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Rickenbacker

#361
Originally posted by Funkster
Rickenbacker man I installed my horseshoe pup last night in the 4003, Toataly changed the tone from great to awesome! I don't know about you guy's but I find the shoe to make the bass a little more aggressive sounding. Tons of bottom but a great Honkin midrange tone when dialed in properly sounds incredible.
I get much more bark and the output seems just a bit hotter than the stocker with the bypass.
All in all I'm happy with the change although by the time I got it done last night it was late so I didn't have time to really dig in and crank it up. This weekend will be the test playing it in a live situation to see how she cuts through.
Thanks for the help Rickenbackerman.
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Hells yeah Funkster! Good choice of adjectives, too! Bark, agressive, honk, and hot! Wait till you get her cranked up, you ain't heard nothin yet... :) The horseshoe blows all other rick pickups out of the water IMO including bartolini.

Slipperypete, yours probably is already without the cap, take her apart and find out...

Barroso, how much more is the horseshoe over there? Can't you just order one from a dealer in the states and have them ship it over to you?

As far as the covers go, the horseshoe on mine is right in the 'sweet spot' of where i like to play, but it's just too damn cool to remove. I play just in front of it.
 
#363
Originally posted by BassistJ
I have to say that after reading this whole thread (Hey, what can I say? I was bored) that I'm practically salivating for a Ric. Unfortunatly from what I hear it's a good Rock ax, but not much good for anything else...unless there's someone out there who's had a good experience playing a Ric in a jazz or fusion or funk etc... setting.
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With the treble rolled off my 4003 sounds tasty for dub/experimental/jazz BS...and there's just enough midrange honk to allow it to cut through a little more...
 
#367
Hi,

I went to see my luthier (who is also the best soundman in the area) in town today with my V63 cause I have always felt my E string was not as punchy as the other strings. I played the Bass and he also agreed with me. So, we checked the pickup height and balance, action level and he suggested me to change the nut with a new metal nut instead of the plastic that is presently on the Bass. He also suggested we do some work on the E saddle. Does it sound right to you? Let me know if you had the same experience.
 
#368
I've never found the E-string on my Rics to be nearly as punchy as the rest...which often causes me to play things based on the A string to get the balls.

Yeah, I went through bridge, saddles, pickups, trussrods, action, the whole nine yards, with no benefits.

The only thing I could suggest would be running a lighter-guage E string...such as a 95 instead of 100, or 100 instead of a 105.

A metal nut in theory should improve sustain, but I can't see much benefit on a neck-thru bass that already has oodles of sustain.

Has anyone had any negative experiences on the new (late 90's) 4003 bridges? I've got 2 bridges that have the bolts thru the saddles so bent you could easily strip a saddle intonating the beast. I can see why Badass bridges make it onto Rics...
 
#369
Originally posted by nanook
So far as I know, you are the only Ric player who still has the pickup cover in place, all others have been disguarded.
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I still got mine too.... Some fellow bassists tell me that it gets in their way for slapping. I wouldn't know, i don't slap. I actually find that pickup cover great for thumb support.

I usually use it that way (fingering between the pickup cover and the bridge) when i want lots of clanking and high freqs created by my fingernails.

Then, when i want more of a punchy sound, i play between the two pups, right next to the covered one, using the pickguard (not pickup guard) as thumb support.

Finally, when i want a real bassy, clean sound, i use the beginning of the freatboard as thumb support, and play right there, usually with my ring finger (because i trim that nail really good for extra bassy fingering sound).

I dont think there is any bass more versatile than a rick! :)
 
#370
By the way, i remember someone saying in this thread (long, long ago) that you had to buy the "original" rick-o-sound kit to get the true stereo sound.

As far as i know, this is total bulls**t. I made my own box and it works just fine. Why wouldnt it, the rick-o-sound output is simply a stereo jack.. so if you make a box that has a stereo jack connected to two mono jacks, all with sharing ground, it works!

Anyone knows of any "secrets" the original box has that im missing out on?
 
#371
Originally posted by nanook
So far as I know, you are the only Ric player who still has the pickup cover in place, all others have been disguarded.

The Rick set up is infinately adjustable, so what ever you want can be done. Have a pro set it up to your specifications.

Ric On!
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I still have my cover in place. It's a nice perch for my palm since I play mostly with a pick. AND, having brought mine home from a good set-up guy just last night, I wanted to echo this. He got the action down super low. So easy to play now.
 
#372
My problem is the strings (sometimes) hitting the metal mounting plate itself (not the now-redundant plastic cover) even though the action is high. I have a secret plan to overcome this....

As for a thumbrests, after a couple of years playing my thumb now rests against the wood and perpendicular to it... somehow it stays there.
 
#373
Originally posted by Testin'positive4thefunk
My problem is the strings (sometimes) hitting the metal mounting plate itself (not the now-redundant plastic cover) even though the action is high. I have a secret plan to overcome this....

As for a thumbrests, after a couple of years playing my thumb now rests against the wood and perpendicular to it... somehow it stays there.
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sheesh! how hard do you dig in while playing?! :eek: :D

are you sure it's not the strings slapping the fretboard when you play? happens alot with me when i play like a monkey (ie dig in too hard)...i've never had the strings ever hit the p/u mount plate - i can't see how you could unless your action is unbelievably low...
 
#375
Originally posted by Testin'positive4thefunk
There are four little notches on each 'upright' of the mounting plate where the strings have bitten in. Also the coating (paint?plastic?) on the bumps on the pickups has perished. Maybe I twang the strings too hard (a symptom of playing unamplified for far too long!).
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ahhh, you're talking about the bridge and it's saddles...yes? if so, are the bolts/screws through each saddle straight? all mine are bent and it makes intonation adjustment a nightmare.

the coating on the button-tops seems to come off regardless...and all it needs is one small hit from a string (or a greasy finger, etc) and the black coating will go. i wouldn't worry about it.

i usually find that if i dig in too hard (which is most of the time unfortunately! :p ) i get too much fret-buzz, which quickly calms my right fingers...
 

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