Do Rics suck?

[X Wolf]

Not if you like the way they look, play, sound and feel. I had a 4001 for a short time back in the seventies and although I loved the way it looked at the time, I never got comfortable with it and I always thought it sounded more like a 4 string guitar than a bass. My favorite Rick was the long discontinued Semi Hollow 4005, I think they should bring that one back.

George

 

[keb]

I went through a modding phase on my Rick, where I tried out different pickups and such. I'm back to a stock setup now.

Chris Squire and Geddy Lee didn't really mod theirs too much. Squire's is basically stock (indeed the stories of the shaving-down of his Rick seem to be exaggerated) and Geddy puts Badass bridges on pretty much all his basses (except for the Wals), including the '70s Fender his sig bass was based upon.

Paul McCartney's wasn't too messed up either, besides a weird paintjob and a subsequent sanding-down of it, and some bridge pickup swapping (all Rick pickups) along the line. (The [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] is based on McCartney's "modded" bass.)

And everyone and their dog has modded various Fender basses over the years; certainly doesn't mean they suck.

 

[PrimusNut]

I will agree that a Ric feels awkward to play, at first... It takes a while to adjust to playing fingerstyle on it because it is kinda cluttered, but eventually you find the spot (or 2, or 3...) that feel right, and play there. I guess just like everything else, it is a mtter of personal opnion.

BTW, Cliff had his Ric for quite a few years before he modded it. Maybe he just got bored with the tone, and loved the feel too much to buy a different bass? I was also reading an interview that was not too long before he died, where he stated his "Ricky" needed some work. Anyone know what happened to it? Or was he just modding it again?

 

[Chronicle]

look at this baby, how can you say you dont like it D:

 

[dave_p]

rics do not suck, not by a long shot. I owned a 1981 4001. it was white, black binding and mother of toilet seat triangle inlays. all stock. it was beautiful to play, neck and action were perfect and would stay put for years between setups. the neck was fast. best playing instrument i have ever seen.
after many years of gigs and rehearsals with it i came to the realization that it was a one trick pony. it had one sound and was almost always too thin to cut through. this is through many high and low quality amplifiers, p.a. systems ,professional sound reinforcement you name it. it just never sounded the way i, the engineers, other bandmates thought it should. so i sold it eventually for as much as i paid for it many years earlier. seemed for years used 4001s hovered around 500$ in any condition. now they are back in vogue and it saddens me to know i probably could have gotten well over 1000$ for it today. i miss it as a piece, but not as a working instrument. it was as well crafted a bass as you can get. just a one trick pony. imho ymmv.

 

[Jack]

Geddy Lee figured out how to blow me

Man, I really want that as a sig.

 

[lonote]

They're fine quality instruments with a distinctive look and sound. No, they don't suck. I have to say they aren't my cup of tea but they certainly don't suck. Rics are kind of like sauerkraut...either you love them or you don't but you're definitely not undecided. There's a reason there are so many instruments in the market place - not everybody has the same tastes, wants and needs.