Rickenbacker pros/cons

[M.R. Ogle]

I've never gotten the complaint about it being rough on the forearm. Do people really dig their arms into the sides of their basses that firmly?.

Absolutely, yes.

I had a Ric that I played all summer in 1976, and the edge of the body formed sore red "slash" across my forearm, hurt to the point that I started wearing an athletic wrist sweatband around my forearm to try to "pad" that area a bit. Still hurt. I had remnants of the red mark for the rest of the year!

Never again.

 

[pflash4001]

True, but mostly by people who don't actually own one.

Amen, hallelujah, and pass the biscuits!

 

[pflash4001]

Absolutely, yes.

I had a Ric that I played all summer in 1976, and the edge of the body formed sore red "slash" across my forearm, hurt to the point that I started wearing an athletic wrist sweatband around my forearm to try to "pad" that area a bit. Still hurt. I had remnants of the red mark for the rest of the year!

Never again.

I actually play my Rics with my forearm resting on the downward part of the top curve of the body, if that makes any sense. My right hand ends up closer to the neck pup and mellows my tone out a bit.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

True, but mostly by people who don't actually own one.

I own two. Got my first one new, in 1973.

I think those are accurate descriptions of tones you can get. "Clang" is a good onomatopoeic word. My bandmates used to call it a "Ginky" bass. That's another one of those tones they make when you play them with a pick.

But you can get other tones as well, though they all sound like a Ric.

They don't do Fender type tones very well with the stock pickups (at least not the 70s pickups, the new ones are hotter).

 

[M.R. Ogle]

I get that... I played my Explorer (actually an Alembic Exploiter) that way.

I was playing the Ric with a pick and resting my palm on the bridge, which was ALSO not-so-comfortable. It was just wrong for my personal playing style.

I still like the way Rics look and sound, I'd just have to play one of those models without the binding. I've always wanted to try out a Walnut Cheyenne.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

I was playing the Ric with a pick and resting my palm on the bridge, which was ALSO not-so-comfortable. It was just wrong for my personal playing style.

I still like the way Rics look and sound, I'd just have to play one of those models without the binding. I've always wanted to try out a Walnut Cheyenne.

I mostly picked right over the treble pickup. You have to remove the fake horseshoe cover for that. The binding edge is a little sharp, but it never bothered me that much.

I would rest my picking hand lightly on my ring and pinky fingers.

36 years ago... Boy I had a lot of switches and knobs on that bass...

 

[M.R. Ogle]

My arm hurts again just looking at that pic, LOL!!!

I just noticed the Peavey bass amp head, funny, I just played through one of those last night in a local home studio. That thing had all kinds of nasty distortion, until I figured out to plug into the input over on the RIGHT!

 

[SGD Lutherie]

My arm hurts again just looking at that pic, LOL!!!

I just noticed the Peavey bass amp head, funny, I just played through one of those last night in a local home studio. That thing had all kinds of nasty distortion, until I figured out to plug into the input over on the RIGHT!

I LOVED the distortion on that amp! That's why I bought it. It got the best Jack Bruce/Felix Pappalardi/Tim Bogert tone.

You probably didn't realize you could turn it off? It's those two knobs right in the middle of the first channel to the left of the 6 EQ knobs.

The second channel was smoother and deeper sounding.

I almost picked up one of those heads I found in a local shop. I tried it out and it was better than I remembered. But it was gone when I went back for it.

If you look, I wasn't really leaning on the binding, so it doesn't really bother me much.

Another funny shot from '78 I think, with Rick number 2. This bass was stock at the time. It's also a '73. I will never be that skinny again!

Same bass in 1980 sporting a burgundy mist metal flake plaint job. Note the Varitone switch and master volume.

Same Peavey. Everyone stop looking at Nadine.

 

[M.R. Ogle]

Not to derail on the Peavey head, but I twisted every knob on the face of the thing, and I could minimize it but the distortion was STILL in there... until I went to the other channel.

Also, one of the knobs was just spinning, I realized that this amp (like a lot of the other Peavey equipment of the era) had plastic-shaft pots.
Bad memories of a drunk chick tripping falling into the mixing board and snapping off four or five knobs in one swoop. Had to keep a pair of needle-nosed pliers around to EQ fr the rest of that leg.

That soured me on Peavey gear for years and years. I was simply convinced it was not roadworthy, professional grade equipment.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

Not to derail on the Peavey head, but I twisted every knob on the face of the thing, and I could minimize it but the distortion was STILL in there... until I went to the other channel.

Also, one of the knobs was just spinning, I realized that this amp (like a lot of the other Peavey equipment of the era) had plastic-shaft pots.
Bad memories of a drunk chick tripping falling into the mixing board and snapping off four or five knobs in one swoop. Had to keep a pair of needle-nosed pliers around to EQ fr the rest of that leg.

That soured me on Peavey gear for years and years. I was simply convinced it was not roadworthy, professional grade equipment.

That amp must have been broken.

My Mesa 400+ has plastic shaft knobs... two of which are snapped off!

I never had a problem with the Peavey. I think I got it new in 1976 as a graduation gift. I used it extensively until about 1985. I had loaned it to someone, and they plugged an MXR flanger into it that seems to have been passing AC voltage out and blew out my first channel. I had it repaired, but it never sounded the same, so I sold it. But it was a good solid 9 years of gigging, 4-5 nights a week at one point.

 

[M.R. Ogle]

That amp must have been broken.

Entirely possible. The owner's brother said it was kinda "iffy" but I played with it until I got a sound I liked. It was plenty loud, though.

But I think plastic pot shafts are a TERRIBLE idea, on a high-end amp like a Mesa, I'm appalled.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

But I think plastic pot shafts are a TERRIBLE idea, on a high-end amp like a Mesa, I'm appalled.

Me too! I don't get it.

 

[Sykk Reaper]

Clearly, he doesn't know what the word mellow means.

Karen Carpenter is mellow. Motorhead is not.

Trebly snarling bass tones are not mellow. Motown bass tones are mellow.

haha sorry guys didn't see motorhead. But anyways guys no matter what they sound like I know that I generally don't like the tones of them, there are a few exceptions (Old "Tool" before Justin Chancellor being one of them). I prefer almost any Wariwck or ESP or etc.

 

[Duke21]

Now I'm thinking about putting my Jazz build on hold, and picking up a CS Sig Ric. And the GAS continues...

What is the typical price on the CS sig now these days?

 

[SGD Lutherie]

haha sorry guys didn't see motorhead. But anyways guys no matter what they sound like I know that I generally don't like the tones of them, there are a few exceptions (Old "Tool" before Justin Chancellor being one of them). I prefer almost any Wariwck or ESP or etc.

You like a more generic bass tone, which is fine. ESPs don't have a recognizable sound. Warwicks sometimes do. Ricks have their own tone, and don't sound like anything else.

But they aren't for everyone.

 

[David Jayne]

The only issue with the 4003 is the body shape regarding the for-arm. Takes time to get use to. And that is the key point to the classic, it takes time to get use to after playing Fenders and other basses with slicker body.

You know, if they would change that(contour and round the body edge so it doesn't dig into my forearm, especially when played with a pick), do something sensible with the 'pickup cover,' and improve the bridge while keeping the cool looks, I'd be a Ric owner. I do like the sound, the weight, and the look. But the ergos keep me away.

 

[SGD Lutherie]

You know, if they would change that(contour and round the body edge so it doesn't dig into my forearm, especially when played with a pick), do something sensible with the 'pickup cover,' and improve the bridge while keeping the cool looks, I'd be a Ric owner. I do like the sound, the weight, and the look. But the ergos keep me away.

You mean like this:

Then you want a 4004.

Personally all the things I like about the 4001/3 is the binding, the triangle fingerboard markers, and even the remnants of the horseshoe pickup. This is what makes it a 4001.

 

[cassius987]

Old "Tool" before Justin Chancellor

You mean Paul d'Amour. His tone is the most "authentic" Ric tone I can think of... as in, sounds a lot like a Ric does out of the box, without lots of processing. He just has some quality distortion most of the time.

 

[David Jayne]

You mean like this:

Then you want a 4004.

Personally all the things I like about the 4001/3 is the binding, the triangle fingerboard markers, and even the remnants of the horseshoe pickup. This is what makes it a 4001.

Yes, but do a painted binding, fix(not replace) the 4001 bridge, and make it so that the pickup doesn't try to cut your thumb, and you're there. By all means keep the triangle markers/ general aesthetic. I think these things are possible.

 

[Spectrum]

You mean Paul d'Amour. His tone is the most "authentic" Ric tone I can think of... as in, sounds a lot like a Ric does out of the box, without lots of processing. He just has some quality distortion most of the time.

Also Mike Mesaros of Smithereens had a very clean Ric tone on Girl Like You.