NGD: RICKENBACKER 660/6

grayn

Well, things turned out rather oddly today, as I went out hoping to try and buy a rather tasty Hofner Custom President.
Got to the shop and boy is this Hofner a stunner.
A lovely, 2 pickup Jazz box, with gorgeous woods and binding.
All high end stuff with a ton of vintage character.
But as I looked closer, I noticed the neck pickup was actually attached to the base of the neck.
And it's casing didn't reach the guitar's soundboard, leaving a sizable gap.
Mmmmmmmm.  Plus the mini Diamond humbuckers just didn't have that tone you would expect from a Jazz archtop.
How disappointing, as I loved it's looks and it played nicely too.
There weren't any other guitars in stock like this, so I wandered about, picking up anything looking tasty.
Including a high end, Japanese, Ibanez semi and a lovely flame blue Gibson Les Paul Standard.
Also a used PRS Custom 24 and a rather nice but all white, Japanese Yamaha semi.
All great, in their way but none truly wowed me.
Then, just for fun, I grabbed a Rickenbacker 660/6, solid bodied electric, in midnight blue.
It looked like a work of art, hanging on the wall.
I didn't expect to like it, at all.
But this model has a wide neck and with it's really low but solid action, it felt so great to play.
I'd been trying all these guitars through a Roland Jazz Chorus 40, as I was looking for a great, full, clean sound.
And to my surprise this Ricky was superbly full, vibrant and so nicely defined.
All that stuff about Ricks only being good for jangle, just wasn't true.
Not with this baby anyway.
Well that was it, I came home with something very special.
It's light, well balanced, very stylish and it's just lovely on the finger tips and ears.

SPEC:
The Rosewood fingerboard has triangular pearloid, inlay markers and 21 frets.
Neck Width at Nut 44.5 mm 1 3/4")
Neck Width at 12th Fret 52.4 mm (2 1/16")
Crown Radius is 25.4 cm (10'')
Machine Heads are Gotoh Vintage-type
The maple, double bound neck and body, are solid throughout.
Rickenbacker's trademark "checkered" black and white binding sets off the body.
White binding on the the neck.
The 660 is fitted with Rickenbacker's own vintage reissue, Single Coil, Toaster Top Pickups.
Scale Length is 62.9 cm (24 3/4")
Overall Length is 94.0 cm (37'')
Overall Width is 33.7 cm (13 1/4'')
Overall Depth is 31.8 mm (1 1/4'')
Made in the USA
Includes Deluxe Rickenbacker Hard Case

grayn

grayn

grayn

stuagu

Oooh lush 

grayn

aquavit

Nice write up and what a gorgeous guitar!

UnclePsychosis

Nice. Not enough Ricks on this forum. 

richardhomer

That is a fantastic looking guitar! Congratulations.

Schnozz

That's a beautiful guitar - I came very close to buying one

How is the neck profile?

grayn

Schnozz said:

That's a beautiful guitar - I came very close to buying one

How is the neck profile?

I'm struggling to describe it.
As I said, it's nice and wide, which initially made me think it was quite a chunky neck.
But actually I don't think the profile it deep at all.
Flatter than a C-profile but not super flat.
Apart from the gorgeous looks and great tone, it really was the neck that sold this guitar to me.

LuttiS

That's a stunner, never really been fussed with Rick's but recently my eyes have been wondering...
I imagine I will have to try one soon ...

KDS

Is that a regular 660? It's got toaster PU's. Look lovely

Neil

Wow duly awarded.

I love the look of Rickies in general and that is a beauty. 

Congratulations. 

ICBM

Very nice . That’s a spectacular colour, it really suits this body shape.

For anyone else attracted to a Rickenbacker by this, remember that it’s only the 660 and 650 that have the wide neck - all the other models (including the 620) have the standard Rick 1-5/8” neck, which many people find too narrow.

grayn

KDS said:

Is that a regular 660? It's got toaster PU's. Look lovely

As far as I am aware, it is a standard 660.

guitargeek62

I frikkin love the look of those, congrats!

dazzajl

Sounds like fate steered to nicely where you needed to be. 

Floating pickups are what you get on the most serious of jazzboxes. Nothing attached to the top leaves the acoustic sound unaffected. Probably had the bridge pickup and switching added in later life. 

I’m sure it was a gorgeous guitar but as gorgeous as your new Ric, that’s hard to imagine

zhivago

Very cool guitar! Oddly enough, I too bought a 660 a couple of days ago, but it hasn't been delivered yet  :-)

ICBM

grayn said:

As far as I am aware, it is a standard 660.

Yes, 660s have the 'vintage appointments' even though they're not a reissue model.

markv

Stunning colour and a lovely looking guitar.

I also rather like the way your write up reads almost like free-form verse.