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

[egosheep]

Based from what *MY* ears hear:
I Call Your Name
A Hard Day's Night
I Should've Known Better
If I Fell
Happy Just to Dance With You
Can't Buy Me Love (chorus)
Any Time At All
Can't Do That
Eight Days a Week (intro and ending)
What You're Doing
Words of Love (maybe?)
I Need You
Ticket to Ride
If I Needed Someone
And Your Bird Can Sing (early takes)

Jake, don't forget While My Guitar Gently Weeps, you can hear George doubling Paul's bass part on the Ric 12. Maybe the last time it was used on a Beatles record?

[bluewhale]

I would, but when I notice that my headstock is upside down, I hold my head higher knowing that Paul's was that way too.

[bvstudios]

Simple answer- yes.

Longer answer- most likely, because of my lifelong GAS for 12-strings.

I was introduced to 12str guitars at age 13 when my parents gifted me with "the 12 string guitar of Glen Campbell". I was instantly hooked on the "12 string sound" and devoted a bunch of my teen years to finding and playing as many different examples of the 12 string as possible. Of course, one of them (my first-ever electric 12 experience on an example I borrowed from a teacher in a local music store) was a Ric.. a 360, if I recall correctly. However, Rics were far too dear to me at that age, and Dad wouldn't front me the bread.

So I played every other kind of 12 I could. I had a solid body Fender, two MIJ Fender-ish clones, and over the years about a half-dozen accoustic versions.

Rics were my dream, and I finally found time and money together in 2010, and bought my 370/12 as a retirement present to myself.

[12stringbassist]

If The Fabs hadn't used Rics, I doubt a quarter of the people on here would be on here.
The people they influenced with their choices spans generations. Everyone who got one
because of The Jam or The Who, owes that debt to The Beatles.

If I wanted an electric 12string with a vintage vibe to it and a cracking sound, apart from a Ric
it would be a Burns.

[crstory]

yes.....Peter Buck and Johnny Marr were major influences on me. I also really enjoyed Midnight Oil's sound which entailed Rickenbackers. I still listen to those records. CCR's sound was great to me as well. Were these artists/bands influenced by the Beatles? Most likely, but I really like the sound and craftsmanship/quality of the instruments and would've most likely purchased one anyway.

[paologregorio]

I think the better question is, as I heard a friend recently say, "If F.C. Hall didn't distribute Fenders, would anyone have played a Tele, Strat, or a P-bass?!"

[cjj]

I think the better question is, as I heard a friend recently say, "If F.C. Hall didn't distribute Fenders, would anyone have played a Tele, Strat, or a P-bass?!"

"Like"

[rickenbrother]

I think the better question is, as I heard a friend recently say, "If F.C. Hall didn't distribute Fenders, would anyone have played a Tele, Strat, or a P-bass?!"

[clankchris]

Unfortunately, I would have to say that wouldn't have made a difference in my preference for a Ric.

I'm a huge Faith No More fan - I have always loved the tones BIlly Gould got on their really early albums. When I later heard Tool's "Undertow" album, I thought the bass had that "canny' top-end I liked so much in early FNM.

I noticed a trend in the bass tones I liked - it was that they all shared very hard woods in the body(like rock maple or hard ash), and the maple necks were usually through-body, unlike the typical Fender bolt-on neck. This combination, plugged into an aggressive amp made for some awesome "grind" in the highs and high-mids that I rarely have heard in the typical bolt-on alder-bodied or swamp ash-bodied bass.

So, I wound up buying my 4003 because Paul D'Amour used a Ric on that Tool album....after going to a Guitar Center and playing a beat-up '79 4001 and really digging the tone of it. Of course, that old bass had the bass-cut capacitor in it and almost no low-end, but I finally heard that "clank" I had been craving for so long. My '03 4003 has no problems with low-end or low-mids, even - It's deep enough to fool a Precision bass fan.

(I also discovered Chris Squire and Yes shortly after that, because it was a 4001CS that was used on "Undertow". )

[paologregorio]

I think the better question is, as I heard a friend recently say, "If F.C. Hall didn't distribute Fenders, would anyone have played a Tele, Strat, or a P-bass?!"

Yep! It was Joey Vasco.

[still]

Yes.

I've always loved the guitar sounds on Beatles records, but I went on a MISSION to own a Ric after I heard The Jam. I was absolutely, deliriously obsessed, and I could not find a Ric to save my life, when their first couple albums came out. I remember a guitar store offering to order me one, at FULL retail, but there would be no return privilege or provision to reject it, no matter what... just "you bought it, you own it, buh-bye." Fortunately, I persisted, and found a couple used ones!

[PeterJ]

For me more like "If Roger didn't play a Ric..." but then he got the idea for getting one from Hard Day's Night so ...

I've included electric 12s in all my recording projects and live playing from 2007 onwards and wouldn't do without one. At first I couldn't afford a Ric otherwise I would have got one that I'd still have. As it is, I've had a Danelectro, a Maton, a Strat XII and my current and future Ric 330/12. I can list pros and cons of each of these but if I had to choose on both sound and playability it would still be the Ric. Cons for the Ric are the tuner arrangement on the headstock (yes, I know I'm probably the only one but I think it makes restringing a PITA which in turn makes removing the TRC a PITA) but I'll live with that as the Ric is the one that always sounds the way I want it to and offers the least resistance to just picking it up and playing.

So I reckon I would have found my way to a Ric even without the famous associations (although they are what made me think of getting an electric 12 to begin with).

PeterJ

[jeff_farkas]

Simple yes or no question (and give a brief explanation after your yes or no). If John, George, or Paul did not play a Rickenbacker do you think you would have bought one? (This question maintains that all other famous Ric players played Rics. Just not those three guys.)

My answer:
No.

My introduction to Rickenbacker were those three guys and all of my guitar purchases have some basis in what those three guys played. They strongly influence what guitars I buy and play. I love The Byrds, The Who, The Smiths, R.E.M, Tom Petty....but not enough where they would influence me to spend thousands on guitars they play.

My answer... Yes. I'm planing on buying a Ric 330 some time soon and I was influenced by bands like The Smiths and R.E.M. The Beatles connection didn't hurt a bit but I just like the tone of a Ric.

Ultimately the tone I get will be me.. regardless of the guitar. My plan.. Ric 330 right into a Vox AC15 and go from there.

[manta]

My answer is probably not.

I was into Blues as a teen and like the Huddy Ledbetter 12-string style for acoustic and was really into Folk Rock/Dylan and was a rabid The Byrds fan. I loved it when Dylan joined forces with Mike Bloomfield.

If the question was: If Jim McGuinn didn't play a 12-string RIC, would you? My answer is possibly no. Ever since "Feel A Whole Lot Better" (and Mr. T-man) came out I was into RICs. It was McGuinn's style and arrangements that got me hooked. Others like "Bells of Rymney" and "Eight Miles High" sealed the deal. Still hooked after 48 years!!

We also has a local group called The Rumbles that did an amazing version of Bus Stop using a nice FG Ric 360-12. So that didn't hurt getting me addicted to RICs either.

[Fuzzy Thoughts]

Simple yes or no question (and give a brief explanation after your yes or no). If John, George, or Paul did not play a Rickenbacker do you think you would have bought one? (This question maintains that all other famous Ric players played Rics. Just not those three guys.)

My answer:
No.

My introduction to Rickenbacker were those three guys and all of my guitar purchases have some basis in what those three guys played. They strongly influence what guitars I buy and play. I love The Byrds, The Who, The Smiths, R.E.M, Tom Petty....but not enough where they would influence me to spend thousands on guitars they play.

Yes [Although for me it would be Lemmy and Cliff] I have always loved the things [the basses] since I started... one of my first memories from when I was use starting playing music was walking into a music store and seeing a Ruby and black 4003 and though that outside of a flying V it was the coolest looking thing ever.. about a year later when I was out to buy my own bass [learned on a old P bass mu dad had... which I bought from him later ] I got to play a 4003/FL which floored me but it was too $$$ at the time... and I'm sorry but I hate that pinkish fireglo... so yearrrrrrrrrrrrrrs later now that I can finally afford them I have gotten a couple RIC basses [YAY] first was in the form of a parts project and the other was just a really good deal... colors though... um... yeah... I have to say I went after the colors I have because of influence... Burgundyglo because of Cliff [Metallica] and Azureglo because well... cough.... um... a anime...