Why Rickenbacker?
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
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jjhboots
Why Rickenbacker?
I have become extremely interested in Rickenbackers after my band and I underwent a Byrds renaissance. In an attempt to recreate their sounds, I have ended up purchasing a 370/12. That lead me to this forum and I have found it to be very helpful. I have owned several makes of guitars prior to this but am most interested to know what makes these guitars (Rickenbackers) incite such passion in the people of this forum. What is the vibe that gets people going? Is it the sound or the quality of the construction? These are not cynical questions. I am on the path to enlightenment and I am on a quest. Now that I have one Ric in my posession, I feel that more are on the way. I appreciate any input and look forward to learning more. Thank you.
Welcome, John!
You have all the signs of Rickenbackeritis...
Personally, I love the history behind them, with the Beatles, Byrds...etc....not to mention the quality of construction ,unique tonal qualities and general uniqueness of the body styles....I think you will be very pleased with your RIC experience and the people here are VERY helpful in all aspects of ownership...don't be afraid to ask questions here...PLUS , where else does the owner of the company jump in here and there with comments or answers to questions??? This is a VERY interesting assembly of people with various backgrounds. You will like it here...
You have all the signs of Rickenbackeritis...
Personally, I love the history behind them, with the Beatles, Byrds...etc....not to mention the quality of construction ,unique tonal qualities and general uniqueness of the body styles....I think you will be very pleased with your RIC experience and the people here are VERY helpful in all aspects of ownership...don't be afraid to ask questions here...PLUS , where else does the owner of the company jump in here and there with comments or answers to questions??? This is a VERY interesting assembly of people with various backgrounds. You will like it here...
1973 4001 MG cb fwi
1986 4003 Shadow
2012 4004Cii FG w/gold trim
1986 4003 Shadow
2012 4004Cii FG w/gold trim
I gravitated to Rickenbackers fairly early on. My second guitar was a 381. I've since added a 370/12 and I've got a 380L PZ on order. When I bought the 381, I wanted something that sounded bright and punchy, but I also wanted something that didn't sound like anything else I was hearing at the time. Something shimmery and ... erm, pretty. I knew about Rickenbackers because of some of the bands I listened to as a teenager (unlike some of the folks here, that doesn't include the Beatles/Byrds ... for me, it was the shoegazer bands coming out of the U.K. in the 1990's -- people like Moose, Ride, Spiritualized, and Slowdive). Most of those bands have dropped out of sight completely, but the Rickenbacker mystique stayed with me.
It's definitely the quality of the construction that's roped me in as a repeat customer -- much more so than that trademark Rickenbacker sound. Don't take that as any kind criticism of the fabled Rickenbacker sonics, mind you. It's just that I'm endlessly fussing with amp settings, pedals, and the like. As with most bedroom experimenters with no formal training, I don't have a defined "sound" or playing style -- I'm not good enough to actually replicate what I do from day to day. Some days my Ricks sound like a set of chimes, some days I'll use them to make an atonal, free-form racket. I could probably replicate those sounds with another brand of guitar if I really wanted to, but nothing I've played feels as solid as my Rickenbackers. It's like they're all carved out of a single piece of wood. They're the only semi-hollow bodies I've ever played that don't feel like they're going to fold in two.
Of course, the fact that they make amateurs like me sound positively musical (at times) is an appealing feature as well.
It's definitely the quality of the construction that's roped me in as a repeat customer -- much more so than that trademark Rickenbacker sound. Don't take that as any kind criticism of the fabled Rickenbacker sonics, mind you. It's just that I'm endlessly fussing with amp settings, pedals, and the like. As with most bedroom experimenters with no formal training, I don't have a defined "sound" or playing style -- I'm not good enough to actually replicate what I do from day to day. Some days my Ricks sound like a set of chimes, some days I'll use them to make an atonal, free-form racket. I could probably replicate those sounds with another brand of guitar if I really wanted to, but nothing I've played feels as solid as my Rickenbackers. It's like they're all carved out of a single piece of wood. They're the only semi-hollow bodies I've ever played that don't feel like they're going to fold in two.
Of course, the fact that they make amateurs like me sound positively musical (at times) is an appealing feature as well.
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rogiercreemers
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jjhboots
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melibreits
- Senior Member
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Aha! That's why I love 'em so much.... They make me sound positively brilliant at times, and believe me, I am really a very amateur guitarist. I am regularly amazed by the great tones that come out of my Rics, my Ric Comstock acoustic, too. I think if more people started out on Rics they would keep playing! Having a high-quality instrument really makes a difference, and makes practice downright inspiring at times! Even my mistakes sound good! And yes, John, you will find that Rics are a lot more versatile than most people think.... And by the way, welcome to the club!
"Once I've held and played the best, baby, I won't settle for less!"
Ah, shoegazers. Also known as the "scene that celebrates itself". They were a bunch of indie kids in the U.K. that made "ethereal" and "gossamer" like "cathedrals of sound" with Rickenbackers and banks and banks of effects processors. (Delay being the key one.) Gentle psych pop is probably the best way to describe it. Man, I loved it. Totally teenaged, dreamy stuff. They were called "shoegazers" because the individuals in the bands were all supposed to be painfully shy. On stage, their eyes never left the floor. I personally think that the "shoegazing" was due to the fact that the guitarists were trying to operate dozens of different pedals simultaneously ...
Shoegazing! 
For a great rickie shoegazer band, listen to Lush - the lead singer played a 330/12 FG with distortion - it sounded huge.
Honestly, what drew me to ricks was a) the looks and b) many of my favorite bands play Ricks (both guitars and basses). I get real tired of blues-based classic rock, and ricks lend themselves to other types of music - shoegazer and power-pop for example. The fact that they sound great only really mattered to me within the past few years. The fact that the narrow neck is extremely comfortable/playable only mattered to me about a month ago. I'm a narrow-neck convert!
If any of the great troubadours from the middle ages were timewarped to the present, I think they'd pick up a rick first.
For a great rickie shoegazer band, listen to Lush - the lead singer played a 330/12 FG with distortion - it sounded huge.
Honestly, what drew me to ricks was a) the looks and b) many of my favorite bands play Ricks (both guitars and basses). I get real tired of blues-based classic rock, and ricks lend themselves to other types of music - shoegazer and power-pop for example. The fact that they sound great only really mattered to me within the past few years. The fact that the narrow neck is extremely comfortable/playable only mattered to me about a month ago. I'm a narrow-neck convert!
If any of the great troubadours from the middle ages were timewarped to the present, I think they'd pick up a rick first.
"The only worthwhile conquests are those wrested from ignorance"
-Napoleon
-Napoleon
Some people will mention the unique style or nice workmanship of a Rickenbacker. Quite frankly there are other guitars just as stylish, though different, and there are other guitars with as nice or better workmanship.........but not made in this country at Rickenbacker's price. No, what really makes a music lover appreciate a Rickenbacker is the fact that no other instrument sounds like a Rick, and sound character is the number one valid reason for owning a particular instrument. A Strat or Les Paul can't sound like my 650D to save its life. A P-bass or J-bass can't cover the tonal range of my 4004L Rick bass. If you want the sound of any particular type of Rickenbacker, you have to buy it.
There are cheaper copies of Gibsons and Fenders that sound almost the same. My father got one for $150. My $230 OLP MM2 is close to a Music Man StingRay, and a Seymour Duncan kit can make it sound almost identical. Name one upgrade kit that can make any guitar sound like a Rickenbacker. You would have to buy pickups from RIC to get close. Nobody successfully copies Rickenbackers.
There are cheaper copies of Gibsons and Fenders that sound almost the same. My father got one for $150. My $230 OLP MM2 is close to a Music Man StingRay, and a Seymour Duncan kit can make it sound almost identical. Name one upgrade kit that can make any guitar sound like a Rickenbacker. You would have to buy pickups from RIC to get close. Nobody successfully copies Rickenbackers.
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riffmeister
Howdy, this is my first post here. I've been lurking for a couple years, but I figured I'd join in on the fun.
Why Rickenbacker?
For me, my love of Rickenbacker guitars comes from the Beatles and the Byrds. Growing up, they were my favorite bands and my dream in life was to learn to play guitar. The only guitar that fit in my dreams was the Rickenbacker.
I used to drive by the Rickenbacker office daily on my commute to my summer job when I was fifteen (I'm thirty-four now). I remember that got me throught that summer, dreaming about the guitar I was going to buy with my money.
Eventually, I got my 1975 360, but since I was uninformed, I bought a guitar that had had its Rickenbacker pickups replaced by full size humbuckers. I was devastated when I found out my guitar wasn't right. I played it for years anyway, in various bands. My dream is to someday fill-in the humbucker routes and put Rickenbacker pickups back into it.
After playing Ricks for a number of years, I fell into the "Rickenbackers are only rhythm guitars trap". I switched to G&L's, Teles and Jazzmasters for a while, but a couple years ago, I was playing my ol' 360 and I realized how much that guitar was a part of me. I decided to give it a chance.
Since then, I've purchased a 650D and a Burgandyglo 360 (with the scatterwound pickups). My love affair with Rickenbackers is stronger than it has ever been. I can play anything I want on my 360. I can play Jimmy Bryant licks on my Rick, just as easily as I can play them on my Telecaster. I finally realized that it's the player, not the guitar.
Jeff
Why Rickenbacker?
For me, my love of Rickenbacker guitars comes from the Beatles and the Byrds. Growing up, they were my favorite bands and my dream in life was to learn to play guitar. The only guitar that fit in my dreams was the Rickenbacker.
I used to drive by the Rickenbacker office daily on my commute to my summer job when I was fifteen (I'm thirty-four now). I remember that got me throught that summer, dreaming about the guitar I was going to buy with my money.
Eventually, I got my 1975 360, but since I was uninformed, I bought a guitar that had had its Rickenbacker pickups replaced by full size humbuckers. I was devastated when I found out my guitar wasn't right. I played it for years anyway, in various bands. My dream is to someday fill-in the humbucker routes and put Rickenbacker pickups back into it.
After playing Ricks for a number of years, I fell into the "Rickenbackers are only rhythm guitars trap". I switched to G&L's, Teles and Jazzmasters for a while, but a couple years ago, I was playing my ol' 360 and I realized how much that guitar was a part of me. I decided to give it a chance.
Since then, I've purchased a 650D and a Burgandyglo 360 (with the scatterwound pickups). My love affair with Rickenbackers is stronger than it has ever been. I can play anything I want on my 360. I can play Jimmy Bryant licks on my Rick, just as easily as I can play them on my Telecaster. I finally realized that it's the player, not the guitar.
Jeff