Rickenbacker..... i just don't understand the hype.

[Killed_by_Death]

And Paul McCartney.
And John Entwistle.
And Phil Lynott.
And Lemmy.

but Ian Kilmister used humbuckers in his RICs

I've come to realize I like the sound of humbuckers, so I won't even look at a 4003, not to mention that funky bridge.

 

[blue4]

Why not just focus on the basses you actually like to play and not worry about the basses you don't care for?

Saves time and typing.

Because it's a bass discussion board and only talking about basses you love in order to avoid hurting feelings would be boring. He tried a bass he didn't like and he gave some positives as well as negative impressions. Every thread shouldn't read like a review from Bass Player magazine.

 

[jamro217]

There really isn't much hype. I play a 79 4001 often both live and in the studio. The only thing I don't get is how much the colors seem to play a part.....I recently saw a post on here regarding neck girth.....the poster thought it important to list the color of each of the basses along with the measurements....I thought that odd.

Considering Rics only come in three standard colors (JetGlo, MapleGlo and FireGlo), annual colors, and a few specials thrown (like Midnight Blue), this adds to the mystique and the possible collectability of custom color basses. For some reason, Ric buyers are concerned about aesthetics.

 

[B-line]

 

[petrus61]

but Ian Kilmister used humbuckers in his RICs

I've come to realize I like the sound of humbuckers, so I won't even look at a 4003, not to mention that funky bridge.

I think Roger Glover and Cliff Burton also swapped out their pickups.

 

[lfmn16]

For some reason, Ric buyers are concerned about aesthetics.

EVERYBODY is concerned about aesthetics whether they admit it or not. You don't even pick up a bass that doesn't catch your eye.

 

[superdick2112]

but Ian Kilmister used humbuckers in his RICs.......

True, & for many years, and for many years before the 4004 was invented, Lemmy used his trusty 4001 with Ric single-coil pickups.
Everything on the first 8 albums, to be precise.

 

[jamro217]

So a U.S. made instrument imported to Australia won't cost more than it does in the U.S.?

Did you know there's an exchange rate for USD to AUD?

View attachment 1167934

U.S. citizens think in such narrow terms

I imagine the retailer passed the shipping cost on to the customer, as well as any tariffs, that'll bump up the price.

 

[foolforthecity]

a BIG part of the deal with Rickenbacker basses that gets swept under the rug sometimes is the fact that a Rick is 33.25" scale - and due to the number of frets and the neck placement, the "reach" is slightly easier for many players - especially those that might be used to full 34" scale. While I won't call the difference dramatic, size matters. You can check with your partner about that.



You can see it here, of course, there is always a little photo distortion, but if you measure the exact distance from nut to 12th fret and pop the basses up to full size until they match, this is what you get:

View attachment 1168024

When I played my first Rick, it was instantly so much easier to get around on than my Fender Jazz I was amazed. Of course, for me as a rule - 32" medium scale ended up being my bliss, but the Rick was a mighty fine stopover on my way to finding my perfection. Recorded all but one song on one heck of an album with it - an album that made a pretty iconic list in Rolling Stone Invalid Link Removed.

I am always amused that many folks don't know that the Rick is not full scale, but it isn't.

That little bit off diff in length is felt by me, love it's feel and notice the clearance at the 20th fret, very easy to rip it up on the high side.

 

[Son of Wobble]

True, & for many years, and for many years before the 4004 was invented, Lemmy used his trusty 4001 with Ric single-coil pickups.
Everything on the first 8 albums, to be precise.

I read an old post on TB asserting that Lemmy favored the A string, rarely using the E.
Any truth to this to your knowledge?

 

[gidbass]

Love mine! Great time to be a bass player with so many options available!

Good Luck!

 

[jamro217]

EVERYBODY is concerned about aesthetics whether they admit it or not. You don't even pick up a bass that doesn't catch your eye.

True, but if a big part of the reason you choose a certain bass is for looks, the color becomes even more important. Rics do have a unique look and attitude that other basses don't seem to have (love 'em or hate 'em). Imagine having a poster of a Corvette on your wall and thinking it'd be perfect in another color. Chances are you wouldn't have a poster of a Toyota Camry on your wall, but even if you did, the color probably wouldn't be as important to you. Both the Camry and Vette are transportation, but you don't dream about one as you do the other. I think this may be true about Rics in relation to other basses.

 

[foolforthecity]

I've found that I can really get more precise and articulate on my Rics, one a 4003W, the other a 4003SW. I'm also finding that they have a really wide amount of tweakability including individual pole leveling, capability of really low action, and a variable muting bridge that most definitely comes in handy via any number of quick thumbscrew adjusts if/as needed. High register playability all the way to the top. Both 4003s of mine are right at 8.5 lbs and for my body structure they fit and hang so well (great balance for ME, YMMV) I have a hard time putting either down. Just a variable tone monster, but you have to spend more than a few minutes noodling to really find out what these guys are capable of.

This coming from a guy with decades of Fender J and P experience.

 

[monsterthompson]

I read an old post on TB asserting that Lemmy favored the A string, rarely using the E.
Any truth to this to your knowledge?

Wouldn't shock me as my E string doesn't wow me as much as the ADG ones. I do need a pickup pole piece adjustment (buried under my bridge cover). I find myself gravitating to the A string. I suppose the easy answer is to listen to a few tracks and see if any have roots below A. I'd guess the guy wrote a few in E

 

[monsterthompson]

EVERYBODY is concerned about aesthetics whether they admit it or not. You don't even pick up a bass that doesn't catch your eye.

Right? They don't make a sound just hanging in the wall of the shop

 

[B-line]

True, but if a big part of the reason you choose a certain bass is for looks, the color becomes even more important. Rics do have a unique look and attitude that other basses don't seem to have (love 'em or hate 'em). Imagine having a poster of a Corvette on your wall and thinking it'd be perfect in another color. Chances are you wouldn't have a poster of a Toyota Camry on your wall, but even if you did, the color probably wouldn't be as important to you. Both the Camry and Vette are transportation, but you don't dream about one as you do the other. I think this may be true about Rics in relation to other basses.

MMMM... Camry!

 

[40Hz]

Because it's a bass discussion board and only talking about basses you love in order to avoid hurting feelings would be boring. He tried a bass he didn't like and he gave some positives as well as negative impressions. Every thread shouldn't read like a review from Bass Player magazine.

Fair enough. I'm not saying we should become Disneyworld for basses and bass players.

That said, the very same discussion, complete with the same objections, and criticisms of Rickenbacker has been aired here several times already.

So…with all due respect, asking what the deal is with anything - after trying only a single example for the very first time - and then concluding your post with "let the flaming begin" (in all caps and bolded) strikes me more as someone looking to start an argument or push people's buttons rather than someone seeking clarity.

Which is why I politely suggested the OP not worry about it and focus his attention on things he actually likes. Because his impressions, based on more in-depth experiences with things he might wish to recommend would be far more valuable to the community than a half-baked critique based on his single first experience of a brand and instrument he has no prior experience with.

I've got a friend who does reviews of software. He occasionally gets criticized because all his reviews are positive. Somebody asked if he actually liked everything. His answer was he actually didn't like very much at all. He just didn't write about any of those apps. Because he couldn't see the point of wasting time on writing negative reviews when there was plenty of "the good stuff" far more worth posting about. As he put it, why tell people about junk and waste time slagging it when there's stuff they don't know about that they should be using?

Hope that better explains where I was coming from in my earlier post.

 

[foolforthecity]

Hmmmm. Odd. My 4003s is the only bass I gig with. Have yet to stumble accross any song I could not play with it.

I'd have to respectfully agree with this... it can pull off anything given the right person

 

[Killed_by_Death]

for many years, and for many years before the 4004 was invented, Lemmy used his trusty 4001 with Ric single-coil pickups.

No, he had the pickups switched out for Gibson humbuckers.

 

[Ant Illington]

I played a Ric for the first time yesterday and to say i was underwhelmed would be a massive understatement.

It was a brand new Jetglo 4003 which was on sale for $3549. To put this into perspective i also played a Fender Am Pro Jazz at $2629, an MIM Jazz at $1199 and a Squier VM PJ at $699.

The first thing i noticed was that it wasn't as uncomfortable as many have said other than the pickup cover getting in the way. I could quite easily physically play one without complaint.

Now for the negatives...... The second thing i noticed was that the single ply pick guard looked like it was made for a cheap Chinese toy. Really, really cheap looking. Then the finish, which when held up to the light, looked very thin and showed obvious ripples as though done by a beginner. It wasn't really bad as such but when it's one of the more expensive basses in the shop you should expect much better. Finally, the pickups output was very weak.

I can say with certainty that if i knew nothing about Rics and was handed one of these after playing the Squier VM PJ (which actually sounded better than all but the Am Pro) i would have guessed it would cost less than the Squier when taking into account the fit, finish and sound.

LET THE FLAMING BEGIN!!!

Wow. I passed on a rather mint 2013 Mapleglo for $1300. I shoulda bought it. $3000+, not for me but... in the right hands they sound killer. Go look at that recent thread demo'ing 5 famous basses and listen thru good speakers.