, I absolutly love it. I did have to lower the action to compensate for the lesser tention of the 6 strings. Its awsome to know that if I need the 12 string sound it would only take a short while to fix back and I still have a guitar that I can play and enjoy until that time. My only gripe would be the neck is a little small for a 12 but if it had a larger neck it would not work to string it with 6 strings. So that complaint is not very deep. Also my guitar came with a slight 3 inch crack/check in the finish, right where your right arm rest. Its hard to see but it can be felt with your finger tips. I could have sent it back and I'm sure they would have fixed it but its so minior and so hidden that I just lived with it, gives it a little more personality. I love the sound I play all types of music and it really is flexable with the sound, even with metal it sounds very nice IMO.RIC-man

This is guitar is barely a professional instrument. It is difficult to play, the truss rod cover causes severe tuning problems, the fingerboard is not natural wood finish – it's some kind of laminate, the frets are much too low, the bridge contraption is like something engineered by the 3 stooges, and the tuners are trash. It's really an awful instrument. Unfortunately, it does sound fantastic so if you want THAT sound, you probably have to put up with this. I can't. This guitar was given to me as a gift. Were that not the case I'd dump it in a second.Reddog-xwj4C

Overall stoked with my fireglo Rickenbacker 330 purchase. With any guitar I buy, I'm most concerned about sound and feel, which are absolutely exceptional on this 330. It is legitimately the most comfortable guitar I've ever played and the sound is exactly what I was looking for from a Rick. It set up perfectly and I didn't even have to touch the truss rods, regardless of a pretty drastic climate change (traveling from IL to FL) and swapping the factory roundwound strings (which felt like 9's) to TI flatwound 11's. To me, that indicates a very stable neck. Aesthetics are not a top priority for me, but some minor quality control issues which may bother other buyers: small spots of clear-coat imperfections on fretboard edges and around the neck joint, as well as a somewhat sloppy black outline of the f-hole. Though not noticeable without close inspection, these are the reasons for the 4/5 star rating, as I know others may find them irritating on a new, $2000 guitar. At the end of the day though, I bought this 330 to play it, so I know I'll eventually be adding a few unintentional dings and scuffs of my own. Not to mention, the wood grain and fireglo burst are totally stunning. Aside from minor cosmetic/QC issues, everything else was perfect with my 330. 100% a keeper.Ingo H.

This is not to bash C & M Music, whom I purchased this guitar from. They have been nothing but professional. However, it is Rickenbacker who should be ashamed of themselves for their quality control regarding their fret work on their finished guitars. The neck on this guitar is practically unplayable due to the frets sticking out of the sides of the neck. If you do any sliding along the neck to play bar chords, or are thumbing a chord, you seriously run the risk of slicing yourself. This is unacceptable for a company that prides itself on "American" quality. I have bought brand new guitars made in Korea and China that have had better QC than this, and for a company that is so adamantly American, this is a disgrace! I own many Rickenbackers, from their vintage reissue guitars, modern basses, and 6 and 12 strings, and have never once had a neck this so shoddily prepared direct from the company. Let's hope this once great company will get their act together soon.thetasigma