With Redd Kross during the Teen Babes from Monsanto era, 1984–1985, Hecker's main guitar was a 1979 Gibson The "SG", played through any number of different amplifiers (Peavey, Acoustic Control Corporation, Sunn, Hiwatt, Traynor, Randall).
In the mid-to-late 1980s, he played a pair of Carvin guitars: first, a red DC125, which would be enshrined at the Hard Rock Cafe in 1987; and after, a green DC200, 'Cal', which had the lower horn removed.
Dream and Redd Kross Researching the Blues eras, his amplifier rig consisted of a Mesa/Boogie Triaxis preamp run through a Mesa/Boogie 20/20 power amp driving a pair of Mesa/Boogie 1x12 EV Thiel cabinets, and a Marshall JMP1 preamp sounding out through a pair of Marshall 1912 1x12 Celestion cabinets.
In 1983, Robert Hecker ran the 110 meter high hurdles in 14.56 seconds, a Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach) school record for 23 years, until Drew Johnston (whom Hecker taught to hurdle) clocked 14.39 seconds at CIF prelims in 2006.
Hecker ran the 60 meter hurdles in 8.1 seconds as a member of the El Camino College track team, and was the Exemplary Physical Education Major of the Year at California State University, Dominguez Hills.