The Rickenbacker 330 is a Rickenbacker electric guitar. Close alternatives include the 60's Danelectro DC59 and the Rickenbacker 360/12. It pairs well with the Dumble Steel String Singer and the Marshall Bluesbreaker.
Rickenbacker 330
Rickenbacker · electric guitar
The Rickenbacker 330 is a semi-hollow-body electric guitar introduced in 1958, featuring a maple body with distinctive crescent moon double cutaways and slash-shaped f-holes. The 24.75 inch scale length, three-ply maple/walnut neck with shallow headstock angle, and 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays provide classic construction. The guitar is equipped with Rickenbacker's Hi-Gain single-coil pickups delivering stringy character with aggressive cut suitable for rhythm and lead work. The maple density contributes to the 330's famous sustain, top-end jangle, and shimmer. The semi-hollow construction delivers a bright, clear tone with strong midrange presence ideal for cutting through band mixes.
- bright
- jangle
- cut
- shimmer
- sustain
- mix
- classic rock
- resonance
Genres the Rickenbacker 330 is commonly used in
- Classic Rock
- Alternative Rock
- Rock
- Psychedelic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Surf Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Folk
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Rickenbacker 330
Dumble Steel String Singer
Dumble
33% matchPush the Rickenbacker 330's bright, jangly pickups into the Steel String Singer's liquid, organic Dumble tone and the shimmer really opens up.
Marshall Bluesbreaker
Marshall
32% matchThe 330's bright jangle cuts through the Bluesbreaker's rounded, compressed breakup instead of getting swallowed by it.
Fender Prosonic
amplifier
30% matchThe Prosonic's warm, responsive Fender overdrive gives the Rickenbacker 330's bright, jangly pickups a genuinely characterful amp voice to push into.
Bad Cat Ocelot 20 Watt Tube
Bad Cat
20% matchWhat Rickenbacker 330 brings here leans toward bright — that's worth building a pairing around
Gibson GA-50
Gibson
tonal matchGibson GA-50's warm balances out the bright tone
Orange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp
Orange
tonal matchOrange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp's warm balances out the bright tone
Orange Terror Bass
Orange
tonal matchRun Orange Terror Bass after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Orange Little Bass Thing
Orange
tonal matchWhere this leans bright, Orange Little Bass Thing answers back warm
Pedals that stack with the Rickenbacker 330
One Control Strawberry Red Overdrive
One Control
22% matchThe 330's jangly, bright voice keeps its cut through the Strawberry Red's warm, harmonic overdrive rather than getting buried in it.
One Control Lingonberry Overdrive
One Control
20% matchThe 330's bright, jangly pickups keep their cut even through the Lingonberry's musical, blues-warm overdrive.
Orange - Vintage Distortion
Orange
tonal matchRun Orange - Vintage Distortion after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
SolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive
Solidgoldfx
tonal matchSolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive's smooth balances out the bright tone
Behringer Chorus Symphony
Behringer
tonal matchRun Behringer Chorus Symphony after it and the bright edge settles into something more smooth
Dunlop Blue Hippo Optical Tremolo
Dunlop
tonal matchDunlop Blue Hippo Optical Tremolo leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Pigtronix gamma drive
Pigtronix
tonal matchPigtronix gamma drive's warm balances out the bright tone
Dunlop Echoplex Preamp
Dunlop
tonal matchRun Dunlop Echoplex Preamp after it and the bright edge settles into something more smooth
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
60's Danelectro DC59
Danelectro
70% similarity“Glassy, crystalline lipstick-pickup tone sitting between a Telecaster and a Rickenbacker 330”
Rickenbacker 360/12
Rickenbacker
97% similaritysimilar tone character
Fender Jaguar
electric guitar
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Gibson Firebird VII
Gibson
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Epiphone Riviera Electric Guitar
electric guitar
95% similaritysimilar tone character
ESP Tiger
Esp
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Epiphone 1961 50th Anniversary Casino Reissue
Epiphone
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Roy Buchanan "Nancy" 1953 Telecaster
Fender
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Epiphone Casino
electric guitar
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Fender 1962 Silver Sparkle Telecaster Electric Guitar
Fender
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Danelectro 59 DC Electric Guitar
Danelectro
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Gibson Es 335 Dot
Gibson
94% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Rickenbacker 330 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Rickenbacker 330?+
The closest matches in character are the 60's Danelectro DC59, the Rickenbacker 360/12, the Fender Jaguar.
What pairs well with the Rickenbacker 330?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Dumble Steel String Singer, Marshall Bluesbreaker, Fender Prosonic — Push the Rickenbacker 330's bright, jangly pickups into the Steel String Singer's liquid, organic Dumble tone and the shimmer really opens up..