Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Here's Brix Smith objectifying her Rickenbacker.

Ahh, Brix. One of the coolest Ric players of them all. And a very controversial Ric player. Twenty-five years later and Fall fans still fight over whether she was good for the band or not. All I know is her sound on that Ric added a bit of joy to the music of The Fall.

I'm not a fan of hyper-***** women in any kind of media. Whether they stand directly to benefit, or not (more often they don't benefit as much as we like to think).

But I don't condemn it either. It's just not my cuppa. I hope our tastes evolve, but who am I to say?

(Here's a counter-argument: my wife says way too many people, me included, are more prone to get upset about sex than violence in media when violence is, let's be honest, the thing that really ought to be deplored. Maybe she has a point.)

As far as chicks with Rics go, I can't find any new pics of Lisa Umbarger of the Toadies, but she was a cool Ric-wielding chick in her day (and I think she still plays but not with the Toadies). The bass lines she recorded on Rubberneck and Hell Below Stars Above have really great tone. Hope those were both the Ric--it's the only thing I've seen her with really. I remember seeing the Toadies without her once and the roadies were begging the new bassist to wield a JG 4003 for "Possum Kingdom" instead of his RW Jazz. He kept angrily refusing and the roadies nearly tossed the Ric at him from off stage in a bid to make him play it. Kind of hilarious.

That's a funny story! My band plays "Possum" and I didn't know it was originally on a Rick.

Tiare Helberg, Marty Willson Piper's lovely girlfriend and band mate.
In the studio in Penzance.

I know I came off a little strong earlier, since the posts were in good fun (and I'm not actually offended at all...what man doesn't love a nice looking woman?), but they clearly drifted from the point of this thread and I called that out - nothing more. It shouldn't be unreasonable for me to give respect where it's been earned.


(p.s. John - your posts weren't the aim of my comments, FYI).

johnhall wrote:Tiare Helberg, Marty Willson Piper's lovely girlfriend and band mate.

l.jpg

In the studio in Penzance.

Nice guitar!

At MOMM.

teeder wrote:That's a funny story! My band plays "Possum" and I didn't know it was originally on a Rick.

Same here. That's one of my favorite songs of the set, as a matter of fact! I've had to carry vocal duty on "Possum Kingdom" also. It's a fun one to sing!

Wendy Melvoin, Purple Rain Tour

Did Wendy really play a Ric? She swapped out the pickups, the knobs and switches, the bridge, the tuners; she removed the tailpiece, the truss rod cover.....all she really played was a Ric body and neck.

And I am pretty sure she had hers painted a purple, a non-Ric color. Hard to tell in your photo but I'm pretty sure she had her "Ric" repainted. There really is very little Rickenbacker in her "Rickenbacker."

Tommy wrote:And I am pretty sure she had hers painted a purple, a non-Ric color. Hard to tell in your photo but I'm pretty sure she had her "Ric" repainted. There really is very little Rickenbacker in her "Rickenbacker."

By cost probably more than 90% Rickenbacker. By surface area, more like 95%. By weight, probably 98%.

So, what basis would you propose?

coolingitdown wrote:

teeder wrote:That's a funny story! My band plays "Possum" and I didn't know it was originally on a Rick.

Same here. That's one of my favorite songs of the set, as a matter of fact! I've had to carry vocal duty on "Possum Kingdom" also. It's a fun one to sing!

I love singing it too, but I lose my voice every time I do a proper job of it... I don't know how Vaden Todd Lewis does it. Guy's voice is spot-on live, too.

We "cheat" and tune down 1/2 step.

Hannah Moorhead of the Twenty-Two's