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Rickenbacker bass??

J

Johnnyb101

Jan 1, 2009
13
0
Dublin Ireland
#1
Hi

I am wondering about rickenbacker basses. I have always wanted one as they are the coolest basses in the world. As these type of basses cant be purhased in Ireland I have no way of picking one up and testing it.
The model I was looking at is a 4003 Fireglo, There is a waiting time of about 10-12 months for one but im just looking for opinions before I order one.
I play 80's rock and use an Ibanez at the moment.
It will be running through a Ashdown EVO II 500 bass head and an EBS 500 Proline cab.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers:bassist:
 
#2
My first "good" bass was a Rickenbacker 4003, and it's still the one I use the most. It's definitely an acquired taste as far as looks go, but contrary to popular opinion, they are pretty versatile soundwise. Put flats on them and they thump with the best. Put steel rounds on them and Geddy Lee and Chris Squire will stop in to say hello. Fingers vs. pick, string types, how hard you play, all of those tone-varying things sort of get magnified on a Rickebacker so you can get really drastically different sounds out of it if you just change a couple of minor things.

Rickenbackers are really good at that snarly, aggressive bass sound though, the one they're famous for that's in all those old progressive rock songs. That's why I bought it, and though I use it for other things too (soft rock, ballad-y stuff), it's always very fun to just rock out with it because it's so easy on that bass.

Soundwise they tend to be high-mid-heavy, but you can mess with it pretty easily with an amp EQ. Feel-wise, they are slightly shorter than regular scale, at 33.5", so it might feel slightly weird at first, but you get used to it fast. They have gloss necks and fretboards which I love but some people really don't like. The body binding is a mixed blessing: it looks fantastic, but if you rest your arm diagonally on the body, the binding will leave a nice line imprint in your arm. The bridge is similar in that it looks fantastic, but it's functionally a bit outdated. It still works just fine and intonates well, but it's not very efficient. It has a mute though, but for 80s rock you wouldn't need that.

Through an Ashdown EVO I imagine it'd sound absolutely fantastic, really thick and aggressive, and if you play with a pick you'll get a lot of that like 80s metal pick bite. It's unfortunate that you can't test one out at the moment, though, because they do tend to not be everyone's cup of tea, and you don't wanna spend that much money on a bass you hate. However, I think they're fantastic basses, and there are plenty of other people on the boards who love them too. For what you're playing, it could work very well.
 
#4
Ric's are alright basses. Certain people will sing their praises while others won't. I've known quite a few people that have felt the same way you do and when they finally got one and the glory wore off, they got rid of it.

They are just like many other basses out there in that they do what they do well. They, like any other bass, are not the end all bass though.

While some people will deny this, you do have to be careful because they, like any company, do have some that sneak by with issues. I've owned 6 brand new ones in the past that had some minor issues.

It's always best to try before you buy, but if that's not possible, then you just have to take what you get.
 
#5
I am a long time Ric user. They are good basses. My problem is that some of the Ric fans are mean as hell. Some of them really hate me because I point out some of the flaws in the instruments and then I say I prefer my homemade jazz basses to my Rics.

But the Ric is a good bass ... slightly over-rated and slightly over-priced but still good.
 
#6
Ric5 said:
I am a long time Ric user. They are good basses. My problem is that some of the Ric fans are mean as hell. Some of them really hate me because I point out some of the flaws in the instruments and then I say I prefer my homemade jazz basses to my Rics.

But the Ric is a good bass ... slightly over-rated and slightly over-priced but still good.
Click to expand...

Yeah I've played Rics since the early 80s. Sometimes I don't want to play anything else and sometimes I prefer a Fender (P or J, depends). The high price is a supply/demand thing. Last I heard they were like two years backed up on orders. But they are very good basses, and beautiful too IMO.
 
#8
I love em and hate em. I gigged with ricks for a long time; that's where the hate came from.

OTOH, the appearance and the generally consistent quality over decades is what I like. The woodworking is still as good as you can get on basically anything. Neck through, high quality maple wood, necks never warp, the new necks anyway, they stay in tune, finish is impeccable etc.

I have tremendous, explosive GAS for a 4003FL even tho I hate and never play my fretted one.

I'm intending to keep my fretted tho for collector purposes and will just buy an FL probably outright if/when there's ever the coincidence of an available FL and me having enough money to buy it.

Also, rickenbacker are a flakey company headed by the also-flakey John Hall. So, the opportunity for an altogether flakeout by rickenbacker themselves is a good possibility. This could propel the rick towards even better collectability at any time.

So you can't wrong from a financial standpoint getting one.

But ifyou really need a player's bass, I'd personally recommend something else....

LS
 
#10
As a Ric user since the late 60s, I can only tell you, as many of the other respondents here have, is that without trying one out, it will be virtually impossible for you to know if they are right for you or not. For me, they were manna from the bass gods....for others, not so much so...

I promise you one thing, however. IF you go ahead and purchase one and find that you don't care for it - you will have absolutely no trouble recouping (and possibly making more) your initial investment....

Good luck to you in your decision!
 
#11
hi everyone

thanks for the advise i really appreciate it. I can really only go on what ive heard as I never played one. some people say that they have a really bright tone. Are they conformtable to play or awkward? I listened to so many bands that use them and I have to say I am very impressed with the sound they produce. Ive been using a Warkwick for a while and Ive tried to duplicate that sound of a Ric but I really dont think its possible and maybe if the company does go belly up! It wouldnt be a bad investment either.

I think ive made up my mind and ill just have to wait until next december until my one is made.

Thanks for the comments and happy new year.
 
#12
hiho,I am a long term ricky user but also use musicman and a precision.If you like the ricky sound then a ricky it is.
The easiest way to get the snarly sound is to stick a sansamp or a behringer bass driver in front off the amp then Geddy,Chris,Bruce Foxton will jump out at you.Oh and a nice big loud bass rig,Nothing like it.
 
#13
I love my Ric. In my case its a fretless 4001 strung with flats. I also have a fretted J Bass strung with rounds. Between those two basses I feel like I can pretty much achieve any sound I want.

A few things to think about with Rics. First, they need to be set up by somebody that knows Rickenbackers. Many of the folks that I've seen that don't like Rics, have had experiences with one based on it not being set up correctly. Rics perform best when their neck is essentially dead straight, and the action is set almost ridiculously low. If you try to set it up like a P bass, it will feel and sound awful.

Second, to the point that someone else made, these basses are really quite versatile. Most people think of that "Pre Moving Pictures Geddy Lee or Chris Squire" sound when they think of a Ric (for good reason, those are great sounds that are very distinctive). By the way, if that's the sound you want - the key is to (like Geddy Lee) play very aggressively (ie: pluck quite hard) or (like Chris Squire) play with a pick.

But many other sounds are possible - particularly if you're willing to try out flats. Most of what Paul McCartney recorded after 1965 for example is on a Rickenbacker with flats.

I've said before on this forum that a Rickebacker is a little bit like an old Rag Time Piano. Some musicians may love them, some may hate them. But nothing can substitute for it and if its your thing - you'll accept nothing else.

Someone asked me to record some sound samples of my fretless Ric. Here it is. There are four brief sequences to show some range (Kansas, Rush, Iron Maiden, Blues). It's going straight into a Tascam recorder with no EQing or effects. I'm playing flats.

View attachment Ric Sound File 1.mp3
 
#14
Ric5 said:
I am a long time Ric user. They are good basses. My problem is that some of the Ric fans are mean as hell. Some of them really hate me because I point out some of the flaws in the instruments and then I say I prefer my homemade jazz basses to my Rics.
Click to expand...

Same story different post, but always the same story:hmm:

A Ric is an exceptional instrument but it's not everyone's cup of tea. Everyone knows the sound or think they do but most have never seen one in person to get a feel for the instrument. This results in a lot of BLIND Ric GAS based on some famous players and their Ric tone.

Bottom line Ric is bass done right and will always deliver the goods regardless of the situation if the player knows how to weld it.

I have never played a 4001 or 4003 prior to 2006 when the push/pull switch that allows you to get a vintage Ric tone and modern bass sounds.

The 2006 I offloaded after buying a 2008 which IMO is like Fender with 08 models, far superior to their instruments in the recent past.

I prefer 19mm string spacing at the bridge and a perfectly straight neck same size from nut to bridge. And Ric meets those needs.

I can do things and I am so much faster and accurate on a RiC than any other bass except maybe a Warwick which has a similar neck profile and 19mm spacing. I would not own a RiC prior to 2008 but that is based on my needs and experience.

Just remember a RiC is not for everyone just like Fender, Warwick, etc... Please do try your best to try before you buy.
 
#15
I used my '85 4003 for over two years of gigging, it was great with a very versatile sound, in spite of what others may say. I loved the growl I got when playing Hard Rock---something no other bass can match (including Fenders, I've owned a few).

But there are design characteristics that i especially liked when it came to playing and to gigging. First, the neck profile was more flat on the back and width narrow (compared to Fender and Fender-styled basses). The new ones have a thinner neck than before, back to what the 4001 had (what I currently own). There is no bow in the neck recommended, so it is a bass that allows very fast playing.

The neck itself is rock-solid. I never had to adjust the neck in spite of the heavy gigging, temperature and humidity changes, etc. Other guitars I've had required frequent neck adjustments. The bass is reliable and easy to play.

See if you can find someone that owns one and give it a try.
 
#16
Hi

Thanks for all the replies. I am delighted to announce that i am the new proud owner of the Rickenbacker 4003.
I only just got it and it still has the stickers on it.
I definatly made the right choice.
 

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#17
Congrats

the great thing about owning a Ric is they hold their value really well, so if you decide it's not for you, you should recover most of or all your money back if you flip it. Try that with a new Carvin or Warwick!

If you hold on to it for 4-5 years you might make money. My son bought a newish 4003 mint Ric 4 years ago for $850 used (*going price back then). Now I bet he could get from $1100 - $1200 at the low end.
 

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