How did you find this place - do you remember?

[sowhat]

Sorry if the subject has been covered here before, and i also hope this wouldn't be "out of place" here.
Questions for all.
1. How did you find this forum?
2. How were you welcomed here (mean was there a huge set of "Welcome" messages after your 1st post or not, etc).
As far as i'm concerned, the story's here: i was searchin' for info on a certain band & occasionally found the section of this forum dedicated to that band & mainly got registered for posting in that section. Why later i decided to visit other sections is another question... Words of welcome? Yeah. The first words that were ever addressed to me at this forum were "No that is wrong Sheena", and that was well deserved, methinks.
Waiting for your stories.
Cheers,
SC.

[jingle_jangle]

Har. I had not yet purchased my first Rick, but it was imminent, and I was sure it would be a C58 (deal fell through, and I finally got my C58 only last month!), so I tried to join under the name "thought_he_was_john". Peter turned me down and informed me that I needed to join under my real given name, which I did, failing to capitalize the first letters, a fact which later came back to bite me--well deservedly so--on the butt.

So I joined and started posting. I remember getting a pretty nice welcome at that time.

My first posts concerned the philosophy of craft and how it applied to Rickenbackers, and how this philosophy separated RIC as a business from Fender (who I characterized as building overpriced "kit guitars". I was not, however, totally negative and disparaging, because I qualified these statements by expressing my love for Fenders of certain types.

I was promptly taken to task by a member (primarily a bass guy and apparently pro-Fender) in no uncertain terms. As a matter of fact, quite rudely, even after I requested that we merely agree to disagree. I was called an ivory-tower snob (because I brought into the discussion the craft philosophies of David Pye, author of "The Nature and Art of Workmanship", a book which I teach to my students to give them a grounding in the craft vs. art debates that all designers get into eventually, and which was apropo to the discussion on the RRF).

That debate faded after I just plain stopped posting on it (as I recall--I could be wrong on this), and the Forum became my Second Home.

[sloop_john_b]

I had been visiting Peter's site for years (Got my first Rick in '02), so I was aware of the forum, but it took me a while to join.

I think the guitar forum that I had been frequenting for years (and racking up many thousands of posts as well) was just completely devoid of any talk about Rickenbackers, and I was dying to discuss 'em with somebody.

I came on about the same time as you Paul, and this place has truly become my second home as well!

I half look forward to the day when all the archives are up, so I can browse through my first posts here (and see what an ignoramous I was!).

[soundmasterg]

I've been here so long I don't even remember when I joined or the circumstances surrounding it, but its a great place! Thanks Peter!!

[johnallg]

I found this home away from home through references to it on the official RIC forums. It took me a few months to finally make it over here, but I'm glad I did. I've learned so much since arriving, and it continues daily.

[8mileshigh]

Bjorn's site was my way in. Thanks Bjorn

[elysrand]

For me it was not long ago, November 2006 I had a resurgence of interest in seeing if the Internet could be used to find some trace - any traces - of my long-lost Rickenbacker 4001 BG that had been stolen from my home in a burglary on Sept 4th 1987 (I might have erroneously said 1986 once or twice, but it was 1987). It was the dream bass of my youth that I bought new in April 1971 from a shop window in New Orleans, an eggplant burgundy 21-fretter. I played it all through my teenage and twenty-something years, made a lot of money, majored in jazz music for awhile, played in rock bands, dixieland and blues steady working bands in the French Quarter and Metairie, Memphis and the Gulf Coast, only to put it under the bed literally when advancing age forced me to go to college and get a real career.

I suppose I was trying to recapture my youth, but instead I discovered a lot of other people on this Forum in particular who were like me. I learned more about the bass that I had ever known while I owned it. In the midst of my attempt to just replace that bass, I discovered a whole world of Rickenbacker instruments and the fine knowledgeable people who owned them, and I was bitten hard by RAS. Now, I am acquiring a few Rickenbacker basses and guitars here and there, steadily, and I find that I have discovered a whole new world of appreciation for other models of Rickenbacker instruments that I never did own when I was young, but lusted after nonetheless when younger.

Now I am playing this small collection, not just looking at it or keeping it locked in cases in a bank vault somewhere as an appreciating asset. I am enjoying the hour or two of time I consistently spend every day jacking in and playing these instruments in ways I never did before. Yes, this love of Ricks is linked to my past youth, but today it is different and much richer than just remembering the dusty past with my one original Rick bass back under my bed again

I must say, I have met in-person and spoken with dozens, maybe a hundred or more so far of the best people I ever imagined ever knowing on this Forum at MARF and one-on-one since, and share their love and knowledge of Rickenbackers. Yes, like Paul, there are a few folks who have decided to take a dislike to me and jumped into my s@%t online, ridiculing me as a newbie every chance they get, not only from the US and Europe but also notably one from Australia who won't leave me alone in his ridicule of me as a newbie, but who cares? Only they look foolish for doing so, not me, and if this is what they must to do feel better about their own shortcomings, then so be it, that's life in an imperfect world. It is all the rest of you whom I have come to love and admire, and it truly is a Second Home now Thank you to everyone

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

I wanted to find parts for my 1972 4001 and sought out the corporate website, where many of you, especially Paul, helped educate me about bringing it back to some semblance of correctness... I did not even know the model for many years, much less that it was actually a desirable bass from a very good year. I eventually realized there was this other forum and lurked for awhile. My first posts were probably joke commentary, imagine that, and I didn't exactly get a four page welcome, it was more of a silent affair, at first. But I think the big welcome is much more likely if you start a new thread on your first post...everyone joins in then, but the way I popped in was pretty stealthy.

Now I'm addicted, and I still find this the most civilized forum I've ever found. Sure, we get annoyed, we often correct each other (correctly or not), and sometimes we even get snide...well, hey, that's how life really is sometimes. But word for word, this site gets the civility award over any others I've visited. Best of all, I learn quite a lot about topics that truly interest me, and these cyber conversations are often just fascinating. So, for me, it's hats off to Peter.

[phlemmy]

I was doing a search on Rics as I was either looking for one or had just purchased my first one for the Motorhead tribute band I have. I had a question about something and I believe Ted Staberow was the first to welcome me and crushed me with a photo of one of his gorgeous basses.

I got a lot of help from a few here who educated me quite a bit in my fetal Ric stage, namely Brian Crisman and Jaymi Millard.

[rkbsound]

I don't even remember when, but it was a long time ago (way prior to the registration date seen here). I think I found it from a general Rickenbacker search, of which there was not much on the web at the time. I don't post often, but this has always been a warm, friendly and extremely informative website.

[lars]

I had my modified 4001 from 1975 laying under the bed for many years, when I thought about bringing it back to original. I tried to gather information about it, and simply googled "Rickenbacker" which led me here. After some months of lurking, I finally posted and got a lot of welcomes.
One of the first heartwarming experiences was when Jeff Rath offered to swap a set of reverse 70'ies tuners for my set of Schallers. Since then I have increased my Rickenbacker family to three basses and three guitars!

I have always loved the civil and family-like tone here, and I'm proud to be a part of this forum, even though I may not the most outspoken member.

I will use this opportunity to once again thank Peter for this forum. (And thank you Sheena for being one of the nicest and most interesting and most off-mainstream (is that a word?) people here!)

[sowhat]

Yeah, forgot to add. As it turned out, the guy who welcomed me with a gentleman's "no-that-is-wrong" has later somehow become a good friend - mean, if we can use the words "friend" and "friendship" when talking about communication over the web, that would be it. And for some reason i've never been ridiculed as a newbie (now when was that?..). No hard feelings, and if there ever were moments of strain, they're in the past and so be it. And i'd also like to hope i'm not causing big trouble to anyone here. I wouldn't call this place "a second home", maybe because i've never met anybody from this forum in person, but much more often than not, that's a really nice place.
EDIT: Hey, Lars, you make me blush with shame. . Thanks. On the side note, this forum helped me find out that all stereotypes about people from other countries have nothing to do with reality!

[captsandwich]

I came here shortly after purchasing my 330 about 18 months ago. I think it was because I was looking for a case for my guitar, which I acquired from a member here for a great price, with absolutely no hassles.
Although my Ric family has yet to increase, my knowledge of guitars in general (as well as many other topics) has grown exponentially.
Thanks everyone.

[charlyg]

I had played bass in the Navy in the 70's but was afraid to even pick up a Rick in a store as I figured I couldn't afford it and didn't want to "suffer"!

Fast forward 20 years of no playing and no instruments. I started playing in a praise band, and tried for 10 years to get the sound I had when I quit. I tried all sorts of basses including a Pedulla Pentabuzz, and nothing sounded right. I finally found an 87 4003 JG for 800 bucks on line in 2005, and while waiting for delivery googled Rickenbacker. I found this site and the factory site. YIPPEE!!!! I now have a cii and an SVT. THAT is the sound, only ballsier (is that a word?)!!!!

[jaybic]

I was doing a search on line after I had just purchased my 4003 JG sight unseen from MF. I believe on of my first posts had to do with the mechanical mute. I remember a warm welcome but someone typing, "Oh no...here we go again!" I've since learned not to bring up the mute, flats vs. rounds, picks vs. fingers, the re-introduction of the 4005 and other topics...lol. Paul W has helped a great deal with sticky necks and what to do about them. Still only have the 1 bass, but what a bass it is!