Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Check out the new Bass Player magazine cover if you have not seen it yet. Peter Cetera with a nice 4001JG !!

He is a great bass player also.

Did Cetera use a RIC bass on the classic Chicago stuff? I've always wondered about their studio recordings and what kind of equipment was used, both bass and amps. Anyone?

Greg

I saw them live maybe 8 or 9 times between '73 and '79 and other than than one show with a Natural Gibson Ripper, and one with an all black ,maple neck mid 70s Jazz, he was alway using a Blonde Precision with maple neck and tortoise guard. Never could tell if it was a refin or a '66 slab-bodied UK P-Bass. Always played with a pick and sounded just like the records. I always assumed he used that P for most of the recordings.

Every picture of him I remember from back in the 70s it was the P bass.

...and an article on the 1959 Rickenbacker 4000 on their website: http://www.bassplayer.com/article/1959- ... t-07/31891

He was known for using P basses early on (late 60's, early 70's) then using the Gibsons, either way he sounded and played great, was one of the best and fastest pick players I've ever heard. I never knew of him to use a Ric. Like Chicago or hate them, they were a very talented band.

Chicago was my first favorite band. I was about 12 when Chicago VI came out, and "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" was my first favorite tune of theirs. Then I got the CTA album and loved it! They were the first concert I saw in November '78, a delayed tour after Terry Kath accidentally shot himself earlier that year. They replaced him with Donnie Dacus who was in the movie version of "Hair".

Kath is still my favorite classic rock guitar player. Very underrated historically in my opinion.

The 4-album "Live at Carnegie Hall" (recorded April '71) was remasterd & re-released recently by Rhino. That is a great CD box set. with extra tunes that were not on the album, that mostly feature Kath's great playing. Cetera is also very strong here, adding a bit more fill than on album versions of tunes.

I have never seen him without the P-bass either. I thought I read someplce in this forum recently that he doesn't like to talk about his bass playing, so I'm surprised to see him in BP. I'll definitely have to check it out.

Thanks

fran4001 wrote: a Natural Gibson Ripper,

I remember the ad in magazines where he was pictured with that Ripper. He used to have that picture of himself used in the ad with the Ripper on his website. which had a caption that said, "I hated the bass".

rickenbrother wrote:...that Ripper. He used to have that picture of himself used in the ad with the Ripper on his website. which had a caption that said, "I hated the bass".

I had a Ripper for a short while in the mid '70s. I too, hated it and traded it for a '72 Telecaster Bass.

I was going to post about this, but someone beat me to it. Nice thing though. I was really surprised to see him playing a 4001 on the cover, as I didn't realized he'd played one. He endorsed a Gibson bass, but didn't like it much. Not sure if it was the one mentioned.

I've always admired Cetera's playing, and you can clearly hear the McCartney influence - as he more than admits in the interview. My girlfriend and I saw him maybe 6 months ago perform with the Colorado Symphony. He didn't touch a bass, and I was tempted to yell from from my seat to grab one. He simply sang his Chicago and post-Chicago hits with the symphony and a backing group. His female singer did a pretty good Cher impersonation.

Try to listen to "Wake up Sunshine" if you haven't already heard it. I've always loved that bass line and always thought it was very McCartney-like with tasteful 8th note runs. I learned it some time ago and don't get tired of playing it. I'm glad he's getting back into bass again. My favorite style is the melodic "counter-melody" thing that he and McCartney did so well.

Agree with the comments on Terry Kath. Very under-rated guitarist. The "25 or 6 to 4" solo is classic, IMHO. The story I heard is that he was playing around with a gun (already a bad idea) and accidentally shot himself in the head. Just going from memory on this.

I need to dig out Cetera's first solo album soon. I've still got the LP.

Peter Cetera showed this exact video just before the intermission at the Colorado Symphony concert (looks like a Gibson bass):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gje_0OMj4h4

Oops, in the case of "Wake Up Sunshine" it is triplet runs.