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Anyone actually use Rick-O-Sound?

#21
BigOldHarry said:
Ric5, It sounds as if you are not much of a Rick fan...
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I love Ric basses ... they are cool ... but I am realistic ... I dislike pickup covers, mechanical mutes, ric-o-sound, and bass cutting capacitors. My 2001 4003 has none of those features and it has also been converted into a 5 string bass ... I am not a purist. The Ric purists usually hate me for my opinions.
 
#22
Chuck King said:
I have in fact used the Rick-O-Sound on my 4001 in a gig setting. Running the bridge pickup through an amp with a hairier tone but the neck pickup through an amp set cleaner allows the best of both worlds, tonally: distorted snarl that doesn't also come with muddy low end. And, for a couple songs, I was able to use pedals on the treble pickup signal without affecting the foundation provided by the neck pickup signal. I sent each through its own channel of my amp.
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I can see that... Perhaps other effects on the bridge p'up...

If this arrangement is so cool, why for aren't more guys wiring their J basses this way, I wonder - because it DOES sound kinda cool...
 
#23
BigOldHarry said:
Ric5, It sounds as if you are not much of a Rick fan...
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He got hit over the head with a Ric as a child (so to speak):p :hiding:
(I'm joking, man- you just tell it like it is)

I really WANT to use it but haven't got around to buying a stereo lead. Not to run 2 amps- but to run single PUPs through effects (eg distortion+ Hi EQ on the bridge) - then mixing back through the 2 channels of the B15.
 
#27
Ric5 said:
A good active bass will do better when equalized properly.
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I disagree. I don't own a Ric, but would if I didn't find them so uncomfortable to play for more than a couple songs. But I have owned several quality basses with active pups. I've aways thought nothing cuts through a mix AND still sounds interesting tonally better than a stock Ric.
It's a sound I've always wanted, on a bass I don't like to play. Someday I'll get a set of stock ric pups and mount 'em in a P-bass. Think I'll start a thread on that...
 
#28
Jonesy said:
I disagree. I don't own a Ric, but would if I didn't find them so uncomfortable to play for more than a couple songs. But I have owned several quality basses with active pups. I've aways thought nothing cuts through a mix AND still sounds interesting tonally better than a stock Ric.
It's a sound I've always wanted, on a bass I don't like to play. Someday I'll get a set of stock ric pups and mount 'em in a P-bass. Think I'll start a thread on that...
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I'm curious what makes them uncomfortable for you? I'm fairly short ( 5'8" ) with small hands and I hardly know I've got it strapped on.
 
#29
lawsonman said:
I'm curious what makes them uncomfortable for you? I'm fairly short ( 5'8" ) with small hands and I hardly know I've got it strapped on.
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I'm not Jonesy, but I have to agree - I find the feel of Rick's to be awful. They sound dandy - and look very cool, but the necks just don't work for me (and as a HUGE Chris Squire fan as a kid, that really pissed me off:mad:).
 
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#35
Jonesy said:
I disagree. I don't own a Ric, but would if I didn't find them so uncomfortable to play for more than a couple songs. But I have owned several quality basses with active pups. I've aways thought nothing cuts through a mix AND still sounds interesting tonally better than a stock Ric.
It's a sound I've always wanted, on a bass I don't like to play. Someday I'll get a set of stock ric pups and mount 'em in a P-bass. Think I'll start a thread on that...
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Rics have a great tone but they are not the only basses that cut through the mix ... plus cutting through the mix and good tone are 2 different things.

here is a p-bass with Rickenbaacker hb-2 pickups

p-bassr531.jpg
 
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#37
I've never used the Rick-O-Sound either, but I'm wondering if a poor man's solution to lugging more gear to a gig would be to run 1 output directly to the PA and/or through a Bass Pod. Anyone tried that?

Question: is the Rick-O-Sound output only active when you've got 2 cables input into the Rick, or is it supposed to function as a separate stand-alone mono output on it's own? I don't get any sound when I run a single cable out of the Rick-O-Sound jack.
 
#38
pjmuck said:
Question: is the Rick-O-Sound output only active when you've got 2 cables input into the Rick, or is it supposed to function as a separate stand-alone mono output on it's own? I don't get any sound when I run a single cable out of the Rick-O-Sound jack.
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iirc the Rick-O-Sound output jack is designed to accept a stereo (TRS) 1/4" plug wired as a Y-cable.
 
#39
i used it when i had mine running one pickup clean and the other overdriven into two different rigs and it sounded great, but its probably more than most folks want to both with on a regular basis.
 

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