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Rickenbacker 4003 Amp/Fuzz/OD combo's

53Rockets

53Rockets

Mar 29, 2024
36
88
#1
Hello!
I just got my first Ric bass, a Jetglo 4003. I have to wait 1-2 weeks for delivery, so I've been keeping myself busy asking questions and doing some research (nerding out).

I've owned multiple guitars, amps, pedals, and a few basses. So I'm not new to chasing tone, buying, selling, getting excited, getting disappointed, and starting again with gear. So I know all the variables that can affect what someone hears, and more importantly that all of these things are completely subjective. Sonic perfection to someone sounds like an amplified hate crime to someone else. But I'm really curious as to what amp, od and fuzz pedals people have loved with their 4003's. Regardless of genre, playing alone or at home, what are some good combo/signal chains that people have stumbled on with their 4003.

I currently play through a V4B reissue into svt15E. Love the sound straight in as a starting point with my p bass. My only effects right now are a vintage Pro-Co Rat and a Boss chorus. I tend to play heavier music, and love a thick bass tone, but with clarity. I'm not a 'wall of indistinguishable noise' person, even though it's fun to get hit in the chest with it.
Think of the Failure bass tone on Fantastic Planet. But I'm interested in any amps and combo's that made the 4003 come alive for you, or an amp and pedal combo that the 4003 brought out the best in.

Thanks for any info, and for keeping me sane while I wait for my new Ric.
 
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#4
I used to use a V-4b, it sounded incredible with my Rick. Just didn’t have the power for my needs so I moved over to a modeler/power amp setup. For heavy music the setup you have will be phenomenal as long as you don’t have extreme volume needs. (Yes, I play doom 🤣)

As for dirt with clarity… I rock a Damnation Audio MBD-1 and it’s exactly that. It can get completely apocalyptic without losing definition… or if you’re not careful with the depth knob, it’s a destructive wall of evil. OR, keep the depth off, gain low, and it’s a super sweet sounding OD. I will never cease to recommend that pedal or anything DA does for that matter.

I just saw your post about switching over to flats… having used multiple different flats and rounds on mine, I will say that for me I have much better definition and clarity with rounds when i’m playing with heavy distortion. Not trying to discourage you because they really sound great with flats… but just wanted to share that bit of personal experience.
 
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#5
bobomatic said:
I used to use a V-4b, it sounded incredible with my Rick. Just didn’t have the power for my needs so I moved over to a modeler/power amp setup. For heavy music the setup you have will be phenomenal as long as you don’t have extreme volume needs. (Yes, I play doom 🤣)

As for dirt with clarity… I rock a Damnation Audio MBD-1 and it’s exactly that. It can get completely apocalyptic without losing definition… or if you’re not careful with the depth knob, it’s a destructive wall of evil. OR, keep the depth off, gain low, and it’s a super sweet sounding OD. I will never cease to recommend that pedal or anything DA does for that matter.

I just saw your post about switching over to flats… having used multiple different flats and rounds on mine, I will say that for me I have much better definition and clarity with rounds when i’m playing with heavy distortion. Not trying to discourage you because they really sound great with flats… but just wanted to share that bit of personal experience.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this info. I'm definitely going to look into the MBD-1. I'll check out some videos.
And you're completely right about flats. I've had Rotosounds and now Labella Low Tension flats on my p bass and love the feel. I went from rounds to Fender 9050 flats on my jazz bass and really like them. My goal for the Ric was to find strings with the feel of flats and the most clarity and punch for the rick. I was thinking the Fenders or D'addario Chromes. I've read good things. I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of clarity for the feel of flats, but mostly i want the Ric to sound like a Ric, so for whatever that means, I'll stick with rounds if that's the better choice. Great point about the strings though.
 
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#6
You might like Cobalts, although they’re probably the roughest feeling flats I’ve played. I did like the Fenders, they had a really nice midrange that played well with my Rick. I wasn’t crazy about Chromes… they started off nice and bright, but inherently scooped, and when they broke in they were just dull to me.

I’m using Rotos now… and I actually like them a little broken in. When they die, they DIE, but before that they really do give my tone knob a lot of range to work with. And with drive? Massive.
 
#7
On mine, I use D'addario Nickels, or Rotosound Swing 66s. For my own goals, I found the key ingredient was using the Ric-O-sound setup. I haven't had a bass yet that doesn't sound better through a Sunn 2000s or Hiwatt into JBL loaded cabs. Since I can't lug two amps to every show, I've found this to be a useful set-up: I use a pedalboard in stereo, with separate effects chains for the neck and bridge pickup, and then the signals go to a Temple Audio Sum Mod at the end of the board, from which I can take either the two separate signals or a combined signal when running to one amp. I won't do a full pedal break down since there's a lot of non-drive pedals, as a rough outline, each signal goes into a DOD FX-10 Bifet Preamp. Absolutely love those pedals, on the bridge unit I boost treble a bit and on the neck unit I boost bass. The neck signal for there stays clean, that way I can keep a solid lowend when using drives on the bridge pickup.

As for the bridge signal drives after the FX-10 (not always on the board at the same time):
  • Suncoast HD-1 Harmonic Driver - fantastic drive that can go to from subtle to utterly destructive distortion.
  • Digitech Tone Driver (guitar version) - wildly underrated pedal, can find them for like $50
  • DIY Superfuzz - Still one of the best bass fuzzes out there, definitely get a version with a tone control knob instead of just a switch.
  • Warm Audio Foxy Tone Box - another excellent octave fuzz
  • MXR M77 Custom Badass Modified OD - based on the Boss SD-1 and a descendent of Tubescreamer lineage. The Bump and 100Hz control work great with bass
  • Menatone PIG - based on the Marshall 200 "Pig". Excellent heavy amp-like distortion
Now granted these are mostly 'guitar' pedals and don't always retain much lowend, but that's what the neck pickup is there for. I don't go into complete distortion/fuzz too often, but want to add a bit of grunt and grit to the signal for overdrive with clarity.

The other gear I've found that fits like a glove with a Rick is the old Ashly SC-40 preamps. Mine mostly stay at home for recording (unless I'm taking them to a session), but there are pedal version options out there, and I'm in the process of building a pedal clone of my two so I can run them at the end of each signal path before hitting the front ends of my other amps.
 
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#8
bobomatic said:
You might like Cobalts, although they’re probably the roughest feeling flats I’ve played. I did like the Fenders, they had a really nice midrange that played well with my Rick. I wasn’t crazy about Chromes… they started off nice and bright, but inherently scooped, and when they broke in they were just dull to me.

I’m using Rotos now… and I actually like them a little broken in. When they die, they DIE, but before that they really do give my tone knob a lot of range to work with. And with drive? Massive.
Click to expand...
I really liked the tone of the Roto's, but i found them super stiff on my P bass, so I wanted to try something with a bit more flex. I went with Labella Low Tension flats. I'm not blown away at all. Do you think Roto's would feel a little more relaxed on a Ric, or is that ridiculous?
I also checked out a few videos of the MBDv3. Sick! Great sounding pedal, well thought out and very functional. Between the blend and depth knob, there's tons of usable tones. I'm definitely considering it. I also like that it's a relatively small company.
 
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#9
53Rockets said:
Interesting.
It's coming with rounds, but I'll be putting flats on it.
I haven't heard of Kasleder. Time for some research. Thanks for the tip!
Click to expand...
This should help. The Jellyfish and Albatross both rock. I have the Jellyfish and use it with my maple bodied P bass that I built to compete with my Ric for that "piano tone".
It would work awesome on a Ric as well.

 
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#10
53Rockets said:
I really liked the tone of the Roto's, but i found them super stiff on my P bass, so I wanted to try something with a bit more flex. I went with Labella Low Tension flats. I'm not blown away at all. Do you think Roto's would feel a little more relaxed on a Ric, or is that ridiculous?
I also checked out a few videos of the MBDv3. Sick! Great sounding pedal, well thought out and very functional. Between the blend and depth knob, there's tons of usable tones. I'm definitely considering it. I also like that it's a relatively small company.
Click to expand...
Honestly because they’re that slightest bit shorter scale, I do feel that strings feel a little more slack on Ricks compared to the same set on a P or a Jazz, for example. In fact I have the same gauge Rotos on a Rick and a P right now and it backs that up.

Also… Rotos have lighter gauges as well, and it’s a pretty solid difference in feel. I don’t know if you would want to go as light as I have but my Rick/P are wearing 55-110 for BEAD and my Jazz is on Funkmasters which I think are 35-90. They sound huge and feel fantastic, but you really need to keep a leash on your right hand to a pretty good extent. Play back by the bridge and dig in to your heart’s content.

Also to me at least, the low strings sound better and seem to last longer with the lighter gauges… and with Rotos, a little extra lifespan never hurt anyone!
 
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#12
Tomastik Jazz flats feel smooth but have a nice bark that verges on clank. I’ve also really liked the sound of Labella White tapewounds
for the same reasons.
Tech21 character pedals were recently being blown out by Sweetwater,etc. for half price. You get 2 switchable channels of amp drive,
and a 3rd fuzz channel. I got the english muffy, there’s also the fuzzy Brit. (Hiwatt vs Marshall sounds).
 
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#13
I play a wide range of music, and I have been playing through a Mesa Boogie Subway D800+ into a 2x10 RevSound cab for many years now and it suits all of my needs. I use a BOSS GT-1B multi-effects for any effects and run that through to a Two Notes LeBass Pre-Amp into the Mesa-Boogie. I can get great tones with this set up, especially when doing any drop D songs. When I play with a pick, I get some gnarly drive tones especially when I have had to play Cure or Joy Division songs.
 

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