Pricing and availability
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Reviews
Price
Average Price: $2,222
High-end/Boutique
$500
$1201+
Price Tier
Budget
Standard
High-end
Price History
Based on price data from 3 merchants for "Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.
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Description
Experience the classic magic of the Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar, a coveted instrument that has won the hearts of renowned artists like Tom Petty, Pete Townshend, and Johnny Marr. This model boasts the iconic semi-hollow crescent moon body, crafted from premium maple for a rich, resonant tone. Whether you're chasing the distinctive Beatles-esque sound with the vintage Rickenbacker Toaster pickups or aiming for The Smiths' vibe with the modern Hi-Gain pickups, the Rickenbacker 330 delivers a uniquely jangly, British-inflected sound that's sure to elevate your music.
Key Features:
- Iconic semi-hollow crescent moon body
- Premium maple construction
- Vintage Rickenbacker Toaster pickups
- Modern Hi-Gain pickups
- Distinctive jangly, British-inflected tone
- Favoured by renowned artists like Tom Petty, Pete Townshend, and Johnny Marr.
Product specs
| Brand | Rickenbacker |
| Model | 330 |
| Finish | Burgundy, Fireglo, Jetglo, Mapleglo, Matte Black, Midnight Blue, Midnight Purple, Ruby |
| Year | 2012 - 2025 |
| Made In | United States |
| Categories | Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitars |
| Body Material | Maple, Poplar |
| Body Shape | Double Cutaway |
| Body Type | Semi-Hollow Body |
| Bridge/Tailpiece Type | Stop-Bar |
| Color Family | Black, Blue, Natural, Purple, Red, Tan |
| Finish Features | Matching Headstock |
| Finish Pattern | Sunburst |
| Finish Style | Gloss |
| Fretboard Material | Rosewood |
| Fretboard Radius | 10" |
| Model Family | Rickenbacker 330 |
| Neck Construction | Set-Neck |
| Neck Material | Maple |
| Number of Frets | 24 |
| Number of Strings | 6-String |
| Nut Width | 1.625" |
| Offset Body | Non-Offset Body |
| Pickup Configuration | SS |
| Right / Left Handed | Right Handed |
| Scale Length | 24.75" |
| Series | Rickenbacker 300 Series |
FAQs
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What type of music is the Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar best suited for?
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The Rickenbacker 330 is renowned for its bright, jangly tone, making it ideal for genres like rock, pop, and jangle pop. Its distinctive sound has been favored by artists in bands such as The Byrds and The Beatles.
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How does the neck profile of the Rickenbacker 330 affect playability?
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The Rickenbacker 330 features a narrower neck with a 1.625" nut width, providing a comfortable grip for players with smaller hands and facilitating fast chord changes and lead playing.
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What is the pickup configuration on the Rickenbacker 330, and how does it influence the sound?
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The Rickenbacker 330 is equipped with two single-coil pickups, delivering a bright, clear tone with a strong midrange presence, making it suitable for cutting through a mix in both studio and live settings.
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Is the Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar suitable for beginners?
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While the Rickenbacker 330 offers a unique sound and quality build, its specific tonal character and narrower neck may be better appreciated by intermediate to advanced players familiar with its distinct playability.
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What are the finish options available for the Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar?
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The Rickenbacker 330 is available in a variety of finishes, including Fireglo, Jetglo, Mapleglo, and Midnight Blue, allowing players to choose a style that suits their aesthetic preferences.
Videos
Wildwood Guitars
Rickenbacker 330 • SN: 1211550
Rickenbacker 330 • SN: 1211550
Wildwood Guitars
Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo Overview - Review - Demo with a Fender Blues Junior Amp
Jeff Wirtzfeld
Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar | Reverb Demo Video
Reverb
Rickenbacker 330 Fireglo
N Stuff Music
Rickenbacker 330 at The Fellowship of Acoustics
The Fellowship of Acoustics
Rickenbacker 330 in Mapleglo Demo
Guitar Center
No Talking...Just Tones | Rickenbacker 330 Mapleglo
Peach Guitars
New Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo
IrishBog
1961 Fireglo Rickenbacker 330 Capri | CME Vintage Demo | Nathaniel Murphy
Chicago Music Exchange
Rickenbacker 330 Limited Edition Demo
Guitarist
"Pick of the Day" - 1997 Rickenbacker Fireglo 330 and 1965 Super Reverb
Emerald City Guitars
Rickenbacker 330 • Wildwood Guitars
Wildwood Guitars
Rickenbacker 330 - clean
Estúdio 218
Why the Rickenbacker 330 changed everything for me
The Pinfields
Rickenbacker 330 Mapleglo: King Of The Jangle!!
Joe Perkins
Rickenbacker 330: Beautiful But A Pain In The A$$
Woodeso's Guitar Mods
The Jam - Away From The Numbers (cover)
stanhopeplace
Demo of a 1991 Rickenbacker 330
The Local Pickup
Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo 1993 USA
Loud Lemon Demo
New 2020 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo Unboxing
Riffs4U
Rickenbacker 330 1995 Fireglo demo and review
Foxy's Guitar Show
The Jam - Sounds From The Street (cover)
stanhopeplace
Rickenbacker 330 Mapleglo / Jim Harley Violin Bass - The Beatles Sound
Drop D
Rickenbacker 330 de 2005-Headbanger Rare Guitars-Demo
Headbanger rare guitars
2003 Rickenbacker 330 Mapleglo
krispood
Rickenbacker 330 jetglo
Ryan's guitar stuff
Reviews
PROS
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Iconic sound, perfect for various music genres from jangle to hard rock
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Eye-catching finishes, with colors like Ruby and Mapleglo
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Notable build quality, solid neck and body
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Lightweight and well-balanced, comfortable for extended playing
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Unique chimey sound with Hi-Gain pickups, great for rhythm and lead tones
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Indestructible finish compared to other brands
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Distinctive, recognizable tone that stands out in mixes
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Versatile sound, performs well with fuzz and overdrive
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Great resonance, audible even without amplification
CONS
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Some may find the neck size too big
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Smaller frets require more attention while playing
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Metal guard on bridge can complicate restringing
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Narrower nut width might not suit players used to other brands
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Weight can be taxing after long sessions
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar.
Mods and upgrades
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Some users have switched from Hi-gains to Rickenbacker humbuckers to achieve a heavier, crunchier tone.
Source -
Some users recommend narrow-tall and crowned frets to replace the default small, flat frets, enhancing playability.
Source -
Owners installing an Accent vibrato suggest a deeper body tailpiece carve, similar to the 360/12c63, to prevent string movement on roller bridges.
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Some owners replace stock pickups with balanced-wound pairs to eliminate the need for the 5th knob adjustment and improve sound.
Source
Features and functionality
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Poly finished fretboards, returning on the 2023 model, offer a distinctive playing experience that some players appreciate.
Source -
The new thin neck profile is described as a blend between D and C shapes, better suiting players with smaller hands due to reduced shoulder.
Source -
The Rickenbacker 330's 5th knob acts as a secondary volume control for the neck pickup, not a blend knob, to balance pickup outputs.
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Owners suggest playing the Rickenbacker 330 like an acoustic guitar to maximize its tonal potential, as it excels in clean sound applications.
Source -
New Gotoh machine heads are praised for their smooth operation and aesthetic appeal on the 2023 model.
Source
User experience
Setup and maintenance
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The new dual-action truss rod allows for smoother adjustments, making setups easier compared to previous models.
Source -
Owners suggest using painter's tape across the tailpiece during string changes to ease the process.
Source -
Raising the bridge pickup can cause wobbling and gaps due to the foam underneath, complicating pickup height adjustments.
Source
Build quality
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Some owners have observed orange peel finishes mainly at the body edges, suggesting a potential inconsistency in the finishing quality.
Source
Comparisons
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The Rickenbacker 330 is often compared to Fender and Gibson guitars in terms of tone versatility, though it tends to retain its unique Rickenbacker sound regardless of settings.
Source -
The Rickenbacker electronics package is considered less sophisticated compared to Gibson 330's simpler wiring, leading to potential confusion for new users.
Source
4.5 out of 5
Based on 9 Reviews and 75 Ratings
553
Go to
People say ricks only are good for a jangly tone; that is mostly said by people who have never owned or experimented with a Rick. It sounds great with fuzz, it has great rhythm tones, and I absolutely love its lead tones. Will never get rid of mine, it’s far too versatile.
Preferred Settings + Usage:
Bridge pickup for leads.
5339
Dream guitar
A short Story.
With a heavy heart I sold my 1958 Hofner President for £900 and added some extra money to that sum to purchase a 1976 Rickenbacker 330/6 (my dream guitar) the guitar came in the FIreglo sunburst finish and had been modified which reduced the price I knocked a few pounds off the price by it having an unoriginal tailpiece as it had been removed and replaced by the seller with the vibrola from a Rickenbacker 335 and the guitar plays amazingly and I love it so much this I feel will be my only guitar to never see a studio. EDIT found an origonal tailpiece
5339
I'm loving this thing it sounds so good through AC30 which I have set fairly dirty thanks jimmarchi1 for that suggestion
5339
I put up an image of this beauty
5339
looking for a "76 330 tailpiece cannot find one ;)
131
My Favorite to play
This is the third rickenbacker I've owned and it never lets me down. Love the jingle jangle tone and is perfect for a lot of the british pop stuff we do in The 80's Underground.
176
No words...
I picked up this guitar second hand from a guy in Melbourne for $2000. I saved up my pennies and drove all the way there from Sydney just to pick it up. Got it home and got her set up and by god does it play amazingly and also sound great. This thing is a real tone machine as well as being extremely comfy to play for hours on end!! Very light weight makes it an awesome live guitar as well as a studio whore.
58
Beautiful Guitar
This guitar is a real joy to play. It looks absolutely stunning too. I use it for recording in my home studio and it sounds fantastic plugged directly into my interface.
187
Versetile
The whole guitar just fits to my body perfectly and is extremely comfortable to play
93
41029
I'll take her off your hands if you want, I've never owned a ric!
Artist usage
Add artist
In this photo of Jimi Hendrix and The Who, Hendrix can be seen holding a Rickenbacker electric guitar.
If you go on Youtube and watch the Tame Impala - Deezer Session, you can see him using his black and white Rickenbacker 330 with a turquoise spot over the soundhole.
In this photo, and this photo, Thom can be seen using a Rickenbacker 330.
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Can be seen playing Rickenbacker 330 in this post. (From second to fourth photo)
In this picture Johnny Marr can be seen playing this guitar.
"This is my 1983 Black Rickenbacker 330 that I used throughout The Smiths. I got it from A1 Repairs on Oxford Road in Manchester and it was my main guitar at all the early gigs. It's the sound of the riff on 'What Difference Does It Make' and 'Reel Around The Fountain', all of the first album and on other albums too. I still use it now.
I've got my old faithful which is my Rickenbacker 330; a 6 string. I find that this one is the workhorse, it's the one that I use on most of the numbers live and in rehearsals."
This was a major guitar throughout the Smiths live and recorded history. Retired by Johnny sometime in early 1985 for live use, it was later used regularly by Craig Gannon in 1986 as one of his 3 primary live guitars. It has "button top" style higain pickups and Grover slimline tuners. These tuners were used on Rickenbackers for a very short transitional period, and are fairly rare.
Source: http://www.smithsonguitar.com/2008/12/johnny-marrs-gear.html
Noel Gallagher uses a Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar in Mapleglo finish, with a rosewood neck. In this video of Oasis performing "Who Feels Love?" live, Noel plays the rhythm guitar part on his Rickenbacker 330. The guitar can be seen throughout the video, but particularly well starting at 4:58 onwards, where the camera zooms in for a closeup, showing the two stickers Noel has placed on the guitar (a green peace sign sticker on the top horn, and a sticker of a blue circle with two bird heads facing each other with the writing "BC" in the middle on the pickguard). This performance is originally from the Oasis - Familiar to Millions: Live At Wembley concert film.
The Guitar is shown in making of the Album "The Dreamwalker"
In this video https://youtu.be/g5_hk-n9Zo0, We can see that Matty is using a ‘Rickenbacker 330 Maplego 6-String’ Electric Guitar while performing ‘Sex’ under the moniker as 'B I G S L E E P’ in 2011.
Graham said that he does not use this guitar very often, but he had used it for a few recording sessions.
People say that Jeff used a 330 for the studio version of "Last Goodbye" as he did for a live version
In this video Hann uses what appears to be a Rickenbacker 330. Judging from the dot inlays on the fretboard and the details in the body you could infer it's a 330 since Rickenbacker doesn't use these inlays and details for the same guitar in any other model.
Album Usage
The Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar has been featured on the following albums:
BLOOD AND SUGAR (LIVE FROM THE MGM MUSIC HALL AT FENWAY PARK)
Boys Like Girls (2025)
MIRACLE (LIVE FROM THE MGM MUSIC HALL AT FENWAY PARK)
Boys Like Girls (2025)
THE HOMECOMING (LIVE FROM THE MGM MUSIC HALL AT FENWAY PARK)
Boys Like Girls (2025)
Ven Aquí (MTV Unplugged)
Los Bunkers (2024)
The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons
The Hives (2023)
my lips are moving but no words are coming out
carter c (2021)
everything i do alone i want to do with you
carter c (2021)
Kings
Micky James (2020)
Panorama
La Dispute (2019)
Club Majesty
Royal Republic & Royal Republic (2019)
I Know It's Over (Demo)
The Smiths (2017)
Rubber Ring / What She Said / Rubber Ring (Live in Boston)
The Smiths (2017)
Por Acanga
Los Tres (2015)
The Dream Walker
Angels & Airwaves (2014)
Pop Music Football & Girls
Parlour Flames (2013)
In A Million Years
Last Dinosaurs (2012)
Sex
The 1975 (2012)
Good & Evil
Tally Hall (2011)
Barrio Estación
Los Bunkers (2008)
No Kill No Beep Beep
Q and Not U (2000)
Familiar To Millions (Live)
Oasis (2000)
Saint Patrick's Day 10am
The Cockroaches (1994)
Fingertips
The Cockroaches (1988)
The Cockroaches
The Cockroaches (1987)
The Smiths
The Smiths (1984)
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Rickenbacker 330 Electric Guitar, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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Community setups
Show yours
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