What drew you to Rickenbacker?

[melibreits]

Rickenbackers are simply the coolest-looking and, to my ear, the best-sounding electric guitars there are. And their playability is superb. I find the narrow necks to be perfectly suited to my slender hands. I also love the fact that they are a guitar that not everyone has.... Whenever I see someone in a band playing a Ric, I think, now there's somebody with great taste in guitars! In addition to their cool sound, they have so much more eye appeal than the usual, predictable Fenders and Gibsons.

[crstory]

Pete Buck first drew me to Rickenbacker guitars. Johnny Marr second. The fact that they are made in the good ol USA doesn't hurt either. They don't cut corners and are beautifully handcrafted. Works of art that play as good as they sound.

[coolhandjjl]

Rickenbackers are simply the coolest-looking and, to my ear, the best-sounding electric guitars there are. And their playability is superb. I find the narrow necks to be perfectly suited to my slender hands. I also love the fact that they are a guitar that not everyone has.... Whenever I see someone in a band playing a Ric, I think, now there's somebody with great taste in guitars! In addition to their cool sound, they have so much more eye appeal than the usual, predictable Fenders and Gibsons.

Melissa- is that purple headstock in your avatar from a guitar you have in the register? It would be great to see pics!

[bosco64]

Rickenbackers are simply the coolest-looking and, to my ear, the best-sounding electric guitars there are. And their playability is superb. I find the narrow necks to be perfectly suited to my slender hands. I also love the fact that they are a guitar that not everyone has.... Whenever I see someone in a band playing a Ric, I think, now there's somebody with great taste in guitars! In addition to their cool sound, they have so much more eye appeal than the usual, predictable Fenders and Gibsons.

Melissa- is that purple headstock in your avatar from a guitar you have in the register? It would be great to see pics!

The pics of Melissa's guitar are outstanding...trust me...

[wittyair]

The Byrds......and Harrison of course, but mainly the Byrds.
It just happened that I had the lead singing role on the Byrds tunes
we used to do so I figured I'd best have a 12 string. Didn't even hesitate......ran
right out and bought a Rick.......the rest is, as they say, history!!

[melibreits]

Melissa- is that purple headstock in your avatar from a guitar you have in the register? It would be great to see pics!

Here's a fairly recent photo of my beloved Purpleburst 330:

It's a special one-of-a-kind refin by Paul W. You can find the whole story on this guitar in the archives of the Reflections of a Curmudgeon section, under the topic heading "MELIBEE'S KIDDEES." Over the years I have posted many, many pictures of this guitar in the pages of this forum!

[8mileshigher]

Great thread ---- and I have to chirp in and say "all of the above" reasons

Cool looking guitars and basses
Cool sounding tone that you don't easily duplicate with other brand instruments
Feels great and play great
Not the typical guitar or bass that everybody and their brother has
All of the influential bands/artists mentioned here

Oh yes --- in addition to all those reasons, I've met some of the greatest folks around here on the Forum !!

[bluewhale]

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

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

Ha! In that case, let's make it "Gates of Delirium." That will do.

[coolingitdown]

Oh yes --- in addition to all those reasons, I've met some of the greatest folks around here on the Forum !!

+1!

[egosheep]

[scotty]

Classic

[dogload]

Well apart from the obvious (Byrds, George Harrison), it was probably this lot:

and these

and, of course, this:

[JakeK]

Tom Petty is another big influence to me, if not to most of us here. Think of Campbell's 620/12 he holds on the cover of Damn The Torpedoes and his own 365 OS on the cover of Full Moon Fever.

[Ivan3000]

I saw Paul McCartney in the magical mystery tour cover, i just fell in love (its in my signiture)

[Ivan3000]

Tom Petty is another big influence to me, if not to most of us here. Think of Campbell's 620/12 he holds on the cover of Damn The Torpedoes and his own 365 OS on the cover of Full Moon Fever.

Isn't that a 660, it has CB