How Old Were You When You Got Your First Rick?

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 8:31 pm

Hey Jack Cromwell,
what did Carl charge you for it? It must have been at least double the going rate at that time, haha. I bought my first Ric at Wurlitzers music in Boston, a 1977 MG 4001 for $469.00 w/case. No I don't have it anymore, but I have more than made up for my stupidity. I have 6 4003's and 4001's at the present time

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 8:32 pm

Oh I forgot to mention that I was 24 years old at that time. That was the whole point of this thing wasn't it?

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 8:08 pm

I was 18, paid $500 for a white 79 4001. Then I traded it for a 75 BG, what a sweet bass it was.

pablo_mago · Post by **pablo_mago** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 5:54 pm

For Christmas one year my best friend's and my parents rented us guitars and amps for Christmas. (to see if we'd actually play them or give up to play baseball or something). I got a mid '50's Strat and a Deluxe Reverb. My friend got a mid '60's 360-12 in fireglo and a Vibrolux Reverb. We jammed like crazy on those guitars, mostly in E minor. The guitars were returned and by the time I convinced my parents to get me a real electric, both the Strat and Ric were gone.
About ten years later, I was in college and the local store had a '66 360-12 in jetglo. I believe I got it for around $350. This was back in the day before electronic guitar tuners, and when Ernie Ball 12 string sets were all I knew about. So, I foolishly traded it for a couple of JBL speakers and a set of tubes for my Twin Reverb. Rumor has it that Elvis Costello now owns that guitar though I've never seen a picture of him with it.
Finally, a few years ago, I bought a sight unseen, brand new 360-12-TU. I had the dealer replace the pickups with toasters and had them put on a 12 saddle bridge. My local luthier set it up with Pyramid strings and it's a sweet guitar. Though I still wish I had the fireglo that my buddy had that Christmas.

pablo_mago · Post by **pablo_mago** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 6:29 pm

In answer to the original question, I was 13 when we rented the guitars, and about 23 when I actually bought the jetglo 360-12.

fred · Post by **fred** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 5:13 pm

I`ll top you all. I was 17 and doing yardwork in my neighborhood. One old lady I worked for, her husband had recently died. One day we were talking and the subject of guitars came up. She mentioned that her husband had played guitar. I asked her what kind of guitar he played, she said it was a Rickenbacker. I almost fell over because I was a major Beatles fan. She showed me the guitar and that was it,had to have it. It was a 1961 365 Double Bound with the gray case and original strap. I bought this gem for the outrageous price of 175 bucks I went into the Army and my father who was`nt a guitar fan sold the thing without my knowledge. I was ******!! Ever since i`ve had a computer i have been trying to find it. I finally found it on the cover of the book "Rickenbacker pioneer of the electric guitar" which was a Japanese book. I bought a copy and sure enough after comparing the book pictures with my pictures that I took this the same guitar. If anyone out there knows who owns S/N AH585 please feel free to send me an e-mail.

big_g · Post by **big_g** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 6:29 pm

When I first fell into music a friend of mine talked me into playing bass for his group of guys that were first learning how to play. It was the old story, one guy had drums, that made him the drummer, the rest wanted to play guitar, no one for bass. My friends uncle was a country session player in Nashville and was a guitar player for the Grand Old Opry, and he gave him guitar lessons and even let him borrow a bass, and a small amp so he could talk someone into playing it.
It was a Gibson EB2 and I loved to just plunk on it, he had me hooked, I was 16, I couldn't stand the feedback though, hollowbody and small room with lots of volume, doesn't mix. I bought a larger Peavey TNT amp and some Korean Jazz copy, I then started saving money from my grocery store job for a better bass. Another musician that I knew told me to go to this little town called Shelbyville, TN to this old style music store just off the square, the kind that sold records and instruments. It was called the, "Shelbyville Record Shop", complete with the old gold lettering on the plate glass windows and boards that creaked under your feet as you walked.

It was really narrow, but deep front to back, the instruments were on pegs in the wall going way up the wall, the amps lined the wall underneath the guitars, record racks in the middle of the floor and the drums were in the basement. I went in and looked up immeadiately to my left, about 10 o'clock high was a 4001 MapleGlo, I turned to face it I had to look almost straight up at it, the a very high roof, I couldn't settle for anything else, it was an immaculate 1978 I bought it in March of 1980 for $400.00, I didn't even try to bargain, what a sweet heart she was.

scottpro1969 · Post by **scottpro1969** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 12:16 pm

Bought my first RIC in 1982. Huge Rush fan at the time. Bought a 1978 Jetglo 4001 at Tewksbury Music Center in Massachusetts. Was 13 yrs old at the time. I even had a Badass bridge put on like Geddy had. Unfortunately sold it about 8 yrs ago. Wish I kept it. Paid $500 at the time.

360dave · Post by **360dave** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 7:09 pm

How about this one.....
http://aurs2.homestead.com/DH365.html
I bought this 360 in Feb 60' brand spankin new.
I paid $299 with the hard case. That was a lotta $$ back then but I earned every damn dime.
That $299 inflates to $1775 in 2002. Go here for a slick inflation tool.
http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
I was 18...I still have it...and the 60 Bandmaster amp too.

36012 · Post by **36012** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 9:48 pm

I was 12 when I got my first rick.It was a 610 and it was love at first sight.It sounded great too.I,m on #8 now.

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 10:17 am

My problem was in the 70's, when I got the RIC bug, I couldn't afford a JG just like Roger Glover (no relation to Danny).

Now that I can afford 'em I can't play as well.

My 1st RIC was a FG 4003 from Mars Music in 1999.

Been buying ever since!

36012 · Post by **36012** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 11:43 pm

I mowed an enormous amount of lawns for my first rick.I was very lucky to own one at a young age.

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 6:39 pm

oops ! was 41 years young when I actually became an owner/investor.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sun Dec 07, 2003 7:25 am

I had to wait untill I was 21 to finally be able to buy one. I had to hang in there with my F^nd*r Pee Bass till that day.

fendertweed2 · Post by **fendertweed2** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 5:50 pm

LOL... I was 47 and had played guitar for 37 yrs. when I got my first Ric, ironic since I've loved them since I was about 10 yrs. old.