Rickish sound from Jazz Bass

[j_p_312]

I was experimenting over the past few days with the sounds of my new Jazz Bass, and I think I saw a thread on here that suggested that you could get a sound similar to the "classic" Ric sound that cropped up in the 70s prog bands. (Of course, I can't find the thread again on short notice.)

The magic formula seemed to be:
1) Roundwound strings
2) Both pickups on full
3) Playing as close as possible to the fretboard (but not on it)
4) Optional - playing with a pick
5) Optional - some high freq distortion, but not quite so much as to get a "fuzz bass" sound

Has anyone else tried this? I was really surprised at how close I came to a Ric sound. And I figured I saved a few hundred by not buying an actual Ric.

 

[mccartneyman]

I was experimenting over the past few days with the sounds of my new Jazz Bass, and I think I saw a thread on here that suggested that you could get a sound similar to the "classic" Ric sound that cropped up in the 70s prog bands. (Of course, I can't find the thread again on short notice.)

The magic formula seemed to be:
1) Roundwound strings
2) Both pickups on full
3) Playing as close as possible to the fretboard (but not on it)
4) Optional - playing with a pick
5) Optional - some high freq distortion, but not quite so much as to get a "fuzz bass" sound

Has anyone else tried this? I was really surprised at how close I came to a Ric sound. And I figured I saved a few hundred by not buying an actual Ric.

Listen to Dee Murray on Elton John's "Love Lies Bleeding." Jazz Bass with flats, but very Rickish.

 

[theevilplankton]

As a former Ric owner, I have found a similar thing with my Jag.
Running it on active through my Markbass, fiddling with the settings, I managed to imitate - by accident - my old 4003!

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Chris Squire managed to sound like himself more than a few times, playing a J bass...

 

[Meddle]

Geddy Lee I think managed to do this well, but that is perhaps because the classic Rickenbacker sound we all think of is about 50% Geddy anyway, and his technique.

 

[EagleMoon]

I think the key is a pick and a strong/sharp/staccato attack. I used to get very Ric-ish tones from my P bass with a pick.

 

[Meddle]

I've found I've got Rick tones out of a Ashdown amp and a Squier Bronco bass with fresh strings. Oddly I played a Mapleglo Rick through the same amp and it didn't sound as much like a Rick as my Bronco. It must all be in the ears of the beholder!

To me the Rick sound has a lot of other sound in it that is not just the note from the string. There is a clank and a slight fuzz inherent in the sound even when DIed.

 

[Ric5]

To get a Ric sound out of a jazz bass I would say turn the neck vol to 10 the bridge vol to 7 and the tone to 10. Play it aggressively and try a pick.

an alternate is try a .0047 capacitor on the bridge pickup.