Lead Player Role Call

j_alfred · Post by **j_alfred** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 8:22 pm

Is it strange or predictable that a younger generation of Rick users are primarily playing alt/art rock? I think the tone fits perfectly with everything that the "edge" of rock music stands for. Tradition and Progress.

It's what we pretensious dorks call a "Janus."

winston · Post by **winston** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 8:30 pm

Now we are starting to pick up the pace a little bit. Interesting to note (so far at least) that quite a few lead guitarists play semi hollow Rics and many play both lead and rhythm.

Thank you to those who have taken the time so far to post an answer to my questions. When this thread has run it's course I'll tabulate the results. Hopefully we will get a lot more responses so we can get a representative sampling of what Ric guitarists are playing.

Surely we must have a lot of guitar players on this forum? Or is that not a valid assumption?

captsandwich · Post by **captsandwich** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:37 am

I just want to clarify my post. I am the lead player in my band because the other guitar player doesn't play solos. I still play a lot of rhythm, and because it's ska, it's short choppy chords. I'd rather let the horns take solos. Since I got the Ric, even my solos have changed. I tend to play more long notes & multi-note phrases, rather than the standard blues riffs I play on my strat. Also, I play with a lot less effects now because I am smitten with the tone of my new guitar. I've even started working in more 7ths & 9ths for the rhythm stuff instead of straight barre chords.

ted_williams · Post by **ted_williams** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:53 am

I play lead when our lead guitarist doesn't show up for practice. Back before we added him, I played all the leads.

370WB and 620/12 are weapons of choice.

My favorite genre is rock. Our band sound is sort of a cross between R.E.M. and the Who.

captsandwich · Post by **captsandwich** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 8:45 am

"Back before we added him, I played all the leads."
Was that before or after you had your head frozen?

(sorry, I just couldn't resist any longer)

bluesyric · Post by **bluesyric** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:15 am

1. Lead, some rhythm
2. 620/6VP
3. Blues/60's Brit Rock

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:31 pm

It might be interesting for people to edit their posts and specify the type of pickups in their go-to lead guitar. I think it'll be another interesting fact to compile in the end.

Edit: Scratch that, I didn't know that you can't edit posts that are more than 120 minutes old.

fenderslash · Post by **fenderslash** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:45 pm

1. Lead by default (I'm the only guitarist in my band). I'm good enough at lead, but nothing special, and I prefer rhythm - I grew up learning guitar by playing along with Keef and Woodie.

2. 330 is my gigging guitar (for the look of it), but I find it a little easier to play lead on my 360 because the lacquer on my 330's fretboard is so crazy-thick that it's practically at the top of the fretwire on the higher frets. My 360 is a bit better in that regard.

3. '70s to current rock.

Before I fell for the Rickenbackers I was a tried and true Tele man. I love single coils, and I have a couple of 620s on order to take over as my gigging guitar some day, but I've sometimes wondered if a 650 with hi-gains fitted would be a more practical gigging guitar than the more traditional Rics. I'd love to put that theory to the test one day but it's a lot of money to spend on a theory.

rick_ovic · Post by **rick_ovic** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:36 am

1. I have been a lead-rhythm guitarist now for about thirty years, however I've been playing bass for almost as long. I'm not currently in a band although I aim to do so during 2006 - fellow forumite Greg Rahilly and I look like we are joining forces. Watch this space!

2. Until three years ago I was a die-hard Strat player, although I owned a 90s 360-12WB ten years ago. I now have chronic RAS (a highly infectious strain of GAS) and I've acquired 18 Rickenbacker guitars and basses over the past two and a half years (gulp). The current inventory stands at eight guitars and three basses. What do I use to play lead on? My 1966 335FG has a real chimey bite to it so I'll nominate that one.

3. Melodic power pop/rock is my favorite music to play. These days I'm not into the lead guitar hero "widdly widdly widdly" stuff...I've become much more of a chordy janglemeister, hence it really doesn't matter too much what Rickenbacker guitar I reach for!

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:46 am

1. I play all guitars (including bass and steel) in my project. Lead is in by definition, which includes several multi-layered guitar instrumentals.

2. I don't use Rickenbacker guitars for lead (or rhythm for that matter). There is a 360/12 that is supposed to be used at some point. Gibsons, Fenders and Jackson/Charvels are the primary weapons of choice.

3. We would normally be classified as old school progressive power metal, although our musical stylings cover a pretty diverse range.

winston · Post by **winston** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 6:09 am

I plan to tabulate the results of this informal poll this coming weekend, so if there are any stragglers out there please post your information before Sunday.

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 6:41 am

1. Mostly rhythm but some lead (30 percent of the tunes)
2. 450/6
3. Jangle pop, alt. country, roots rock, pop that rocks

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 6:41 am

OK. Put me down for .0625.

Could be up to .3125 by next year.

Jeff, do you use a 6 or 8 string steel?

How do you tune it? (Yeah, I know it's those little thingies at the end of the neck, but what notes do you use?)

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 7:16 am

I started as a drummer and moved to bass...the lack of any 'lead' players on the crew in Antarctica forced me into that role for several years. As I've said before in responding to questions about using a Ric in such adverse conditions, "You don't take a debutante to a dogfight"...therefore, Brian, my answers would have to be:

1) Yeah, put me down for some lead...it was a dirty job, but someone had to do it...

2) My Ric guitar of choice: mid-60's Telecaster...takes a licking while you keep on picking...also quite useful if you need to 'deglaze' your car when you lock the keys in it and can't find a brick...

3) Hmmm...this one's best answered with the phrase the Navy Lieutenant in charge of AFAN used to describe the 'genre' of my radio show: "You name it"...

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:26 pm

1. How may of us on the forum are lead players?
2. What is your Ric guitar of choice for playing lead?
3. What is your favorite genre?

(Just so use stragglers don't have to go to the first post.)

1. I am primarily a rhythm player but I play some leads in the band I jam with.

2. Because I'm playing rhythm except during the lead break, I'm playing my #1 rhythm guitar, my 1981 460 BG (hi-gains), except for I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better and My Back Pages, in which the leads are played on my 370/12RM FG that I'm using for rhythm then. If I were recording, I'd probably pick and choose what guitar sounds 'best'.

3. 1960s Rock and Roll (but my musical tastes are a bit eclectic).