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View Full Version : Anyone do more than strum a Rickenbacker?

wodka
08-25-2006, 04:56 PM
I recently played a 660 and I thought it was superb sounding, comfortable all purpose guitar. Yet, Rickenbackers seem to be relegated to singer/songwriter strumming guitars. Why?
cmatthes
08-25-2006, 05:12 PM
Obviously, you've NEVER seen any footage of 60's era Pete Townshend!!
DejavuDave
08-25-2006, 05:52 PM
Oh, yeah! I have a fantastic '67 360/12 (12-string) I sometimes play lead on. I crank the amp and wail! Nothing else sounds like a Riki 12, especially when played mean. I even composed a couple pieces specifically for this guitar, complete with plenty of fire and brimstone.

Another guy I've seen use it this way is Steve Howe of Yes, in "Awaken" on "Going For the One."
Doodad
08-25-2006, 07:08 PM
Wow, this is twice I have seen this in a week or so. I can rock the hell out of my 620. My personal favorite guitar. Strummer? That is what my Gibson faded is for. Rics can do whatever you put them up to hands down. And sound awesome.:messedup
dkaplowitz
08-25-2006, 07:17 PM
I remember Paul Gilbert tearing it up on one back in the late '80s. I think his even had slanted frets. Didn't sound like a clanger, jangler and clunker then.
Luke V
08-25-2006, 07:19 PM
Didn't the guitar player in Steppin Wolf play a Ric? I like his lead and rhythm tone.
Doodad
08-25-2006, 07:33 PM
Don't know about Steppin Wolf, but the Beatles lead and rhythm guys managed.
John Thigpen
08-25-2006, 07:51 PM
Don't forget John Fogerty...he played Ricks a lot back in the CCR days.

The other guitarist at my church has a Rick, and plays both lead and rythm on it.

John
billyguitar
08-25-2006, 08:01 PM
Remember Andrew Gold with Ronstadt?
mc5nrg
08-25-2006, 08:21 PM
Surprisingly a fair amount of Chicago blues players ,like Hubert Sumlin, used Rickenbackers back in the day.More recently, in the 80s there was a Delaware based blues player, Tom Something or other, who got great tones out of a hollowbody Rick.Of course the king of of lead players who used a Rick was the somewhat underappreciated Fred "Sonic" Smith of the MC5 and Sonic's Rendezvous Band but his main axe was a 450-12 strung as a 6 modded with Gibson humbuckers.
TieDyedDevil
08-25-2006, 08:59 PM
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the lead on the Byrds' "Eight Miles High" played on a Ric?
barkingpumpkin
08-25-2006, 09:05 PM
Yes, it's a Bass but he's doin' more than strumming it! ;-)

http://www.spark-rockmagazine.cz/underwood/galerie/lemmy.jpg

Sorry! Back to our regularly scheduled thread.
twoheadedboy
08-25-2006, 09:35 PM
Kurt Ballou of Converge! He does a HECK of a lot more than strum cowboy chords on that thing. A friend of mine also uses one for all kinds of jazz and bop.
KRosser
08-25-2006, 09:52 PM
I have a Rickenbacker lap steel. I rarely strum it.
Bluedawg
08-25-2006, 10:32 PM
They always struck me as the most awesome of rythym guitars, but lacking something when it comes to leads.

But then Steve Howe on Awaken is a truely wonderful thing.

I still have my 360/12.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/Bluedawg/Guitars/Ric_360_12_string.jpg

Maybe someday I'll get me another 360 6 string.

:)
cvansickle
08-25-2006, 10:44 PM
Unfortunately, I can't even do that! I've had my eye on a 360-12, and today my local shop let me take it how to try out with my full rig, which includes a JangleBox compressor. My fat fingers cannot make correct chords on that pencil neck! I like the sound, but I just can't finger it. I have to take it back tomorrow and pass on it. I still have my Dano 12, so all is not lost on the jangle front.
screamingdaisy
08-25-2006, 10:54 PM
I donno.....whenever I pick one up I can't stop playing Day Tripper.
Barge Concepts
08-25-2006, 11:28 PM
Fugazi, Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Sleater Kinney, City of Caterpillar, Q and Not U - all bands making exciting music, far outside of the jangly, singer-songwriter cliches
Loni Specter
08-26-2006, 12:45 AM
Unfortunately, I can't even do that! I've had my eye on a 360-12, and today my local shop let me take it how to try out with my full rig, which includes a JangleBox compressor. My fat fingers cannot make correct chords on that pencil neck! I like the sound, but I just can't finger it. I have to take it back tomorrow and pass on it. I still have my Dano 12, so all is not lost on the jangle front.

You will need to try a 660-12 (Tom Petty model without the high price) It has a wider fingerboard for cleaner chords.
I had the 660-6 and it was a breeze to play. I played some lead on it but I didn't think the pickups were suited to my style. Great rythym sounds and inspired a few new songs.
mezcalhead
08-26-2006, 05:04 AM
Martin Rotsey of Midnight Oil .. some ripping leads on a 330-12.
Mike Duncan
08-26-2006, 01:11 PM
Peter Buck has some lead work on his Rickenbacker.
urizen
08-26-2006, 01:14 PM
Minor Threat/Fugazi were DEFINITELY not jes' a'strummin' 'n a'janglin' .
rekoj
08-26-2006, 01:20 PM
wow, cool to see some guys here that dig city of caterpillar and converge! The singer from transistor transistor also plays a rickenbacker, and one of the guys from Editors plays a 620..
EunosFD
08-26-2006, 02:02 PM
Fugazi, Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Sleater Kinney, City of Caterpillar, Q and Not U - all bands making exciting music, far outside of the jangly, singer-songwriter cliches

Some great examples of outside the box music. Really surprised to see Q and not U listed. Great DC band :D

Back on topic, I came across a vid of The Edge playing slide on a Ric. It may have been a 12 string too, but I'll have to dig it up to be sure.
EunosFD
08-26-2006, 02:19 PM
Alrighty, I found the U2 clip with The Edge playing the Ric:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jejpb0M0w_I

Also wanted to add that the guys from Against Me!, now that they've gone electric, play a bunch of Rics too. Very fun band live!
michael30
08-26-2006, 04:44 PM
Didn't the guitar player in Steppin Wolf play a Ric? I like his lead and rhythm tone.

Steppenwolf was THE Rickenbacker band. Both guitar players (John Kay and various lead guitarists) played Ricks as well as the bass player back in their prime. I think they had an endorsement deal. Pick up a copy of Steppenwolf 7 for some cool Rickenbacker sounds!

Michael
CAFeathers
08-26-2006, 04:46 PM
Joe Walsh has done slide work on Rics.
Chops
08-26-2006, 05:15 PM
I've owned a number of them and have always felt that the voicing of the pickups and the hollow (330/360) all maple construction of the guitars made them more suited to rhythm playing. While the driven, highly compressed lead playing Roger McGuinn did with the Byrds was terrific, he was unique and is more the exception than the rule. I have been RIC-less for a while, but have grown tired of my PRS 12 string and am zeroing in on another 360-12.
Saul Koll
08-27-2006, 03:16 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teR3at2INxM&mode=related&search=

just strumming? maybe, but it rocks!
EunosFD
08-27-2006, 11:46 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teR3at2INxM&mode=related&search=

just strumming? maybe, but it rocks!

Very ironic that this was posted as I've been listening/watching all kinds of Paul Weller-related vids this weekend: The Jam, Style Council, solo, et cetera. He's mostly a Tele player these days, but man can that guy write some great songs. Plus I love the intense KERRAAAANG! tone he had back in The Jam era with those Rics. :D
michaelprice83
08-27-2006, 12:14 PM
Wasn't there just a youtube clip posted a couple weeks ago of EJ playing a Rick?
Rusty G.
08-27-2006, 01:45 PM
I've got a couple of Ric 360's that I use for laying down Rhythm and occaisionally a lead track. THe problem most people find is that the frets are vintage, and not much good for bending and the necks are so skinny. However, get a high gain amp (Hot Cat 15) and crank up the gain and it wails. Also, because of the huge mid-range hump, it really sits well in a mix when you're looking for cool lead sounds.

:JAM