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Why do you play a Rickenbacker?

#121
There never was a finger rest, and the pickup cover (as it rests now) was a terrible, horrible, very bad and embarrassing mistake that I (as a 19 year old) made...that has survived 4 decades. I don't imagine it would be my guitar without it. For several years I played almost exclusively with a pic...not so much anymore. CB? MOP?
 
#122
Don't feel bad for a sales drone back in 1974 telling you the bass was 2 years older that it most likely really is :) Great bass, regardless. :bassist:

FWI - Full Width Inlays.

CP - Crushed Pearl, the material that was used from the early '60s up through late Winter/early Spring.

MOP - Mother of Pearl, in Rickenbacker's case, really a poured resin mix. My March '73 4001 has those; my old February '67 4005WB has CP.

CB - Checker Binding.

Crushed Pearl Inlay small 01.jpg


Inlays_800_3947.jpg


CB Detail 012.jpg
 
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#128
I thought it went CP> Pearloid> MOP?

My old 4003 had the pearloid, I always thought it looked more like terrazzo lol.

Why do I play a Ric?
First band I was in I did vocals, but the bass player had a Tuxedo that his Dad had given him for graduation. I really loved that bass. The sound, the look, everything.
After a while I got into playing bass myself, was playing charvels and ibbys, then one day I went into GC and they had a pair of 4003's. I picked one up, played it for about an hour, and it felt awful. Between the PU cover and not being set up (you could shoot arrows with either one!) It was not at all like I expected.

Still I just loved the damn thing, so I said screw it and took home my Mapleglo (think I was 22 at the time. Yeah I was kinda dumb and hot headed)

I'm not gonna sit here and say it was easy, it took some time to get used to the neck (my SDGR had a neck like a pencil), and I kept the PU cover on for awhile, which didn't help matters, and eventually went away.

After a good setup and some time breaking myself in it just felt natural, and now I'm on my 4th and definitely not last.
Now they just feel like home to me
 
#132
JMacBass65 said:
Dude - great pictures, both of them! and......very cool look you got going on there, the Rick ties it all together. Yea - a Rick always get noticed and commented on, doesn't it? Photographers seem drawn to them as well.

:bassist::bassist::bassist::bassist:




Details on your Rick?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words...not much to give as far as details..it's a stock '04 4003 with a aftermarket pickguard by Pickguardian and the RWRP mod on bridge pup...that's it..
 
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#133
I have had my Ric since 1977. I will never get rid of it. It was the second bass I purchased. Saved every dime I made in school. I enjoy playing it but I don't take it out as much as I should. I always worry about something happening to it. Lately it's been getting a workout. Bottom line it's a great bass with a great tone and to me very easy to play.
 
#135
When I switched back to bass and started a new band after being a rhythm guitar player and singer for several years I needed a new bass. I had played Fenders for years and since my bass player in my band had had a p bass I wanted something different. I had never owned a Rick but loved Rush and Yes as a kid and always wanted that tone. I found a brand new jetglo 4003 for $1000 (in 2006) In my local music store and grabbed it. It was a good transition from the Les Paul guitar I had been playing and I couldn't put it down, all I wanted to do was play that bass and it seemed to coax new songs out of me. I loved writing on that bass. Got into the Rick forum and felt like I was part of an exclusive club and was proud. The fat neck, the body binding, the body shape, headstock, not anything about the look or sound I don't like. I felt like this was the bass I was meant to play. My own band and another band I later joined were blown away by the tone and like so many people said "I always thought those were supposed to be too twangy" Anyway I miss it now, had to sell it a few years ago due to money issues but now I am planning on buying a new one and once again life will be good and all will be right with the world.
 

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#137
Since we're doing photos...this might be the best shot of me with my Ric. And it's relevance to the topic? Because when I am doing this it's the only time I don't look like a total dork.

10262214945_ca1fff0d67_z.jpg


I am a photographer myself, and I have taken much better photos of musicians than my friends have ever taken of me, which is frustrating, but I can't shoot pics and play rock at the same time, so oh well...

As for why black and white is cool, well, this is a photo of a friend of mine. I use B&W film and print my own, so he asked me to shoot his band one night. Black and white takes away the distraction of color and forces you to concentrate on forms and shapes, and shadows vs. light. Color gets in the way. My 2¢...

EPSON003.jpg
 
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