Ricky Wilson (American Musician) - Legacy and Influence

Legacy and Influence

What was perhaps Wilson's most salient features among guitar aficionados was the creation of his own open tunings. Grouping the strings of his Mosrite guitar into a bass course (usually tuned to fifths for strumming) and a treble course (often tuned in unison), he removed the middle two strings from his playing entirely, although he sometimes played with five strings as well. As the band did not have a bassist originally, Wilson unified his tunings with a keyboard bass played by keyboardist/vocalist Kate Pierson, creating a solid rock and roll sound without a bass guitar.