What's so great about the Rickenbacker?

[dbsfgyd1]

Never owned one, never played one, and....don't know that I've every actually seen one in real life.
Yet, judging by how many people have played one and loved it, you'd think it was the best bass this side of the Fender Precision.

Geddy Lee
Cliff Burton and Jason Newsted
Lemmy
Chris Squire
etc.

What's so great about the Ric?

A great ROS rig will perk up ears for sure.

 

[woodyng2]

Giffro- you win the age contest, , but just by 3 years.
I'm an early '54 vintage.
Bet you wish you still had that azureglo 4000- I know I miss my white one!

 

[B-Mac]

Which bass did Chris Squire use on "Lucky Seven"?
And, what's your source? I would love to find a reputable guide of all the basses Squire has used on every tune in his discography!

There's a video where Chris explains the entire album as it is being played. I think I recall a few [edit] different basses? Plus guitar on a different track.

Might still be on YT. Worth watching.

Def not a Ric on Lucky Seven just by listening to the track.

 

[woodyng2]

That video came with the FOOW CD reissue special edition. Haven't watched that in ages, he delves into a lot of details
in a reminiscing sort of way.

 

[Jeff Scott]

YES released Fragile approx 1971 and I was a 20 year old bass player (born in 1951 I should have been using Leo's Precision Bass loll..makes me wonder if woody is older then me now I blabbed my age loll).

Old fart!!!

 

[Jeff Scott]

Giffro- you win the age contest, , but just by 3 years.
I'm an early '54 vintage.

Slightly less an old fart!

 

[Aussie Player]

I'm in the not impressed group.
Hired a 4001once when my bass was stolen and couldn't wait to return it once I got on stage. The time dragged with no E string punch, not the note articulation I was used to, body shape that dug into my lower rib all night and a reach to the next county for an F or Bd. Even my Marshall ans Sunn amps back then couldn't improve it.
Never again, even if free.

 

[B-Mac]

That video came with the FOOW CD reissue special edition. Haven't watched that in ages, he delves into a lot of details
in a reminiscing sort of way.

Yeah, but I don't have a blue ray player.

I'm pretty sure it's still on YT as I posted a link to it somewhere on TB a while ago.

 

[B-Mac]

Which bass did Chris Squire use on "Lucky Seven"?
And, what's your source? I would love to find a reputable guide of all the basses Squire has used on every tune in his discography!

That video came with the FOOW CD reissue special edition. Haven't watched that in ages, he delves into a lot of details
in a reminiscing sort of way.

Found it.

Enjoy!

 

[R Briere]

YES released Fragile approx 1971 and I was a 20 year old bass player (born in 1951 I should have been using Leo's Precision Bass loll..makes me wonder if woody is older then me now I blabbed my age loll). Anyway I was in a working band using a beautiful Gibson EB-3, but I fell in love with the sound of Chris Squire's Rickenbacker belting out Roundabout through the car speakers on the way to my gigs...I had to have one loll
There was no internet or ready information on the actual Rickenbacker basses and what I could glean came from mainly Bass and guitar magazines and newspaper clippings etc. I'm sure I ordered the 4000 model because an advert at the time stated they were a bit cheaper than the 2 pup model 4001 series and being ignorant of anything Rickenbacker except how they sounded I opted for the 4000 model in blue (Azureglo I think it was called at that time).
I was a bricklayer in that era and making reasonable money so I ordered a Ric 4000 through my local music shop and waited months for the delivery. Being an Australian order back then from a city that never stocked them anywhere in the first place (Adelaide South Aust), my order was channeled through a large Sydney music store first, then onto Rickenbacker in the USA. I cant remember exactly how long I waited for the bass to arrive but I know it was at least 6 months even back then in 1971 loll
Once I had it in my hands it was a dream come true and was the finest bass sound I had ever imagined from that 1 bridge pickup. Its a pity at the time there wasnt an affordable bass amp here to equal the sound the Ric put out...I was running an Aussie brand Lenard 150 watt amp and 4 x 12" Etone speakers cab bought about 1970 and it sufficed.
I guess you could say I have always been a Rickenbacker bass lover...the slightly shorter neck length I loved and the ergonomics people go on about never bothered me one bit and every gig was something to look forward to so I could let loose with that sound loll...I was pretty confident I was the only guy in a town of nearly 1Mill people at the time, who owned a Ric 4000
I bought a 4001 in the 80's sometime and rocked that through into the 90's and stupidly traded it in for a brand new 1991 Peavey Dyna Bass 5 string..a purchase I have never regretted anyway..The Peavey Dyna 5 is a great bass.
I missed my Rics though and lashed out in 2017 when a music shop in the next state (Victoria) emailed me that 2 4003 Rics had just come in from the USA that day...was I interested...I was on the phone in minutes and laying down a deposit on the 4003 Fireglo. I completed purchase in the next few weeks and received the bass before my birthday in May of 2017. It was like greeting a long lost friend back home. Pictures from the mentioned era's of 70's 80's and 2017.
That's my Rickenbacker story and I'm sticking to it loll

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I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your "Story". I, too, am a Geezer ..... born in 1951.......my first bass was a junker but it got the job done and our band was good....... and on an occasion when we opened for the Vanilla Fudge at U Mass bassist Tim Bogart, one of the finest gentlemen I've ever known, asked me what kind of bass I was using. I was embarrassed to say that I wasn't sure and without hesitation he pulled a Marshall Logo off of one of their cabinets, clipped the little thing-a-ma-jigs off the back and we glued the Marshall logo to my Clunker. (Shown below)

Soon after I bought a Hofner 500/2 AND a White RickenBACKer 4001 !! on the same day!!! As some may recall there was no such thing as "Tip Jars" in those days (I do pride myself on never, not once, have played for "Tips") and we used to make good money playing college gigs......soooo...... Two Basses for around $500!! .......to be followed a couple months later by 2 GK400RB heads and Two Cabinets! #geezersrock PS: Everything in this pic is now gone......including my hair. LOL Number of Rics purchased over the years? 12-15 .......I've adored each and every one.

 

[steve_ss]

Found it.

Enjoy!

That is the greatest thing I've seen. Thank you thank you for posting it. Made my day.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

I'm still gassing for one since I regrettably sold mine decades ago.

What's so great about the Rickenbacker?

In the immortal reply when Louis Armstrong was asked, "What is Jazz?"

"If I got to explain it to you, you ain't never gonna know."

 

[Giffro]

Giffro- you win the age contest, , but just by 3 years.
I'm an early '54 vintage.
Bet you wish you still had that azureglo 4000- I know I miss my white one!
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Lolll..Ok I got more years on you but you got more Rics on me and yesss...I would love to have that beautiful AzureGlo 4000 back again...it was like magic to play. I love the white ones (blizzardGlo???)...dunno why but I have a real soft spot for white basses...namely my beautiful white double pup EBMM Stingray 5 which I bought about the same time as my current 4003 Ric.

 

[Giffro]

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your "Story". I, too, am a Geezer ..... born in 1951.......my first bass was a junker but it got the job done and our band was good....... and on an occasion when we opened for the Vanilla Fudge at U Mass bassist Tim Bogart, one of the finest gentlemen I've ever known, asked me what kind of bass I was using. I was embarrassed to say that I wasn't sure and without hesitation he pulled a Marshall Logo off of one of their cabinets, clipped the little thing-a-ma-jigs off the back and we glued the Marshall logo to my Clunker. (Shown below)

Soon after I bought a Hofner 500/2 AND a White RickenBACKer 4001 !! on the same day!!! As some may recall there was no such thing as "Tip Jars" in those days (I do pride myself on never, not once, have played for "Tips") and we used to make good money playing college gigs......soooo...... Two Basses for around $500!! .......to be followed a couple months later by 2 GK400RB heads and Two Cabinets! #geezersrock PS: Everything in this pic is now gone......including my hair. LOL Number of Rics purchased over the years? 12-15 .......I've adored each and every one.

Welcome to the Jeff Scott Old Geezer Ric Owners Club lollll
Great story. Lots of things over the years are difficult to buy here in Australia back in the day, but I did manage to score the 1967 self titled Vanilla Fudge album and the 1969 Near The Beginning album too....both vinyl in perfect condition still. I almost gave up playing bass listening to the unbelievable bass mastery of Tim Bogert on his Fender bass...boy oh boy what a magnificent bassist. I also have the hair today, gone tomorrow look...like Jeff lolllll
Heck in that first pic of you I swear you look a bit like John Entwistle lollll

 

[B-Mac]

That is the greatest thing I've seen. Thank you thank you for posting it. Made my day.

I like when he talks about Jimmy Hastings beating the breathalyzer!!!

Jimmy is Pye Hastings' (from Caravan) brother or cousin. I can't remember which.

 

[BlueTalon]

What is so great about Rickenbacker:
Poor ergonomics can make it uncomfortable on your right arm.
Truss rod adjustment on older Rics can be a real challenge.
Poor build / finish quality and a baseball bat-like neck would make any reasonable person buy something else.
Poor shielding makes them prone to hum and buzz.
Not 32", not 34", something odd in between in an odd gauge.
Scale length - 33 1/4" fits my short sausage-like fingers.
Sound - I play so poorly everything sounds bad, so who cares.
I can't use a pick, so there goes that idea of the 'sound' again.
Two of my four inspirational bass players played non-ric basses.
The heavy weight helps keep my arms in shape.
The high cost keeps me from buying too many of them.
They come in such pretty colors.
They come with a really nice case that stack to make a great cat bed.
I vote Greatest Bass of All Time. Thank you Sir, can I have another?


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THAT'S dedication!

 

[woodyng2]

Lolll..Ok I got more years on you but you got more Rics on me and yesss...I would love to have that beautiful AzureGlo 4000 back again...it was like magic to play. I love the white ones (blizzardGlo???)...dunno why but I have a real soft spot for white basses...namely my beautiful white double pup EBMM Stingray 5 which I bought about the same time as my current 4003 Ric.

I love white (or cream color) basses, but have only owned a few over the years.

 

[Giffro]

I love white (or cream color) basses, but have only owned a few over the years.
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Besides your great Ric basses woody, that's a nice collection as well.
This is my other whitey...Forgive us Ric owners...lol

 

[steve_ss]

THAT'S dedication!

Thank you. My wife uses a different word. <censored>

 

[woodyng2]

Besides your great Ric basses woody, that's a nice collection as well.
This is my other whitey...Forgive us Ric owners...lol

Nice MM, Giffreaux!
Unfortunately, I no longer own any of those basses I showed in that post. C'est la vie.
I do own 7 basses, 2 of which are still in America. I'm going back for a visit in October, and will either try to sell them,
or bring them back on the planes with me. (Always a nerve-wracking experience).