The Cars – Move Like This

Used in the recording of the album "Move Like This" as explained by the guitarist.

Used in the recording of the album "Move Like This" as explained by the guitarist.

Used in the recording of the album "Move Like This" as explained by the guitarist.

Used in the recording of the album "Move Like This" as explained by the guitarist.

Used in the recording of the album "Move Like This" as explained by the guitarist.

Used in the recording of the album "Move Like This" as explained by the guitarist.

Ric Ocasek of The Cars is seen playing a Gibson SG Original in a 1978 performance on "The Midnight Special." Initially, he used an early 1970s SG, likely a '72 or '73 model, in heritage cherry with aftermarket DiMarzio pickups and a blind spot mirror on the body. This guitar was repainted to black with red pinstripes between their first album and "Panorama." Ocasek continued to use this guitar throughout his career, including during The Cars' "Move Like This" tour in 2011-2012.

Additionally, Ocasek frequently played a red 1962 SG, notable for a sticker near the bottom strap button. He began using this guitar around 1980, especially during his early solo work and "Heartbeat City." This model retained stock pickups and might be an '80s reissue.

This guitar was found for Ric by lead guitarist Elliot Easton at a hock shop for $80 in 1980 (Fender Jaguars and Jazzmasters were VERY cheap back then, considered "old surf guitars"). See the excript from the 1981 Musician Magazine interview regarding his Jazzmaster and THIS guitar.

MUSICIAN MAGAZINE 1981 "Gear Used on Shake It Up" http://dailyeventsbookpagethree.blogspot.com/2007/04/cars-musician-magazine-shake-it-up-1982.html

"Ocasek's guitar line-up is much simpler. His favorite guitar is an eight-year old Fender Jazzmaster, painted pink. "I used it on this record a lot, and I use it on every record, all the time," he said. But he didn't use it on the last tour. Instead, he took an old Fender Jaguar Easton found for him in a hock-shop. It cost $80. "I think it was just the idea of it being old and beat up," he said. "So I used that on the tour. I should have used the other one, because it sounds cleaner.""

The guitar continued to tour with The Cars despite not being as clean sounding though. It can be seen (along side several of Ric's guitars) sitting on the backline during a Door to Door tour (1987) era soundcheck along with the Jazzmaster.

Another notable use of this instrument was not by Ric Ocasek, but by Weezer, as Ric was producing Weezer's debut "Blue Album" and offered several of his guitars (many used with The Cars) for the band to use during recording of the album. Rivers Cuomo used the Jag on "Say It Ain't So" for the clean parts per multiple sources online and a Guitar World interview from 1995. - The dailyeventsbookblog that has a lot of Cars related gear info still has a post on this - http://dailyeventsbookpagethree.blogspot.com/2006/02/rics-guitars-used-on-weezers-blue.html

Ric still has the Jaguar and the last time it was seen used by him was on the Stephen Colbert show in 2011 in support of "Move Like This" - he used it on "My Best Friend's Girl" - which used to be on the site, is searchable, but currently is not availble for some reason. Probably was used because Rooney may have still had the Jazzmaster at that point.

Here's a link to the video despite it not currently being availble....as it looks like the site is changing a bit..... http://www.cc.com/video-clips/myof3i/the-colbert-report-exclusive---the-cars----my-best-friend-s-girl-

On the 2011 tour for Move Like This, Greg Hawkes upgraded from the Juno D to the Juno Di. It's visible in the clip above, from the Showbox SoDo show - their first concert in 24 years, on May 11 2011, I was at this show, front row - I saw the logo on the front of Greg's Roland.

During The Cars' 2011 tour for the album "Move Like This," Greg Hawkes played a Fender Mustang Bass on several songs, including "Touch and Go" and "I'm In Touch With Your World." While it's often thought that he used a valuable white Fender Active Precision Bass owned by the late Benjamin Orr, that bass was only used in the studio. Greg likely chose the Mustang for the tour to avoid the risk of damage or theft to Orr's bass. This is evident in a live performance video from May 12, 2011, at the Hollywood Palladium, available on YouTube. Interestingly, I attended the tour's opening show on March 10, 2011, in Seattle, and I own a similar Vintage White CIJ/MIJ Mustang Bass, which was released around 2003 after Orr's passing.