Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I'd love to see examples of punk bands (list or photos) that use Rickenbackers, since this is a Rickenbacker crowd...

heres my contribution

The first "butchered" FG Rick 360 NS I ever saw in a shop came from a guy in a punk band; he had installed humbuckers in both pickup cavities. I think they were DiMarzio Humbuckers, or Gibson HUmbuckers, without covers. One or the other. It was not pretty.

There's this band, but the guitarist switched to a Jazzmaster: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... =248499042

Steve Diggle of the "Buzzcocks" uses a 330, I saw them years ago at the Palladium in Los Angeles. It was funny, actually, Steve had a 300fg and a wall of Hiwatts behind him, and Pete Shelley(singer, guitar)had a little Fender amp on a stool and a Gibson Melody Maker I think(I know it wasn't a Jr or Special).
What really surprised me was I always thought Steve played the leads, but found out that night it was mostly Pete. Very funny contrast on stage, and I believe Steve still uses 330s in addition to the TV yellow double cutaway Specials he's become known for using. I think Eastwood guitars now makes a "Buzzcocks" version of this guitar that they supposedly use.

Generation X, Billy Idols second punk band(first was Chelsea)had a bassplayer who used a Jetglow 4001.

Original Sex Pistols Bassist, Glen matlock, used a 4001

The Jam, of course, would have used a Rickenbacker drum set if they made one

Johnny Ramone used both 6 and 12 400 series solidbodys at times in his career, in addition to his beloved Moserites

Christian Death, a Los Angeles band in the late 70s early 80s used a 330. Footage of them and this guitar can be found in the movie"Decline of the Western Civilization" alongside Black Flag(whose later bassplayer Kira used a 4001), X, and fear, as well as a few others.

I'm sure there are countless others, but these were just off the top of my head.

Fugazi (are they punk enough?):

Fugazi would definitely qualify as "punk enough". They have pretty much have cemented the DIY philosophy as the focal point of their career, and inspired countless thousands of punks to do the same.

How could the former frontman of Minor Threat not be relevant or punk enough?

Tony Lombardo, first bass player of my all-time favorite band Descendents, used to play a Rick.




Jay Bentley of Bad Religion played a 4000 at one time. There's a picture of him with it in the album How Could Hell be Any Worse?

Wow, before Milo went to college! Great pic of the Descendents, also, great album by Bad Religion. Many punk bands used Ricks back in the early 80s because they were so inexpensive. In those days, everyone wanted metal guitars with locking tremelos, and you could get a nice Rick for 300 bucks with minimal effort.

Did Johnny Ramone ever really use a 12 string 400 series? I think that he uses one in RRHS, but that guitar apparently was a "prop" and wasn't used in the song.

There are several versions of that song, and even the one in the movie is different than the one on the soundtrack. All versions(released)but 1, had a Rick 450 12 string electric in it doing at least the rhythm, if not the (uh hum) lead. It's not in your face on the mix, but definitely a Rick 12 stumming away on the chords, and not a heavily chorused 6 string.

Johnny admits he never owned a hippy guitar(his definition of an acoustic)and that the acoustic in RRHS was a prop, but I've never heard or read(doesn't mean it isn't true)that he didn't play that 12 string for the song when it was recorded. He did, however, play it in the movie, even just miming, the chords and solo were right. He also did use either 425 or 450 or both guitars live occasionally, and there is footage of him doing so in their new "It's Alive" DVD.

Johnny viewed himself as an entertainer, not a musician, and never wanted to progress any further on the guitar. He felt all the guitar players he liked lost fire when thet got better, and he wanted to keep things as they were. He would lay down his patented chainsaw guitar, and someone else would play the little solo bits that appear from time to time in their later music. From what I've read, he never played guitar at home, only in rehearsal studios preparing to go on the road or record. Since they spent most of the year throughout their careers on the road, I don't think he ever went more than a few months tops without playing.

He never wanted to lose his edge, and really, if he could have had his way, would have been a professional baseball player.

Radio Birdman - Australian punk pioneers, with a Bigsby-fied 610 (?):

whojamfan wrote:Johnny admits he never owned a hippy guitar(his definition of an acoustic)

I knew I picked up that attitude from somewhere. I learned to play guitar on my 360 WB. Full disclosure: I have owned a couple of acoustics, but just briefly; I didn't like them (bulky, and no pickups, knobs, or whammy bar!), and got rid of them A.S.A.P.

You lucky dog you! I had to play a POS acoustic with a very high action for a year before I could get an electric, worst year of my life musically speaking.

I bought a cheap electric & amp for $75, a friend showed me how to barre an E major shape and an A major shape, showed me I Just Wanna Have Something To Do, and I learned the rest of Rocket to Russia by ear.

Punks with Ricks - Paul Simonon in the early days, but he liked the p-bass better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZk-mq8IUsY
Tom Gabel of Against me plays 360's. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq9SLX_DP3U

Greg, I'm moving to Toronto and we're starting a band and that's all there is to it!
Wish it was true.....