Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Grey wrote:I've never actaully heard anyone say this. What I usually hear is, "you could solo on a Rick if the neck was wider" or something to that effect. You can, but it does come with some drawbacks and there are other guitars that do it better.

You could play hardcore metal on a Rick if you wanted to, but you wouldn't, because there are other guitars actually designed for that type of music.

I play solos on my Rick but more jazz solos. Guitars are designed for specific types of music. I know you can play anything you want on any guitar, but they are not appropriate nor are they built for any type of music. Strats are perhaps an exception. Hendrix sounded great on a Strat when he was running it full-bore through a Marshall. He sounded great in R&B mode too through a Twin Reverb. A Strat is a versitile instrument, although specifically designed for cowboy and Hawaiian music.

A Ric 330, to me, is designed for jazz, like an ES-335. It sounds best for that type of music. I don't know if Rossmeisl had that in mind or not, though he seems to have been interested in a more acoustic sound, since he worked on Fender's acoustics also. The neck is narrower but feels like a Gibson jazz guitar to me in that way. The combo of that and being semi-acoustic and single coil pickups=not great for metal. An Explorer is great for metal. A Danelectro is great for a canoe paddle, or starting a campfire.

artisan4 wrote: A Danelectro is great for a canoe paddle, or starting a campfire.

I know where you're coming from, but in my experience they are really top drawer for slide work. Those lipstick pickups are outstanding for that sort of thing.

kiramdear wrote:

artisan4 wrote: A Danelectro is great for a canoe paddle, or starting a campfire.

I know where you're coming from, but in my experience they are really top drawer for slide work. Those lipstick pickups are outstanding for that sort of thing.

In addition to my original band, Smiling Face Down, I play in an 80s cover band, "L.A.'s Blackouts:; here is our studio recording/performance video of Joy Division's/New Order's "Ceremony." I recorded the song exclusively with "Big Red," my `93 365 WB. I used the bridge pickup exclusively, which is a 14K toaster, overwound by Sergio Silva. I played through a Danelectro "Daddy-O" overdrive into a Boss Delay on a very, very short delay, then stright into my Vox AC30 H2, in the brilliant Channel, in pentode mode. No jangle, more than plenty of solid lead tone, IMO: http://aldoserrano.com/2012/12/17/theblackouts/

Paulie -- good video. Some excellent close up cinematography on your Ric ! !
And the audio is very good sounding !

Some guitars lend themselves to a certain playing style, while some lead you to play a certain way. I think Telecasters fall into the latter category. Perhaps Ricks do as well. I've only had mine for a week, so we'll see how it affects my playing in the long run, but if nothing else it's making me want to be a better rhythm player. I'm not hearing wild pedal steel-style bends in my head when I'm playing my 330, as opposed to my Tele, for example. But as far as not being able to solo on it? Nonsense!

kiramdear wrote:

artisan4 wrote: A Danelectro is great for a canoe paddle, or starting a campfire.

Rick Miller of S.C.O.T.S fame would beg to differ, I'm sure!

Dear Santa,

I currently own 5 Rickenbacker guitars and I am a lead guitar player. I have owned and played Rickenbacker guitars in this capacity since 1965. I concede that it may be some new fangled advice that I have been receiving but in any event, it seems that I can no longer use these guitars to play lead. What do you suggest for Christmas instead or will that be another surprise?



Brian

marc61 wrote: I couldn't agree more. My belief is the first source of tone is your hands.

That said, a few years back I used to have a 660. My friend, a hard rockin' usually Les Paul player type of guy picked it up. It didn't sound like much. he made a minor pickup adjustment and the thing was screamin'. pro quality player, on a professional grade instrument. It's gonna sound good.

There's no doubt that a good player can make pretty much anything sound good. But I bet he had to work a lot harder to sound good on that 660 then he would on a Les Paul.

winston wrote:Dear Santa,

I currently own 5 Rickenbacker guitars and I am a lead guitar player. I have owned and played Rickenbacker guitars in this capacity since 1965. I concede that it may be some new fangled advice that I have been receiving but in any event, it seems that I can no longer use these guitars to play lead. What do you suggest for Christmas instead or will that be another surprise?



Brian

Dear Santa, once you're at Brian's and as he doesn;t need that WB anymore, you can pick it up and bring it to me

I think I'll be making a few vids of my own over the next week and half. I can't wait to show the things you can't do on a Rickenbacker bass guitar, like palm mute. I just have to laugh at those who claim stuff like that!

rickenbrother wrote:I think I'll be making a few vids of my own over the next week and half. I can't wait to show the things you can't do on a Rickenbacker bass guitar, like palm mute. I just have to laugh at those who claim stuff like that!

Looking forward to that, 'cause I can't.

It (palm muting) isn't something i do often,but the mute adjustment screws on the standard 4001/3 bridge do not help or encourage this....or playing behind the pickup for that matter...(but then,I have tender knuckles,donchaknow... )

rickenbrother wrote:I think I'll be making a few vids of my own over the next week and half. I can't wait to show the things you can't do on a Rickenbacker bass guitar, like palm mute. I just have to laugh at those who claim stuff like that!

Joey, I'm in the "I don't know how to palm mute on the normal Ric tailpiece" camp so I definitely want to see this...

I did learn people have different definitions for what palm muting is recently. I usually do it right over the saddles to get a really articulate thump sound (I know that's a contradiction in terms), but some people have told me they do it over the pickups.

Rickenbacker... Gibson... Jay Turser.. don't matter. I can't solo on it anyway