Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

We did a tune today called Glorious Impossible, but had no kbd, drums, or lead guitar. Just an acoustic (Martin) and me and the Ric. I wanted it to be VERY crisp, which means I should have used a pick! Anyways, I now have a blister on the end of my middle finger!! I was digging hard to stay right on top of the beat and not sound like mud! This is a great example of why you should have the ability to use either fingers or picks. I just forget sometimes!

There is ONLY one solution for a reasoning intellectual Ricker these days!

Herco Gold Nylon Flex 50.

I buy them by the 200-lot.

(I lose little stuff a lot, that's why.)

(SHAUN????)(HELP)

I have these blue thingy's with a little indentation for the thumb. I forget the brand. Back in the day, when I had a P-bass with coated strings, I used a felt pick! I still have one but I don't like the feel anymore. A 100 watt Sunn and 2 15's ina Plush cab! Can you say "tuck n' roll"?! Can you say ROUND SOUND? The complete antithesis of today's "modern" sound!

PS - The year was 1972!

What you are talking about is attack. I played a lot of Rush in my youth. The only way I could do it and get it right was to let my fingernails grow just a little long so I could dig in and get the right amount of attack. I believe Geddy did the same thing. Anyway, these days I prefer no fingernail at all in my sound. I lean more toward jazz and funk sound but I still like to play Free Will or The Spirit of Radio once in a while.

Careful with those blisters.....

Which brand of strawberry jam is THAT?

Brian bought a 4003S/8 and gigged with it right way not knowing what it would do to his fingers. The following night he gigged with the MID 4003 above and, well, the picture says it all.

Yowsers!! Those Eights will tear up your fingers quickly, unless you are a mainly double-bass player to start with, or have equivalent callouses from long-time playing a pinchey Eight. I tried one once and it pinched some righteous blisters after just one set.

No more jokes from me about jammin, etc.....

A little pain never hurt anyone.

No Pain No Gain? (oww)

Yes Ted, attack is what I'm talkin' about. I can't conceive of playing with my finger nails, so a pick will do! When I first started, I used a thumb pick! And my wrist is limber from years of trying to play Pinball Wizard on the guitar!

don't be eight-stringer girly man!

I got a bad blister over the last summer, it was approaching the size of a dime. From my job as a computer programmer I could not give it enough rest to disappear, so a day before the gig I had to remove the skin, leaving some very tender skin below.

I put a layer of superglue on it to protect it. That worked fine, for a set. At the end of the set the patch was coming off, so on went another.

By the end of the 3rd set there was a wad of superglue on my finger that was getting sticky from the friction from plucking the strings. Made it a little tough to play anything fast.

Wow, Ed, I take back the strawberry jam crack! So that really is Real Blood?

How did you play through the pain? Or did you just not feel it anymore by then?