What drew you to Rickenbacker?

[BigJohnAZ]

When my brother and I started our garage band back in the late 70's, we loved to play Rush, UFO, Priest, BTO, etc. Of course, as the bassist, Geddy was my hero and I loved his prowess and his tone. I loved his 4001 and after that I would seek out other Ricky players and really fell in love with that sound. Our lead guitarist was still in high school and saw a posting in school about a fellow student looking to sell his 4001. I hooked up with him and checked out his bass. It was a 1977 Autumnglo that was mint. I played it, and told him I would would buy it. $325 including the OHSC and it was mine!

I only told one of my other band mates about my purchase, so that night we had practice and I got there early and placed my treasure on my guitar stand. The others ambled in and we grabbed our axes ready to tune up and play. I plucked a few notes and they all turned their heads my way and saw me with a huge grin and my Ricky.

Long story short, our band never made the bar scene as we could never find a singer. I have recently started playing again and with the awesome tutorials by Joey, I have my Ricky set up very nicely and am loving it all over again. There are other fine basses out there, but there is only one 4001.

[Fuzzy Thoughts]

one of my first memories from when I was use starting playing music was walking into a music store and seeing a Ruby and black 4003 and though that outside of a flying V it was the coolest looking thing ever.. about a year later when I was out to buy my own bass [learned on a old P bass mu dad had... which I bought from him later ] I got to play a 4003/FL which floored me but it was too $$$ at the time...

also



and this is why I bought a Azureglo one

[360girl]

Depending on the video or picture, I sometimes think it's fireglo, or autumnglo. But yeah, sometimes it looks like a deeper red. Did he have two? One with the ACME truss rod cover and one with the regular cover? Or was it the same guitar, I wonder.

EDIT:

The Woodstock footage is in HD but it's at night. I Put A Spell On You has a good view of it though.

Cool Vid! I've always liked that song, and in retrospect, will admit that CCR's sound on their early stuff, definitely helped turn me on to Rics - especially this song:



LOVE the chimey rhythm, and semi-dirty tones! This, along with the chimey sounds I heard in some of the alt-rock I listened to in the 80s and 90s, such as REM, and the very underrated Wanderlust, and the dirty tones of the Smithereens, convinced me to buy my first Ric (an NOS 1994 Jetglo 360) in 1995, to use as a backup, and "different" sounds guitar for the heavy rock band I was playing in at the time. What surprised me though, was that it was also a great sounding heavy rock guitar, with the right amp settings (with tons of grind, note definition, and a surprising amount of the low end wallop, that makes hard rock and metal, so heavy sounding). It never sounded like the Gibsons I favored at the time, but I didn't want it to. So, the Jetglo 360 did a significant amount of stage time for playing the clean songs we did, and more than a few of the heavy rockers we also played.

Unfortunately, needing the money for upcoming bills in 1999, the Jetglo 360 got sold (I remember telling the drummer from a band I used to be in saying to me "you sold the Ric? How could you!?), and I ended up settling for cheap guitars, until 2008, when I miraculously found it at a local Music Go Round, and bought it back (selling a ton of things in the process to scrape up the money). Like a fool I sold it again in early 2009, due to a fit of Gretsch GAS, so I could afford a Brian Setzer Hot Rod. A few months later, the Hot Rod was gone (but I still like Gretsches - I have a Country Club at the present time), and I was realizing that I missed having a Ric around again. I couldn't afford to buy another 360 outright, but in 2010, I found a blem 2009 Mapleglo 360 being sold by zZounds on a monthly payment plan, that I could afford, so I took a chance on it, and bought it (the blem turned out to just be a small knot in the wood of the headstock). That was a great guitar, but unfortunately it got sold during a money crunch in 2011. After that happened, I told myself that I'd definitely get another Ric, but that I'd do it when my finances were in better shape. As of 2 weeks ago, courtesy of a surprise bonus from work, and more stable finances for me, I am back in the game, with a 2006 Mapleglo 360. Ya know, considering that I've had 3 Rics over the past 17 years, I've come to realize that they're under my skin, and I will probably always have one. It must be the combination of the looks, the sound, and the quality. I don't know. Whatever the case may be, I sure do like them!

Oh, and speaking of influences that push you towards buying a Ric, here was the final nail in the "get one" coffin, for me getting my first one back in 1995.

[electrofaro]

Oh, and speaking of influences that push you towards buying a Ric, here was the final nail in the "get one" coffin, for me getting my first one back in 1995.

I can most definitely find myself in that sound as a reason why I finally got a 360... never heard of this group though (their name made me think of the R.E.M. song).

[360girl]

Oh, and speaking of influences that push you towards buying a Ric, here was the final nail in the "get one" coffin, for me getting my first one back in 1995.

I can most definitely find myself in that sound as a reason why I finally got a 360... never heard of this group though (their name made me think of the R.E.M. song).

Yep, they were sort of like a power poppy REM. They only released one album in 1995 ("Prize"). They were dropped by their label, while they were working on ther second album. They do, occasionally do reunion shows, and it sounds like they're working on a new album. Here's a live version from 2011 of another favorite song of mine:

[electrofaro]

Yep, they were sort of like a power poppy REM. They only released one album in 1995 ("Prize"). They were dropped by their label, while they were working on ther second album. They do, occasionally do reunion shows, and it sounds like they're working on a new album. Here's a live version from 2011 of another favorite song of mine:

Amazing, the lead singer uses an Epi 5 Watt amp with his Rickie??? I got one of those myself, tbh

[Jahn]

It was Peter Buck. I had just started learning to play guitar, been playing about two weeks and I went to see him at Kings Cross in January 2006 when he was on an early tour with Robyn Hitchcock. I was standing almost in front of him and was craning my neck to see what he was playing, knowing nothing about guitars at all. I saw the make and when I got home I immediately looked it up in my Tony Bacon Ultimate guitar book....Rickenbacker!!

I tried to be sensible as I was so new to guitars and bought a very nice little Mexican 60s Strat which I still have, then about 6 weeks later ended up buying a 360/12 in BB which was in my local music shop. I didn't realise it then but it was an absolute bargain. This was my first Rick.

I still wanted a 6 string so I was lucky enough to get my 1974 360 in MG from a guitar show in N Carolina in August 2006, thanks to very good friends.

After Peter Buck, I have to be honest and say it was the Rickenbackers themselves that made me want more of them. I just love them. The rest is history.

This one is as close as one could get to my first draw to a Ric. It was also a Peter Buck/Robyn Hitchcock collaboration, through this album:



It just sounded so otherworldly. Later on I soaked up all that Peter Buck stuff on early REM and Johnny Marr on The Smiths and such, but it was this album that drew me in first.

[blue_meanie]

The Beatles, the unique styling of the [bass] guitar, and the fact that no one in my age group (that I know of) around where I live has one.

[psychomatthias]

Lemmy, Geddy, Geezer (that one show in '78), Cliff, The Fish, and a desire to NOT be a generic bass guitarist.

[just_bassics]

I guess nobody told John Fogarty that you can't play lead on a Rickenbacker!

On the guitar side, the jangly 60's tones of the Beatles and Byrds, for sure. On the bass side, much as I love Yes & Squire, but the first bass line that grabbed me was Roger Glover's almost sinister bass break in Pictures of Home. But Yes and all early Rush sealed the deal.

That's what drew me to Rickenbacker. What keeps me with them are things like having four basses, all which sound different, sound great, and still have that harmonic overtone structure that cuts through any track.

I love my Danelectro 12 string but need to add a Ric at some point. I'm still a Beach Boys fan!

[rickenbottom]

RUSH- Geddy Lee. Back in 1977. Got my first Rickenbacker bass in 1982-83 cant remember exactly that far back.It was jetglo, But I can,t tell you if it was 4001 or 4003. Purchased brand new from Steve's Music in Toronto. Like an idiot, sold it two years later. Don't ask me why because I have no good explanation. Now I have my 2011 4003 in jetglo. Older, wiser. It aint going and soon it will have another Rickenbacker companion.

[Aclempoppi]

Played a 360-12 string in 1964, but couldn't afford one. After playing in acoustic and electric Blues bands all these years, I let that scene go. Only play in church, now. Finally pulled the trigger on a 360-12 last May. Don't know what I was waiting for!!!! Art

[ricbass]

Sound and looks and the guys who recorded and played on stage with them!

[suedehead71]

so many of my musical heroes used Rickenbacker. but the main heroes are Johnny Marr from The Smiths, Paul Weller from The Jam, Mcguinn, and of course The Who, Beatles, Animals and other 60's brit invasion bands!

[Charlie Goodnight]

I haven't read other responses yet; so, I'm sure this has already been said...

But, of all the other bands that were around during the hey-day of the 1993/94-1998/99 college band scene in Bloomington, Indiana; no other bassists were playing a Rickenbacker. Everyone had the typical Fender P-Bass or J-Bass... and then, there were a few music-school wildcards who were playing crazy looking electric upright contraptions.

Also, the Beatles Anthology came out somewhere during those years; and I remember seeing the "I Am the Walrus" clip and thinking "****! That looks cool as HELL!!!" And, I always said that Paul McCartney was my first bass teacher. I remember listening to my parents' albums and focusing on his lines; before I even knew what I was really listening to!

It seemed like something I had to have!

I had a Fireglo 4003 for about two years; but ended up trading it for another instrument. Always regretted that.

Now, I've just purchased a GORGEOUS 4001v63, Fireglo; from Jeff! Arrives tomorrow!!! SO EXCITED!!!!!