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Can you tell the difference between a Rickenbacker and a Precision?

Which bass belongs to which song?

  • Darkness = Precision, Robin Hood = Rickenbacker

    Votes: 80 32.1%

  • Darkness = Rickenbacker, Robin Hood = Precision

    Votes: 102 41.0%

  • I honestly cannot tell the difference

    Votes: 19 7.6%

  • This sloppy_phil guy is a complete moron; it's obvious they were both recorded with CARROTS!!!

    Votes: 48 19.3%
  • Total voters
    249
#42
GBassNorth said:
I voted for the first song as a precision and the second one as a Ric.
Had to listen to each a couple of times. Observations - First, your playing is excellent, really good groove going! Second, both songs are very good pro quality tunes (not much into regge but still very good) do a cover of red wine:). Third, you did an excellent job of taking two very different sounding basses and made them sound very similar, like I said I had to listen to each recording a couple of time before I felt confident about voting. The first recording really captured the growl and grit and hi mid range of a typical Ric but sounded fuller and deeper than the second recording. The second one sounded just a growly and gritty but was slightly more tinny or thin and focused, kinda the same sound I'd expect from a Dano or Bronco, no real boomy tone like the precision is so capable of doing. So that's how I voted song one = precision; song 2 (robinhood) = Ric.
So now you've proven that you can get a very good Ric type tone from a P bass - impressive, whodathunk! I'd be equally impressed if you could lay down a bass line recording where you get the Ric to sound like a P bass.
Maybe that should be the challenge of the month - someone provide a solo bass track of a specific bass sounding like that bass is stereotypically expected to sound then see how close everyone else can get to it with completely different basses (without using effects). It'd be interesting to see how flexible some basses and bass players really are, I bet we'd all be very surprised at the results. Can you get a fretless stingray with an ebony board or a Ric with SS strings or a Dingwall with tape wounds or a Squier P bass with flats to sound like a fretted Jazz with round wounds? could get interesting.
Click to expand...

Well, glad I could get you into some reggae for a moment, even if it's not your favourite!

It's funny, I didn't specifically set out when recording to try and make my basses sound the same; in fact I was a little nervous about bringing the Ric out to this band once I got it; figured it would be way too Prog or something. But it worked, and when we finished with the songs, I was pretty surprised by how similar the basses sounded.

And that would be a neat project to try out. Could be tough to arrange, but the results would be pretty cool I expect.

DogBone said:
I still smile to myself whenever I read someone put either a P or a Ric in a box.

They both are quite versatile and can each have a wide range of attitude depending on how they are played.
Click to expand...

Yeah, this whole thread was a really roundabout way of me trying to make this same point. I figured just saying it didn't avail me enough; had to go to the hard evidence!
 
#44
DogBone said:
I got it right, but then I've owned and recorded with both basses over the years.

I still smile to myself whenever I read someone put either a P or a Ric in a box.

They both are quite versatile and can each have a wide range of attitude depending on how they are played.
Click to expand...

I have also owned both for many years and got it wrong. Honestly, I'm shocked I was quite sure I was right.

Just goes to show, the tone is in the fingers.
 
#47
You must have cheated. You must have manipulated the recording. You must have really messed up electronics in the Ric. No, wait, you have really messed up electronics in the P. And your DI must have somehow greatly colored the tone. And, um, let's see... Oh, yeah, computer clips are all greatly compressed so they all sound the same anyway.

Either that or the two basses sound pretty similar when you play them. But, of course, we don't want to believe that. ;)

CONSPIRACY!!!! :D :D :D
 
#50
Bassman7PM said:
Darkness = Precision, Robin Hood = Rickenbacker. Oh yeah, nice playing.
Click to expand...

I haven't read the answer yet. I'm not as familiar with the Ric sound as I guess I should be - never had or played one. I'm sticking with this assessment because Robin Hood sounds more hollow, and I always thought that was a characteristic of Rics.... I'm playing the bass line to Eight Days A Week in my head to prove I'm right....

I've got a 50/50 chance of being right....

YES!!!!!! :bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#51
I voted "I can't tell". I realized that while I *wanted* Darkness to be the precision, I couldn't say for sure. The tone on Robin Hood was thinner in some way. SonicFrog may be more correct in calling it hollow.

Anyway, I am glad that Darkness was the precision.
 
#56
the original thread that bass got posted in was a pretty interesting and enlightening read. something about a jazz bass vs the scrapwood bass; really crazy!

I should have another mix of Robin Hood done on Saturday; we have to get that and one other song fully mastered still. Went in today to touch up the mix, and we pumped the bass and kick drum up a bit; everybody agreed the tune needed a little more thump! Also altered the amp/DI blend to favour the amp, and it's got more of the cabinet's high-end roll off going on now, too.
 

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