Everyone knows that Rickebackers are my favorite. Of course, you can say it’s because of the Beatles, but there’s more. I love Paul Weller and the Jam, REM, The Bangles, and The Smiths –bands known to have used the jangly sounds of the RIC.

For the record, my first ever Rickenbacker was a 330 Fireglo 12-string that I purchased from Eraserheads frontman, Ely Buendia, back in 1999 at his old apartment in Teacher’s Village – Maginhawa. I remember he was producing his solo album, Wanted Bedspacer, then from his digs using a Roland Digital Multitrack Hardware Recorder. There were lots of video games and good times then as well. Ely used this 12-string RIC mostly in Cutterpillow, but somehow he may have gotten tired of it and sold it to me.

I used Ely’s RIC with the Freesouls for a bit. In fact, I used it to track the demo of “Bye Bye Na” on my old Tascal 4-Track Portastudio. Yes, this RIC became my Freesouls guitar before we all called it quits.

I brought Ely’s Ric here in the US when I moved in 2001 and even used it in The Happy Analogues’ album The Fallout Shelter. It is pretty prominent in our song “It’s Gonna Be Alright.”

Watch the “It’s Gonna Be Alright” Music Video below.

The second Rickenbacker I got was a Fireglo 4003 Bass that I purchased from a retailer in New York. I used this bass in all of Bleud’s records and live shows until I moved back to guitar. I sold this bass to a fellow musician.

The third Rickenbacker was another 330 but this time, a six-string with a Mapleglo finish. This was the main RIC that I used in The Happy Analogues’ first two albums: Lilacs and Politics and School Tales. You can see it in the live performanc eof our song “Yes It’s True,” which we played on the TV Show The Rhythms of New York. I sold this RIC on Reverb because I wasn’t crazy about the Mapleglo finish.

My fourth RIC is what I currently used now, a Jetglo 330 six string, which I purchased from some guy on Craigslist, who sold it for a shocking $700! The guitar was pristine with upgraded tuners! He really needed the cash, and I was lucky that I had some! We even closed the transaction at the back of his car right in front of the MTV headquarters in Time Square! Yep, I closed the deal during lunch break.

In a full circle moment, Rayms Marasigan used my Jetgo during the Heads of State tour here in the US back in 2017, when I played bass for him. I recently took this guitar to Manila and used it for The Happy Analogues School tales 15 tour. I even used it for the mini-reunion with The Freesouls! Another full circle moment there.

Watch The Freesouls play “Shing-a Ling” live at 123 Block on September 27, 2024.