Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Yeah, I know what you're thinking--the old "H" vs. "K" thing.

Actually, I'm on a different place on this one.

I see so many inaccurately-spelled references, and some folks just toss around and interchange acronym, contraction, and slang. So here's my take on it:

Rickenbacker--Always correct. The full-bore, lengthy, yet classic way to say and spell it.

"Rick"--An acceptable contraction, and in fairly consistent and constant contemporary usage.

RIC--Acronym for "Rickenbacker International Corporation", the umbrella manufacturing and marketing entity.

"Ricky"--Lucy Ricardo's Cuban bandleader husband, played by Desi Arnaz.

Thus, you can't "play your RIC", as you'd be playing a corporate entity, which anyone will tell you are tough to keep in tune and occasionally discordant despite your best efforts. Also, they don't make a case to fit it.

Also, "keeping your Ricky" in the closet may upset the neighbors and cause him to pass out and starve. To my ears, "Ricky" is just too clumsy an attempt at instrument familiarity which has the feminine characteristic of making a noble guitar or bass seem diminished somehow.

Mostly fact above, but as regards "Ricky", OK, pile on. It still rings falsely to my ears and is most irritating.

Couldn't agree more on all of the above, Paul..... "Ricky" drives me nuts!!!

Pauly and Howie (Aitchy ?), I agree with both of yous guys!

I don't much care for the "Ricky" usage myself. I'm also not much of a fan of using "Rick" to refer to a guitar or bass. My brother is "Rick" so I view it as more the name of a person. For Rickenbackers I have always preferred "Ric" to reference an instrument (notice only one capital letter) and no matter what Headmaster Wilczynski says I will continue to use it.

I'm wondering, is "backer" ever used?
As for me, i sometimes call my guitars simply "guitars". Or refer to a model instead of manufacturer (Telecoustic instead of Fender, or 650D instead of Rickenbacker). But i'm kinda glad there's no Russian name sounding as "Rick" (or at least it's not common), otherwise that'd sound strange to me...
Speaking of... i'm still having trouble getting used to guitars being referred as "she" - always have to remind me that it's not about people... Funny that, because there's no really such thing as a pronoun which is used to replace all "inanimate" nouns in Russian, and i'm also having trouble with animals (dogs, cats, etc) - and especially babies - being referred to as "it".

I can't stand it when people refer to my guitar as a "Ricky".

When I was younger, there was an anti-smoking campaign in Canadian schools, featuring Ricky the Raccoon - "Ricky Thinks Smoking Stinks". As a testament to the long-term effectivenes of elementary school brainwashing, that sort of twaddle is invariably the first thing that jumps into my head whenever someone employs the term "Ricky".

I try to use rick for the instrument and RIC for the corporation. "ricky" sounds like something a Fender player would say .

I normally refer to them as RIC, but my wife spells Rickenbacker (addiction) and when she is MAD at me for wanting another, she......... Nah, only joshing, she would never say that!!!

BUT those LOOKS I get are KILLER!

There was an ad for Rickenbacker showing the connection with the Beatles that used backer:

"Rickenbacker the Beatle backer"

I really don't care much. I call mine by number, or I use Rick. What I can't stand is when someone refers to a guitar as an axe. I was going on the subway with my bass once and some rocker dude came up to me and said something to the effect of "Yo, dude, what kind of axe ya got?" I said "It's not an axe, it's a guitar." The conversation pretty much ended there.

I always say/spell Rickenbacker or Ric.

I don't really care what people call Rickenbackers. All I know and care about is that they're really REALLY nice guitars and I own one. That's all that matters in my books.

As long as people/you know what's being talked about, where's the problem? No point getting your knickers in a twist about it all.

*my 2 pence

Paul, you wrote a very similar post on this same topic about a year ago.
But I'm going to have to agree with Brian on this one.
Using a company's initials or acronym for a product name is very common - in the computer world there is 3COM, DEC, SUN, etc.

Know anybody who says they use an Amplified Peg bass amp?

And, aren't you a big fan of Svenska Aeroplan AktieBolaget cars?

Mark, perhaps it's my DST annual reminder... in all of the cases that you cite, the acronym is the brand name, too. No one uses the long form. RIC, however, refers to the Corporation.

Will, my knickers are not twisted, and reading my post you can see that all I'm trying to do is introduce some clarity.

Paul you hit the nail on the head. I always hear "Ricky" but I refrain from using it out of respect for JH, knowing that he dislikes it.