Why Play a Rickenbacker Guitar

These days there are a ton of electric guitars on the market from the prestige instruments such as the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul through to their myriad of replicas. With so much similarity in instruments available it takes something a little special to get you noticed or to produce a sound thats different thats why you should look at Rickenbacker guitars.

Rickenbackers have a tradition that harks back to the 1930s and they have produced many famous and innovative models since. For example the Rickenbacker 325 Electric guitar, famous for its association with John Lennon and the Rickenbacker 360 12 string guitar associated with the 60s band The Byrds. These guitars remain iconic to this day and their sound is instantly recognizable.

Visually they look kind of like a Stratocaster on speed with their big flat bodies often with a traditionally shaped go faster sound hole, Ricky R bridge and unique headstock. Strap one of these on and youl l stand out from the crowd. They really have that wow factor.

But what really makes the Rickenbacker so special?

The sound! Sonically, Rickenbacker guitars have a unique sound partly due to their quality construction but mainly due to the unique Rickenbacker Pickups. During the 1960s Rickenbacker used their now famous toaster Pickups which looked like the top of a bread toaster recently theyve used more high-gain Pickups both have emphasised the higher frequencies and have contributed to a magical chiming sound. Another attribute is that Rickenbackers are often equipped with a stereo output socket (known as rick-o-sound) which allows the guitar to be connected to different effects chains and amps . Finally the most subtle option available on Rickenbacker guitars is the blender control When either pickup is : slected, you can use it to blend the other pick-up in. So if you think the neck pickup is too dull then mix in some honk from the bridge pickup this is really tremendous and adds some great tones to your instrument.

All these attributes make for an extremely versatile instrument and while you dont often find Rickenbacker guitars in heavy rock they cover everything in between. Rickenbackers evoke lovely tones suitable for Pop or alternative rock music right through to Jazz and country and there have been tons of guitarists who use these instruments from U2s the Edge and Peter Buck of REM through to Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Given such a heritage youll find the sounds it produces really useful whether youre a rhythm player or virtuoso soloist.

So in summary if you want a unique look together with a unique sound the next time your down a guitar store be sure to try out a Rickenbacker guitar.

Adrian Martin runs ShanzuGuitars.com. The site offers the latest guitar news, gear resources and reviews, tools and tips for budding guitarists everywhere.

Author:: Adrian Martin
Keywords:: Rickenba cker, electric guitar, Pickups, toaster Pickups, Beatles
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