How do Rickenbacker basses sound the way they do?

[LotusCarsLtd52]

I was hoping someone could provide a scientific (or semi scientific) explanation for how a Rick 4001/4003 sounds the way it does, i.e. how it's constructed, the hardware used, the electronics used, the wood used, etc.

How would these factors allow a Rick to sound different from, for example, a Fender P-bass or from a Warwick bass? What are the scientific reasons why each instrument sounds different from the other when the average joe might simply say "well they're all basses so what's the difference?" I understand that hardware, wood, etc. all play a factor but how do these different factors afford a Rick it's bright treble and, say, a Gibson Thunderbird it's boomy low end?

Or to provide another example: If you took a Rick and compared it with another maple-bodied bass they would likely sound different. Why?

This is more to satiate my curiosity about different basses and why each model sounds unique.

 

[Tarrbot]

Invalid Link Removed your first stop.

There's a lot of reading to do.

Suffice it to say that there are a lot of factors that make a Rickenbacker sound the way it does.

Taking another neck-thru bass that has a bubinga fretboard and comparing it to a Rickenbacker doesn't mean it'll sound the same at all. Each piece plays a part.

That's not to say that you take away one piece and it doesn't sound like a Rickenbacker but to say that it's more than a single piece that makes the sound.

 

[Ric5]

Here's a few reasons for the Rickenbacker sound

1 - neck thru construction
2 - maple body
3 - bubinga fretboard
4 - single coil pickups
5 - pickup locations
6 - conversion varnish on body and fretboard
7 - the Rick bridge and tailpiece
8 - dual truss rods

 

[LotusCarsLtd52]

Here's a few reasons for the Rickenbacker sound

1 - neck thru construction
2 - maple body
3 - bubinga fretboard
4 - single coil pickups
5 - pickup locations
6 - conversion varnish on body and fretboard
7 - the Rick bridge and tailpiece
8 - dual truss rods

So theoretically anyone could try replicating this on a custom-built bass and get the same tonal result (or close to it)?

 

[MichaelScott]

Yes. But don't forget the fairy dust.

 

[Engine207]

Here's a few reasons for the Rickenbacker sound

1 - neck thru construction
2 - maple body
3 - bubinga fretboard
4 - single coil pickups
5 - pickup locations
6 - conversion varnish on body and fretboard
7 - the Rick bridge and tailpiece
8 - dual truss rods

9 - the fingers of the player

 

[LotusCarsLtd52]

Yes. But don't forget the fairy dust.

I think I recall something about being careful when moving refrigerators not to hurt your back...

 

[Getaway Driver]

I recall reading that the toaster pickup is actually a guitar pickup, which explains the strong midrange and treble rick's are known for.

 

[glamrockin]

I think there is a capacitor on the bridge pickup that dumps some low end.

 

[LotusCarsLtd52]

I recall reading that the toaster pickup is actually a guitar pickup, which explains the strong midrange and treble rick's are known for.

You know that's actually a very interesting idea I wouldn't have thought of myself. Can anyone verify this?

It seems like a very easy way to get that midrange punch and high treble I like so much

 

[xray]

Damit - this whole time I thought it was the strings.

 

[Number27]

9 - the fingers of the player

this is the one time where that particular talkbass cliche doesn't apply

 

[Holy War]

this is the one time where that particular talkbass cliche doesn't apply

+1

My 3 year old cousin could pluck a ric string and it would sound like a ric

 

[bassbenj]

Here's a few reasons for the Rickenbacker sound

1 - neck thru construction
2 - maple body
3 - bubinga fretboard
4 - single coil pickups
5 - pickup locations
6 - conversion varnish on body and fretboard
7 - the Rick bridge and tailpiece
8 - dual truss rods

Each thing contributes, but in spite of the long arguments here about the "sound" of various wood, it is a small difference. Also a bridge, while a source of much debate as to which one makes your bass "better", my experience is that unless your bridge is truly crappy, it makes little difference too. And I've never had any hint that truss rod makes any difference in tone unless it's broken and buzzing.

So what does that leave? Right. The usual pickups and electronics (circuits). First off the Ric pickup with the big bar over the top is especially interesting in that since that bar is heavy and magnetic it drastically changes the shape of the magnetic field over the pickup. Hey, I've noticed a tone change in my SX when I add the neck or bridge pickup covers and they are just thin metal for looks. Hence we can assume that much of the Ric sound is in the pickups. The major difference between a P and J bass is in the factors of the pickup. I VERY much doubt that the neck or the fact that a J bass has an angled waist makes any but the slightest difference.

My bet is that if you could get some Ric pickups (of course with the Ric attitude, you'd have to buy a whole Ric and rip the pickups out and throw the rest of the bass away to get them and then maybe get sued if you showed your creation to anyone) and mounted them in a reasonably similar bass body in terms of mass and thickness etc. located in about the same places along the strings, it'd sound pretty much like a Ric.

But as someone already said, bass tone like the tone of ANY instrument depends on a total combination of ALL features. A Stradivarius isn't made radically different from some student violin, but the combination of various things has been tweaked so the final result combines to be spectacular.

 

[BC8705]

To me, the pickup position seems to play a big role. Just a pre-warning but I'm probably full of it.

-Look at the pickup positions of a Fender Jazz bass. One pickup is near the bridge and one in the middle position. That middle pickup helps round the tone with the midrange and treble.
-Now look at the pickup positions of a pre-70's Gibson EB-3 (or SG bass). One pickup is near the bridge and the other is right against the neck. The lack of middle pickup gives it the boomy but farty tone. Seems like Gibson thought "Our guitars have one pickup at the neck and another at the bridge so why not for our basses?" Notice how the Thunderbird, which most can say is their most popular model, uses Jazz bass spacing.
-Now look at the pickups positions on a Ric 4001, 4003, or 4004. One pickup is just about the middle position but still close to the bridge and the other very close to the neck. I'm sure the ppl at Ric have a good explanation for this but to me its seems like the pickups are in the same spot as they'd be if it was one of their guitars (look at a 450 model) or something close to it.

Obviously you cant forget about the woods used, and it overall construction but I think we forget just how important pickup placement is. That's just my opinion and we all know what they say about opinions, right?

 

[lowphatbass]

Or to provide another example: If you took a Rick and compared it with another maple-bodied bass they would likely sound different. Why?

How many other maple bodied basses can you think of to compare it to?

 

[illidian]

How many other maple bodied basses can you think of to compare it to?

The Squier 70's VM.

 

[PhR]

This might help a bit:
Invalid Link Removed

 

[Demonator]

After seeing Lemmy and Jerry Only play their Ricks I want a 4001.

 

[Indiana Mike]

How many other maple bodied basses can you think of to compare it to?

Epiphone ripper reissue , the newest one , not the older POS. Had one , huge body .
Bright zingy tone.

Ltd. Ed. RIPPER Bass - The Ripper is back from the past with a few new features straight from the Epiphone Custom Shop. With a hard maple body is a bass player’s and matching maple neck and fingerboard, it's a bass player's delight. The back of the neck has a satin finish for smooth feel while the fingerboard is a high gloss polyurethane finish to give years of protection. For great sustain, we’ve added a brass nut and a bolt on style bridge giving maximum transfer of sound. Add to that a new PJ pickup configuration with individual volume controls, master tone and a three way toggle, the Ripper delivers a complete tonal spectrum from thundering rock lines to delicate jazz counterpoint.