I missed my own anniversary

[charlyg]

Well, I won't quite go that far.


There seems to be a split occurring IMHO. There are the "Rick N Royalty", and then there are the rest. And I am not referring to the company!

[rickenbrother]

Seems to me concerning RRF, the more you participate, the more it changes your life. Making friends, learning, taking on new skills, exposure to new music, added responsibilities, starting/adding to a collection, saving others from fraud, recovering lost instruments, travel, meeting and/or posting with famous musicians, you name it.

That's a great thing, isn't it!

[jdogric12]

I still have not found my old FG 375 either. I know someone has it and she was a beauty.

I think I've told you this, but the quest for the coveted Sea Green V63 is what landed me here as well,

As in many cases of life gentlemen, it would appear, sometimes, the journey takes on a more relevant meaning than the destination...

Seems to me concerning RRF, the more you participate, the more it changes your life. Making friends, learning, taking on new skills, exposure to new music, added responsibilities, starting/adding to a collection, saving others from fraud, recovering lost instruments, travel, meeting and/or posting with famous musicians, you name it.

+1 John!

Charly, I don't understand what you mean. Surely as one of our longtime members, and a consultant at that, plus a regular confluence attendee, you are reaping some of the best benefits of this place, aren't you? I'm concerned that you feel differently, and would like to do whatever I can to change your feelings on that.

[charlyg]

It's just the whole collector mindset, and the fact that no other instruments are "welcome". I thought it was about the people, but we come in 2nd to how many Ricks one has in the stable, at least to some. Lotsa Ricks, lotsa "friends", one or two, not so much......

I would be willing to hazard a guess that more than a few would say, if you like those other brands, go to their gatherings, which tells me it's not about the people.

[jdogric12]

It's easy to see both sides of that argument. I think it is asking a lot, though, to expect Rick forumites at a Rick gathering to get excited at all over non-Ricks. I wasn't there, so I don't know. I have been thinking a lot lately abot what to take to MARF. I just got a '91 Paul Reed Smith EG-3 that I love but probably won't bring it, to make room in the car for more Ricks!

[rickaddict]

I dunno, Charly...What about Steve Cooper? We all like him and he has no Ricks! Brian Crisman is a pretty popular guy around here and he only has two. I think there are plenty of members that are well liked and don't have a room full of Ricks. I also think that as a collection grows, its only natural that more people are interested in discussing it.

And also...It is a Rickenbacker forum...Its purpose is to discuss Rickenbackers, so it makes sense that there won't be a lot of interest in discussing other brands.

Know what I mean?

And then look at me...I've got more Rick basses than I ever thought I'd have, and yet I still don't have any friends! But maybe that's because I'm a short, smart-assed, no-talent with a big nose, two different ears and a crooked smile. (Okay, I'm just kiddin'. Everybody likes me!)

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I think size of Rick bass collection and likability are mutually exclusive.

[charlyg]

It's not about interest. If it is about the people who own Ricks, then anything should be fair game. If it is just about Ricks, then why do we have and discuss different amps? It is more about "look what I have" not "look who I am".

I was hoping to get some advice on the weekend on building these other instruments, but all I got was nasty looks. Except for Paul W., who showed me how to fix the finish on the EPi!

Thanks again Paul!

IMHO, I thought the Rickenbacker is what brought us together, not what keeps us together.

[johneek]

It's just the whole collector mindset, and the fact that no other instruments are "welcome". I thought it was about the people, but we come in 2nd to how many Ricks one has in the stable, at least to some. Lotsa Ricks, lotsa "friends", one or two, not so much......

I would be willing to hazard a guess that more than a few would say, if you like those other brands, go to their gatherings, which tells me it's not about the people.

Charly...like JDog, I sure wish you didn't feel that way, my experience is significantly different. My own current RIC collection is (as Jake puts it) pretty "pathetic" but some of the people I consider to be my dearest friends are folks I've met through this Forum. But it's more than the friends I know well. I recently made a business trip to a city I'd never been to, and before I traveled, I emailed a couple of Forum members who lived near there. I had previously corresponded briefly with one of then, but I'd never met either in person. In both cases, they were willing to take time out of their day to tag up and get together. Matt Bowling and I met one evening after dinner for a beer and talked about all kinds of guitars (including RICs of course). The next night Noel Riddell drove over an hour so we could get together and have dinner. After eating, and a tour of the places his band often plays, we ended the evening on the steps of the old Capitol building, telling stories, laughing, singing and playing guitars he was thoughtful enough to bring along (neither one of them RICs). I got back to my hotel well after midnight and know that he had to get up for work at O'dark-thirty.....I had a similar experience when I first met Sean Weingartner (Phlemmy) .

People are people; we're all flawed, but those are the kind of encounters I've had, even with folks I didn't know. Kindness, hospitality, and warmth seem pretty characteristic of my experiences. My close friends on this Forum are...well, amazing, and guys for whom I'd do just about anything. From my perspective the guitars are secondary at best, it's always been about the people. As much as we joke about (and experience near fatal cases of GAS and RAS), a life spent gathering possessions is much poorer than one spent accumulating experiences...and the best experiences always involve other people. My 2 cents...

[rickaddict]

It's not about interest. If it is about the people who own Ricks, then anything should be fair game. If it is just about Ricks, then why do we have and discuss different amps? It is more about "look what I have" not "look who I am".

I think discussing amps is very relevant to a Rickenbacker forum. Sure, some people are bragging about what they have, but there are also some great opinions here on what amps work well with Rickenbackers from some seriously experienced musicians.

[charlyg]

But there are Rick amps, and no one gets all twisted talking about the "others"..

I agree with johneek - it's all about the people, the Ricks are just the catalyst, not the 'glue".

[sloop_john_b]

This is utterly ridiculous. No Ricks for tennis_nick, or George B., or Steve (as mentioned above), or Jim K. (who is a very patient man!). One Rick for many here.

If they're disliked, it has zilch to do with how many Rickenbackers they have.

[jdogric12]

I just had a fun thought... has anyone here taken a Rick to a Gibson confluence??? I wonder how THAT would go over!

[charlyg]

Then it must be me....

I'm speaking of the get togethers, not the forum itself.

[leftybass]

It is most certainly about the instruments and the people that own them. Rickenbackers naturally are the primay focus of the Forum-related events, after all they are what has brought everyone together here and other points all over the world. For all that has happened in the past 8 years that I've been on this site, I just consider it mind-boggling about how friendships have formed among people from all points of the globe.......a real positive experience from my point of view.

Also from my perspective, the Fests/confluences/get-togethers have added an entire new dimension to playing and/or collecting Rickenbacker instruments.....and while the internet is the ever-present common bond that we all have, the fellowship we all share can't be captured through posts/e-mails/pictures......

Getting to meet everyone is like moving the Forum from black and white to color.......

Hey, at least 50% of what I own and play is non-Rickenbacker. It's all good.

[JakeK]

One Rick for many here.

That would be me, among many.

Seeing collections like Graham's or John Minutalgio's makes me very envious!