Rick tone and neck

[uhohitizallen]

Hey TBers! I've been lurking around here for quite a while, but this is my first post.

Just wondering if there is any type of tone a Rickenbacker 4003 bass can't get from a jazz bass, specifically the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. Also, how do their necks compare?

I was originally going to get the jazz, but recently I've been given a chance to get a Ric. I like to slap, and play mostly jazz, rock, metal etc., so it concerns me a litte.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mystic Michael]

If you haven't yet played both instruments, then you'll find that both necks are slender and fast...but in somewhat different ways. The 4003 has that thin neck back to front. Plus of course the lacquered fretboard, which helps to make it fast. The Jazz is also slim from back to front, but also has that amazingly slender taper near the nut. And of course they each feature some very distinctive-sounding, classic single-coil pickups...

The Jazz may be somewhat more versatile in absolute terms - it would be my choice for an instrument that can cover jazz, funk, R&B - in addition to rock. But the 4003 can cover multiple styles as well - and is just superb for rock & pop.

Together they would make an outstanding combination. I'd get one of each...

MM

 

[uhohitizallen]

Wooops. I already played the Geddy but have yet to try the Ric

 

[grommit]

Ricks are a lot more versatile than most people take them for.

Mine works nicely for reggae and fusion type stuff.

 

[KYJazzy]

I think a jazz gets more raw, fundamental bottom end, and is versatile, but a Ric is versatile too.

I love what a Ric can do in a jazz setting with flatwounds or tapewounds. you might be surprised at the upright sound a Ric is capable of emulating. I'm gasing for one bad.

Plus, you're just gonna look SO good with the Ric.

 

[Thunder Pulse]

Ask here:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333520

 

[contakt321]

I own both (check my signature) and I have a few thoughts:

Tonewise, you will never be able to get Rick tones from a Jazz, they are drastically different instruments. In my opinion, the Jazz is a great all around bass sound, where the Rick has a pretty cutting sound w/ deep lows and pronounced upper mids. I get tons of compliments on my sound whenever I play my Rick.

Neckwise, also very different. I feel like the Jazz is more comfortable for me by far, but I am willing to suffer for tone. The Rickenbacker is slim front to back but doesn't taper as much at the nut, where the Jazz gets really slim at the nut and are usually thicker front to back.

Another playability factor for me is the scale length of the Rick is shorter, so the strings don't FEEL as tense/tight. Which can be good or bad depending on your preference.

I recommend going for the Rickenbacker and here is why: They are really tough to find, they hold their resale value well and they sound amazing. You could eventually pick up a used Geddy for like $500 and have an amazing pair. If you have a chance to get a Rick snatch that bad boy up!

 

[Btone]

I'm afraid you need them both. A RIC (with flats), a jazz (with rounds)..

..AND a precision (with really fat tree-trunk flats).

Hard to compare a RIC to a jazz.

I would prefer a jazz for slap.

If I could have only one: Jazz.


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