If John, George, and Paul Didn't Play A Ric, Would You?

[Badanovski]

I never really thought about Paul playing a Ric till after I fell in love with a brand new white 4001 in 1974 & bought it.

[fluffy]

I'm afraid I have to answer yes, but by default.I'm in the absolute minority of people here that aren't huge Beatles fans, however the ones that play Rickenbackers that have been influences on me were influenced by the Beatles.

[rickenbrother]

Yes. I fell in love with the look of a 4001 when I saw in it in person as a kid in a music store. Wanted one right then! Soon after, I realized it was what McCartney, Squire and Glover were using...then came Geddy, and other bassists that used one!

[jps]

To answer the Opie's question, I saw The Beatles on that fateful night, but I truly discovered Ricks after first hearing Yours Is No Disgrace.

[Lefty4001]

Nah. As a lefty bassist with a Rick, it is assumed so. I'll play ya a few bars of Let Me Roll It, sure. But for me it's more CS, Geddy, Glover, Cliff and Lemmy.

I would love a Wal. Golden egg laying Goose, too.

[nukebass]

No, I am fairly certain I wouldn't have bought a Rickenbacker, at least not the first one I did. I wanted one because it was what McCartney played and that they were supposed to be good basses. I suppose I would have probably stuck with Fender otherwise.

[lennon211]

It took John and George to get me to Ric, but once I discovered how versatile the guitars were, I would have gone on the same way that I have. I have to wonder how many of the other artists that some of us have listed would have picked up Rics as well if it wasn't for John, George, and Paul.

[libratune]

I got my 360-12 MG 1966 because Roger McGuinn played one.

Yes, he got his because George had a Rick 12, but I didn't know that at the time.

So there.

[wmthor]

Yes, i would play a Ric regardless of who has and who hasn't played them. I've never bought a guitar and/or any other instrument just because a certain artist plays it. That includes my 360/12 Carl Wilson. I didn't buy it because Carl Wilson played a 360/12. I bought it because it was the best sounding 12 string I could afford at the time.

[idealassets]

I became interested in a Ric 12 string due to Roger McGuinn. The Byrds attempted to copy the Beatles instruments, especially Michael Clark's drum kit, which was an exact copy of Ringo's; same finish, cymbols, and drum sizes. Roger McGuinn picked a different finish for his Ric 12 string from George. But what happened to Chris Hillman, opting for a tobacco burst Guild Starfire bass, then Fender. How did that happen?

Ah, but wait a minute. Then there's the music to consider. The Byrds were on a different wave length than the fab 4. I'm not saying better or worse, just different.

[beatbyrd]

Jim McGuinn's first 4 bars of Mr Tambourine Man hooked me on the Rick 12 sound. Years after that, I liked Squire's sound, but it was the combo of him and especially McCartney that made me decide to get a Rick bass. So, without J, P, & G, I'd still have a 360/12, but would not have gotten a Rick bass.

[rickboy88]

I would say not likely. I specifically got my 4001S in 1984 because I wanted the dot inlay like McCartney's bass. The jetglo was a bow to Rush and REM.

[jimk]

Likely not. Because if George hadn't played a Rick in "A Hard Day's Night" it's doubtful that McGuinn would have bought one. In fact, I doubt that the Byrds would have been as successful and influential as they were had George stuck to his Gretsch.

At the time I was looking for The Guitar, I wasn't aware of Rickenbacker, and it was pure serendipity that I found a video segment of McGuinn playing Mr. Tambourine Man on Youtube. And I realized immediately that that was The Guitar I had been looking for.

And I'll go one step further by saying that without that serendipitous discovery, I'd still be playing strictly acoustic folk music.
JimK

[doctorwho]

Yes.

Although I loved the Beatles, I did not buy my first guitar until 1967, and that was on a shoestring budget (high school student/paper boy). When I opted for an 'upgrade' a year later, it was for a 1967 Gibson ES-335TDC that I was lusting after. I got my first Rickenbacker(a 360/12 MG) decades later because I wanted to go for that Byrds sound.

[Clint]

Sure, I love the Beatles, but I'm not really into anything before 1965. I think Rubber Soul was their first great album and of course, they just got better from there. The Beatles played a lot of different guitars that I don't own and have no desire to own. I'm not into Gretsches or Epiphones, I have no desire to get a rosewood Tele or a Les Paul. I play Rickenbackers because they give me the sound I'm looking for. And when I bought mine anyway, Rics were the best bang for the buck around. They'd hang on the wall forever at local music stores. Nobody wanted them, all they wanted was neon colors and a Floyd Rose. I also love Strats, They're just great guitars. You can play anything on them and you can always find a good Stratocaster for cheap.