Feature:
Comfortable contour, light weight, well-balanced. Wish the neck were a little wider at the nut.

Quality:
Beautiful workmanship. The fireglo finishes on the newer models are better than vintage. Solidly-made: neck is very stable. Holds tuning well - much better than either of my vintage models.

Value:
I bought this one-owner 2006 model in absolutely new condition for $950.00 with case, which was a steal.

Desirability:
Visually stunning - wood grain stands out beautifully.

Sound:
Have owned 2 Ric 360 and one Ric 330 12 strings. There's no other way to get that sound. Intonation can be a real problem and the neck is a bit too narrow. 12 saddle bridge retrofit helps the former...but my newer 360-12 didn't need this. Helps to use a very thin wound third (e.g., 0.017.)Beautiful workmanship, gorgeous tone, instantly recognizable on recordings. Not a versatile instrument, but does what it does better than anything else.

Ease of Use:
Getting a good sound...once intonation and tuning are done (this can be a job)means you plug it into a good amp, dial in a little delay and chorus, select the bridge pickup - and you're in 12 string paradise.

Support:
Unknown - have not had to contact the factory.

Overall:
Till I die

I've owned my Ric for a number of years and love it dearly. For what it was designed to do, it is unparalled. Like any other "tool", it excels in those areas that are its strengths and doesn't do so well in others.

So these are its strengths: Great fretboard action. Very playable neck, especially for those players with smaller hands. Tone, tone, tone! Infinite tone adjustments. Not only does each pickup have its own volume and tone controls, there is a separate control to allow you to variably mix the amount of sound coming from each pickup. Incredibly CLEAN sound. Pickups are designed to get the full frequency response range from the strings. The most phenomenal treble pickup on the planet. When played at really loud volumes the treble pickup goes "bell-like", people go nuts, dogs in adjacent counties start howling, and there won't be an unshattered pane of glass for blocks. It is THE signature Ric sound! It has beautiful finish work and classic lines. Mine has been absolutely trouble free and has never failed to do its job. Stereo output is supported through the Ric-o-Sound feature.

What it doesn't do so well: Because the pickups are designed to get the cleanest, fullest sound and frequency response from the strings, they operate at a lower output signal level. Most of the "punch" will have to come from your amp as opposed to the guitar. As a result, this is not the guitar of choice for those whose focus is on feedback and sustain. It obviously will do it to a degree, just not as strongly or as easily as say a Stratocaster, Les Paul, or Paul Reed Smith guitar. When I need to play in this style, I really heavily on good stomp-boxes to assist in giving me a nastier, cruchier sound and more sustain. The semi-acoustic body, while really enhancing the clean sound, produces a little bit of echo-like effect at extremely loud volumes. Some form of body resonance is being detected by the pickups. The vibrato bar (optional) is of a Bigsby design and as such does not support string-locking or have quite the same "dive" range as a Floyd Rose. However, I've not experienced any problems with strings not staying in tune with mine. Be careful with the headstock, as it usually is the part of the guitar where day to day wear will show up first. Because of its exposure, the finish can be chipped off as it gets banged around.

There you have it. A beautiful sounding instrument, but not so much a natural cruncher. Incredible classy looks and lines and that bell-like Ric sound. It does that voodoo, that only it do so well.

Feature:
A fitted hardshell case, Ric-O-Sound, what more can you ask for?

Quality:
Very well crafted. I'm not sure if they're still hand-crafted, but they feel perfect and are durable.

Value:
If you have this guitar, you will never want to buy another one. Worth every dollar. I'd pay more.

Desirability:
I've been begging to use it for years. From the very first time I say it I knew I wanted one, even when I didn't play guitar.

Sound:
Amazing sound quality, though not entirely versatile. This may actually be my mistake as I was only borrowing one from a good friend for a couple tours. He uses his in his own band (Against Me!) and really uses as little distortion as possible, but I play in a crust band. However, I'm not saying it didn't do is duty. Overall, really, great sound, just not entirely versatile.

Ease of Use:
This is the easiest-to-play guitar that's ever graced my calloused fingers. The neck is rosewood, so it's easy to slide up and down the neck with relative ease. Very, very easy to use.

Support:
I did have to replace a tailpiece once, and Rickenbacker answered me swiftly. Shipping was a little slow, but that's okay.

Overall:
I'm putting every dime in my bank account to buy my own and when I do I'm not gonna feel the least bit guilty for it.

my rick has TONE, a quality item indeed. have had many guitars in my 20 year of playing, all the other guitars, if i play one for ten minutes, then pick up my rick, i just wasted those previous ten minutes. even unplugged, it's incredible. the workmanship, fit, finish, playability, and action are fantastic. if it got stolen, i'd replace it somehow.

Feature:
Doesn't include active pickups or a tremolo, but it's not an E.V.H. or Dimebag style guitar. For what it's designed for, the features are superb. The fifth knob, which is mostly a "blend between neck and bridge pickups" is genious. It's actually more than that, if you check the manual. Every time I pick her up, it's like a totally new experience. I'm always finding new little quirks. Note: The 'R' tailpiece can produce some cool trem-like effects. ;)

Quality:
American Made, by hand. Solid as a rock. Dual truss rod neck for fine adjustments. My bridghe has become tarnished over the years, but I can either order a new one from Ric (they're cheap) or hit it with some vigorous cleaner. The finish looks new to this day. The back of it is like a black mirror.

Value:
I worked at a crappy job all summer long in 1996, when I was 15 to buy my Christine (that's her name). I paid $950, a great deal, even then.

Desirability:
The so-called sex appeal of a Rickenbacker is like the sex appeal of a classic muscle car. Maybe a young kid driving around in a Honda Civic won't like it, as he tosses his Korean-made Epiphone in the trunk, but the rest of us know American Quality when we see it.

Sound:
I've had my baby since 1996 (Jetglo black 360). Nothing, and I mean nothing, has ever gone wrong with this guitar, nor, I presume, will it ever. Hook her up to a Vox or Fender amplifier, crank the volume and gain, and strike a big open G. If it doesn't give you goosebumps, check your pulse. Phenomenal.

Support:
This category needs a "Not Applicable" rating. I've never had to call Rickenbacker, because, like I said, nothing has gone wrong. I will note, however: If you go to groups.google.com, you can search the archives of alt.guitar.rickenbacker, the Ric newsgroup. There's a wealth of great information there.

Overall:
I expected it to be a great guitar. Back then, I didn't know much about guitars aside from their looks and who played them. Suffice it to say, she has exceeded every one of my expectations.

I fell in love with my Ricky the second I saw it, when I actually played it I was hooked. You cannot find a smoother, better built instrument. Incredable looking finish. Beatuiful guitar, sounding and looking.Before you buy another guitar, find an authorized dealer and try one. It is easy to figure out why they have been making these guitars the same way for so long, and why so many musicians have chosen Rickenbacker and nothing else.

I just recently got my RIC 360 in Jetglo and it is the nicest guitar I've ever played. The action is fast and the sound is very distinct and percussive. I love my new guitar and I'll never be in need of another!