Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Before they were the Who...

They appear to be playing a RM1998 and 1999.

The performance starts at 1:13.

This (amazing) footage has been covered and discussed many times.

John Entwistle plays a RM 1999/4001S, while Pete plays a RM 1998 modded with an extra toggle switch and a Gibson ES-175 tailpiece.

Yup, real cool early footage with very early RM models.

Wish we knew the serial #"s....

John said his 1999 was the second exported into England, I'd assume it was DA25...

I used to have a vinyl album titled "Who the fxxk". Obviously a bootleg, but it really had some great tracks on it. I've never seen it since, but know many who have and/or own this.

I have also seen a close-up of Pete's RM 1998 (the one from this video) and on the TRC, the words "Made in USA" do not appear. Could it be a December '63 prototype?

whojamfan wrote:I used to have a vinyl album titled "Who the fxxk". Obviously a bootleg, but it really had some great tracks on it. I've never seen it since, but know many who have and/or own this.

I remember that album, though I don't remember owning it. Wasn't it on colored translucent vinyl with the name rubber-stamped on a white cover? Magic Flute in San Francisco used to carry all the best boots. Oh, where's my time machine?

JakeK wrote:John said his 1999 was the second exported into England, I'd assume it was DA25...

Possibly, but maybe DA 24 that Pete Greenwood owned...

kiramdear wrote:

whojamfan wrote:I used to have a vinyl album titled "Who the fxxk". Obviously a bootleg, but it really had some great tracks on it. I've never seen it since, but know many who have and/or own this.

I remember that album, though I don't remember owning it. Wasn't it on colored translucent vinyl with the name rubber-stamped on a white cover? Magic Flute in San Francisco used to carry all the best boots. Oh, where's my time machine?

Yes ma'am, that be it

Geat version of Here 'tis

Classic video.


Apparently, a NEW video of the High Numbers has been sourced somewhere in the UK, and was sold on Ebay. My buddy found the page, but politely emailed me about it AFTER (!!!) the auction, so I couldn't bid. It went for a steal, IMO. The first tape sold for thousands of pounds. No guarantee this reel holds any different footage, but at that price, it's damn worth a shot:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3D1&_rdc=1


Now....I know it seems trivial, but to Who fans (ESPECIALLY High Numbers-specific fans, such as myself). This is on-par with the Holy Grail itself. Footage is all there is left. I sure hope it becomes public at some point.

I also have a bootleg copy of this whole set. Kit Lambert filmed it, and taped the sound seperately, the sound reels ended up circulating for years, while the video was hidden (the first reel being found in an attic in Sweden, of all places). The set is very cool----kind of a fair slice of any self-respecing R%B band back in '64:

1. I've got to Dance to keep from Cryin
2. Young Man's Blues (much closer to the Mose Allison original rather than their later versions..)
3. Long Tall Shorty
4. Pretty Thing
5. Here Tis
6. You Really Got Me
7. Green Onions (loose jam....roughly based on Green Onions)
8. Spoonful (original blues cover--later interpreted by Cream)
9. Smokestack Lightning
10. Money


As for Pete's guitar, I'm not sure on the TRC. I HIGHLY doubt it is a '63 prototype, like his 360S/12 was. From what I understand, the RoMo models were shipped out, ready-to-go with no prototypes. Given the period Towshend recieved his 1998RM new from Marshall's music in summer '64, and the average time it took for guitars to ship over, I'd estimate that his first Ric was made in Spring '64.

Possibly a May '64 as mine is (which would be cool) :

Your RM 1998 looks just like my 1997SPC except for the "R" tailpiece

JakeK wrote:Your RM 1998 looks just like my 1997SPC except for the "R" tailpiece

You really gotta try out vintage one some day, Jake. It's night/day from a reissue in person, but hard to describe (if that makes sense..? )

That said, I wouldn't mind another reissue---- I'm afraid to take my RM out of the house! My old SPC was similar to the '64, at least that it was beat up! miss that geetar...

How does the '64 sound, Collin? Is there an "easy way to be free" (from "The Who By Numbers" song "Slip Kid"...I mean, easy way to describe it's tone?

JakeK wrote:How does the '64 sound, Collin? Is there an "easy way to be free" (from "The Who By Numbers" song "Slip Kid"...I mean, easy way to describe it's tone?

Same as any other vintage 330 style Ric. You know the tone.

Kerrrrccchinnnnggggg.