Because of their tone, the guitars tended to be favoured by "Jangle Pop", "Power pop" and "British Invasion"-style groups.

"Paul Weller" from "The Jam" live with Rickenbacker 330

"Noel Gallagher" from "Oasis" with Rickenbacker 330

Many Rickenbackers — both guitars and basses — are equipped to be compatible with a "Ric-O-Sound" unit via an extra "stereo" output socket that allows the two pickups (or neck and middle pickup combined/bridge pickup, in the case of three pickup instruments) to be connected to different effects units or amplifiers.
Another idiosyncrasy of Rickenbackers is the use of two truss rods (rather than the usual one) to correct twists, as well as curvature, in the neck.

The "Rickenbacker 330" is part of "Rickenbacker's 300" series of guitars, the series for which Rickenbacker is perhaps best known.
The instrument incorporates many features standard on Rickenbacker guitars, including a three-ply maple/walnut neck, a shallow headstock angle, a thick rosewood fretboard finished with clear conversion varnish, and double truss rods.
The "Rickenbacker 330" also features a body with Rickenbacker's "crescent moon" cutaway shape with sharp, unbound edges, and an "R"-shaped trapeze tailpiece.



Careful acoustic research has resulted in the full, rich and warm sound of this popular model.
Two single coil pickups on a full size body are accented by a traditionally shaped sound hole.
The 24 fret Rosewood fingerboard is punctuated by dot inlay fret markers, with full double cutaways permitting access to all the frets.
Standard output is monaural through a single jack plate.

Colors available: "Rickenbacker Mapleglo" (natural), "Rickenbacker Fireglo" (sunburst), "Rickenbacker Jetglo" (black), "Rickenbacker Midnight Blue"

Specifications

Body Type Semi-Acoustic
No. Frets 24
Scale Length 62.9 cm (24 3/4'')
Neck Width at Nut 41.4 mm (1.63'')
Neck Width at 12th F 49.05 mm (1 .931'')
Crown Radius 25.4 cm (10'')
Body Wood Maple
Neck Wood Maple
Fingerboard Wood Rosewood
Weight 3.6 kg (8.0 lbs.)
Overall Length 100.3 cm (39 1/2'')
Overall Width 38.1 cm (15'')
Overall Depth 38.1 mm (1 1/2'')
Fret Marker Style Dot
Tailpiece 'R'
Bridge 6 Saddle
Neck Type Set-in
No. of Pickups 2
Type of Pickups Hi-gain
Output Type Mono

see also RICKENBACKER book by Richard Smith