He felt he had to continue to try to do something to contribute to the household finances and so opened RIJAN Music store directly in front of their house in a building that had been a family owned sign business for many years. He knew he could sell music instruments and accessories and give beginner guitar lessons from the wheelchair and he was right.

The business is flourishing and he is continually getting new students. His favorite students are the children because they are like sponges and are so eager to learn plus they are fascinated by the many stories he has to tell. Rick and Jan are currently registered with BMI both as songwriters and as "RiJan Publishing" and remain active in that part of the business.

Rick has always been a "thinker" and is always coming up with things that are/were different and creative. It was recently noted, by Ralph Emery that Rick was the first person known to have recorded a country trumpet solo. In 1966, he recorded Sammy Wells on a 45 rpm record, produced by himself and Dean Beard. Side A was "The Minute You've Gone" and Side B was "Hello Dolly". "Hello Dolly" was the trumpet solo.

Rick was also one of the first people in this part of the country to use a monitor on stage. He got to thinking that the band needed to hear themselves, so built a monitor speaker and turned it around on stage so they could hear themselves. He said he caught a lot of flack from other bands at the time saying he was crazy and that the audience needed to hear the music, not the band. Of course, now there is no band anywhere that would think of trying to perform without monitors. Funny how things and times change and how someone's crazy ideas become common place.

Back when he was a youngster playing music in the 40's and hanging around all the old pickers, he began to wonder why there couldn't be a solid body or "slab" guitar. So, he got an old lap steel and went to work in his Dad's carpenter shop making a neck, frets etc to modify the old instrument. It worked and Rick wound up trading that home-made slab guitar to another picker for a really good acoustic guitar. Now, he's come up with another idea. He is customizing his own line of guitars called "Creative Sound". If you are interested in talking to him about one of these unique guitars, just give him a call, e-mail, or drop in the store. He would be more than glad to show you and let you play one to hear the GREAT acoustic sound for yourself.

Don't forget to ask about a "Creative Sound" guitar with internal condenser microphone installation.

Creative Sound Guitars
(Click thumbnail images for larger pics.)

Creative Sound Guitars obviously do not sport fancy inlay, etc. They are designed for one purpose only: that being a quality acoustic instrument with excellent tone and affordability.

The mahogany sides and back are topped with AAA spruce of precision thickness. The mahogany necks are fitted with sound hole accessible, adjustable truss rods. Fingerboard and bridge are made from rosewood. The bridge pins, saddle and nut are genuine bone. These guitars are assembled with X-bracing and quarter sawn spruce braces with basswood kerfing. They are fitted with die-cast sealed machines and a strategically places 1 7/8" chrome sound hole screen; a unique feature that is an integral part of the great acoustic sound. Each and every part is carefully hand-fitted.

Creative Sound Guitars are precisely what the name implies - Creative Sound. Please feel free to e-mail if you have any questions or want to learn more!
  
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