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Gary Richrath's bursts

marshall1987

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Jan 30, 2005
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3,278
you guys are jealous fess up!! gary had a great run,he is an ambassador for using bursts live more than most anyone(other than page-gibbons etc)

i saw him at least 8 times in the 70s using bursts,his tone was monster,he deserves a huge salute...

imo he's one of rock and rolls sloppiest yet greatest guitarists ...

Agree with one exception, I have viewed many You Tube videos of live REO performances, and can see nothing remotely what I would consider sloppy. If anything, Gary's phrasing is dead on. Check out the link below of a performance on Midnight Special in 1977. Both he and Kevin are playing vintage sunburst Les Pauls. Nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHtb-TWhYLc
 
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rockabilly69

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Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
Agree with one exception, I have viewed many You Tube videos of live REO performances, and can see nothing remotely what I would consider sloppy. If anything, Gary's phrasing is dead on. Check out the link below of a performance on Midnight Special in 1977. Both he and Kevin are playing vintage sunburst Les Pauls. Nice.


where's the link???
 

rockabilly69

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Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
I've said it before, and will say it again. I always thought that Richraths Les Pauls far outweighed his musical talent. HIS talent was in spotting and being able to acquire those instruments. I had a roadie that worked for REO, and heard the numerous jokes they told of standing behind his Marshall stacks and cracking up. Of all the burst players, he had the MOST non burst tone. He could have been using a PV T 1 series for what it sounded like. YMMV. I did enjoy his guitars.
I just saw this reply for the first time and what makes me laugh is actually the roadies behavior, who I'm sure had so much musical talent that they just had to become roadies so they wouldn't shock the world with their awesome talent. What a bunch of d-bags! I bet they love their new jobs as hamburger flippers, or mowing lawns, or whatever they are doing now! Or maybe they took their musical career and finely tuned ears to an even higher level and they are selling accessories at the local guitar center.
 

Dave71

Member
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
290
I've said it before, and will say it again. I always thought that Richraths Les Pauls far outweighed his musical talent. HIS talent was in spotting and being able to acquire those instruments. I had a roadie that worked for REO, and heard the numerous jokes they told of standing behind his Marshall stacks and cracking up. Of all the burst players, he had the MOST non burst tone. He could have been using a PV T 1 series for what it sounded like. YMMV. I did enjoy his guitars.

So what I'm taking from this is that, only the most talented of players deserve a burst/bursts? Or even that there is a bona-fide burst tone, and that you're not allowed to deviate away from this? I always thought Gary's tone and playing were just fine. But what the crap do I know. :)
 

marshall1987

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Jan 30, 2005
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3,278
It's a pretty aggressive performance, and his licks were very close to his recorded parts. His tone was a little buzzy for me but nothing really too severe, it sounded as if he was using a wah to boost a certain high mid frequency, and his solos cut pretty good!

In the first track (Ridin' the Storm Out), it sounds like he is using a 100 watt Marshall Super Lead. His tone is very bright and clean. On my computer speakers it sounds ice-picky a little, but I'm sure that because of the You Tube audio codec (compression), and the fact this was a Midnight Special recording in a relatively dead room.

The second track, Keep on Rollin' sounds pretty good to my ears, but you have to realize these You Tube uploads are never going to sound great. The REO live sound was so much better.
Just my $0.02
 
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lure555

Swirling Vortex of Sound, Classic Club
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
3,417
I grew up in Chicago. In the late 70s all were had were Cheap Trick and REO Speedwagon. REO coulda been a pretty kick ass band without Cronin, who made them so bland. The 14 year-old me loves Richrath just blazing like there's no tomorrow. It's not Mozart, it's a pure sugar rush, and I love his playing for it. Same reason I'll drag out early KISS stuff every now and again.
 

GuitarDean

Active member
Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
3,688
I feel quite bad for Richrath, AT TIMES. Yes, Cronin turned that band into a sobby, watered down band that lost the TONS of guitar rock potential they had... But if Richrath would have gotten a hand on his drinking early on things would have turned out a LOT better for him, the band, and their fans because I dont think he would been pushed out of the band so easily. Yet, being a full blown alcoholic he set himself up for it so in the long run he is to blame. Later, when he sobered up and BEGGED to be let back in the band, Cronin wouldnt allow it, because he knew it would be the end of him in REO. So what did Richrath do, he got back on the bottle. Drank his talent, collection and future away. Some recent videos of him pretty much proved there will be no getting him back into his glory days form.

As far as his tone is concerned, SO WHAT, the guy could blaze and he was doing it better than most of the guys out there. Yeah it was a little thin, but it still fit the songs. I STILL love early REO and the live albums guitar work is the stuff big crowds live for. And in truth, I don't feel his tone was all that bad, and his Wah work, especially when he used it as a tone setting was EXACTLY what Frank Zappa was doing at the time as well. I still love that live album and put it on from time to time, and always will.
 

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
I just saw this reply for the first time and what makes me laugh is actually the roadies behavior, who I'm sure had so much musical talent that they just had to become roadies so they wouldn't shock the world with their awesome talent. What a bunch of d-bags! I bet they love their new jobs as hamburger flippers, or mowing lawns, or whatever they are doing now! Or maybe they took their musical career and finely tuned ears to an even higher level and they are selling accessories at the local guitar center.

I couldn't have said it better. Most of this thread exposes the rampant ignorance of the burst brigade. The guys like TW and the Slubster and others that own these fine guitars never post the bullcrap that the wannabee poser's spew. It is a sad limiting thing. All I'll add is if Gary never did anything other than Roll with the changes, he would be deserving much respect. Fact is he did so much more and he gets trashed by some nitwits because he dosen't fit into some narrow definition of a wide open subject. Wow.
:bigal
 
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
262
I'll take Richrath's style anyday over any technical prowess....guys like Satriani and such - great players but they bore me to death.

Give me a good bluesy rock n' roller anyday. Like Gary, or Pagey or Perry or Walsh. I like that kind of guitar playing and that's what I grew up on and the style I play in. Less is more for me when it comes to leadwork. I love the playing of BB King and Chuck Berry.

As far as his tone - I like it. But I'm also the guy who hates warm tone. I've got substantial high end sensorineural hearing loss and so warm = blanket over speakers for me. I made the mistake of blasting my iPod when I was young and now it's impacted my hearing. I like bright biting spanky tone.

My favorite guitar moments from Gary are all of Like You Do (my fav), Back On The Road Again, and Ridin' The Storm Out, the solos from Roll With The Changes and Take It On The Run, and the big chunky F chord at the beginning of Keep On Lovin' You.
 

soulbrojcs

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
939
Oh lord... this fertilizer again?!!! I have never understood why someone would take the time to leave negative posts about someone they supposedly don't like. ESPECIALLY since I've personally had the experience of seeing up close & personal ONE of those posters play with his semi known band back in the day, and who had all the best of equipment (including a burst), and was cut to death tone wise, AND chops wise by the other guitarist in the band who was using one of those "bad" Norlin era guitars through a budget rig. if you think a burst through a boutique amp COULDN'T sound bad, think again.

And I believe that ridiculous story about the roadies came from one of the negative posters who is nothing short of a once VERY lucky, but now has been mouthpiece. Richrath was a very influential guitarist for a lot of us back in the day, and let's make this as buttheadedly simple as possible so even the negative guys can grok it... turn on your radio to a classic rock or even pop station & wait about a half hour. chances are good that you're gonna hear Richrath somewhere in there. can the same be said about the negative posters?

There IS a reason for that, ya' know...
 

53Goldtop

Member
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Aug 20, 2002
Messages
739
I strived many, many years to play in front of big crowds and buy cool guitars. Regardless of anyone's perceived talent level, Gary seemed to have done what many of us wished we had done. Now, I would have hoped many of us would be humble if we had made it to Gary's level.
 

Mark

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Jul 24, 2002
Messages
2,140
Eric Johnson can play but very few can play and entertain like Gary
 
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sws1

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Dec 4, 2001
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2,846
RIP

Gary%20Richrath%201981%20Waring%20Abbott%20Getty%20Images%20.jpg
 
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