Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

As a new Ric owner, I'm surprised to hear that. I play all types of music on my 350 - lead, rhythm, fingerpicking, flatpicking, etc.

IMO, many perceive RICS to be quirky, fragile, and hard to take care of instruments. This could be because rics are slightly different than your typical Gibson/Fender what have you. We all have stories of luthiers talking about how weird rics are!

As far as the fragile thing, I have put my 360 thru all sorts of things and it not only is fine, but usually stayed in tune even after throwing it at a drummer across the stage! My 360/12 has been super sturdy as well, as anyone who has seen the repair Paul W (jingle jangle) did for me.

Having a strat/tele/les paul with you onstage doesn't really make musch of a statement about what kind of music you play, where as versatile as rics are, people kind of imagine you playing a certain type of music when they see you with a ric. Perhaps this puts off some players?

Of course, which one of us doesn't love being the only ric player at a show? Of course seeing a fellow ric player is cool too, but you know what I mean!

I think a lot of it is the "herd" syndrome...Strats and LPs tend to rule the airwaves on videos, etc. Not arguing with their quality or sound--I'm a fan (and owner) of both--but it's what's in the mainstream, and so the market feeds itself.

JMO.

Bill

Here's an interesting observation......
PBS has been airing "The 60's Experience" during their pledge drive. Mostly this special is all music with a little history/social commentary thrown in. Anyway - when they showed the archival footage of the 60's bands and performers I noticed that most of the players had Ric's!

Ironocally, they were all six and 12 strings. Didn't see a RIC bass anywhere. Go figure......

Gene, i'd say Rick basses came into favor more with the hard rock/prog rock of the 70's.

In this dirty old part of the ...country, I never see any Rics on a stage,lessen it's mine, and it stays home now anyway.
The Mars had a 12V64,a 325 and near the end, a CW 12 but they never moved out.Wagstaff's had some in too, but they seemed to live on the racks a long time.All of this probably 'splains why no dealer here nowadays.

I've only seen one Ric on a rack in this entire state. Due to the limited production you just can't one like you can get a Fender or Gibson. I'm not saying it as a right or wrong statement its just the facts. If you can'get one you can't play it one.
I had to order mine sight unseen. Most people are just not willing to do that. I did a lot of research before I got my model.

During the produced opening for Monday Night Football this evening (still only 3-zip as I type this), one of the guitarists in Hanks Williams Jrs' band was sporting a fireglo Rick. It happened so quick I couldn't get a good look at it.

Last night Leno had a band on the show, but I didn,t catch the name. One of the guitar players had what appeared to be a six-string guitar with two humbuckers, but.......the body and headstock were the same as a 4001 bass. Very unusual.

Probably Kasabian, with a model 481. They're the only band in recent memory that I remember playing one.

Edit: Yup, it was them.

Camper Van Beethoven's Jonathan Segal played one (when he wasn't playing violin) until it was stolen a few years ago.

I play one. Well, I play a 480.

Also, Fender and Gibson are both SHAMELESS about getting their instruments 'seen'. Seems like any ol' schmuck with a marketing idea will find an open ear at Fender or Gibson - they're always 'partnering' with somebody to give away cheap instruments, and signing endorsement deals with the next no-name whoevers. But it pays off for them (see subject of thread).

Rickenbacker can't hope to compete with the sheer output capacity of the Fender/Squier and Gibson/Epiphone machines and stay true to what makes the Rickenbacker brand special.

I like that Rickenbacker remains a connoisseur's instrument.

Filet mignon & a fine Bordeaux VS cheeseburger & cola.

"Rickenbacker can't hope to compete with the sheer output capacity of the Fender/Squier and Gibson/Epiphone machines and stay true to what makes the Rickenbacker brand special."

Thank god!