What's so great about the Rickenbacker?

[bobba66]

I liked the ones I had. Cut them loose many years ago and never looked back.

 

[Jeff Scott]

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).

I vote take them back with you. This was a poll, right?

 

[Jeff Scott]

I've only owned one white Rick (still own):

And, IIRC, this is the only other white Rick bass I have played:

Oh looky, it's them Philly-style bagels, again!

 

[mapleglo]

I've never owned a white Ric (Snowglo), but I did build this thing.

 

[trothwell]

I voted "greatest bass ever" because, of all basses I have thus far owned or played, the Rickenbacker (4003) is my favorite. If I were forced to divest myself of all basses but one, I would keep the Rickenbacker.

That said, it's not always the best choice for everything. But I don't know of any bass that is _always_ the best choice for _everything_.

 

[tvbop]

Each to ther own. I tried one 45 years ago and put it straight back. No way I could play funky muted fast lines the way I can on a P bass. They are quirky and do a couple of things quite well. Used to see a great local rock trio many years ago and the guy filled the room with that thick heavy tone they do so well.

 

[woodyng2]

I vote take them back with you. This was a poll, right?

I've slowly taken 3 over, one at a time, the last 3 years.(had 2 others shipped by boat with personal items,very costly).
The 2 that are still left in Memphis are 2 of my all time favorite basses. I'm at a point where I'm not doing much with music,
but I still can't bear the thought of parting with them.
I'm sure I could sell the Cii easily, but the VC has become too much of an unknown. I checked last year with several high end vintage stores, absolutely zero interest, or in some cases, even knowledge of them. It's a shame because it's an incredible bass.

 

[danclaro]

I too, can't choose any of the options in the poll, but have enjoyed everyone else's posts. Having owned several Rickenbacker basses over the years, I thought I would share my perspective which is that Rickys are singular instruments.

I got my first bass around '87. It was a Precision knock-off, but I was such a Rush and Yes fan that I wanted a Rickenbacker more than anything. I lucked out by finding, by chance, a white 4001 with black binding at a Pawn shop in '89 for $300. I think it was from the mid 70s. That was my only bass for years and I was fortunate to learn how to play on it. Of course I was using Rotosounds and after a while brought it to a music store to try and get the action lower. The tech there was a Fender guy and told me that the truss rod was shot and my only option would be to ditch the Rotos and use flatwounds. I didn't know how limited his knowledge was. This was the early 90s so no internet. None of my local shops had anyone who knew how to work on Rickenbacker basses. Lots of bad advice and people saying they were poorly made.

Anyway, I did not like the sound of flats on this 4001. I did, however, realize that it sounded like the Sgt Peppers bass sound - even if I didn't - which was eye opening! But this was not the sound I wanted. I was digging Pearl Jam and this bass sounded old-fashioned to my teenage ears. When the Chris Squire 4001CS came out, my local music store had one and I was able to buy one for $1200 after selling my white 4001 and getting some help from my dad. Most beautiful bass I had ever seen, with the deep red vermillion fingerboard wood and headstock wings. Loved loved loved that bass.

I subsequently went through some hard times and wound up (stupidly) selling the CS, telling myself I would quit music. A few years later, I bought a wine red 4003. I think that was an 80s vintage. Nice bass, but I sold that in '99 for a black 4001v63. That was basically the Chris Squire bass but without the vermillion. Loved that. It was my only instrument for about 7-8 years. I gravitated toward Fender-style instruments for a while before getting a 4003 and a few 4004s. Wasn't happy with any of them, as I was looking for a Fender-like sound and the Ricky's ergonomics weren't working for me.

A lot of the comments earlier in the thread echo things I've heard in the last 35 years of playing bass. RIckenbacker basses have terrible ergonomics, the bridges and truss rods are bad, no shielding, etc. I wouldn't dispute anyone's experiences or preferences, but my take is that Rickenbacker basses are iconic in their purity. The design goes way back and they are still made in the same factory. The company has resisted making cheaper models, so the quality of wood, paint, and electronics is consistently high quality and hand made. Could the design be updated? Could they make more models to appeal more broadly. Sure. And they have put out some new designs such as the 5-strings a few years ago. But the Rickenbacker bass is not like anything else. If you want that particular sound that you've heard from your favorite artists, you need a Rickenbacker. Are they for everyone? Not any more than any work of art is for everyone.

A few years ago I got the bug again and bought a 4003s. I didn't know that at that time they had changed their neck profile so that it was super chunky. I did not like that and barely played it. If I had a complaint about the Rickenbacker company I would point to that experience and their reluctance to advertise. The only way I would have known that the neck profile had changed was to be paying attention to other bass player comments on TalkBass or RickResource. Fast forward to this year, and I sold that one for pretty much what I paid for it and bought a new Fireglo 4003 with a nice and beautifully thin neck profile. This bass is awesome and I finally got my rick-o-sound going with Rotosound strings. OMG! That's the sound I was chasing for so long.

I think for younger players coming up and figuring out what they like, Rickenbackers are worth trying if you can find them. They are not cheap, but they are high quality instruments. And if you want to sound something like Chris Squire, or like Geddy did between Fly by Night and Signals, there's only one bass that will get you there. Sure, a 70s style Jazz bass with a Sansamp 2112 will get you close, but it's not the OG Ricky in stereo. What I would say to someone starting out is to play every bass you can and see what speaks to you. And that may change over time. At this point in my bass playing, the Ricky bass is a longtime favorite flavor. I need to play a 5-string for my main gigging band, so that dictates what I bring to that gig. I've come to realize that my favorite bass is a lightweight 4-string Jazz bass with single coils, so I play one of those in my other band. I'm old so I have had time to try things out, save money, and sell prized instruments to get new ones. But what I wanted to contribute here is the idea that whether you like them or not, Rickenbacker basses are an iconic design and made pretty much as they have been for 60-plus years. Their sound is a huge part of rock and roll. They are not cheap instruments, they have quirks, and they may not be for you. But nothing else sounds or plays like a Rickenbacker.

 

[BlueTalon]

I voted "Not the GOAT, but a great bass that ranks up there with the best". Sadly, while they've been at the heart of so much great music, and despite how much I respect their awesome looks, distinctive capabilities and wide-spanning history, they're not for me. The Ricky's ergonomics simply do not work for me, making it a total non-starter.

Ah, well...more Ricks for other players, ja?

If people's tastes were all the same, this world would be pretty freaking boring.

 

[Giffro]

I too, can't choose any of the options in the poll, but have enjoyed everyone else's posts. Having owned several Rickenbacker basses over the years, I thought I would share my perspective which is that Rickys are singular instruments.

I got my first bass around '87. It was a Precision knock-off, but I was such a Rush and Yes fan that I wanted a Rickenbacker more than anything. I lucked out by finding, by chance, a white 4001 with black binding at a Pawn shop in '89 for $300. I think it was from the mid 70s. That was my only bass for years and I was fortunate to learn how to play on it. Of course I was using Rotosounds and after a while brought it to a music store to try and get the action lower. The tech there was a Fender guy and told me that the truss rod was shot and my only option would be to ditch the Rotos and use flatwounds. I didn't know how limited his knowledge was. This was the early 90s so no internet. None of my local shops had anyone who knew how to work on Rickenbacker basses. Lots of bad advice and people saying they were poorly made.

Anyway, I did not like the sound of flats on this 4001. I did, however, realize that it sounded like the Sgt Peppers bass sound - even if I didn't - which was eye opening! But this was not the sound I wanted. I was digging Pearl Jam and this bass sounded old-fashioned to my teenage ears. When the Chris Squire 4001CS came out, my local music store had one and I was able to buy one for $1200 after selling my white 4001 and getting some help from my dad. Most beautiful bass I had ever seen, with the deep red vermillion fingerboard wood and headstock wings. Loved loved loved that bass.

I subsequently went through some hard times and wound up (stupidly) selling the CS, telling myself I would quit music. A few years later, I bought a wine red 4003. I think that was an 80s vintage. Nice bass, but I sold that in '99 for a black 4001v63. That was basically the Chris Squire bass but without the vermillion. Loved that. It was my only instrument for about 7-8 years. I gravitated toward Fender-style instruments for a while before getting a 4003 and a few 4004s. Wasn't happy with any of them, as I was looking for a Fender-like sound and the Ricky's ergonomics weren't working for me.

A lot of the comments earlier in the thread echo things I've heard in the last 35 years of playing bass. RIckenbacker basses have terrible ergonomics, the bridges and truss rods are bad, no shielding, etc. I wouldn't dispute anyone's experiences or preferences, but my take is that Rickenbacker basses are iconic in their purity. The design goes way back and they are still made in the same factory. The company has resisted making cheaper models, so the quality of wood, paint, and electronics is consistently high quality and hand made. Could the design be updated? Could they make more models to appeal more broadly. Sure. And they have put out some new designs such as the 5-strings a few years ago. But the Rickenbacker bass is not like anything else. If you want that particular sound that you've heard from your favorite artists, you need a Rickenbacker. Are they for everyone? Not any more than any work of art is for everyone.

A few years ago I got the bug again and bought a 4003s. I didn't know that at that time they had changed their neck profile so that it was super chunky. I did not like that and barely played it. If I had a complaint about the Rickenbacker company I would point to that experience and their reluctance to advertise. The only way I would have known that the neck profile had changed was to be paying attention to other bass player comments on TalkBass or RickResource. Fast forward to this year, and I sold that one for pretty much what I paid for it and bought a new Fireglo 4003 with a nice and beautifully thin neck profile. This bass is awesome and I finally got my rick-o-sound going with Rotosound strings. OMG! That's the sound I was chasing for so long.

I think for younger players coming up and figuring out what they like, Rickenbackers are worth trying if you can find them. They are not cheap, but they are high quality instruments. And if you want to sound something like Chris Squire, or like Geddy did between Fly by Night and Signals, there's only one bass that will get you there. Sure, a 70s style Jazz bass with a Sansamp 2112 will get you close, but it's not the OG Ricky in stereo. What I would say to someone starting out is to play every bass you can and see what speaks to you. And that may change over time. At this point in my bass playing, the Ricky bass is a longtime favorite flavor. I need to play a 5-string for my main gigging band, so that dictates what I bring to that gig. I've come to realize that my favorite bass is a lightweight 4-string Jazz bass with single coils, so I play one of those in my other band. I'm old so I have had time to try things out, save money, and sell prized instruments to get new ones. But what I wanted to contribute here is the idea that whether you like them or not, Rickenbacker basses are an iconic design and made pretty much as they have been for 60-plus years. Their sound is a huge part of rock and roll. They are not cheap instruments, they have quirks, and they may not be for you. But nothing else sounds or plays like a Rickenbacker.

Excellent story Dan thank you/

 

[Jeff Scott]

I've slowly taken 3 over, one at a time, the last 3 years.(had 2 others shipped by boat with personal items,very costly).
The 2 that are still left in Memphis are 2 of my all time favorite basses. I'm at a point where I'm not doing much with music,
but I still can't bear the thought of parting with them.
I'm sure I could sell the Cii easily, but the VC has become too much of an unknown. I checked last year with several high end vintage stores, absolutely zero interest, or in some cases, even knowledge of them. It's a shame because it's an incredible bass.
View attachment 7262042

Tell me about what the neck on the VC feels like.

 

[Giffro]

Careful woody....if Jeff is wanting ya to stick ya neck out i'd be a bit cautious lolll

 

[Giffro]

Hope your managing to keep cool over there @woodyng2 with heat temperatures being felt over parts of Europe like we normally see here in Aust. 40C + Be safe ol fella.

 

[woodyng2]

Tell me about what the neck on the VC feels like.

Not too Deep, wide, with a rounded C shape. Not my usual favorite profile, yet it works really well for me.
I can't remember if I ever had the radius measured, or the neck width dimensions, but it seems like there's relatively little taper
from nut to bridge. (More similar to a 4004 than a Fender profile).
I believe the nut is 1.75", and the radius feels a bit flatter than my 4004's.

 

[woodyng2]

Hope your managing to keep cool over there @woodyng2 with heat temperatures being felt over parts of Europe like we normally see here in Aust. 40C + Be safe ol fella.

Thanks, will do!
The extreme temps are mostly inland. We're on the west coast about a half kilometer from the ocean, so that helps keep it cooler, relatively.
Still, it was 32 Celcius here yesterday, and my Oregon Coast-cooled blood was boiling .
We spent some time at an outdoor bar listening to a blues band with a violinist and having a few cold brewskis.

 

[Giffro]

Thanks, will do!
The extreme temps are mostly inland. We're on the west coast about a half kilometer from the ocean, so that helps keep it cooler, relatively.
Still, it was 32 Celcius here yesterday, and my Oregon Coast-cooled blood was boiling .
We spent some time at an outdoor bar listening to a blues band with a violinist and having a few cold brewskis.

People spinning all around the world...woody from USA in Portugal...my ex drummer from Adelaide South Aust now living in Portland Oregon...i'm too old to move woody lolll

 

[isaac42]

I'm afraid that I may be too old to move as well.

Ever since I was stationed in Sardinia in the late 80s, I've wanted to go back. I've managed to visit once, but a week-10 days is not at all the same as living in a place, conforming to its rhythms. Kinda similar to the difference between a one night stand and a long term relationship.

I don't suppose it matters, though. My lovely wife has no desire to uproot herself from her comfortable lifestyle. She finds her comfort zone, and is reluctant to move from there. My Navy career was hard on her in that respect, among others.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Not too Deep, wide, with a rounded C shape. Not my usual favorite profile, yet it works really well for me.
I can't remember if I ever had the radius measured, or the neck width dimensions, but it seems like there's relatively little taper
from nut to bridge. (More similar to a 4004 than a Fender profile).
I believe the nut is 1.75", and the radius feels a bit flatter than my 4004's.
View attachment 7263396View attachment 7263397View attachment 7263398

Thanks, Woody!

That's a really wide neck, like those on the two 1972 Telecaster Basses I had.

 

[MrAB4003]

If people's tastes were all the same, this world would be pretty freaking boring.

*cough* Fender Precision and Jazz Basses *cough* *cough*

 

[Giffro]

*cough* Fender Precision and Jazz Basses *cough* *cough*

Bad cough ya got there MrAB