Playing other guitars/cheating on my Rics

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Sun May 04, 2003 6:39 pm

My three main guitars are Rickenbackers. A 360V64 -JG, a 1997SPC/VB -FG, and a 650A/VB. I love each one immensely. Being a recording musician and a regular player, I am prone to fits of gear lust and tend to buy a new guitar annually. So I have a few acoustics, a Danelectro Longhorn (31 frets!), an Epi Dot, a Tele '72 Custom, and a few others. Getting a new guitar is like inviting a new lover to bed: exciting, new, er... something different. Then there's the guilt. I feel tremendous guilt when I've spent too much time playing my non-Ric guitars. It's like cheating on Audrey Hepburn.
I've been recording an album over the last year+ and I've been certain to use my Rickenbacker for all of my electric tracks. This will likely be a national release and I want my Ric sound all over it. On one song I had to use a Telecaster to get a 'cheap' sound on the bridge...
So today my bandmate and I had a writing/arranging session; I used my 360V64 for the majority of it. I switched to my '72 Custom for the last third of it just to demo that guitar for my friend. The '72 is a fine guitar (with junk electronics -as any MIM Fender has) but still somehow it just doesn't feel right.
Tonight, as my house sleeps, I sit and strum my 360 unplugged and it feels just like home. Natural, instinctive, and just right.
Other guitars are nice flavors, side dishes, and even lifelong 'keepers' (I love my Longhorn) BUT Rics are where it's at for me. An endless source of inspiration, utility, and senses.
Cheers, Noel
(patiently awaiting a Comstock)

jazzsmith · Post by **jazzsmith** » Mon May 05, 2003 2:55 am

I now have a collection of five guitars, all made before 1968 - a Fender, a Gibson, a Martin, a Gretsch, and a Rickenbacker. I tried to find really good examples of each and needed to fit them into a middle class budget. Hence, the '59 Fender is a Jazzmaster, not a Strat and the '54 Martin is a little all mahogany model, not a rosewood Dreadnaught. But each one made my eyes go wide when I picked it up to play it.

I appreciate your allegience to Rickenbacker, but the implication is that other guitars don't stack up. I don't think that its fair to compare a MIM Tele or a Korean Epi or Dano with a finely made American guitar like a Rick. Someone showed me their MIM Tele the other day and it felt like playing barbed wire stretched over a cigar box, but try a Custom shop Tele.

In my most humble opinion the best solid body guitar ever made is the pre-CBS Tele, the best semi-hollow electric is the Gibson ES-335 with PAF humbuckers, the best 12 string electric is the 330,360,370 model Rickenbackers, the best acoustics come from the Golden Age of Gibson and Martin or from their modern day Custom shops. AND finally, the coolest lookin' guitars were made right near my Manhattan apartment by the Fred Gretsch Company. I always found it a hoot that all that cowboy stuff came from a factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn!

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Mon May 05, 2003 4:07 am

I understand your view, Jeff. 'Course I use my Rics for my leads, rhythm, noise, and everything in between, so their distinct tone is my sound. I agree though, there are lots of great guitars in the world (which aren't Rics!). I would LOVE to have a pre-MIJ Gretsch Country Gentleman. Eventually I will spend the 3K for a Gibson CG.
As for your Jazzmaster, I would rather have the '59 Jazzmaster than a '59 Strat any day (tone-wise, that is). Do you have any pictures posted?
Still, other models be damned, my main guitars are Rics.
Noel

jazzsmith · Post by **jazzsmith** » Mon May 05, 2003 4:19 am

I'm still trying to get right with photoshop so that I can post pictures - so far I can't get the file size down small enough to post and still have a viewable picture. yeah...the J'master is awesome - big neck for a Fender, gold guard, all original except for an excellent refret. Its the only guitar I've ever owned that intonates perfectly at every fret position.

I understand your point too. As a working musician your tone should be distinctive and Rick's certainly are. A perfect example of being identified with a certain tone (well, Beatles, Byrds, James Burton, Dick Dale, etc.) is Jack White from the White Stripes. What he does with that Airline is unbelievable! Me...I'm just a living room player and my goal was to have all the sounds of my beloved '60's at my disposal.

wormdiet · Post by **wormdiet** » Mon May 05, 2003 4:48 am

It's been over ten years since I've actually owned an electric guitar. I've been getting beck into playing a lot recently, which is why I lurk the boards. When I first started looking at axes months ago I set my sights no higher than a cheap strat knock-off. But I figured, why get something I won't really want in 5 years, or 15 years?

I'm 95% likely to get a 330 or a 650 of some variety when I can afford it. Or perhaps a Laguna, but finding those to try is basically impossible.

Why Ricks? To me, fenders (even $1500 custom caramel finish super-dood strats) sound thin and weak in comparison. At least at bedroom volumes. LP style? sound nice and thick, but every testosterone/hair band from the seventies and eighties played them. That leaves basically Gibson 335 styles (great guitars but too expensive for the real deal) PRS (diddo, not much vintage character or vibe) and Parkers (appropriate styling for those klingon-language singalongs), out of the brands I'd consider. Moreover, nothing sounds or looks like a rick. A versatile, yet visually appealing and sonically distinctive choice. There's just the whole ethos and character statement of ricks. Everybody talks about all the great musicians that have used them. How about flipping that question: how many boring, mediocre, and annoying bands play other brands? How many play ricks? Rarely do you find them used in brainless, derivative music. That's cool;)

That's not to say I'd not want any of those guitars at some point in the future. . . but priorities are priorities!

rkbsound · Post by **rkbsound** » Mon May 05, 2003 2:32 pm

I recently picked up an Epi Dot and really like it. For the money, it really is a decent guitar (although I had to play a few to find a good one). I agree with the guilt factor. I only just got my 360 in October. Of course, I felt guilty playing that and not my '66 Rick. They all can't be played at once!

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue May 06, 2003 2:02 am

Here you go Jazzsmith.

jazzsmith · Post by **jazzsmith** » Tue May 06, 2003 2:33 am

Thank you Peter, sorry I'm such a computer dunce. This is my newly acquired '67 360/12. The bridge is a newer Rick 6 saddle bridge, everything else is original. The neck angle and action height are excellent and the pickups sound great! It has a new set of Pyramid flats on it and sounds particularly good through a little '58 Gibson "Skylark" amp that I bought off of ebay.

ric_rocks · Post by **ric_rocks** » Tue May 06, 2003 1:17 pm

My ticket to a healthy conscience... I only own Rics

Oops, well, except for my 78 Yairi 12 string accoustic.

PS: Jeffrey, that is one super sweet Ric. Lots of grain goin on wow!

sneakers · Post by **sneakers** » Thu May 22, 2003 6:05 am

Sometimes you're better off only owning a few guitars. I on the other hand have accumulated this:

1. 1969 Hofner Beatle Bass
2. 1969 Gibson Les Paul Bass
3. 1992 Fender Precision Bass
4. 1984 Fender Precision Fretless
5. 2000 Fender Jazz Bass
6. 1982 Alembic Series II Bass Short Scale
7. 1978 Kramer Bass
8. 1994 Rick Turner M-1 Bass
9. 2000 Rick Turner M-2 Bass
10. 1962 Gibson EB-2
11. 1966 Gibson EB-0
12. 1990 Ovation Adamas 12-string
13. 2000 Tobias six string bass
14. 1984 Ovation Electric Country Artist
15. 1962 Fender Telecaster Sunburst with body binding
16. 1999 Rickenbacker 325 Hamburg
17. 2001 Fender Sting Signature bass
18. 1995 Rickenbacker 330
19. 1998 Warwick Thumb Bass
20. 1953 Fender Precision Bass
21. 2001 Gibson J-45
22. 1990 Gibson J-180
23. 1981 Martin 5-28
24. 1783 Anton Schuster Upright Bass
25. 2001 Glasser Bass Bow
26. 1976 Rickenbacker 4003 greenburst
27. 1998 Aria Mandolin
28. 1967 Vega Earl Scruggs Banjo
29. 1700’s Stradivari Copy Violin
30. 2002 AB35 Washburn Acoustic Bass
31. 2002 Gibson ES-335
32. 2002 1963 Reissue Hofner 500/2 Club Bass
33. 1968 High School Shop Made
34. Rickenbacker 360/12
35. 2003 Les Paul Standard Honeyburst

I now have no more room in my house for any more.

rkbsound · Post by **rkbsound** » Thu May 22, 2003 4:26 pm

Time to buy a new house!

ted_williams · Post by **ted_williams** » Thu May 22, 2003 6:45 pm

Joe-
Tell us more about the 1783 upright and the Stad copy.

ted_williams · Post by **ted_williams** » Thu May 22, 2003 6:46 pm

I mean Strad copy.

sneakers · Post by **sneakers** » Fri May 23, 2003 1:24 am

I purchased the Anton Schuster upright bass from this old guy who made violins and cellos. His house was unbelievable. There was a two foot walkway throughout his house from room to room, from attic to basement. All other square footage was packed with musical stringed instruments. This particular bass stood out from the rest because of its ornate carvings on the tuners. I think it's a laminate, but it sound good. I put one of those Thomasik fine tune tailpieces on it and some steel orchestra strings. Right now, it's buried behind my wife's junk.

The Stradivarious was attained through a trade for a viola, which I thought was a violin. The violin is probably akin to all the other Strad copies out there, with a value of about $100. I've tried to play it, but I can't get the bowing down and always end up giving up.

headbanger · Post by **headbanger** » Fri May 23, 2003 3:29 am

I've got a Strad copy about the same age too. I can get a tune out of it after about 3 hrs of "warming up". I think the next thing on my list is a cheap upright bass or a Rick FL with a spike in the end & play that like an upright!