Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

As soon as the big record companies kill themselves off the whole business can recreate itself. The sooner the better.
Unfortunately, capitalism breeds a pretty strong survival instinct.
I guess that makes me a raving liberal of sorts.

Artists have always had to walk the line between art and commerce. Most who ignore commerce, starve. Music is a commercial business. The trick is to satisfy yourself as to your message and its communication, and still attract enough of the Unwashed Masses to make a living doing it.

IMO ****=money and lots of it.

Lowest common denominator, etc.

What this has to do with Ken's angst is pretty distant, though.

Just raving, that's all

No I said had I come back to California, I was offered a job by Brian Carmen because I begged him[to death] to work there, went home for my brothers wedding and never returned.I assume it was customer service or sweeping floor's didn't matter to me at the time.

I still have his card and remember calling him to tell him I wasn't going to return to CA got that card somewhere tan with Ric on it in brown I think.

All I really need is for the 4004Cii5 to go back into production & the new bridge to come out.
I'm happy with what a Rick is, & what it isn't I can easily do without.

14 pages & 140+ posts in less than 2 days must be some kind of a record, Ken!

FACT: never make sweeping generalizations.

This thread is not one big complaint.

I wish I could run Ric for one week and produce what I want,because its frustrating to have to wait for products you don't even know will ever come out.

The 4003 for example pretty much has stayed the same since 82-85 the changes to it I would like to see never seem to take place, maybe someday.

But at this rate Ill be to old to notice.

There would just be fewer of us, since Ricks would be harder to discover/find. I'd still own as many as my credit cards will allow (3)!

It would have taken longer before I saw or heard one, but it would still happen eventually.

Paul McCartney, was my idol I wanted to play bass because of him and a Ric. because thats what he played.

Hmmm I'm not so sure that I am in agreement with that statement Ken. Even though you may choose to dismiss my views since I was and still am a lead guitarist. I picked up a Jazz bass in the late 60's to record with and to sort out bass parts for my original material.

All my "bass heroes" if you will were playing P basses. I wanted to have a different sound when I played bass. That's when I looked into what it was that Entwhistle and Squire were playing. Their basses punched through a mix and in fact had the very cool sound that I was after. Ever since my investigation and subsequent love of that sound my bass players for one reason or another have all played Rics. As do I.

I now only own one bass. It is my 1976 4001. I am very happy with it. I also do concede that I no longer make a living playing music. But I was considered to be a professional musician in my day. I was signed with a major Canadian label. The same label in fact that The Guess Who were signed to at the time.

True, Ken. But that's a very narrow and I daresay narcississtic viewpoint. Others want other things. Still others go out and roll their own, whch is what keeps guys like Dale fortune and me busy.

If I don't obsess, I don't get frustrated. If I don't get frustrated, I don't complain.

"That's when I looked into what it was that Entwhistle and Squire were playing. Their basses punched through a mix and in fact had the very cool sound that I was after."

So Brian, if Ric's had not made it into the hands of Entwhistle and squire you would not have picked up a Ric.

Right maybe?

You are correct on that yes. But the fact is I played bass long before I realised that a Ric was such a great bass to play.

Paul played hoffner before ricks. Wich is really what he is best known for. geddy also played a modded p bass early on live alot as well. fact is i could go on all night about who played what bass when. it is by coincidence only that our bass heros played what they played and were stereo typed with. I dont give a rats *** if your playing Teiscos , fenders , hagstroms, ricks , gibsons . e.t.c. Quality , availability ,value and tone is what makes a bass.it makes me sick that people charge so much for vintage fenders now . The last two i had were complete dogs and they cost a fortune. I just got a fender 72 geddy (lol) reissue that is a better bass by far than my last three vintage pieces. you can say what you want about the star factor but i believe a good bass speaks for itself.