The 330 has a much sexier shape, IMO.

At what point did I say, or infer, that a compressor will eliminate or aid feedback? I just suggested it because it helps define and boost the Ric's sound.

I am in the same boat as you, 330 or 360?

I am leaning towards the 330 simply because I already have a 360 body style Ric. If I were buying my first Ric and it was a choice between 330 and 360, I would certainly go for the 360. The 360 costs just a bit more, but you get so much more. The binding, the super-cool shark fin fret markers, plus the ability to go stereo is worth a lot more than the price difference between the 330 and 360.

I think so too!

_________________
Throw that piece of firewood where it belongs and get yourself a Rickenbacker!

At one point I had a 330MG and a 360MG. I decided I needed to sell one. Brought all family to choose one to keep, they all said 'keep the 360, it's prettier..."
Still, I got the last word so ... I played them for a week, both were/are fantastic instruments, but I decided to keep the 330MG, sell the 360MG...and..to buy another 360 (probably a JG) in the future.

I guess, the moral of this story is that there is no "better than" model, you just need to decide which one will you buy first.

Hi - Stevie Ray Vaughan, Hubert Sumlin and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown all played Rics to name a few.

First of all, you can play any type of music on any type of guitar, period. Willie plays rock and country leads on an old nylon-string Martin. It's very easy to compartmentalize a particular make of guitar into being capable of producing only one type of music, but this is nonsense.

Second of all, Rick won't give you any specific feedback problems - they're semi-hollows, not hollows.

Third of all, just my $0.02, you don't need a "noise reduction pedal/device" to play rock. In fact, I've been playing in rock bands for more than 20 years - gigging and studio - and I'm not even sure what that is. If anything, you will probably want the exact opposite - an overdrive pedal. Compressors are good on Ricks for jangle picking, but I wouldn't compress a guitar if you're playing blues. Let that amp-guitar combo do its thing -- breathe and sing.

Finally, Ricks are simply killer guitars, period, that can handle anything you throw at them, and certainly blues and rock.

I, too, had hesitated for years on buying my first Rick, afraid from the hype that Ricks couldn't "do" certain types of music. Man, was I ever wrong. Now I just regret not getting one sooner. In a way, despite their international reputation for decades, Ricks are the best-kept secret in rock guitars. My 360 is my go-to lead guitar now, period.

I agree that you can play any type of music on any guitar, but I think it's important to remember that different guitars do have very different sounds. A Les Paul and a Strat are completely different tones from each other, for example. You can compensate for that somewhat with a bit of amp EQ and maybe a pedal or two, but different guitar types do have different strengths and weaknesses.

Can a Ric 330 / 360 play the blues? Absolutely. Will it be the best guitar out there to get the blues tone you have in your head? Maybe. There's only one way to find out...

Oh, and between the 330 and the 360, I'd go for the 360. In fact, I did!

"Second of all, Rick won't give you any specific feedback problems - they're semi-hollows, not hollows." As soon as I touched my MXR Dist +, I got a wailing wall of nasty feedback on my 360. It set off my house alarm system once, as well.

"Third of all, just my $0.02, you don't need a "noise reduction pedal/device" to play rock." With a solidbody guitar, sure. With a Ric, and a certain about of gain, yes.

"Compressors are good on Ricks for jangle picking, but I wouldn't compress a guitar if you're playing blues." Many players utilize Compression for more than their clean tone. With my 620/12, a Boss SD-1 and a MXR Dyna Comp, that thing not only has beautiful, clear tone, but holds a note for days.