I got a 4001 in 1972 and adapted easily to playing it with a pick, something I had never done in my previous seven years of playing. I used the PUP cover as a wrist anchor. Never liked the sound of it with fingers, though.
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I Honestly Cant Stand Playing A Rick
- Thread starter John Deacon
- Start date
Wow, I spent nearly 10 minuets reading up to this point. And I'm posting reguardless. Whatever your feelings, I'll just continue to thouroughly enjoy the hell out of my Rics. To me, nothing else comes close in all the major catagories, looks, feel, comfort, and sound. All aces. But, as mentioned somewhere in here, I wish more people would hate them, so that demand would finally settle down. I've been waiting on my 3rd one for 15 months already.
Had a '73 Ric I bought new back in my Chris Squire idolatry days. After I heard Larry Graham's 'Hair' about 1975 I started getting more into R&B, slap and grew to hate it (I should also mention that I don't use a pick...) Traded it to a punk rocker in Hollywood for a beat up old 61 Jazz. NO REGRETS(and I still have the Jazz, now fretless).
I gotta say -it was a beautiful bass. Burgundy with the checkerboard binding. Biggest gripe (in my unsolicited opinion): No low-end punch. Low notes on the 4001 would 'woof' ...low notes on the Jazz 'punch'. I've heard Rics sound damn good in other player's hands though.
I gotta say -it was a beautiful bass. Burgundy with the checkerboard binding. Biggest gripe (in my unsolicited opinion): No low-end punch. Low notes on the 4001 would 'woof' ...low notes on the Jazz 'punch'. I've heard Rics sound damn good in other player's hands though.
I refer you people to the second phrase of this page: http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=boiling_blood
Because I'm seeing a hell of a lot of it in this thread. People feeling the need to aggressively state THEIR opinions as if they're the OP is threatening them. Calm the heck down. People calling it bashing when it is just his opinion, trying to validate their choices by saying the OP is wrong or whatever. Stop being such babies.
Because I'm seeing a hell of a lot of it in this thread. People feeling the need to aggressively state THEIR opinions as if they're the OP is threatening them. Calm the heck down. People calling it bashing when it is just his opinion, trying to validate their choices by saying the OP is wrong or whatever. Stop being such babies.
I think Danish people are shiftless and lazy.
Hey! Just my opinon so you have no right to flame me!
(I'm Danish BTW, just trying to make a point.)
I bought mine (lefty) new in '79 & played it for about two years until I got a "P", I probably haven't put ten hours on it since then. I still pull it out once in a while believing I should love it, but it goes back in the case after a few minutes. I should probably sell it to someone who will love it, but I don't know. Anyway, It just wasn't for me.
Hey, people can state their opposing opinions, thats what forums are for, but don't treat it like your entire livelihood is on the line if you don't defend your choices. Like his opinion will dominate yours unless you dominate it back. Or trying to "prove" his opinion is wrong.
The OP was soliciting a response from folks that felt the same way.
What he got was people that agreed with him and others that did not. Its a forum.
I think he's right that Rics are not for him. I think he's wrong that they are overpriced and over rated.
What he got was people that agreed with him and others that did not. Its a forum.
I think he's right that Rics are not for him. I think he's wrong that they are overpriced and over rated.
To the simmer down crowd - To a certain extent I agree. After all this is the internet (which I thank the little techno geeks for everyday).
I actually did not have too much of a problem with his post. It was just that - his opinion. But don't you think having a thread titled "I honestly can't stand playing a Ric" is just like throwing up a lightning rod? And IMO that is just begging for aggressive responses. I am probably wrong but I certainly don't remember threads with similiar titles for P-basses or EBMM.
I actually did not have too much of a problem with his post. It was just that - his opinion. But don't you think having a thread titled "I honestly can't stand playing a Ric" is just like throwing up a lightning rod? And IMO that is just begging for aggressive responses. I am probably wrong but I certainly don't remember threads with similiar titles for P-basses or EBMM.
WOW! How about if everyone
a)takes a time out
b)gives 'Roundabout" a fresh listen.
c)contemplates the jaw-dropping combination of tone and bass creativity on that track...THAT's a Ric in the right hands!
a)takes a time out
b)gives 'Roundabout" a fresh listen.
c)contemplates the jaw-dropping combination of tone and bass creativity on that track...THAT's a Ric in the right hands!
I bought my 4001 in '78 ( its a '77). I love the neck and you get used to the body feel, just like a anyone does comparing their Favorite Chevy vs. a Ford as far as driveability. I did remove the cumbersome bridge pickup cover and by-passed the .0047 cap. on the bridge PU, thanks to the instructions out there on the web. The hard-to-adjust intonation ws solved with the relacement bridge from Hipshot. I hated to do it initially, due to the originality thing. It is not only easy to adjust, but looks great, and gave it more bottom and drive. (Yes, I have all the original parts, including screws) Love it. Will keep it as long as I can still do it respectably. Mark
- Apr 21, 2000
- 10,465
- 866
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- Disclosures
- Gallien Krueger for the last 12 years!
I generally don't like the way Fenders feel, play or sound.....so what. I just don't play 'em.....what's your point? Rics are overrated and overpriced to you yet you state it like it is an absolute. Great bashing thread.
LOL! Doesn't feel so good, eh? Now you know how the Warwick bunch feels. Everything is funny and fine, until your favorite bass gets bashed.
I've seen it several times on this forum and I just don't get it. A person states a negative opinion on a piece of equipment and it turns into an all out war. I really don't feel like the original post was in any way inappropriate. Sure, I feel that Ric fans have every right in the world to defend their favorite basses, but I just cannot understand the tendency to take it so personally. I understand that your equipment might be a vital part of your sound and technique, and maybe you therefor take any blow to your gear as a blow to your playing, but I personally think that's a little overboard. If I told you I hated the way my EB-3 sounds, would that be a condemnation of every great bassist who's ever played one? All it should mean is that I have a hard time making it work for what I want to do with it. I do think that respect is important, and that we should we should all try to understand where other people are coming from, but is it really necessary for people to pad ever sentence with a few lines of "in my opinion", and "for my purposes", and "this is all completely subjective"? I think if we generally assumed those lines as implied by the fact that it's an opinion, it might be easier to have these kinds of discussions without it turning into such heated argument. I think there should be allowance for somebody to state their opinions on gear and not have it be the big deal that it usually seems to be.
As for Rics, I've never played one. I have a feeling I'd have a hard time with one, but I think they definitely look cool and have a neat sound. They are WAY too expensive for me to ever even seriously consider getting, so I don't let myself think about them all that much.
As for Rics, I've never played one. I have a feeling I'd have a hard time with one, but I think they definitely look cool and have a neat sound. They are WAY too expensive for me to ever even seriously consider getting, so I don't let myself think about them all that much.
The campfire is lit....Altogether now----Kumbaya, my lord, Kumbaya....
Hey---not_jason, I think AIM sucks---ICQ is better.
Hey---not_jason, I think AIM sucks---ICQ is better.
LOL! Doesn't feel so good, eh? Now you know how the Warwick bunch feels. Everything is funny and fine, until your favorite bass gets bashed.
Did I ever bash Warwick? I happen to not care for them but I don't recall "bashing" the brand......I wanted to like them but it just didn't work out.
Fender bashing I'm fine with though. (just kidding)
I'm not saying that my old RIC is the only bass to play, only that it feels right and definitely sounds right to me on certain kinds of music. "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" or something like that. I also play an American Fender Jazz and an American '62 Precision. It all depends on personal preference based on the type of music that we play and sound we are trying to achieve. There's no arguments among any of us on this. We are all layin' down the bottom, whatever fits it best. Mark
I got my used 4001 back in 2002 for much less than that. Amazing how the price on them shot up.
Chronicle: FLCL is a great series. Small FYI: You can find my name among the DVD credits if you look through the packaging since I worked on it. I think I might be in the ending credits roll as well, but I don't remember since it was so long ago. I also did a couple additional voices. Yes it was my first exposure to Rickenbackers, so yes it's nerdy.
I had a late seventies 4003 in the late eighties. Bought it because it looked cool, sold it because any Fender sounded better. The pot metal bridges are total crap, most of them pulled up at the back and then you coudn't get the intonation and action right. Now you can get aftermarket bridges to fit them, but Rick was even more anal back then, and wouldn't allow liscencing to anyone. My only regret is that I didn't hold it until now to get rid of it. I could have bought 2 or 3 really good basses.
