Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[scabpicker]

Well, I've wanted a Ric 4001/4003 bass since I was a kid and a Geddy Lee fanatic. Add on all my other heroes who played them such as Lemmy, Squire, Cisneros, Barlow, Burton (and on and on and on) and that desire has just grown over the years. I was hemming and hawing about buying a lawsuit copy that came up on Reverb, and mentioned it to my wife. She replied "Why don't you just get a real one?" She was right, we can afford it now, but it was a lot of money for a bass that I've never played any examples of. Luckily, a friend of mine has one strung with flats, and he let me borrow it for a few days.

I loved it! The odd shaped body is really comfortable and it hangs from the strap really nicely. I was most surprised at how small it seems for a 34" scale bass. It's not Mustang or Danelectro small, but it doesn't feel like hauling around a Precision or a Jazz. The neck was wider than I expected, but still narrower than a lot of basses. The shallow depth of it is really comfortable. Plus it sounds great, with a really wide range of sounds available between the two pickups and controls. So I went and followed my wife's advice and bought one used. Hopefully it will be here in a week or so.

 

[kleinenenten]

Well, I've wanted a Ric 4001/4003 bass since I was a kid and a Geddy Lee fanatic. Add on all my other heroes who played them such as Lemmy, Squire, Cisneros, Barlow, Burton (and on and on and on) and that desire has just grown over the years. I was hemming and hawing about buying a lawsuit copy that came up on Reverb, and mentioned it to my wife. She replied "Why don't you just get a real one?" She was right, we can afford it now, but it was a lot of money for a bass that I've never played any examples of. Luckily, a friend of mine has one strung with flats, and he let me borrow it for a few days.

I loved it! The odd shaped body is really comfortable and it hangs from the strap really nicely. I was most surprised at how small it seems for a 34" scale bass. It's not Mustang or Danelectro small, but it doesn't feel like hauling around a Precision or a Jazz. The neck was wider than I expected, but still narrower than a lot of basses. The shallow depth of it is really comfortable. Plus it sounds great, with a really wide range of sounds available between the two pickups and controls. So I went and followed my wife's advice and bought one used. Hopefully it will be here in a week or so.

She's a keeper. Oh - and I guess the wife's alright too...

 

[davedamage]

What are the deets? 4001? Year?

I had a '79 that was one month older than I am but sold it off to fund a Thumb, which was my number one for a decade before it was stolen.

Also, aren't they 33" scale? 33.5"? I didn’t think they were actually 34".

 

[davedamage]

I've thought about another one but I play almost exclusively 35" BEAD these days. May still happen, though.

 

[scabpicker]

What are the deets? 4001? Year?

It's a 4003 from sometime in the last 12 years judging from the bridge. The pickups have been replaced with a copy of an earlier set, though. The original pickups are included. I'll have to wait for it to arrive to try to accurately date it.

Also, aren't they 33" scale? 33.5"? I didn’t think they were actually 34".

Well, I'll be damned. I thought they were 34". Turns out, nope, 33 1/4". That would surely explain why it feels smaller.

 

[Kawai2g4b]

I was hemming and hawing about buying a lawsuit copy that came up on Reverb, and mentioned it to my wife. She replied "Why don't you just get a real one?”

Well thank you got getting the real thing because I jumped on a Fernandes RB-80 4001 copy right around that time. You should get decades of enjoyment out of your real one though, congrats on that!

 

[scabpicker]

Well thank you got getting the real thing because I jumped on a Fernandes RB-80 4001 copy right around that time. You should get decades of enjoyment out of your real one though, congrats on that!

Hehehe, was it black? If so, yeah, that was probably the one I was looking at.

 

[Kawai2g4b]

Hehehe, was it black? If so, yeah, that was probably the one I was looking at.

Yes it is. I can’t say I can complain about my choice. The post 1979 Fernandes builds are as close to a Ric as I can get. The main difference in the truss rod design (single vs the two in an actual Ric) but the pickups are dead on.

 

[scabpicker]

Yes it is. I can’t say I can complain about my choice. The post 1979 Fernandes builds are as close to a Ric as I can get. The main difference in the truss rod design (single vs the two in an actual Ric) but the pickups are dead on.

Yep, that was almost certainly the one I was eyeing, and that was what I always heard about those Fernandes basses. My favorite Fenders are all MIJ guitars, so that Fernandes should be as good as or better than the real thing.

 

[Michedelic]

Yes it is. I can’t say I can complain about my choice. The post 1979 Fernandes builds are as close to a Ric as I can get. The main difference in the truss rod design (single vs the two in an actual Ric) but the pickups are dead on.

Yep, that was almost certainly the one I was eyeing, and that was what I always heard about those Fernandes basses. My favorite Fenders are all MIJ guitars, so that Fernandes should be as good as or better than the real thing.

I do have to mention that Ibanez did a pretty fair job of Ric knock-offs in the 70’s. Not dead-on, but decent enough until you could afford the real thing. Bruce Foxton of British mod revival band The Jam put one to good use on their first album, it sounded the part.

 

[scabpicker]

I do have to mention that Ibanez did a pretty fair job of Ric knock-offs in the 70’s. Not dead-on, but decent enough until you could afford the real thing. Bruce Foxton of British mod revival band The Jam put one to good use on their first album, it sounded the part.

Hehe, and those and the Greco and the Fernandes and Hondo models were probably all made in the same Matsumoku factory. Peter Hook used a Hondo one on the Joy Division records. They sound pretty great to me. My only real reservation was spending that much on a copy, which in retrospect is an entirely reasonable amount to pay.

 

[scabpicker]

Erm, allow me to apologize, kind of. I didn't really post the most doom appropriate song with Hook playing his Hondo in the previous post. You can hear the Hondo grind away on this song, without the chorus getting in the way of the glory. Throw a heavily fuzzed out version or two of that descending riff in unison with the guitar in there and it would be pretty Sabbath-y. But the previous song is probably my favorite of Hook's chord work.



Edited to add: Ok, yeah, there's no getting around that gated snare being the beginning of 80s production. Damn you, Martin Hannett.

 

[jollygiantchris]

Well, I've wanted a Ric 4001/4003 bass since I was a kid and a Geddy Lee fanatic. Add on all my other heroes who played them such as Lemmy, Squire, Cisneros, Barlow, Burton (and on and on and on) and that desire has just grown over the years. I was hemming and hawing about buying a lawsuit copy that came up on Reverb, and mentioned it to my wife. She replied "Why don't you just get a real one?" She was right, we can afford it now, but it was a lot of money for a bass that I've never played any examples of. Luckily, a friend of mine has one strung with flats, and he let me borrow it for a few days.

I loved it! The odd shaped body is really comfortable and it hangs from the strap really nicely. I was most surprised at how small it seems for a 34" scale bass. It's not Mustang or Danelectro small, but it doesn't feel like hauling around a Precision or a Jazz. The neck was wider than I expected, but still narrower than a lot of basses. The shallow depth of it is really comfortable. Plus it sounds great, with a really wide range of sounds available between the two pickups and controls. So I went and followed my wife's advice and bought one used. Hopefully it will be here in a week or so.

Beautiful bass, I had a jetglo 4003 for awhile but had to sell it when I had major health issues in 2006. The only thing I didn't care for was the string taper feels a little odd to me, but the neck was nice, the weight and how it sat on the body was perfect, and the tone is every bit as good as you expect it to be. Love the sparkly pickguard panel on that one too, should look great under the lights. Hope you enjoy your new purchase they are great basses!

Now, since JHS is blowing out their legends of fuzz series tomorrow anyone have any thoughts on which ones are unique/best for stoner/doom!?!?

 

[kleinenenten]

I think it's been a few months since I've touched my bass, but i got a few minutes in today. Maybe 5. I wasn't total garbage! Woo! It's the little things. I played some of Sabbath's "Into The Void", and even in a slightly different tuning, it sounded pretty solid. Need to get back to it ASAP.

 

[scabpicker]

Ok, sorry for the serial posts, but DMBQ opened up for Osees in Dallas this weekend. I'd never heard them before, but certainly came away a fan. The guy singing and playing guitar punched himself in the face till he spit blood. I appreciated his dedication to his art, even though I'm not gonna emulate him. I'm not sure what the bassist was using for fuzz, but it was saturated to say the least. We heard her sound check as we were parking, and I highly approved. She was playing a lined fretless P-Bass, and only slding tastefully. Heavy folks.




Plus, the shirt was a fake "Super Noise Feedbacker" BOSS pedal that glows in the dark. How in fscking hell could I resist? Yeah, I bought it before I even heard them. Even if the band didn't rule (and they kinda do), the shirt does. I'll post a pic when I find it again.

Hehe, I neglected to address this before, but:

She's a keeper. Oh - and I guess the wife's alright too...

She's the most wonderful of enablers, actually. We kind of technically bought a new house to "Get that half stack and pedal steel out of my living room."

In her defense, I was playing along (badly) on the pedal steel to every commercial and/or incendental music that came on the television. In my defense, her painting studio is now so large that she hasn't complained about the cab from that half stack being in it for the last three months. I moved it in there to troubleshoot an amp, and just haven't moved it out.

Yeah, I should probably stop being lazy and roll it back in to its room this weekend. She's a gem, and I probably don't want to try her patience.

 

[scabpicker]

Now, since JHS is blowing out their legends of fuzz series tomorrow anyone have any thoughts on which ones are unique/best for stoner/doom!?!?

Damn, it was one of those series I thought would never end. I'm going to try to watch his blurb on them tomorrow, but I'll probably just grab the Super-Fuzz clone. I'm an addict for those guys, and always kind of thought I should grab one of his copies.

 

[kleinenenten]

Ok, sorry for the serial posts, but DMBQ opened up for Osees in Dallas this weekend. I'd never heard them before, but certainly came away a fan. The guy singing and playing guitar punched himself in the face till he spit blood. I appreciated his dedication to his art, even though I'm not gonna emulate him. I'm not sure what the bassist was using for fuzz, but it was saturated to say the least. We heard her sound check as we were parking, and I highly approved. She was playing a lined fretless P-Bass, and only slding tastefully. Heavy folks.




Plus, the shirt was a fake "Super Noise Feedbacker" BOSS pedal that glows in the dark. How in fscking hell could I resist? Yeah, I bought it before I even heard them. Even if the band didn't rule (and they kinda do), the shirt does. I'll post a pic when I find it again.

Hehe, I neglected to address this before, but:

She's the most wonderful of enablers, actually. We kind of technically bought a new house to "Get that half stack and pedal steel out of my living room."

In her defense, I was playing along (badly) on the pedal steel to every commercial and/or incendental music that came on the television. In my defense, her painting studio is now so large that she hasn't complained about the cab from that half stack being in it for the last three months. I moved it in there to troubleshoot an amp, and just haven't moved it out.

Yeah, I should probably stop being lazy and roll it back in to its room this weekend. She's a gem, and I probably don't want to try her patience.

As long as we can pay the bills and get the necessary stuff done, my other half doesn't really care what I do with my money or free time. It's glorious!

Digging that DMBQ as well. Nothing I'd have found on my own, but good stuff.

 

[kleinenenten]

Now, since JHS is blowing out their legends of fuzz series tomorrow anyone have any thoughts on which ones are unique/best for stoner/doom!?!?

I have never heard of this line, and just checked them out. I'm happy to say, only one even remotely interests me (the Crimson). Of course, when it comes to fuzz, pretty much only Muffs interest me, and then usually the Russians (or some heavily modified clone). And for the price - no thanks! I was happy today when I briefly got to jam on my Pharaoh Supreme and Priestess - need to do that more often. And I'm happy that I've only bought 3 pedals this year so far, and only 1 for bass! My GAS has certainly subsided, and I really don't see it coming back again. I may buy a few duplicate pedals for other boards, but seeing as I don't play that much lately, will be happy to wait until I find a suitable deal.

Related question - what are the group's thoughts on JHS in general? He lives at the opposite end of my state, so I've always been curious, but he's never made anything that quite got my interest enough for me to try. I've debated the Blooms and one of the Hoofs, but never pulled the trigger. For someone who typically likes lower gain fuzzes (my favorites are the Priestess, Pharaoh Supreme, CMC Green Russian, and Swollen Pickle) and lower gain tones in general (even my tastes in HM-2 are on the lower end of the distortion spectrum!), what would be one of his to possibly check out? I'm looking for something with plenty of lows, but also enough definition to cut the mix and not be lost. My pet peeves are brittle highs and loss of lows.

 

[kleinenenten]

In what may be the least "doom" post here in a while, but still considered "metal", I was able to pick up my bass for a bit today and learned a song that would entertain my son. He's recently become a big fan of this group, as he's yet too young for much of the metal world's topics. And of course, I had to find the cheesiest video they made for it as well.

 

[kleinenenten]

Actually got to play a decent amount today. Needed it. Been WAAAAY too long. Ended up switching up some dirt on my secondary boards. Swapped a Tremond for a Bass Mountain, and my CMC Bubble Font for my old trusty Pharaoh Supreme (with very different settings than usual, but sounds great!). I had to play the cheesy Hammerfall song mentioned above with plenty of fuzz and distortion, of course.

I also managed to play a bit of guitar too. Decades late to the party here, but slamming a Muff with a Tubescreamer is a fantastic combo (Pharaoh Supreme and Green Rhino MKIV, respectively). Loved it, even more than slamming it with an OCD (EHX OD Glove). And that was a go-to of mine for a long while.