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Rickenbacker pros/cons

#61
cassius987 said:
Rics can do any genre if you don't completely suck. Just like... oh yeah, nearly any other bass.

Pretty clear to me now that this is a troll thread.
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This ^, + 1000

FWIW, I've played some Ric copies that have good playability & acceptable tone, but I don't know any seasoned bassist who actually prefers the tone of a Ric copy over the real-deal.
The only real appeal of a copy (of any bass) is the lower cost to the consumer.
Naturally, this does not apply to basses like Lakland or Sadowsky Jazz basses, where the builder is actually attempting to improve and refine the breed.
 
#62
leegreenman said:
Man, it's crazy how heated people get about this topic. I've tried really hard to like playing Rics. I absolutely love the way they look and sound. When I try to get them to work for me however it's a different story. Over the past few months I had been obsessing over picking one up BIG TIME. I went into a guitar store this past weekend with every intention of purchasing one. After sitting down and playing one for a bit I realized (again) that they just don't suit my needs. The feel is just too different for me. If I had unlimited resources,I could probably justify purchasing one. I'm sure could adjust to it over time. For nearly two grand it just doesn't make sense for me to purchase a bass that I won't be able to get a ton of use out of right off the bat.
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The "heat" is more from all the BS that gets spread about them. It's just a bass, people!

Also, once you get used to one (and set it up correctly), they're like butter. Every other bass, including my vintage Fender feels a little clunky now. IMO, only the USA Peaveys give it a run for the money as far as feel.
 
#65
SGD Lutherie said:
But even he was up front in a traditional way. Just not overly bright. The real bright tones on the White Album was a Jazz bass!
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Sound logical actually, my Geddy can be brighter then my 4003. The Rick even though is aggressive in the mids, it still produce warm mids, specially if I use both pups. My favorite tone is usually treble pup on vintage mode, and maxed tone and volume, while the neck pup about 90-95% fully open, tone maxed out. Farther, playing with a pick just in front of the pup cover. There is the Rick magic for me.
 
#66
The biggest down side of Rickenbacker is they don't currently make a 5 string bass and they show little or no interest in making one in the future ...

4004cii5_25.jpg


4004cii5_27.jpg


4004cii5_06.jpg


4004cii5_20.jpg
 
#67
audiomitch said:
It's just a bass, people!
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It's not a bass, its a religion and if you don't worship at the alter of the Rickenbacker you will burn in eternal hell-fire while we believers look down at you in a lake of burning fenders and laugh!!! HAHA

I love my Ric, but I realize that they aren't for everyone. I think that it's the condescending tone of the Ric-Haters that causes some of the consternation; and the true believers sometimes engage in hyperbole, as all good fanatics do."
 
#69
Ric5 said:
The biggest down side of Rickenbacker is they don't currently make a 5 string bass and they show little or no interest in making one in the future ...
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I just saw this bass on eBay. That's a great solution to the pickup issue.

I even make a pickup in that size that sounds like a Rick.

I can't imagine why RIC can't go outside the company and outsource some pickups if they can't make a new wider set.
 
#70
lfmn16 said:
It's not a bass, its a religion and if you don't worship at the alter of the Rickenbacker you will burn in eternal hell-fire while we believers look down at you in a lake of burning fenders and laugh!!! HAHA

I love my Ric, but I realize that they aren't for everyone. I think that it's the condescending tone of the Ric-Haters that causes some of the consternation; and the true believers sometimes engage in hyperbole, as all good fanatics do."
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I think that may be true at the Ric forum, but I don't see that much of it here. Most Ric "defenders" are trying to set the record straight. OTOH, there seems to be a derogatory thread every week.
 
#72
Okay since i now see a lot of hate brought down on me since i "prefer' the copies better than the real rickenbacker. Next time i see one in store and try it out, can i get a good setting to play it.

What settings do you have when you play with your rickenbacker 4001/4003 bass. No effects just basic amp EQ. maybe it'll change my mind about the real deal ric.
 
#73
Andii Syckz said:
Okay since i now see a lot of hate brought down on me since i "prefer' the copies better than the real rickenbacker. Next time i see one in store and try it out, can i get a good setting to play it.

What settings do you have when you play with your rickenbacker 4001/4003 bass. No effects just basic amp EQ. maybe it'll change my mind about the real deal ric.
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I adjust the amp until it sounds good to me. It's a radical method, I know.
 
#74
Pros - Listen to "Sober" by Tool.

Cons - Listen to "Sober" by Tool.

Seriously though, great sounding basses, but not for me feel-wise. I literally bought a 4001 (or was it a 4003?), and never left the store with it. This was many moons ago, and it cost me $500.00. Yes, I paid for it before I even pulled it down off the wall. The fat, non-tapered neck and non-contoured body immediately turned me off. Within ten minutes, I had traded it back even for two blackface Fender Bassman 100 stacks w/2x15 cabs, and a few small accessories... The ignorance of youth was in full effect, that day. ;-)
 
#75
Different strokes for different folks. I have owned a Fender P bass, and a Fender J bass too. Can't stand them. Sold them. Felt like baseball bats with strings! Ha ha! And the tone was anemic to me. No character or much else. Very neutral sounding. That works for some, not for me.

Who cares how anyone else sets their Rick to play? All that matters is how YOU want it to sound and play. If it's not for you, get something else. No use in trying to convince someone to like something they don't.
 
#76
meatwad said:
Pros - Listen to "Sober" by Tool.

Cons - Listen to "Sober" by Tool.

Seriously though, great sounding basses, but not for me feel-wise. I literally bought a 4001 (or was it a 4003?), and never left the store with it. This was many moons ago, and it cost me $500.00. Yes, I paid for it before I even pulled it down off the wall. The fat, non-tapered neck and non-contoured body immediately turned me off. Within ten minutes, I had traded it back even for two blackface Fender Bassman 100 stacks w/2x15 cabs, and a few small accessories... The ignorance of youth was in full effect, that day. ;-)
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I didn't know that was a Rick!

The older basses had much thinner necks. For a while they got really thick. I played one like that where it was not tapered at all. But that's not the typical Rick neck. I hated it.

Now I have heard they are back to being thin again.

The only bass that reminds me of a Rick neck is my Ibanez SR-885LE, which is why I bought it.
 
#78
SGD Lutherie said:
I just saw this bass on eBay. That's a great solution to the pickup issue.

I even make a pickup in that size that sounds like a Rick.

I can't imagine why RIC can't go outside the company and outsource some pickups if they can't make a new wider set.
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They are too arrogant to use another brand of pickups. They have to use their own. But all of their pickups are guitar pickup. The only difference between the guitar high gain and the bass high gain it the number of pole pieces.
 
#79
I have only owned 1, a 1981 4001 so I will only speak about that bass. I had it for 10 years or so, played many gigs with it and it paid for itself a few times over.

Pros:
played very very well, like butter. best PLAYING bass i ever owned.
double truss rod was awesome. had it set up ONCE and it stayed for years and years.
was able to great action. slightly shorter scale made it a fast neck.
it was a cool looking bass.

Cons:
frets were small and soft for roundwounds. they would wear down fast and get grooves in them.
the bridge pickup died on me.
the screws in the tuner gears would back out. lost 2 washers that way.
the nut was cut wrong and cheap plastic, so the g string would roll off the fretboard all the time.
the paint job was very odd, orange peeled and was very soft and draggy.had an odd residue. (white finish).
never got a great sound out of it, and we used professional sound re-inforcement. it was underwhelming in the tone dept.
 
#80
Has nobody listened to Spacehog? That's a Ric. Not the clanky Ric tone at all... Rics can down in the mud with the best of 'em.

I always had an issue with where to put my plucking hand on the 4001 and 4003 series (I've never tried the 4004s but they look very cool). The contour of the body, the hand placement, and the scale length all just made the bass feel a little weird to me so I couldn't get comfortable. I love the sound, though. I always give them a second look in stores, but in my heart I know that I probably won't ever get one. Again, I've not run into the 4004 series....
 

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