Don Rich - Musical Equipment

Musical Equipment

Don Rich used primarily Fender guitars and amps. In the early days, Don would play Buck's ’51 Telecaster through a Fender Bassman amplifier. In 1964, Fender gave Buck Owens an endorsement deal and the band gained instruments. Don received a Telecaster that had both its body and headstock finished in champagne metal flake in addition to having checkerboard binding on both sides of the guitar's body. The band received other Fender amplifiers as well, and so Don also played through a Twin Reverb amplifier.

Buck and Don received new guitars in 1966, a pair of Silver Flake Telecasters that were double bound in plain black. Also around 1966, Buck had Bakersfield guitar repairman/technician Gene Moles finish another set of guitars in Red White and Blue. Fender would also give Don a Gold Sparkle Tele in the late 60's that was bound in plain black. It had no finish on the headstock.

Fender's deal with most of their artists was that they would exchange their instruments for new ones every 7 years or so. Buck refused to return the instruments given to them by Fender, so Fender stopped giving them instruments. Gibson picked up on this and in the early 70's they struck up a deal with Buck. Don received an ES-335 as well as a Les Paul Professional model.

Buck and Don would later go back to playing their Red, White and Blue Telecasters.