VOTE NOW! What are you doing with your Rick(s)?

[jimk]

Sarah, I guess it's a kind of American coloquialism meaning a neighborhood group of older, or middle aged folks who like to get together and play the R'n'R hits of their youths. I'm thinking it would apply mostly to Baby Boomers or Beat Generation folks.

JimK

[Rickygirl]

Oh, thanks for translating Jim!!

[kiramdear]

Thanks, Jim, that's a good summary. I think of it as a group of friends playing more for social or personal enrichment motives than reasons of professional ambition. That's not to say that there aren't some dynamite mom/dad bands out there. I almost joined a local blues band that was top notch but had a limited number of places that they seldom played. It was fine for their schedule (they all had day jobs) and very fulfilling and all, personally, but I wanted to be more active than them.

[jch]

Well i haven't gigged in a few years ,so i guess i'm a couch player, collector of sorts?!
Haven't done any proper home recording ,did a few very rough things back in the 90's though.
Also use to have jam sessions with my cousin and Uncle once or twice a month ,
but sadly its been years since the last one!

So i just buy stuff i like ,when i can afford it of course!

[woodyng]

since i am on vacation for 10 days,mostly i'm missing my 2 rics! i have a jazz bass copy and an ampeg b12n at my home in oregon,but whenever i play that bass,i miss the feel of my rics,which are in memphis. i am mostly a couch.mom.pop player these days,but am hoping to do some more recording with some of my songwriting buds in memphis. really interested in hearing the cii on a recording,as i really love it for live playing.

[kiramdear]

Wow, this is a really great poll. Thanks everybody!

Well, let's have a summary. It looks to me like about 75 to 80 people have responded, so we can begin to get a picture of our Rickenhabits from a bird's eye view. About two thirds of us are not in a band but are working on personal projects or just playing for personal enrichment (and if I could add here that the results of another poll about playing habits indicates that most of us by far play every day!). One third of our members are playing in groups either for personal, social, or professional motives. Half of us are involved in recording our music. A little over a third of us are writing music. More than a third of us are collecting as a hobby, and, say, one out of five is involved hands-on in the technical side of our instruments. About ten percent of us are just hoarding our instruments, with a slightly larger number who are wheeler-dealers. About one percent are involved in teaching music with their instrument.

Very interesting results with no big surprises, but I am impressed with the interest in recording. Hmmm, I would have thought we might have a few more teachers in the 'hood ...

[jimk]

Hmmm, I would have thought we might have a few more teachers in the 'hood ...

(raising my hand) Ms. Moon? I think I misunderstood the point of the question. I teach, but I don't foresee using a Rick to teach with. So I didn't check off teach. I'm

JimK

[kiramdear]

Hmmm, I would have thought we might have a few more teachers in the 'hood ...

(raising my hand) Ms. Moon? I think I misunderstood the point of the question. I teach, but I don't foresee using a Rick to teach with. So I didn't check off teach. I'm

JimK

Yeah, I was pretty much thinking of guitar or bass teachers. Who knows what's in store when your guitar arrives, Jim; it could change your whole style

[jps]

That's not to say that there aren't some dynamite mom/dad bands out there.

Here's one!

[kiramdear]

It's hard to not get bogged down in the terms in these polls. People's motivations and level of activity range all over the place. I was just trying to get a rough idea of how people saw themselves, as being in it purely for love or after the glory or somewhere else on that mobeius strip ... the more interesting thing to me was to find out overall how many of us were in bands of any kind.

[whojamfan]

I do some "ghost writing" for other groups, compose and record my own music, and am currently working on a project that may put me back on the road again. I play with other people when I can, but don't really play them on my couch, but do play them in my truck. I would like to get more(big surprise), but wouldn't exactly call it collecting, as I would be playing them often. I keep finding out that everytime I play my Ricks there's something new about them in terms of sound and playability.

Scotty................................OUCH!!!

[cassius987]

My Ric(s) should show up on my forthcoming jazz album (should be all originals).

I am using my 2009 4003 as an instrument to compose on a lot. I like to compose unplugged and it is very loud all on its own.

[paologregorio]

Confession: I sometimes use the soundholes on my Ricks as a handgrip when picking the guitars up; grab the guitar from the top edge, slipping the fingers into the soundhole while doing so. Sacrilege?! Probably.

[kiramdear]

Confession: I sometimes use the soundholes on my Ricks as a handgrip when picking the guitars up; grab the guitar from the top edge, slipping the fingers into the soundhole while doing so. Sacrilege?! Probably.

You like to live dangerously, eh?

[winston]

Confession: I sometimes use the soundholes on my Ricks as a handgrip when picking the guitars up; grab the guitar from the top edge, slipping the fingers into the soundhole while doing so. Sacrilege?! Probably.

Hmmm. I wonder if that is why Steve Vai asked for a monkey grip to be incorporated into his signature Ibanez all those years ago. He probably saw you handling your Rick that way..........................