A Revelation about Rickenbackers

[longhouse]

Over the years I've owned six Rics. All but my 1997SPC/VB have come and gone.

360V64 JG
650A/VT
340/12 MidBlu
340/6 DG
330/6 MG (VP and Ac'cent, a poor man's 335)

About three years ago I fell in love with an Epiphone Elitist Chet Atkins Country Deluxe. Not only was the first humbucker-equipped guitar I ever loved, but it was also the easiest electric instrument I've had the pleasure to play. Ever. My Rics were sidelined and I did the lion's share of my performing with the Chet.
Hard times came and I sold almost all my guitars. The V64 and Chet went to a doctor in NYC and a misanthrope in Idaho respectively. My Danelectros, Teles, Gibson, and Phantoms left also. The ONLY electric guitar I own is a Rickenbacker 1997SPC/VB now.

For the last 18 months I've been playing almost exclusively acoustic music. Thank goodness my Fender amp has a dust cover!

Yesterday I had a studio gig with Pyramid Builders Union. I showed up with my Ric and a Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive. It was 8 hours or recording (new nickel strings on the guitar) plugged straight into a Vox AC30. Something happened. Something clicked.

I LOVE MY GUITAR

There is no other electric guitar which sounds like a Rickenbacker. Switching volume, tone, pickup selection, playing style, and amp settings yielded a delicious variety of sounds (all of them glorious). Lead, rhythm, arpeggio...

Is it the easiest, most ergonomic guitar around? No. Is the most beautiful? Probably. Is it the most versatile? Maybe. Is it a soulmate? Absolutely.

[longhouse]

[scotty]

Yeah rickenbackers are okay......

[paologregorio]

Yesterday I had a studio gig with Pyramid Builders Union. I showed up with my Ric and a Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive. It was 8 hours or recording (new nickel strings on the guitar) plugged straight into a Vox AC30. Something happened. Something clicked.

I LOVE MY GUITAR

There is no other electric guitar which sounds like a Rickenbacker. Switching volume, tone, pickup selection, playing style, and amp settings yielded a delicious variety of sounds (all of them glorious). Lead, rhythm, arpeggio...

Is it the easiest, most ergonomic guitar around? No. Is the most beautiful? Probably. Is it the most versatile? Maybe. Is it a soulmate? Absolutely.

Amen to that! + 1,000!!!

[jimk]

Interesting that this should come up just now. I have a relatively new song that is a little challenging to play on my acoustic. So I when I mess up, I joke that there aren't enough strings on it. This led to the discussion about guitars at Song Writers' Circle last night.

I was telling how I was trying to fall in love with a Chinese Tele knock-off I bought last winter simply because the price was right and everything worked as it should. One of the other song writers said that he could understand that considering I had bought a Rickenbacker just previous to the Tele. He's right, you know.
JimK

[jwilli]

"Misanthrope", lol.

[longhouse]

"Misanthrope", lol.

Oh John, you have no idea. I was brokenhearted at having to part with my guitar (in order to fund a decent Christmas for my children). People the world over expressed interest (and bids). This guy... after scores of nice PMs hit the 'Buy It Now' button. Oh, the grief that followed was terrible. He must have gone over that instrument, which was somewhere between mint and near mint, with an electron microscope.

>>>

Interesting indeed, Jim.

[winston]

I have a story about wandering away from Rickenbacker guitars also............but that can wait for another time much more appropriate. The ONLY guitar in my stable that I would trust to use for absolutely any type of music is my JG 360v64. It 's circuitry has been highly modified, most notably with a gain circuit and an out of phase switch but I never use those particular mods. This guitar can do it all. It's not quite as versatile for some music as my #1 Strat but it can do things my Strat can't.

Plus let's face it.............they are the coolest looking guitars on the planet.

[Low End Lover]

Yeah, I got my first 2 Rics this year, a 2010 4003 JG & a 2009 330 JG, and my wife and I are learning to play together. We both feel like it is a singular sound and there is nothing else like them. We both feel such a connection to the music we love because so much of it was done with Rics. I have had a number of basses and guitars come and go and I can say that the Rics are it for us. We feel as excited picking them up after months of having them as we did the day we first played them. Now, if we could afford a 4003FL and a 330/12...

Good stuff!

LEL

[simer4001]

Welcome to the party, Jason.

[Low End Lover]

Welcome to the party, Jason.

Thank you! And what a party it is! This site is so cool and interesting I was up 'till 2 am reading and posting!

[melibreits]

Noel, surely you didn't really need to convince yourself that Rics are indeed the most beautiful-looking and coolest-sounding guitars around.... you just needed to come back to your first love!

Jason, welcome to The Forum.... It's cool that you and your wife are both learning to play your Rics together--that's got to be incredibly fun to make music with your mate. It must be true that the couple that Ricks together, sticks together!

[johnnysain]

I've been caught sleeping with mine on several occasions....

[winston]

I've been caught sleeping with mine on several occasions....

You bad boy you...................pssst fun isn't it?

[johnnysain]

Yep,......mine has irresistible knobs.