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What's wrong with the Rickenbacker 4003?

#261
dougjwray said:
Apart from Sir Paul and Jamaaladeen Tacuma, I can't think of any Rick user whose music appeals to me. I think of them as NON- blues/R&B/soul/country/jazz/folk instruments, so they've never been on my radar. I wouldn't mind trying one for the first time, though, out of curiosity. But I have the (perhaps ignorant) notion that I'd have to give it back quickly, because if I brushed against it the wrong way, a piece of it would fall off, or something.
And that's it for my pathetic, smallminded, inadequate input to this thread!
:bag:
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Roger Glover played a 4001 on all of Machine Head.
 
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#262
dougjwray said:
Apart from Sir Paul and Jamaaladeen Tacuma, I can't think of any Rick user whose music appeals to me. I think of them as NON- blues/R&B/soul/country/jazz/folk instruments, so they've never been on my radar.
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There's a lot of recordings you might have liked that used Rics but you didn't know it.

Here's an example off the top of my head: When jazz bassist Ron Carter was called to play bass guitar on sessions, he used either a Ric or a Danelectro. I doubt anyone would guess that.

 
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#263
brianrost said:
There's a lot of recordings you might have liked that used Rics but you didn't know it.

Here's an example off the top of my head: When jazz bassist was called to play bass guitar on sessions, he used either a Ric or a Danelectro. I doubt anyone would guess that.

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In a jazz context, several other bassists have used Rics. Ron Carter famously sticks to upright, but for the short time he played electric, he had a Ric. Fred Williams played fretless Ric with Ornette Coleman, and Jamaaladeen Tacuma played a fretted Ric with Ornette. Stanley Clarke at one point was using a Ric, and Chris Brubeck has had the same Ric fretless since he bought it around 1972. And I play a fretless Ric for jazz, but I’m not anybody.
 
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#265
Bloomyleo said:
I have been seriously considering getting a 4003, and I am debating between the maple glow and the black. Does anybody have any input between these? For example, does the black scratch easy? Does the mapleglo have an epoxy on it or is it just the raw wood? Unfortunately, there are none in my area for me to go test drive in person.
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They're all painted, mapleglo is coated with clear, not sure what it is but it's hard to scratch and wear so whichever color you prefer. The paint wears like poly, in other words they look like new for years.
 
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#266
farace said:
In a jazz context, several other bassists have used Rics. Ron Carter famously sticks to upright, but for the short time he played electric, he had a Ric. Fred Williams played fretless Ric with Ornette Coleman, and Jamaaladeen Tacuma played a fretted Ric with Ornette. Stanley Clarke at one point was using a Ric, and Chris Brubeck has had the same Ric fretless since he bought it around 1972. And I play a fretless Ric for jazz, but I’m not anybody.
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Chris’ is modified though. Forget what pups he uses but they’re not Ric pups at least not the bridge pup. Some type of rail pup.
Saw him play four times. 2x in the DBQ, once in Jim Hall Trio and once in Brubeck Brothers Quartet. He uses tapes and plays near the end of the neck. Not typical Ric 4001 sound.
A424DDCD-A19D-4555-A0DB-111848B8CC30.jpeg

From Summer 2021 in Reading, Pa at the Miller Arts Center.
 
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#267
B-Mac said:
Chris’ is modified though. Forget what pups he uses but they’re not Ric pups at least not the bridge pup. Some type of rail pup.
Saw him play four times. 2x in the DBQ, once in Jim Hall Trio and once in Brubeck Brothers Quartet. He uses tapes and plays near the end of the neck. Not typical Ric 4001 sound.
View attachment 4982892
From Summer 2021 in Reading, Pa at the Miller Arts Center.
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The bridge is a Jazz pickup or at least it was when he did the BP interview some years ago, it does look different in that picture though, the neck is the stock toaster that came with it. He said he rarely uses the bridge using the toaster almost all the time so you're hearing a Rickenbacker played by a master. There have been times when it sounded just like an upright. He's got the switch up in that picture too so he's not using the bridge, only the stock neck toaster.
 
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#268
bobyoung53 said:
The bridge is a Jazz pickup or at least it was when he did the BP interview some years ago, it does look different in that picture though, the neck is the stock toaster that came with it. He said he rarely uses the bridge using the toaster almost all the time so you're hearing a Rickenbacker played by a master. There have been times when it sounded just like an upright. He's got the switch up in that picture too so he's not using the bridge, only the stock neck toaster.
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Last time I saw him with the BBQ he definitely had a tone close to an upright. I'm sure the tapes had something to do with that too. Not the usual Roto-Sound Swing Bass 66 string sound. Neck pup almost looks like a TV Jones something or other. I'll have to check my other pics to see if I have any that aren't covering that neck pup. Oh, and fretless too of course. I forgot that bit.
I sat first row center. Great show.
 
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#269
B-Mac said:
Last time I saw him with the BBQ he definitely had a tone close to an upright. I'm sure the tapes had something to do with that too. Not the usual Roto-Sound Sing Bass 66 string sound.
I sat first row center. Great show.
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Oh yeah, he's unbelievable. There was an old video on YouTube that's gone now but you would have sworn it was an upright, look around for the Bass Player article on him, it's really good, I don't remember how old it is though but I think within the past ten years, maybe a little older.
 
#270
bobyoung53 said:
Oh yeah, he's unbelievable. There was an old video on YouTube that's gone now but you would have sworn it was an upright, look around for the Bass Player article on him, it's really good, I don't remember how old it is though but I think within the past ten years, maybe a little older.
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Last time I saw him play was Summer 2021.
They had a meet a greet after the show. They were all great to talk too.
 
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#271
B-Mac said:
Last time I saw him play was Summer 2021.
They had a meet a greet after the show. They were all great to talk too.
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In the article he said he bought it about 1969, I've never seen one before 1972 though but who am I to say :laugh:, He also said it got knocked over and had to have a headstock repair which is why the headstock is black now with no TRC on it.

I had a Jetgo '72 4001FL years ago and stupidly sold it, it had a toaster, a screw top bridge high gain and checkerboard binding and Grover tuners.
 
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#272
farace said:
Chris Brubeck has had the same Ric fretless since he bought it around 1972. And I play a fretless Ric for jazz, but I’m not anybody.
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Fretless Rics sound really close to an upright, at least when compared to other bass guitars. That was something I never expected because of the cliche "Rotos and pick" sound that most people think of first.

A lot of British Invasion rock bands used Rics (probably 4001S model) at some point in their career, like Pete Quaife with the Kinks and John Entwistle with the Who. With flats on a Ric it's harder to ID one on recordings.
 
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#273
brianrost said:
Fretless Rics sound really close to an upright, at least when compared to other bass guitars. That was something I never expected because of the cliche "Rotos and pick" sound that most people think of first.

A lot of British Invasion rock bands used Rics (probably 4001S model) at some point in their career, like Pete Quaife with the Kinks and John Entwistle with the Who. With flats on a Ric it's harder to ID one on recordings.
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He looked cool with his Ric under his chin too, don't know how he played like that though. :D


OIP.zd_hhgM0gJbpfACX0tG9sQAAAA
 
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#276
I use roundwounds on my ‘92 fretless, the discontinued light-gauge Ric set. I swapped a toaster for the stock high gain at the neck. I use both pickups, with much of the tone rolled back on the bridge pickup and some rolled back on the neck, and get a nice chocolatey tone that works well in our jazz band, sometimes altering the tone more by playing either by the end of the fingerboard or closer to the bridge, depending on the context.
 
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