Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

When I was 17 (in 1966-67), I was interested in bass, but had only plucked the lower strings of an old acoustic guitar. I didn't actually buy a bass until spring of '69 (Japanese Hofner Beatle bass copy). Someday I'll find a photo of me with that in college, but until then you are all spared.
Got my first Rick ('72 MG 4001) in 1975 and was in a regionally successful band for a couple years. Then the bass went under the guest bed until 2002 when I sat in with my company's house band. My love for the bass was rekindled and burns strong today.

Wait a minute Nate....Its(was) your Birthday? I just had a brainstorm: In our country its customary to give a gift at birthdays. I would guess that things work in a similar fashion in New Zealand!

I stumbled across something in a closet yesterday that I'm not going to use, and that I'm 90% sure you would want. This item is smaller than a breadbox(guessing game joke) and does have some value, but I'd rather see it go to you than go through the hassle of listing it on ebay.

Are you in? Email me your address and I'll send it to you!

Nice Jeff! In honor of that gesture...

Sorry it took a while getting that posted!

I should have added to my earlier post...see what you can look forward to Nate!!! Happy birthday..

Hey! There we go! Thanks Bob...now I have a face!

Yep, that's me above rockin' out like Motorhead with my white '80 4001, before she turned a disturbing shade of mucasglo. I bought her new in May of '82, and she still has a home under my roof. That photo was taken in 1985 when I was 18, but its close enough to a "when I was 17" photo.

When I was 17 I just acquired my first real guitar, a used '64 strat. (no rics in the shot, sorry).

Happy Birthday Nate.
Here's me at 17 playing my 1st 4001. Definitely an early 80s fashion victim.

That's a great shot Victor. But you kinda look like Rob Schneider from SNL if he raided Cyndi Lauper's walk-in closet.

The day before my 18th birthday Sept 1981...Darn, i had my eyes closed

Here's a couple straight out of the 70's.

Wow, someone actually did use a solid state Bassman amp!

Concerts I attended when I was 17? Let's see if I can remember, I am sure this isn't all of them:

Pink Floyd (DSOTM tour), Seals & Croft, America, Joe Walsh & Barnstorm, The Guess Who, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Genesis, Stephen Stills, Damnation Of Adam Blessing, Steeleye Span, Procol Harum. I know there was more, but my mind is...

It seems that the age of 17 was/is a very important year Rickenbackerwise for a lot of us!

Got my first Ricky at 19, still have it

My '99 4003JG came when I was 16, four years ago.





My heavy metal days are over but the memories live on!

"Pink Floyd (DSOTM tour), Seals & Croft, America, Joe Walsh & Barnstorm, The Guess Who, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Genesis, Stephen Stills, Damnation Of Adam Blessing, Steeleye Span, Procol Harum."

Lucky! Concerts I saw when I was 17 (a year ago): Rush, Yellowcard, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Keller Williams, The Starting Line . . . I believe that's it . . . I was 16 when I saw KISS and Aerosmith together. And I was 18 when I saw Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (that was this past semester). What I wouldn't give to see Genesis in concert . . . and Pink Floyd for that matter.

My Dad always likes to tell me how he saw The Who (before Keith Moon died), Pink Floyd on the Animals tour, the Grateful Dead (several times), Tom Petty, and so on . . . unfortunately, he missed Genesis as well, so that's something we can commiserate over.