My New Rickenbacker Bass Guitar

Paul McCartney's Left Handed Rickenbacker Bass

My oldest son, Stogie Jr, claims he has bought me a present:  a brand new, Rickenbacker bass guitar in "Fire-Glo" finish (a beautiful, cherry red color).  I love Rickenbackers, as my father (who was in the music business) sold them for years, and in fact sold two to the Creedence Clearwater Revival (back when they were still calling themselves "the Golliwogs.")  One of those was a Rickenbacker bass like the one I am going to get, also in Fire-Glo.  I even helped my brother "Bro" adjust the neck on that bass while Stu Cook, the new bass owner, and Tom Fogerty (John's younger brother) stood by watching.

Paul McCartney owns the same bass, which he sometimes plays instead of his familiar Hofner bass.  Paul was given his left-handed version by the head of Rickenbacker when the Beatles first came to New York in 1964.

With these bad economic times, I had given up hope of ever owning one myself, but my son wants to do something for his old man before the latter croaks, so he bought a brand new Rickenbacker 4003 bass off of E-Bay that he plans to give to me.  That is, unless he falls in love with it himself and decides to keep it, at which point I will take him out of the will (just kidding).

If you so desire, you can see a demonstration of the options of the Rickenbacker 4003 here.

I Am Officially Looking For a Band

Due to a lack of scheduled practices and what seems to me to be a large difference in commitment and philosophy, I have formally severed my ties with the Shiloh Band here in Hollister.

I am now available and looking for a band to practice and play with.   Right now, I am content to practice on my own through the end of this year and to become part of a new band by Spring.

Here are the attributes I am looking for in a band:

1.  Band (the entire band, not just a part of it) practices at least once a week but preferably twice, for at least three hours each practice.
2.  Band members are committed to regular practicing and making every practice, within reason.  (One can be absent for wedding anniversaries, illness, etc, in which case the practice may be rescheduled for another time.)
3.  Band members are committed to mastering their instrument and expanding their talent and repertoire.
4.  Band members are committed to playing regular gigs for pay.
5.  Band members are committed to strong vocals and learning and improving their singing.
6.  Band members are committed to learning cover songs in their original keys wherever possible; no strange keys please.  (At best, keys should be changed by only a step or half step.)
7.  Band seeks a repertoire or play list that is largely commercially marketable, including jazz swing, jazz standards, dance tunes, some classic rock or blues.  No strange niches please.

Gigs will probably be weddings, parties and corporate events, and maybe clubs.