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Rickenbacker- modified or destroyed
- Thread starter FloridaTim
- Start date
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
For $400 to $500 you can put it back stock.
I'd be tempted to leave it as is if it sounds ok. Or maybe just restore the original pickups and electronics and leave the bridge.
I'd be tempted to leave it as is if it sounds ok. Or maybe just restore the original pickups and electronics and leave the bridge.
Engine207
Losing faith in humanity...one call at a time.
+1.
If I really hated BadAss bridges, I'd put a Hipshot Ric bridge. But like Ric5 says, you can likely make that stock again for a small investment (unless there's some egregious woodworking under the pickguard).
I'd max. at around $650.
EMG are the only "real" EMG pickups. HZ are some heavy, sort of dark-ish sounding passive pickups that are certainly good but in no way boutique quality. EMG Select are far worse.
EMG (no other markings) pickups are the full active ones and are excellent, although sometimes lack a little in the, erm, "complexity" of the tone. But they will make even the worst guitar sound great.
IMHO the frustrating thing about EMG pickups (the real ones, actives, models like 40/45 etc such as these) is that they tend to make any instrument you put them in sound the same as every other instrument with those same pickups---- to a point. You get a bit of the instrument's characteristics (sustain/attack/darkess or brightness), but most of what you hear is the EMG sound, not the guitar's actual sound. Most pickups get far more of the instrument's characteristics coming through.
Still those are excellent pickups for sure.
And by the way, anyone who rags on ric pickups clearly doesn't understand them (ok ok, or just doesn't like them LoL): the neck pup is not meant to be used alone, but it adds depth/boom to the main pickup which is the huge one located in the sweet spot. Together they are sublime, and ricks were the first hifi sounding bass when used with roundwounds in history and the only passive hifi sound that retains an edge, plus you can roll off the amazing tone controls to get the incredible late beatles/wings tones on the exact same instrument without changing strings. Turn on the string mutes for that tape wound effect!
Little known fact outside of ric lovers - vintage rics weren't meant to work with the tension of roundwounds and the necks sometimes warped and became permanently damaged - WATCH OUT for this when buying a vintage ric!
Incredible basses - I would never replace anything on one. However this still is a very cool bass, and for traditional sustain and solidity the badass II is a much better built bridge, and the emgs will give it a completely different tone but you'll actually be able to use the neck pickup alone for an active P sound where normally a ric will never pull that sound off., and together it'll probably be in the same ballpark as most other active 2 soapbar basses would sound.
In other words, nothing like a ric.
I think $650 would be my max, if it included a decent case. I would replace the emg's,as i can't stand them,but thats me,and you may find you like the sound. i think about 60-75% of the way a Ric sounds is in the wood/construction,so it may be the emgs could still impart most of that tone.(keyword here is MAYBE)
I would keep the badass bridge,as long as it works well on the bass.
Ps,dkelley,i have a one pickup 4000,and it sounds fantastic without the neck pickup....
I would keep the badass bridge,as long as it works well on the bass.
Ps,dkelley,i have a one pickup 4000,and it sounds fantastic without the neck pickup....
In fact rics r shorter scale basses (33.5) than the traditional 34" scale fenders so strings r usually notoriously looser when using rounds really made to have optimummi tension tuned at concert pitch with a 34" scale...
Yes. But several Ric experts have told me over the years about that tension thing. Maybe it was just the round wounds of those days.... Dunno.
PS I knew as I wrote it I'd get in trouble, but I can't deny what I've been told. I may have gotten it wrong in some form though LoL. I know the necks originally didn't have the strength of other basses, back in the original days when they first came out. So there is truth in there somewhere. Maybe it's a back bow that developed due to round wounds not a front bow? Either way watch for it
PS I knew as I wrote it I'd get in trouble, but I can't deny what I've been told. I may have gotten it wrong in some form though LoL. I know the necks originally didn't have the strength of other basses, back in the original days when they first came out. So there is truth in there somewhere. Maybe it's a back bow that developed due to round wounds not a front bow? Either way watch for it
dkelley,
You are not dreaming up the Rics necks can't take roundwound rumor.
It's been a well documented Ric stigma ever since the late '70s.
The fact of the matter is RIC themselves started that because in the past IN THEIR OWN LITERATURE stated their 4001 basses were only to be strung with flatwounds.
Right or wrong, the onus is on RIC for that gem of misunderstanding.
The reality is, the 4000 series was designed in 1957 for a particular light gauge of flatwounds, and when rotosounds came on the scene, Ric owners like many other basses wanted that sound.
Some Rics could handle the extra tension of the Rotosounds, most couldn't without at least a bit of truss rod adjusting, which we know isn't as simple as adjusting a Fender.
Lots of Ric necks were unfortunately damaged, bowed, or cracked, and yes these 4001s are still out there, that's why I encourage a little caution when a young starry eyed bass player wants to jump on some 4001 "bargain".
The 4003 addressed these issues with a more robust set of truss rods and (for a time) thicker necks, and SHOULD reasonably handle most string gauges (however, do search for Ric tail lift to be fully informed)
Another watchout for modified 4001 basses is that many were jeopardized by owners over zelously routing out the wood around the neck pickup to install humbuckers (ala Cliff Burton). If you are considering such an animal, pay CLOSE attention to any paint cracking or hazing around the neck/shoulder area, it could indicate a more serious problem.
PS I knew as I wrote it I'd get in trouble, but I can't deny what I've been told. I may have gotten it wrong in some form though LoL. I know the necks originally didn't have the strength of other basses, back in the original days when they first came out. So there is truth in there somewhere. Maybe it's a back bow that developed due to round wounds not a front bow? Either way watch for it
I own a ric and had to file the nut out to accommodate a .110 E string to get the tension I like with a pretty stiff hex roundwound because of the shorter scale. ...definitely not the bass u would want playing in a thrash metal band who plays a lot of drop C and C#. I kinda know where your coming from tho because since the ric is a neck thru ...being a fairly thin neck and not having alot of gusset material at the neck/body join...I have seen a fair share of neck bow on the older ones probably before they got their truss rods dialed in. That is the benefit I see with fender bolt on style necks is that where the neck joins the pocket there is ALOT of wood at the joint and tapers up to the 15th fret on 20 fret basses for stability. So I think the neck warpage was more a function of design/early trussing systems vs excessive round wound string tension.
If you liked it, buy it.
If it sounds good to you, leave it as is.
If not, you can replace the pups easily enough for a reasonable amount of cash.
There will be at least a little wood routed out for the EMG pickups, but that doesn't really harm anything if it was done well.
The BadAss was a popular mod for quite a while, and since it's already done, I'd keep it too.
Much easier to intonate that the stock piece, and it looks pretty cool too.
I wouldn't worry about the sharpie concealed dings and scratches too much, you can't tell from a few feet away, but that ensures that without a refinish you won't be able to get top dollar for resale, so don't pay too much right now.
$700-800 is probably tops.
As a player's bass, it's probably great since you said it played nicely, but a collector wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole.
Make sure that you make it clear that you're aware of the devalued state of the bass if you do make an offer.
If they still want too much, just leave it.
It's definitely not worth a premium price.
If it sounds good to you, leave it as is.
If not, you can replace the pups easily enough for a reasonable amount of cash.
There will be at least a little wood routed out for the EMG pickups, but that doesn't really harm anything if it was done well.
The BadAss was a popular mod for quite a while, and since it's already done, I'd keep it too.
Much easier to intonate that the stock piece, and it looks pretty cool too.
I wouldn't worry about the sharpie concealed dings and scratches too much, you can't tell from a few feet away, but that ensures that without a refinish you won't be able to get top dollar for resale, so don't pay too much right now.
$700-800 is probably tops.
As a player's bass, it's probably great since you said it played nicely, but a collector wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole.
Make sure that you make it clear that you're aware of the devalued state of the bass if you do make an offer.
If they still want too much, just leave it.
It's definitely not worth a premium price.
Stopped by to look at the serial number. Indicates it is from December 1975.
Does the vintage year make a difference in value? Sorry, never even considered a Ric at my level till this one popped up in my price range, so I know very little about them.
I think it looks awesome. I'm not a big fan of EMGs due to them sounding generic but they might sound good in that bass. If the bass is structurally sound, and the neck is straight, I'd buy it in a heart beat.
