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Ric vs. Jazz

#41
Their tones are really close. The JB has the Fender “pinch” to it that so many other basses imitate really well, tho, so it’s not quite as unique. BTW, the 4003 sounds really distinctive with flats on it. I ran flats on my 4001 for a while and it had a tone that’s hard to describe.

in fact the vid in doc’s op, the Rick might have flats on it, but can’t quite tell…

L
 
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#42
lug said:
I liked the sound of the Ric much more than the Jazz. Yes, I own a Ric. No, I do not own a Jazz. No, I did not actually listen to the video. :foldsArms:
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^^THIS^^ In my case, I own 3 Ricks - a '73 4001, and a COY '01 4003 (the '87 330 guitar doesn't count, here). Additionally...
- The Ricks fit me like a surgeon's rubber glove, and everything's exactly where my hands want them to be;
- The neck's on both of my Rick basses are to die for (and the 330's neck is not far behind, either);
- They do not neck dive - for me - even on a slick strap; and, besides;
- I learned to play bass on a friend's left handed '68 4001 - in 1968. So I'm a little... predisposed, shall we say?... towards Ricks.
As for Fender Jazz Basses? I've never had my hands on a lefty, but I can play wrong handed long/well enough to give any bass a decent trial. And yes, I've tried a few different Jazz Basses - at different price points - over the years. The results?
- Never played one with flats, but... rounds on a Jazz Bass? A big, fat "MEH" - no matter how much I fiddle with controls;
- They don't fit me nearly as well as my Ricks do. Actually, I find them kinda... well, just... not quite right, somehow;
- The necks on the JB's I've played were... tolerable - mostly. I own worse (a little), but I also own much, much better;
- Jazz Basses do neck dive - for me; quite nicely, too. A grippy strap is a definite must, if you stick a gun in my ear and make me play one; and,
- I have at least one bass that can fake a Jazz Bass - with flats - well enough to suit me, anyhow...
So... Bottom line? Don't want a Jazz Bass. Ain't gonna buy a Jazz Bass. I'd probably take a Jazz Bass - if you gave me one. If you do? Make it a righty. There's a pawn shop a few blocks away that will take it, but... they often won't take leftys, I've found...:cool:
 
#43
Swamp_Ronin said:
Wasn’t there a long thread about how Jazz pickups don’t actually blend? Mine don’t. They are either on or off….
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My Jazz bass had two volume pots and a tone pot.

There are tons of threads like this one:
Whats your Jazz bass Volume/Tone settings? | TalkBass.com

So give me the Reader's Digest version of both pickups being on all the time because when I read this,

Volume Pots & Tone Pots: How Do They Work? | Fralin Pickups

it seems I can send all the signal to ground.
 
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#48
Scarysharkface said:
I had the chance to play one of those back in the day, when a custom order came through the store where I was teaching at the time. Super nice instrument with a low impedance output. I haven't seen another in the wild in all these years since.

John
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Actually, the low impedance output is only on the interleaved windings to the bridge pickup. As with any low impedance pickup, it needs a substantial preamp to be useful. The bass has the standard high impedance Mono and Rick-O-Sound primary wiring for regular gigging. The pickups are end-to-end humbuckers. They actually sound a lot like Dimarzio Model J pickups and give the 4002 its own flavor of grind.
 
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#51
I am completely bias, but I love the jazz. The Ric just has a sound that I am not as much in love with. I have heard a beautiful fat sound come from a Ric, but how many times have we heard a Fender sound amazing?
 
#53
Neither. PJ
fender-limited-edition-boxer-bass-mij-in-torino-red.png
 
#55
In the video, the Jazz Bass is louder (and as many have learned, louder is always better). All I can say is that my Ric sounds MUCH better than the one in the video!

I've had a '79 4001 since it was new. I made a couple of mods to it - - I bought a Nordstrand Nordenbocker pickup for the neck. I bought it not necessarily to sound better, but simply to get rid of the single-coil hum. I was shocked at how much like a genuine Ric pickup it sounds. I also installed a Hipshot bridge and both of these mods have made a noticeable difference to its sound.

Gimme the Ric!
 
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#57
My go to bases were a jazz or a ric. Love both but loved the looks of ric and preferred the sound for the music i play/write. Both are classic.

my dingwall ng2 with pickups in series is killer however and now i am a three bass guy.

Max the volume on either bass (ric or jazz) and it will scoop mids. I like both max bridge, roll back the neck pickup until you hear the volume increase.

the beauty of the ric is stereo. I biamp and run the neck signal through an ampeg 15 clean… and the bridge through a guitar head and a cab with 10’s with distortion to taste.
 
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#58
Altitude said:
To me they sound about 92% the same. Similar enough to make no matter, for sure. I like them both.

Some people see Ric basses and they see rock & roll. I see strange offset proportions and an obnoxious pickguard. Considering the similarity in tone, I'd go with the J.
Click to expand...

I agree about Jazzes and 4001/4003’s sounding 92% the same. The biggest difference for me is that Ric’s are much more susceptible to single coil hum. Looks are a personal preference matter.
 
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