Ridge @ Formentera Guitars

August 2018

Yezzzz, I did it. I was there. I took the chance of a 3-week- gap in the calendar to build my own, self-constructed electric guitar, and for spoiler-alert's sake, I came up with this beauty:

I don't wanna come up with meticulous blog on how I did everything step by step from the choice of the wood all the way to the end of oiling and the whole assembly screw by screw, but I do wanna share some great moments on a "fuckin' paradise"- kinda island (sic, Robert Plant), meeting lovely people, learning a lot 'bout the construction of my instrument, exploring how it's done, and finally coming up with a fine, fine guitar. Enjoy!

The features

Okay, what we got here is a killer-type flame maple neck under a rosewood fretboard, set into a alder body, a self-wound P90 in neck position, an equally self-wound Humbucker in bridge position (both slightly over-wound), and a L.R.Baggs Vibrato-bridge, featuring a piezo pickup for mimicking an acoustic guitar sound. The balance between the piezo and the magnetics is set by a blend knob, and since there's only one more knob to be found on the top (Volume, of course, alongside with the toggle switch), you may already have been assuming rightly: There is no tone knob. Neither are split or out-of-phase options, nuffin.

Some impressions from the building process. Click the pics to enlarge:

Where it happens: Fomentera Guitars in Sant Ferran

The "marriage": Glueing the neck to the body

Let's have a drink on her at Kiosko 62 (Platja de Mitjorn)...

For more information check out their website www.formentera-guitars.com! For me, it was a great trip and worth every minute and €.

Coming up - Richie live

21.12. 2024 - HH Chattahoochee (J.B.B.)

27.12. 2024 - Hamburg Bhf. Pauli (Paniker)

31.12. 2024 - Bischoffsgrün (Mona udfF)

25.01. 2025 - Magdeburg (Paniker)

16.02. 2025 - Hamburg (Paniker, gesch.G.)

22.03. 2025 - Schwetzingen (Paniker)

What's up, Ridge?

Meeting (and rehearsing with) Udo Lindenberg

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Dreams come true. Sometimes. Happened to me in May '22. No kidding', seriously!

In April '22 I got a call from Andy, a guy who turned out to be a member of the „inner circle“ of Udo Lindenberg’s tour production team. In essence: „The artist wants to meet you, Richie! And bring your guitar...“.

Wait... WHAT?!?

Fou...

So, this happened on May 1st 2022:

I drove to Timmendorfer Strand, where UL and the Panikorchester were rehearsing for the tour ’22, and met all these icons I knew from concerts and articles and the telly. I met the man himself and we rehearsed his music all day long. Mark well: Not a tribute band, I was part of the real deal!

I met a totally friendly, overwhelmingly nice guy, professionally well informed about this Richie Jones he was making music with. A man who’s absolutely reflected and aware about his attribute being a national treasure, totally committed to making everybody in the room feel comfortable and easy, including himself.

Maybe the purpose of having me at a rehearsal was to check out some plan B on guitar players against the background of the pandemic.

Since the tour took place without any virus incident (hence me not playing on this tour), you might ask: „Okay, now what’s next?!?“ Frankly, I dunno, though I keep dreaming of being part of Germany’s greatest Rock’n Roll circus. But whatever may come, hey, I’m already on the bright side of life. I played with Udo Lindenberg, he liked what he saw/heard, and nobody will ever take that away from me.

Surely, a dream came true…

Hamburg, May 2022