Man, its hard to believe that this vintage 1990 Rickenbacker 360/12 model is 36 years old-yet here we are... This one was ordered in one of the best looking finishes Rickenbacker ever did: Jetglo! Somewhat rare on a 360/12, it is a timeless look and immediately screams "vintage"! This guitar was produced at the Rickenbacker factory in Santa Ana California U.S.A. where they have produced guitars since 1964. Popularized by the Beatles, the Rickenbacker 360/12 was used extensively by George Harrison throughout his career. This guitar is 100% original and in very excellent condition. It has no repairs, cracks or funny business. It has been professionally set up and is ready to go-it needs nothing.
The body is the "new design" (1965-style) with soft rounded edges on the front and a sharp-bound edge on the backside. The body is a semi-hollow set-neck construction with shaped relief in the tailpiece area. The Jetglo Black finish is nice and glossy with minimal handling evidence. It shines nicely and looks like wet paint-the dark black hue makes the body look deep and reflect like a grand piano. Formal yet killer looking! It nails the 1960's vibe perfectly! The neck fitment is a superb fitment and the neck angle is excellent.
The neck is super-straight as well as nice and smooth. The neck has a slim-C profile and measures 1.64" wide at the nut. The neck depth measures .865" deep at the 1st fret and .909" deep at the 12th fret. The tuners are all clean and function smoothly with precision. The headstock and logo display excellent. The rosewood fingerboard is lacquered and in excellent condition. It features the deluxe triangle-shaped crushed pearloid position markers that Rickenbacker is famous for. The frets are in very good condition with no issues-see photos. The action is set low for an easy playing experience-just what you want with a 12-string. The string height measures .010" at the 1st fret and .050" at the 12th fret. It plays like butter up and down the fingerboard and there are zero dead spots anywhere! It really plays nicely. The adjustable bridge can easily raise the action if you prefer that.
The pickups are the standard High-Output pickups and they have an excellent signal. The bridge pickup measures 11.40 ohms and the neck pickup measures 14.86 ohms. The tone is unmistakable Rickenbacker chime and brilliance. The controls all function smoothly and quietly. The blend control allows an emphasis (if you choose) on mixing the level of the pickups when they are both activated. The bridge and tailpiece are both in excellent condition.
The guitar is pretty lightweight-it only weighs 8.03 lbs. so it is very comfortable whether on a strap or in your lap. It has an excellent resonance which makes you never want to set it down. It is perfectly at home on stage-in the studio-or just on the couch, where I happen to be a lot also...It sounds great even unplugged! Of course-it sounds amazing when played through any quality tube amp.
