What drew you to Rickenbacker?

[jps]

Why yes, Certainly.

Can't you spell, Ivan????????

It's Soitenly!

[paologregorio]

I thought they didn't offer tours...thats what it says on the website.

RIC does not offer tours.

[Ivan3000]

I thought they didn't offer tours...thats what it says on the website.

RIC does not offer tours.

How did you see it?

[paologregorio]

I thought they didn't offer tours...thats what it says on the website.

RIC does not offer tours.

How did you see it?

For the 75th anniversary, RIC was nice and did offer a tour on that occasion, to RIC enthusiasts who showed up at the celebration.

In any case, this is thread drift. The question is, "what drew you to Rickenbacker?"

I will repeat my answer:

1. "They looked cool!"
2. I saw Paul Weller and Mitch Easter play them, and I liked the way they played.

[jps]

I thought they didn't offer tours...thats what it says on the website.

RIC does not offer tours.

How did you see it?

[Ivan3000]

[whojamfan]

I thought they didn't offer tours...thats what it says on the website.

RIC does not offer tours.

To guys named Ivan

[Rickissippi]

I love that they're still handmade in the US

Now they are CNC...still exceptionally nice instruments with more consistency.

CNC is just the basic cuts, and CNC and hand made are not exclusive categories; the guitar is still essentially handmade; the machine makes the basic cuts, but the gluing, fine shaping, sanding, finishing, buffing, et cetera are all done by people. . . by hand. I've been to RIC and seen the process myself.

I've never been there, but the new video of the factory tour (21 mins!) is killer - and shows exactly what's done by CNC milling machines and what's done by hand. Here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=403622

And JH also posted it, plus another accompanying vid, on the RIC website forum.

[Ivan3000]

I thought they didn't offer tours...thats what it says on the website.

RIC does not offer tours.

To guys named Ivan

Bummer.

[Davegilmour]

Lennon .. Pure and simple

[thor]

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

These two did it for me too!!

[Funky Chicken]

Summer of '76-I go to a dance at summer camp. I am 11. The guy playing records puts on 'Roundabout'. My head explodes.
At this point I am playing the piano pretty well and Elton John is my hero. I ask to see the album cover and walk into E. J. Korvettes the next day
asking where the albums are by the band "Fragile Yes".
My mom borrows a bass from a friend of hers so I can see if I really want to play. It's a "Cameo Deluxe"-it's junk. I buy a set of Rotosounds and the bass is
clanking a little more like that sound I had heard at the dance. I am hooked. Piano no more. I move on to a Fender Mustang.
Fast forward to 1980. I am at a friend's house whose older brother had been doing his best to corrupt us for a while. He comes home with "Permanent Waves".
There is THAT SOUND again!
A few months later a new guy moves to town and has a 4001 he is looking to sell. I scrape together the $400. I used that bass all thru High School and foolishly sold it
in the fall of 1983 when I went to Berklee. I replaced it with a Steinberger.
I also had become a decent semi-hack guitarist thru the '80s and fancied myself sort of a guitar collector. All my extra money went to guitars. I bought a 360-6 and a 330-12
around 1990. Those got sold a few years later.
So-from around 1993 until today I have been Rickless. Despite this, I seem to gravitate towards music that features Rickenbacker instruments. I have always been a TP fan (and yes,
I realize that Rush, Yes, and Tom Petty don't really belong in the same sentence). I have a nice group of guitars and basses but still no Rickenbackers. So-my New Year's Resolution is to
get back into the family, starting with a 12 string and following with a bass. This time they will be keepers.

[The Mod Lang]

The Sound: by far the most distinct, perfect tone for the type of music I play
The Quality: great engineering and design, made in usa, good material quality, lots of human labor and experience--little automation and mass-production
Playability: I've always played guitars with skinnier necks, so I'm used to it. The hi-gloss neck makes the guitar super fast and the action is the best I've ever played
The Reputation: From The Jam to The Exploding Hearts, The Beatles to The Red Button, The Who to The Heartbreakers; lots of powerpop and rock n' roll musicians play them live and in the studio, so they must be good, right?
Scarcity: Not that many people have them. It makes others notice when you step on stage or play with someone for the first time. Really defines my style and sound
The Price: It may seem ridiculous, but for the quality you get rickenbackers are pretty well priced compared to most other premium american guitars these days.

[Brother Firefingers]

Geddy Lee of Rush!

The Ric bass sound is unmistakable, and I had to have it. Plus, they look cooler than any other bass made, period... they are the "classic cars" of instruments... great paint, great lines, lots of chrome.

[ricmic]

Paul and John. Mark