What drew you to Rickenbacker?

[johnallg]

Same thing that first drew me to Yes: Chris Squire playing "Sound Chaser."

Bluewhale, I believed he played his Jazz on that one. Anyone?

[kiramdear]

What "drew" me? Funny you put it that way, since it was my habit for years, following the first Sullivan appearance, to render scores of drawings of the Beatles and their instruments. John and his 325 were my favorite subject. How could I not want one when I got old enough to play?

Kira, any chance of seeing some of your drawings? I think that would make a fine addition to the forum

I wish I still had some examples. I'm sure they'd give us all a good laugh. But I was 7, 8, 9 years old doing them. If I had a time machine ...

[bartyclue]

What "drew" me? Funny you put it that way, since it was my habit for years, following the first Sullivan appearance, to render scores of drawings of the Beatles and their instruments. John and his 325 were my favorite subject. How could I not want one when I got old enough to play?

Kira, any chance of seeing some of your drawings? I think that would make a fine addition to the forum

I wish I still had some examples. I'm sure they'd give us all a good laugh. But I was 7, 8, 9 years old doing them. If I had a time machine ...

I have one. What time do I go to and where did you used to live?

[crstory]

While I was attending Valdosta State College in 1990, our next door neighbors were a very solid band called The Unkowns. The lead guitar player was Mark Niel and he played a 381/6 in stunning birdseye mapleglo. He really could play the hell out of that thing and make it sound incredible. Every Thursday night they would play down at the local pub and blow the roof off the place to old covers like "Rebel, Rebel" and "Shake it all over". Politically Correct and Broken Home are some of their original tunes I think. You could tell they were true pros and it was always a real treat to listen those fellows play. They moved out to So Cal where Mark produces/records for a living. Ya'll would really dig their tunes. "Southern Decay" is one of my favorite albums and is hard to find.

Fast forward to 2000, my brother asked me what I wanted for Christmas while en route to pick up an English setter in Cartersville GA and I told him a Rickenbacker guitar. As it turns out we were only in the Morrow/Jonesboro area, and I knew that Atlanta's Rhythm City was a RIC dealer. We stopped in and he bought me a sweet 360 FG and Fender Blues Jr amp. I still have that combo today. It's one the best gifts I've ever received. Thanks again Bro!!

[Kees]

Sound, sound, sound! And, in particular, the arpeggios of Peter Buck and Johnny Marr. The ringing of open 'arpeggiated' strings of a 6-string Rick is simply astonishing to me; this convinced me to buy my first Rick, a 330 JG.

Kees

[Dasher]

My fellow guitarist in the band that I was playing in at the time (back in '75) bought a new LP Standard. I was using an SG - we didn't want an all humbucker sound - he was better than me and I didn't like Strats - so uncool at the time. So I had to find something cool looking that sounded good, and I've had it ever since! Always wondered what happened to that '60 Les Paul SG...!

[drumbob]

Like a lot of kids in the 60's, it was hearing "Mr. Tambourine Man" and everything The Byrds did up until Sweetheart Of The Rodeo when Roger McGuinn pretty much stopped playing his Rick 12. It was also seeing Pete Townshend playing his 1993 model Rick on Shindig and other TV shows. The Byrds and The Who are my two favorite bands. I was (and still am) heavily into 60's rock, and Ricks were so prevalent back then. When I strap on my Rick 330-12, I always flash back to 1965-66. There was no way I couldn't own a Rickenbacker 12 string.

[eljayski]

initially, the kool factor. now, the fact that rick is essentially the same company it's always been and protects its traditions tenaciously. can't say the same for fender or gibson.

[paologregorio]

The cool factor of the guitar itself and the fact that not too many other local guitar players used them at the time that I started using mine on stage.

+1!

I thought they looked cool. I had heard Ricks being played but I don't think I knew they had a distinct sound or anything when I first ordered one. I could barely play three chords, so identifying sound characteristics of a particular brand wasn't something my ears were attuned to at the time.

[paologregorio]

this couple.
They look very surprised by the sound of their ricks

+1 again!

Add in Mitch Easter from Let's Active for me as well.

[scotty]

this couple.
They look very surprised by the sound of their ricks

Absolutely

[Clint]

...the fact that rick is essentially the same company it's always been and protects its traditions tenaciously.

Amen.

[eljayski]

There was no way I couldn't own a Rickenbacker 12 string.

pm sent!

[bvstudios]

Three words- Turn, Turn, and of course, Turn.

Nearly 40 years and about 30-odd guitars later, I finally gave in and ordered my first. And, as recorded elsewhere here, it's a MapleGlo 370/12. Now known around the house as "Kev's baby"...

[jimk]

Three words- Turn, Turn, and of course, Turn.

Quite a challenging piece to play correctly, isn't it? One of my all time favorites. I don't get tired of hearing it, or playing it.
JimK