Rickenbacker basses

[ctmullins]

The 4004 model solved all of the common complaints.

They never should have stopped producing those….

I make my own now. They are very comfortable and fun to play!

 

[Deleted member 394181]

For me, they just looked very cool.

 

[L-u-A-R]

I've never liked the look of them, but when a music store near me got one in stock, I had to try it.

Despite my bias, I was impressed.
The main appeal, to me; is the passive circuitry they use. There were so many sounds to be had - loved it.
But they charge around the equivalent of 4000$.

I'm on the lookout for something cheaper (and more my aesthetic) with such a range of passive tone options.

 

[Relsom]

....... yet adding another one to my collection is not out of the question.

 

[Hawk256]

Apples and oranges. You're better comparing those to products from Ibanez or Sire rather than to US companies.

I was talking about hand made basses so I disagree. Human hands aren't any different from each other by region. Materials and skill are but that doesn't cover all instances.

 

[Gervais Cote]

I’m a p bass freak so I might be biased………….

Pros : a Rick roars and burp like nothing else and the look is something

Cons : unfortunately, very uncomfortable to me and not every guitar tech can work on these

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

They look cool and sound cool if that's your thing.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Hmm, well, it’s a Ric.
Looks sound playability all mentioned.
You “get it” or you don’t.
As to the edges, there are models without the binding.
As to setups, they are unique and quirky, fiddly and frustrating, BUT they tend to be very stable.
The bridge is a problem if you need to Palm mute, but again there are models that employ more “standard” bridge designs, and ALSO come without binding.

They are a unique instrument family.
In a world dominated by F-style basses, they stand apart. The design is a stubbornly adhered to virtually unchanged since introduction, with only recently technical details changing.

Me channeling Cliff with one of his original bands Trauma.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

The 4003 is by far the most famous rick bass…

But dont knock the 4005

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I'm curious about Rickenbacker basses, and want to ask a simple, or perhaps complex, question. I have been playing bass for 40 plus years, and have basses from most of the main stream makers; Fender, Gibson, Peavey, Ibanez, Epiphone, and some from lesser known companies. I think I can get just about any bass sound that I want.

My question is this: What is the appeal and mystic of Rickenbacker? I have never played one so I have no first hand knowledge of their sound, feel, versatility, or construction. Their look strikes me as being quirky and instantly recognizable, but beyond that I am puzzled. Please educate me about the interest in and lure of Rickenbackers basses.

Thump on,

One_Dude

Back in 1974 I bough a brand new 4001 new.and had it for 34 years. I had been playing an EB3 but was not happy with its sound. Our guitar player strongly suggested the RIck for use in our power trio. At the time it was deemed a higher quality instrument than Fenders of the day.

I put together a killer ROS rig (SVT for the neck PU + 100 watt Hiwatt for the bridge pickup) that totally kicked butt. But sadly band do what bands do after a year the band broke up and I started doing session work. While the Rick was tremendous live, in the studio however, Fender PB or JBs ruled. So the next 32 years my Rick stayed it the case for the most part in till I sold it for a business investment.

My experience is the Rick sound is it’s different than Fender basses and I don’t think one is necessarily better than the other. The genres I’ve played since the 80’s the fender bass is a better fit and I much prefer them in the studio.

A few years ago, I was in a music store and there was a new 4003 on the rack. After playing it for a while it became pretty obvious it was no where near the quality of the instrument compared to my 70’s 4001. One, the neck was more like a baseball bat (probably due to not having dual truss rods) and the no finish on the neck gave it a 3rd world quality. And there was no ROS output although I believe that is a an option still available.

For me it did not play as well as a PB or JB. That said, sound wise it was pretty Ricky, but having had a ROS rig for me it was sort of a let down, especially for them being more expensive that’s Fender.

 

[Pings Bass]

 

[Goatrope]

When I was 20, there were two reasons I wanted a Rick: Chris Squire and Geddy Lee.
Whenever I've played a one though, it's always been a "don't meet your heroes" moment" - nothing about playing one has ever made me want to own one or even continue playing it for very long if I'm honest.

Ultimately this, after nearly 50 years.

Hearing Chris Squire as a kid, but ultimately looking at the album liner for Deep Purple Machine Head made me want a Rick. When I finally got one, it became the subject of my HS senior photography project.

I bought it in 1978 and still play it today, but only occasionally. Over the decades I moved from bass to bass, acquiring and hanging them on my wall on hangers marked by the back page of Bass Player magazine.

I fell in and out of love with the 4001 sound and ergonomics over the years, but still wore the frets flat. I retired it from gigging over 10 years ago, but bought it a fret job (under $300 if I recall) a couple years back.

I replaced the godawful bridge last year, along with a dead neck pup to get it into top shape again.

I still have a soft spot for the sound, although it's not the sound I need gigging these days. The look is unmatched, IMO. The ergos, not for everyone.

Here's a pic from this morning and one from Feb 1979 recording.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Every bass has it's Pros and Cons, the most common gripe about Rics is the hard binding edge wearing on your forearm a little, which is true, but it’s no worse than any acoustic guitar, or a Tele. If it bothers you, get an S model, which has no binding and rounded edges. Ric had some poor QC for a while, which didn’t add to their reputation, but they seem to have solved them in recent years. Their “warranty” is still nearly worthless, as it requires the BUYER to pay one- way shipping to CA for any warranty repairs. Warranty starts on day of manufacture, not day of purchase, so nobody gets the full warranty period. No way to polish that turd, but people put up with it to get that TONE, there just isn’t anything exactly like it. The mute is effectively useless unless you leave it “on” or “off” all the time. Forget about adjusting it on the fly between songs ,you’d be better off with a piece of foam. On the Pro side, they are well balanced, look and sound great, and they have finally solved all the tail lift issues and changed out the crap double trussrod system to a modern DA trussrod, which makes the current 4003 the best they have ever built IMO. Maybe more than any other bass out there, you really need to play one, but it can be difficult to find one in stock at a store, most get pre-sold before they ever get to showroom floor.

 

[ardgedee]

I was talking about hand made basses so I disagree. Human hands aren't any different from each other by region. Materials and skill are but that doesn't cover all instances.

You're comparing the prices of instruments manufactured in Indonesia and the US. I was specifically mentioning the premium products of US factory-produced basses -- they're all around the $2.5-5k range.

This isn't meant as to argue the quality of Indonesian manufacture either. I've played a few Indonesian-made basses and their quality has consistently been excellent.

 

[Paul New]

Chris Squire

 

[ctmullins]

Chris Squire

Chris Brubeck.

 

[2thAche]

Geddy and Exit Stage Left pretty much made it an icon for me. The reality of the ergonomics was the deal breaker though.

 

[Hawk256]

You're comparing the prices of instruments manufactured in Indonesia and the US. I was specifically mentioning the premium products of US factory-produced basses -- they're all around the $2.5-5k range.

This isn't meant as to argue the quality of Indonesian manufacture either. I've played a few Indonesian-made basses and their quality has consistently been excellent.

I was really taking more about handmade but yes the factories are pumping out some good things as well. You should check out some of the luthiers that do hand mades there. @vinobassaholic does some real boutique quality stuff at a fraction of the cost you would pay for someone to make it in the US and with woods you could only dream of getting.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Chris Brubeck.

Ciff

 

[Paul New]

Chris Brubeck.

Ron Carter