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Do Rics suck?

#2
Matt Till said:
Blasphemy, I know, but hear me out.

Think of all the greats who played Rics... Chris Squire, Lemmy, Geddy Lee, Cliff Burton...

They all modded their Rics in some way or another.

Do Rics right out the box suck? Why do you drop a butt ton of money on something you have to fix? Weird.
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No, they are awesome. Lots of pros modify basses of all brands, especially Fender's. I think the fact that they all chose a Ric and played with it rather than getting a whole other bass might speak more to their greatness than being a sign that they stink. But everyone has their own opinion I guess.
 
#3
Lets see...neck through, great action, stunning finishes, pretty freakin' durable and killer tone for $1100-ish (4003). I'd say they are a bargain and compare with basses costing twice as much. So I don't define the cost as a "butt ton" for what you get. Plus, for the artists that you mentioned I doubt that the cost is an issue. You get what is closest to what you need and tweak it from there.

My Ric 4004's were rock solid and top notch out of the box and I only changed the bridges on two of 'em since I switched the hardware to black and the stock ABM bridge isn't easy to find in black (I have found that I actually prefer the Hipshot though).

My ex-4003's were also killer as stock but as my needs changed I swapped the p/u's for Barts because my tone needs changed.....but that doesn't mean the the stock parts were subpar. Far from it....I just needed something different.

So yes, my Rics suck.....:bassist:
rickfamily14.gif
 
#8
I love my stock 4003, but I think you have to pay close attention to your amp, cab, EQ, etc. to "tame" them if you're looking to sound unoffensive, and they can sound that way. But when you get it right, they mix amazingly, IMHO. BTW, how did McCartney mod his?
 
#10
No , they do not but, the one I bought ( brand new)required a lot of tweaking to get the string volume balanced to my liking. That was my only complaint. They (RIC inc.) could take a look at this and improve on this IMO.

They are great instruments that hold their value!
 
#12
Indiana Mike said:
No , they do not but, the one I bought ( brand new)required a lot of tweaking to get the string volume balanced to my liking. That was my only complaint. They (RIC inc.) could take a look at this and improve on this IMO.
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Lo and behold, they've just recently started phasing in a new pickup design with adjustable polepieces.
 
#13
Everyone likes their setup different so I think Ric (and most companies) shoot for a middle of the road. I accept some initial tweaking as a bonding time with my new bass and certainly don't consider the need for a personal setup as any negative against a manufacturer.

knarleybass said:
I have heard that they have gone with a new trussrod design that makes the neck more stable and doesn't cause the fretboard to pop off.
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Ric changed their trussrod design in the early '80's IIRC. No new developments there.
 
#18
Skel said:
When I first heard some of Rush's early stuff, especially "2112", I would listen to the bass tone for hours and hours. I couldn't get enough of it. Geddy Lee figured out how to blow me away with one.
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+1. :cool: IMO Geddy's tone was at it's best when he used a Rick.

IMHO Ricks do not suck. Once I heard Geddy, then Chris Squire, I had to have a Rick. No other bass sounds like a Rick, and when one is properly setup, no other bass plays like a Rick. :bassist:
 
#19
First time I played my stock Ric, I played O Susanna and it almost sounded like Chris Squire! I don't think Roger Glover or Paul McCartney modded theirs, and Lemmy and Geddy didn't really make huge mods to theirs. They suck so little it's not even funny.
 
#20
Personally, I did not like the tone of my stock Rick at all. The bass was well built, and felt nice, but compared to my Fenders it was severely lacking in tone. I can't help but to believe alot of the perceived tone lives in the nostalgia factor of these basses. I mean, mine was not bad, but considering the price, I was much happier with a MIM Fender at almost 1/3 the price. I'd happily pay $500 for another good as new 4003, but at $1,100 or so, forget it, it's just not worth it, IMO.
 

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