Rickenbacker 330/12

Pros: Craftsmanship, value, looks, sound, playability.
Cons: Cost, restringing difficulty.

Back when I was a young teen, I didn't know much about guitars (other than my Fender Musicmaster) but I knew that the one guitar I lusted after was my pal Dave's Rickenbacker 360/12. It looked unbelievably cool, and what's more, it was the only guitar ...

Pros: The marvelous bright, almost happy, sound you get when plucking the strings.
Cons: Not great for power strumming, and changing the strings takes forever!

You've heard this sound before: the bright jangle (usually a repetitive three or four notes) that permeated throughout most of the songs from the mid-Sixties. But other than The Beatles, The Byrds and The Who, a whole slew of other rock bands use the...

Pros: The sound!
Cons: Restringing!

This is the guitar that plays the opening chord of the Beatles "A Hard Day's Night". You can hear it in your head now, can't you? It's THAT sound. I found mine in a guitar store in Northamptonshire, England. It was made in February 1967, so it's a ...

Pros: Absolutely wonderful mid-'60's sound capturing the essence of the Byrds and the Beatles
Cons: Plan on two hours to restring it

I bought a used 330-12 after seeing one used in "That Thing You Do!" and hearing the Gin Blossoms "Til I Hear It From You." In fact when I got it, that's the first song I played, over and over. Its sound takes you back to the '60's and gives it that...

Pros: Simply gorgeous. Fun to play. Unmatched quality. It's a Ric.
Cons: Is this a trick question?

I purchased my Ric 330/12 fireglo about 10 years ago at Quigley's Music Store, a Kansas City tradition for years. It was used and was one of the few times I had some extra cash. I paid $800 for it. I love it just as much as the day I brought it home. Since then, I've acquired a Vox AC15 so my life is complete. Even when not playing it for hobby, just polishing it and sitting it in the corner for friends to see is a joy. To all those who share in the appreciation of this gorgeous guitar, I salute you! Maybe I just need to get a life!

Pros: Sound, beauty, style, craftsmanship.
Cons: Narrow fingerboard, and no custom work. Remember, you're just a buyer, no one special.

I bough this new. Fantastic finish, incredible design, and just plain beautiful.
It is a pleasure to play alone or with a group. Unplugged, it has the greatest sound. It is strung a bit different than most 12-string guitars. Big bass string above the smaller string. I found the string spacing too narrow and had the spacing increased. This did cost me few bucks, but made the playing worth it. Big fingered players need to think about increasing the spacing. Do it professionally if that's what you want to do. I had the pickups replaced with Vintage pickups. The stock, hi-gain pickups sound too "muddy". When I bought a compressor for this guitar, it rang out so nice. Just a strum of a chord sounds great.
It seems like a lot of after-market work, but it was worth it for me. The company will, absolutely not, do any custom work. If you ain't famous, you ain't getting it. Period!
There is none that sounds like this. Look into a few of the web sites on this instrument and it will be very helpful, especially on how to string this beast. When you learn, it's very easy.