new old bass day!

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

This is my clone ric.
Strung up with rotosounds
View attachment 3272078

That’s awesome! Is that a horseshoe cover going underneath the strings??

 

[Artman]

Out of curiosity, what did it end up costing you?

 

[el_crawfordo]

They are a little pink. It almost looks like the thick epoxy like fb finish has some red/pink tint to it. The inlays themselves remind me of glitter mixed with epoxy. Luckily the truss rod (single) is in great shape! It does have a little big of rizz on a few frets on the g, and some of the intonation saddle screws are a little chewed up from the previous owner. After i get my other obligations out of the way today i am going to remove the pickups and wax pot them....maybe see if i can sus out this high fret...

 

[el_crawfordo]

Artman,
I paid $650 for it. Which should leave me room to make a small amount of profit on it if i ever choose to let it go. I work as a guitar tech, so all the little needs i should be able to iron out myself. There is a bolt on “dixon” fireglow rick copy on the flea bay right now for 750+70 shipping.....it shares some of the same features...but this one is nicer- so all and all i feel pretty good about the price. The cheapest you seem to find an actual rick bass here in nashville is around 1400-1500...although i did drive 55 miles to pick it up, and 55 miles back home last night....still seems worth it.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Yeah, looks like maybe somebody overcoated the FB, and it’s lifting a little around the frets. Those are real crushed MOP flakes, suspended in resin.

 

[el_crawfordo]

Yeah, looks like maybe somebody overcoated the FB, and it’s lifting a little around the frets. Those are real crushed MOP flakes, suspended in resin.

Or maybe they accidently mixed some Himalayan pink salt in there with the mop

 

[The Deep]

Very cool!

I was trying to find the one you mentioned of flea bay with no luck.

Any help?

 

[Ironbar]

jUS

Very cool!

I was trying to find the one you mentioned of flea bay with no luck.

Any help?

Just do a search in the Ebay search bar for "Dixon Bass." First hit on the list.

 

[el_crawfordo]

For those interested this is the neck pickup thats about to get a nice little wax bath. They really did some serious down to the details work on these instruments. Im really excited to get it all “teched”!

 

[Engle]

I was actually thinking of going roto-sound! Ive never used them, and that seems to be a really classic setup on this style of bass. Plus most of my other basses have labella or TI flats....so having something a little different would be fun! Im guessing that you can use regular long scale round wounds on one of these, or am i mistaken? It measures aprox 33 1/2 from nut to harmonic line.

I have RS66 on my TBird. Do it!

 

[GTHintz]

That’s awesome! Is that a horseshoe cover going underneath the strings??

It had a horseshoe like cover but I took it off because I wanted to be able to pluck from over top of the rear pickup.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

If the copy was that faithful, I’d be surprised if a 4001 Tubeampology Treble Bezel wouldn’t fit if you want infill the hole left without the pup cover on.

http://www.tubeampology.com/

 

[el_crawfordo]

I took the cover off mine when I potted the pickups earlier today. Its much more playable without it. That delete plate is really attractive! I love the look of those maple/walnut natrual ricks...this copy sadly has me jonesing for one now! I do have a mini 500k push pull pot in my parts stash. I think I may wire in the .0047 cap delete that modern ricks have....past that the wiring looks to be pretty much exactly the same as a stock stereo rick....

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

It had a horseshoe like cover but I took it off because I wanted to be able to pluck from over top of the rear pickup.

I don’t think I’ve seen one outside of a store or newly out of the store that had it on it, those things are annoying to play around

 

[GTHintz]

I don’t think I’ve seen one outside of a store or newly out of the store that had it on it, those things are annoying to play around

Chris Squire kept his like that. But that's Chris Squire. Lol I think Paul McCartney kept it on his too but not sure. He only used a ric on a few songs and went back to the Höfner.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

Chris Squire kept his like that. But that's Chris Squire. Lol I think Paul McCartney kept it on his too but not sure. He only used a ric on a few songs and went back to the Höfner.

I’ve seen zero non legendary bass players keep it on and like it!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Chris Squire kept his like that. But that's Chris Squire. Lol I think Paul McCartney kept it on his too but not sure. He only used a ric on a few songs and went back to the Höfner.

What you see on Squire's bass is the "shoes" of a real horseshoe pickup, it's a permanent part of the magnet structure, so it cant be removed. The plastic fake cover on the 4001 and 4003 hi-gain bridge pup serves no function, its like the ashtray cover on a Jazz, purely cosmetic. John Hall spouts some nonsense about it having a shielding function, but plastic is not a well regarded shielding material, and it makes no difference to hum removed. Any of the Ric or Ric Clone basses can do with a thorough shielding, it made a huge difference on my clone build. You have to do the whole pickguard back, control cavity, etc. The OP is a guitar tech, he knows how to do it right.

 

[GTHintz]

I’ve seen zero non legendary bass players keep it on and like it!

Geddy Lee for me was the one who made me want a Ric. The sound he got was just insane. So fat and huge with the treble bite that only happens when you play the crap out of your strings. He ditched the cover on his too.

 

[The Deep]

jUS


Just do a search in the Ebay search bar for "Dixon Bass." First hit on the list.

Thanks. I think I tried everything but that phrase!

Next question is are these Dixon’s any good? I never even knew they made a Rickenfaker and information about them is seemingly sparse.

Anyone have experience/opinions about the Dixon’s?

 

[el_crawfordo]

Well, so much for a good effort. I wired up the 500k dpdt push pull with pigtails to add into the circuit and its too tall for the cavity depth. Without really any excessive funny stuff it wont be able to fit. All is well though. I kind of like the twangy snarl of the bridge pickup anyhow. And luckily i didnt unhook any of the stock wiring in the process, so i dont have re solder anything. I guess all thats left to do tonight is play it! Maybe ill see if i have a trs end and make a y cable....i have an old (60s) b-18 head and an “andre” (jess oliver’s employee and old ampeg warranty repairman stolen by jess for his later ventrues) b-18 head clone that looks dead up like an oliver.......that might be a fun little stereo rig!