Lead guitarists playing a rickenbacker 6 string?

[raider]

Woodsgirl, I know what your saying you can
use your favorite artist as a starting point
from there you can create your own sound. For
me I want to be different that's why I play
Rickenbacker & Gretsch. I don't want what
everyone else has.
Lou D

[woodsgirl]

Lou, that's what I am talkin' about.....good on you!

[sharkboy]

I'm with you, Lou.

I told a friend of mine that I was selling off most of my stock of non-Rickenbacker electrics, since the Ricks are the only ones I have been compelled to play. We had an interesting discussion about that. He, of course, asked my reasons for such a big change. This made me think in different directions. I told him that I was crazy about the sonic variety available on the Ricks and about how they feel, how well balanced they are physically and how different they look from other guitars. They are so "deluxe"- in a very 50's futuristic way- and that all being very cool to me and they are a bit anachronistic, as am I. I also dig this feeling of playing some sort of a magical secret.

He then asked me what I would play if I didn't play Ricks, and I said almost for sure it would be Gretch, for mostly the same reasons.

[sir_andrew_of_left_coast]

"Actually I've seen a photo of John Mayall playing a Rick. It is from more recent years and it is the shape of a 620, 650, 660 with a real weird *** paint job."

Actually, it's a 450/12. You can see an image of it on the "Blues for the Lost Days" CD. Or here:
http://www.rickresource.com/rrp/jmayall.html

But, yeah... an 'interesting' paint job on it.

[randyz]

I recently bought a very used '91 Rick 1997 JG from a local Guitar Center (very long story). While they searched the stock room for the case (and never found it), I sat in the show room strumming the guitar. I can't tell you how many "cool guitar" comments I got. This guitar looked like a 'relic' and had been hanging for months with a $2000 price tag. I ended up paying $900. I got a few more "cool guitar" comments before I could get to my car. These are truly cool guitars!

[winston]

Thanks for the link Andrew.

I wish I could say that I was thoroughly impressed. What a mess that guitar is in? I am impressed a little though that he even owns a Rick.

[shamustwin]

I took my 650 into The Amp Shop on sat. to have the bridge swapped (chrome to gold) and general set up. The guy at the counter took one look and asked (excitedly I might add) "What is THAT?". He seemed impressed. It is purty. Good thing is he's not the luthier.

Anyway, this store deals almost exclusively with boutique items, Blockhead and Orange amps, Weird looking basses with so many strings I can't count them all, strat and tele upscalers, etc.

[westtexasrickenbacker]

Eric Johnson is now occasionally playing a Rickenbacker guitar in his shows.

Smart man, that Eric!