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Rickenbacker tone without ludicrous prices?

#21
I agree that Rickenbackers aren't ludicrously priced at all.

Fodera Monarch? I won't pay that much for an electric bass (other than maybe a Ritter), but that doesn't mean that it's ludicrously priced - it's simply much more than I'm willing to pay.

Best of luck to the OP in trying to find that Ric tone within his budget, or at least coming close.
 
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#23
ajkula66 said:
As counter-intuitive as it may seem, the closest comparison (to my ears) are Guild B-302 and X-702.
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I have both a 4003 and a B-302. I've heard others make this comparison and generally, I would agree. But I have Nickle rounds on (one of) my Rick(s) and Half-rounds on my Guild so I tend to see them as very different.
I can say for certain the neck on the Guild is nothing like the neck on my Rickenbacker. Its thick and beefy like half a baseball bat, especially in the upper register. I like the contrast.
Guilds are getting hard to find.
 
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#24
Lets get real! The Ric sound is a combination of things, including its materials and method of construction. You’ll waste a lot of money and time trying to find something that has a slice of the tonal character that a Ric has. I think you’d be better off going into hock and getting the real satisfaction that aowning a Ric will bring you. Trust me - I’m right on this.
 
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#26
I have an ESP LTD B5-E 5 string. I ripped out the pre amp and controls. Downloaded the wiring diagram for a 4003 Rick. Ordered the exact pots and caps. Now all the bass players in my neck of the woods go "that sounds like a Rick. How'd you get that killer tone?"

Bass $850 w/ 40th anniversary hard case.
Controls, solder, and iron $65.
The fealing you get when musicians you look up to asks about "that killer tone"?
Ebony fretboard;)

P.S. sold the pre and controls all wired together on e-bay to offset the parts cost. If you're unable to do it yourself employing a luthier will still save about 2 grand or so.
 
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#27
Pic
 

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#29
higain617 said:
I think you want both in single coil mode. They get pretty close, but aren’t the real thing. Gibson did a Grabber 3 reissue several years ago that supposedly got there.

I think I may pull the trigger on a Ric soon.
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That's what I would think, also rotating the neck pickup 180 degree might get it closer to the Ric position.
 
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#30
Its not that they’re high priced per se, its that they dont allow East Asian production versions like almost all of the other brands do.

You cant really get a ric tone from anything else. But, with a jazz you can get close enough that I doubt most non-bass players would notice.

Its unfortunate, imo. I think everyone would be happier if they just licensed it out like even Ernie Ball MM finally did.

Im never going to buy a ric and price is the main reason. Its the one sound sorely missing in my repertoire.
 
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#34
Erik herman said:
I have yet to get my hands on one but for less than half the price of a used Rick you can get a line 6 variax bass, rickenbacker is one of the sampled basses it replicates. I think they are really cool and will be getting one someday.
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I'll second this recommendation. You can find a Line 6 Variax 700 bass used (as they don't make them new anymore) for only US$400-600, and their Ric model is surprisingly good. (They have two Rick models: one w/rounds and another w/flats.) Here's a demo, with the Rickenbacker models starting around 3:40.
 
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#35
All things are relative.

What is considered to be "cheap" to one person, another considers it to be "expensive".

The OP doesn't mention which country of the world they are in, as not everyone on this forum is from the US, and benefit from the deals and availability that is enjoyed by those in the US market place. Also don't forget that if the OP is situated somewhere outside the US, their market place is also affected by the exchange rate of the currency in their location to the US dollar.

Not everyone has enough disposable income to buy a $1500 instrument without some sort of sacrifice, be it interest rates for finance, or paying the rent.

Just trying to see "the bigger picture" here, and considering other people's situations.
 
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#36
Another vote for Godin Shifter, the 3 pickups bass. It could get very close to ric at one of its pickup selector positions. But mind it's not a cheap bass also, so it's probably more reasonable to spend some extra for a real deal.

And then, there are 70s lawsuit Ibanez versions poping out at classifieds from time to time, if you are patient enough to wait.
 
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#38
Axstar said:
Anybody got a sample of a Jazz Bass getting close to Rickenbacker tones?
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I saw an old video of Yes in the studio. Chris is playing a white or yellow Jazz. IIRC it was the Going for the One sessions but it's been more than a 1/4 century since I watched the VHS. I remember being floored at how one of my favorite Ric tones was a jazz.
 
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#40
Ill chime in then! My L2k can indeed get a passable Ric tone in treble boost mode, but "passable" is the operant word. Save your pennies, there just isnt anything else off the shelf that sounds like a Ric. Ive built two Ric clones now, with the same pups and wiring, same spacing, same materials and neck through construction.....they sound exactly like a real Ric, but i spent a lot more on materials and pure sweat equity than you'll spend buying a used one. Dont get suckered by a Chickenbacker either, it may look like a Ric, but sounds nothing like one.
 
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