Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Man, this Forum's got me hooked on looking up old videos on YouTube...

One of my favourite bands in high school was The Stranglers. Here's a good early video of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyAGWyX7yYg&search=stranglers

Unfortunately their bassist (who was/is quite good) isn't playing his Rick in this one, but I could swear that Hugh Cornwell's Telecaster has a Rick toaster inserted just above the bridge pick-up. What a great idea!

I guess it's a bit of a stretch to include this in the Rickenbacker Artists section, but what the heck...

Last night we played "Walk On By" the way The Stranglers did it. To get THAT sound I used my V63 with lots of amp distortion and it worked quite well.

Ah, Walk On By....good choice for a cover. Do you do the solo on your V63?
Believe it or not, I knew The Stranglers version of that song long before I heard the original. When I finally listened to the original it kind of blew me away how they'd re-interpreted the song. That must be a fun one to play live.

So far as I'm aware Jean Jacques Burnel (who is one of my favourite bassists) has never used a Rick, or if he has it must have been a one off. He originally used a green P Bass which was sold to him by Hugh; that was on all the early records, until he smashed it by hitting it once too often. That's the bass which most are familar with, used on Peaches, Nice n Sleazy etc etc. He then played Yamaha and Wal, before coming back to another P Bass which has an unnamed hardwood body, and apparently weighs a ton.

I also thought Jean Jacques Burnel used a P Bass and was surprised to hear he used a Rick as well. Soundwise - yes Chris, my V63 does the job well on that solo bit (actually that solo is kinda tricky for my aging fingers...). My problem was mainly the fact that I realized too late that I should have replaced the old strings I had on my bass with a fresh set of DR's - it would have made a world of difference to the sound and make it easier for me in attempting to get close to THAT sound. It worked out OK in the end.

Marc, I've been checking around and can find no evidence he ever used a Rick...if anyone knows differently I'd be very interested. I have many interviews with him over the years and he's never once mentioned using one, whilst giving full breakdowns of his gear. Monster tone, regardless!

JJ was the first bass player I listened in my early teens. I saw them a few times in the late 70's and he always had the green Fender. I have never seen or heard a Ric there.

I thought I read once he tuned down to E flat for Peaches.

JJ had a Rick on some playback thing in the late seventies. A P-Bass player mainly (some Wals later) and a great one too!

I'm pretty sure I've seen live footage of JJ playing a Rick, but of course I can't find any link to it now - just him and his P-Basses, at least from the early years. If anyone has any idea what show I'm refering to, let me know! You're right though, Shaun - the more I dig around the more likely it seems that this was a one-off.

Still, I think his tone was certainly in the "Rick zone" Chris! (i.e. angry!!!)

I saw them at the Stone in San Francisco in 1981-
JJ was playing a black Jazz Bass that show. Hugh had his tele.

I saw the Stranglers every chance I got in the late 70s/80s, and I remember only a Yamaha BB bass and a Steinberger thing other than the Fenders, no Rickenbacker. Hugh had a fireglo 360-12 in a video once, but, alas, no 4001....

I have a cd of the concert they did without Hugh (jailed for drug possession) called "The Stranglers and Friends". It has an interesting lineup including Robert Fripp, Peter Hammill, Steve Hillage, Ian Dury, Robert Smith, Wilko Johnson etc. JJ plays a black Wal but of course his sound is not very hi-fi, thankfully!;)