The Cars – Panorama

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.

Ric Ocasek of The Cars used a Dean Cadillac Electric Guitar, which was reportedly ordered for him by bandmate Elliot Easton when Easton received his Dean endorsement in 1979. This guitar, initially a white Dean Elite, was first used during The Cars' debut album tour. Notably, it was thrown across the stage during a show on the Panorama tour and may have been modified into a three-pickup "Japanese Flag Graphic" design, as seen in a 1981 performance on "Fridays" supporting the "Shake It Up" album. In an interview with Musician Magazine, Ocasek mentioned using the Dean guitar in concerts, although not in studio recordings, as he found its sound too bright. He preferred a 1955 Les Paul double-cutaway, an SG, and a regular Les Paul for studio work. His setup also included D'Addario medium strings and an Ampeg V-4 amp for its adjustable midrange. This Dean guitar was possibly the only one Ocasek owned.

Sometime toward the later end of The Cars initial album tour, Ric Ocasek and Elliot Easton got some B.C. Rich guitars, Elliot got a left-handed Mockingbird, and Ric this right handed 10-string Bich model.

The guitar was used from the later part of the 1st album tour, and the recording of Candy-O and Panorama in 1980. It's easy to tell what songs the Bich 10-string is used on because Ric Ocasek rarely, if almost never, uses any pedals in his sound, so songs with the B.C. Rich on them sound like there is a chorus or a 12-string guitar when he hits the higher strings. "Since I Held You" off of Candy-O, both here and on the Musikladen performance, has this sound to it.

Supposedly and Eventually the guitar was repainted black, turned into a six string (maybe), and eventually found it's way to a Hard Rock Cafe in an airport in India. Ric stopped using the B.C. Rich around the time of Shake It Up at the latest. A picture of this guitar in it's present state was availible on Hard Rock Cafe's website under memoribelia.

Ric Ocasek started using the Gibson Les Paul Special (Double Cutaway) variants sometime around 1979-1980, and continued to use them off and on through the rest of The Cars career and on through his solo career up through the 1990's. Ric owns several of these including a Cherry one (Panorama tour), a Gray One (the provided Viva Variety Clip), and a TV yellow one (Drive Music video).

Ric said he like's Les Pauls but never a Heavy one, per the interview below.....mostly it focuses on Greg Hawkes - Ric's "Right Hand Man", but it does mention gear... see quote below link... http://dailyeventsbookpagethree.blogspot.com/2006/03/rics-right-hand-man-greg-hawkes.html

Ric Ocasek is a Gibson guitar man, playing mostly a '55 Les Paul Jr or an SG. Occasionally, he'll switch to a Fender guitar, usually his pink Jazzmaster. All are sent through Marshall amps with a minimum of treatment.

No photo exists of Elliot actually playing the Lead II but he does own one. I happened to capture one of his guitars (the one used on Shake It Up for the title track and the song "Cruiser") before the Hard Rock Cafe took the images of those guitars offline (they had at least 3 of Elliot's leads - one red Fender Lead 1 1/2 that looks like a survivor of a house fire, the red Lead II I posted the link to below, and a white Fender Lead I that was used to record the solo to "Touch and Go" on Panorama).

Here's the picture of EE's straight off of Pinterest - I saved it from the Hard Rock Website when it was still there https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5e/13/19/5e13198f3fe0d9b01861b547cffb8bc3--the-shakes-shake-it.jpg

The Daily Event's Book Blog also lists out the Lead II's use on "Shake It Up" in a interview taken from Musician Magazine in 1982 done during the release of that album http://dailyeventsbookpagethree.blogspot.com/2007/04/cars-musician-magazine-shake-it-up-1982.html

Let's start with Easton's short-form guitar list. The Fender guitars he used on the album were mostly the Telecaster and the Lead II. "I didn't play the Stratocaster on the whole album, except for 'Cruiser,' that crazy thing where it ends slamming the door."

Elliot Easton used a Fender Lead I on the guitar solo for "Touch and Go" off the Panorama album. Here's the Quote from the Forum, right from the source himself.

01-06-08, 02:08 PM #29 Elliot Easton Elliot Easton is offline Les Paul Forum Member Elliot Easton's Avatar

Join Date Mar 2003 Location Los Angeles Posts 3,416

Re: Question for Elliot Easton

thanks, it's one of the solos that i'm proudest of. i used a fender lead 1 guitar through a boogie head into a marshall cab in case you're interested. i also 'composed' the solo beforehand. it wasn't one where i simply 'winged' it, that's for sure!

"A little bit of knowledge can be a very dangerous thing."

Greg Hawkes, known for his work with The Cars, occasionally played rhythm guitar on tracks not originally featured on their albums, such as "You Just Can't Push Me" and "Take What You Want." These songs, available on expanded editions like The Cars Deluxe Edition, notably lack synthesizer parts. In these recordings, Greg's guitar, often delivering a fuzztone sound, adds depth to the mix.

Additionally, Greg Hawkes is pictured with an Ovation Breadwinner guitar on the inner sleeve of The Cars' album "Panorama," alongside his bandmates and their respective instruments.