Rickenbacker 620/12

Hit Me, Baby, One More Chime

During the seventies, a young guitarist named Mike Campbell, who played in a band with a little-known indie songwriter named Tom Petty, was thirsting for chime. He needed a guitar that could replicate the bell-like tones of the Beatles songs he loved so much for an upcoming recording, so he combed classified ads and musician's circulars in the LA area. He finally found a seller, and while he was a little disappointed that it was a solidbody, he took the deal. Little did he know that the guitar he purchased was the first 620/12 prototype EVER produced!

Campbell used the firstborn 620/12 to record classics like "Here Comes my Girl" and "Listen To Her Heart." It seems fitting that it was the source of the jangle on such universally beloved records because the 620/12 was always intended to be an instrument for the people. More affordable than its decked-out brethren, the 620/12 gave more players than ever before a chance to experience the magic of a Rickenbacker 12-string.

Party All the Chime

The modern incarnation of the 620/12 accomplishes that same goal almost six decades after Rickenbacker introduced the model in 1963. It has Rickenbacker's iconic "cresting wave" body design, elegant white body binding, and sharktooth inlays, so it certainly cuts an imposing figure!

That sharp-looking body is made of maple, which helps give the 620/12 ringing sustain, exceptional articulation, and chiming, cutting trebles. Two Rickenbacker Hi-Gain pickups sit with that piece of maple, and they pump out all sorts of sweet tone. The bridge pickup produces gorgeous, lush tone laden with bell-like overtones. Underneath all that chime, you get focused midrange and tight lows. In other words, it's the prototypical sunny twelve-string sound!

In the neck position, you'll find a much woodier, more acoustic-like tone. It sounds warm and open, and it still has excellent note separation. If you want something a little spicier, you can use the small knob behind the two-tone controls to dial up a bit more heat. This makes the lows richer and causes the highs to drip with sweet overtones.

We're proud to showcase the Rickenbacker 620/12, a working man's twelve-string that provides the magic chime we all know and love at an incredible value. We invite you to take one for spin and have the chime of your life!