Rickenbacker 650D, natural finish, made in USA 2007. This is a bit of an unusual offering from Ric, and it's got a lot of charm. The 650 is approximately similar in shape to the iconic 620 model, but with rounded edges, a simpler guard and no 'R' tailpiece. It's also made from an offbeat combination of walnut and rock maple, both sourced from domestic USA farms. Walnut is a really lovely timber for guitars, as it not only looks superb with rich caramel colouring and attractive wide grain lines, but also offers a fast, tight and thick low end response. Pairing that low-end focussed walnut with the treble accentuating maple makes for a bold, snappy, slightly scooped tone. The neck pickup has been replaced with a Hi Gain single coil, so it offers a tone not too far from a beefy take on the Strat sound, but with enhanced weighty bass and singing sustain. The bridge pickup has also been replaced, but with the same model HB-1 humbucker these originally shipped with. Being a small size HB, the tone sits somewhere in the Firebird archetype, with a crunchy midrange, heaps of punch and a sizzling, crisp top end. The neck is a chunky D shape, similar to a '57 style Strat, but with 24 frets and a fairly flat board. It's pretty shreddable for a Ric, with easy access to the upper frets and sensible string spacing making for easy movement. The mirror guard is a laugh too... saves you bringing a makeup mirror to the gig, right?

Model: Rickenbacker 650D 'Dakota'
Made: 2007, USA (serial 0704477)
Finish: satin natural, mirror chrome guard
Body: walnut wings, maple centre
Neck: maple,  24.75" scale, 10" radius
Weight: 3.030kg
Mods: pickups replaced
Pickups: Rickenbacker Hi Gain single coil (neck), HB-1 humbucker (bridge)
Case: non-original tweed hard case

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock and neck are pretty clean, no major marks. The back has some light scuffs in the middle of the body but no notable marks. The sides have some minor glossing from contact around the whole body and some very minor dimples on both horns, near the jack and the elbow area. The front is pretty tidy, just some minor dimples near the knobs and in the elbow area and some light play wear on the horns. Overall: excellent condition (9/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, intonation is good, action is low, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. The frets look great, 9/10 for fret life left. Setup with fresh 11/49 Moonshiners strings.