A question for other Rickenbacker 3-series owners...

I've had a 330 since I was 16, and I still have not seemed to warm up to the neck pickup. Does anyone play in this position? I usually have it in the middle position because it just sounds plain great in that classic Rickenbacker way. The bridge p'up can be twangy, of course, so it gets some use. But, that neck p'up...I don't know.

Anyone out there like the neck p'up?

The only Rickenbacker I currently have is a 12 string and I tend to gravitate toward the middle position. I used to also have a 360 6 string and remember going between the middle & neck positions more than the bridge so I guess I liked it to some degree. I was never much of a bridge p'up player until I got my Tele.

I almost never used it on my 360 ... until I played the solo on this track using the neck pickup (starts at 1:23 to about 2:11): http://thechurchkeys.bandcamp.com/track/scrimshaw

Very happy with the tone - almost Grant Green-ish. So glad I discovered it. Now I use it quite a bit live. Yet another facet of this axe. And as you note, the bridge p'up can twang (many don't know there was a good bit of Rick use in early country). These guitars are amazingly versatile, and it's like no one knows it, having written them off as being nothing more than 1-dimensional jangle machines.

And as you note, the bridge p'up can twang (many don't know there was a good bit of Rick use in early country). These guitars are amazingly versatile, and it's like no one knows it, having written them off as being nothing more than 1-dimensional jangle machines.

Y'all have probably already seen it, but this one is always fun to watch:

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Mostly all of my guitars I make use of neck pickup...but not my Rics.

I don't think I have ever played anything in that position on my Rics. Just the way it is. If you don't use it, don't worry. You are a member of a large club.

You are using it every time your in the middle position. Thats pretty much where I stay on my 330.

I never use the neck pickup alone. Middle position and bridge pickup only. I like that chime and jangle sound, and I don't get it from the neck pup.

Here's how I use mine pretty much exclusively. This is straight from the Ric instructions - I didn't come up with it.


Roll the neck pickup tone all the way off (counterclockwise)
Have the bridge pickup tone all the way up (clockwise)

Put the pickup selector switch in the middle position


Now the small "fifth" knob becomes a blender between the two pickups. I find I usually have it somewhere in the middle of its rotation, but I vary it some. Really what's happening is you have max bass (the neck rolled off) and max treble (bridge with tone all the way up). I've found there are a couple of great super chimey sweet spots in there.

You can still switch to just the bridge pickup in this mode for solos, etc., and then go back to your 'preset' chimey tone by switching back to the middle position.

-Kevin

Did used to use the neck pup on my 330 for a jazzy flavoured piece we used to do... Oh and the slow intro to a version of summertime. Given a nice clean amp, it does a nice plummy sort of jazz tone. Other than those two specific points, it was/is neck or middle all the way....
Odd cos on my teles currently I seem to prefer the neck pup....

When I was getting ready to buy my 360-12 I emailed Roger McGuinn. I asked him if there was any advantage to having a 370 with three pickups. His reply, "I only use the bridge pick up. The rest are just for looks."

When I was getting ready to buy my 360-12 I emailed Roger McGuinn. I asked him if there was any advantage to having a 370 with three pickups. His reply, "I only use the bridge pick up. The rest are just for looks."

That's a great story.
And one that I'm sure would get you banned from the Rickenbacker forum.

When I was getting ready to buy my 360-12 I emailed Roger McGuinn. I asked him if there was any advantage to having a 370 with three pickups. His reply, "I only use the bridge pick up. The rest are just for looks."

I emailed Roger McGuinn once too, but he didn't write back and now David Crosby is the father of my test tube baby. Best I could do.

Here is a crazy idea. How about replacing the neck position high gain pickup with a Ric humbucker? I have 2 on my 330 and I especially like the sound of the neck pickup. I am going to put the high gains back soon, but I'm serious about the Ric humbucker though.

Here is a crazy idea. How about replacing the neck position high gain pickup with a Ric humbucker? I have 2 on my 330 and I especially like the sound of the neck pickup. I am going to put the high gains back soon, but I'm serious about the Ric humbucker though.

Would love to know what it sounds like. I sometimes think about replacing my hi-gains with HB-1s. Got any sound clips?