❌SOLD❌ Rickenbacker 330/12 Thinline Electric 12 String Fireglo, 1987

Introduced in 1965 as a dressed down version of 1964’s groundbreaking 360/12, the Rickenbacker 330/12 was immediately popular.

In the early 1960’s, the rise in popularity of Folk and blues music also brought the acoustic 12 string to prominence. Recognizing a market opportunity, Rickenbacker introduced the 360/12 as one of the first electric 12 string guitars. Fatefully, one of the prototypes was given to George Harrison while in New York to appear on the Ed Sullivan show – though not in person as he had stayed at his hotel due to illness. Harrison was quite taken with this instrument and started using it on recordings and in performance.

One of the key differentiating features of the Rickenbacker 12 string is how it is strung. The headstock is short, with the keys mounted alternately on the side and back; this reduces the overall length of the instrument and helps keep the center of balance towards the body. As well, the strings are mounted so that with downstrokes, the heavy string is plucked first. This results in a somewhat fuller sound that still has the top-end and chime provided by the octave strings, and helps the sound really stand out.

The 330 model guitars used the pointed horns and sharper corners of the early 360 models, but without body or neck binding and with dot instead of triangle position markers. In 1964, the 360 body shifted to a New Style, with rounded top edges and cutaway horns, and while this has been the most prominent body shape for the 360, the 330 and 330/12 have retained the original design.

The 300 series models have changed subtly since the 1960’s versions, notably with the extension of the fingerboard to 24 frets and a switch to ‘Hi-Gain’ pickups instead of the vintage low output ‘Toaster Tops’.

Here we’re looking at a 330/12 built during October of 1987 and sporting a FireGlo finish and Grover Roto-Matic tuners with mini buttons. It is in overall good shape, and plays very nicely. The finish has a few small dings and chips, and slight buckle rash on the back. Fret wear is light.

The original Rickenbacker hard shell case is included.

Here is what Rickenbacker says about the 330/12:

“Basically the same as Model 330 but with twelve strings. Careful acoustic research has resulted in the full, rich and warm sound of this popular model. Two single coil pickups on a full size body are accented by a traditionally shaped sound hole.

The 24 fret Rosewood fingerboard is punctuated by dot inlay fret markers, with full double cutaways permitting access to all the frets. Standard output is monaural through a single jack plate.

Also available with an additional pickup (Model 340/12) and as six string versions with either 2 or 3 pickups (Model 330 and Model 340 respectively).”