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Why Rickenbacker?
- Thread starter tb-player
- Start date
They are the coolest looking basses on planet earth.
But only if you play them with the instrument’s body at knee hight or at least sub belly. As been proven by Sid Vicious, Peter Hook (yes, he could only afford a cheap copy) and Paul Simenon and other great experts.
If played any higher, they become the ugliest basses ever made, but this limits your options as a player.
But only if you play them with the instrument’s body at knee hight or at least sub belly. As been proven by Sid Vicious, Peter Hook (yes, he could only afford a cheap copy) and Paul Simenon and other great experts.
If played any higher, they become the ugliest basses ever made, but this limits your options as a player.
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It's a unique bass. Nothing else sounds like one, although many come close. It's the sexiest body style out there, and that's coming from a guy with a very nice point-body Alembic.
John
The reason the people who love “Rics” “love Rics” is that they got lucky and obtained a good one before trying too many okay ones and not-good ones. The reality is that they love Their Ric, not all Rics. You’d probably love Rics too if you tried Their Ric instead of the ones that never find a home.
Some people try more than ten without finding a keeper. Some only try two or three and give up.
Some people try more than ten without finding a keeper. Some only try two or three and give up.
Those new 5-strings are awesome. Probably the best Rick basses ever made (I have had a few...)
The bridge-screw problem on a four-string can be solved with a new-style bridge retrofit
TBP - Like you, the Jazz Bass was my primary instrument for years (I still love them.) I primarily played with my fingers and mostly played used roundwound strings. I'm extremely fortunate that I was in the industry and had the opportunity to own and play a multitude of basses (especially in the 80's & 90's,) including 3 Rics (2 x 4001's and a 4003s - all long gone.) I also owned several basses with active pickups and active electronics during this era, so I've kinda been there, done that with many brands. I stopped playing for about 20 years, but began playing with old friends again in 2012.
Since I started playing again, the Ric 4003 has been my main bass (I now own 2 of them.) Both are strung with Thomastik flat wound strings, and I now primarily play with a pick (flats with a pick is marvelous!)
I also love the pickup selector switch! For the music I play, I find this much more useful than the pickup "blend" control which was the standard in the 80's & 90's.Like you, I now prefer I wider, flat neck. My absolute favorite neck of all time is on the 60's 4005 models, which is incredibly flat and comfortable. The neck on my 2014 4003 is flatter than that of my 2018, but neither matches the 60's feel. The good news per the recent reviews that I have read, is that the current Ric necks on 4003 & 4003S models are VERY comfortable - it sounds like they may be very close to 60's specs.
Regardless, it's a GREAT, fun time to be a Ric owner. John Hall's son Ben has taken over, and has made some exciting, fun upgrades since taking the reins. The build quality has been solid for years, the finishes are killer, and they have even introduced some new models (the vintage, toaster style pickups are available on some models as well, along with the absolutely killer checkerboard binding.) Limited run models, and even exclusive run models which sell out before they are even built are available at times (ex. check out Andy Babiuk's Fab Gear in NY.) Here's a link if you'd like to take a look: Rickenbacker Basses — What's New — Andy Babiuk's Fab Gear
Sure, Ric basses have their quirks are aren't for everyone, but damn, they're cool as hell and worth the investment. They are by no means a Swiss army knife, but they serve a need and have an incredible legacy. They have sometimes succeeded in spite of themselves over the decades, but no doubts they are a family owned American success story and are as focused as ever.
No matter of you get an off-the-shelf 4003 or 4003S in a standard finish, or a limited run model with vintage pickups and checkerboard binding, I suspect you'll love your new Ric. I recommend going to a shop that has a few to try to see if the feel and tone suits your needs (as stated, I HIGHLY recommend installing Thomastik flats if you pull the trigger, then find your ideal tone with the volume & tone knobs.)
No matter what, HAVE FUN and enjoy the journey!
Chris
BTW - What type of music do you play?
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You NEED to check it out! The growl and versatility of an all-maple neck-through instruments through a neck and a middle pickup IN STEREO is unreal. The thin, less-tapered, ultra-stable neck doesn't hurt, either.
To my understanding, the newest Rics of this year is overall the best they've ever made. Most of the hardware quirks have been addressed, resulting in a thoroughly modern and playable instrument.
Only the new pickups are a bit dark and hot - yet it doesn't prevent mine from growling harder than basses with much brighter pickups. If you'd like a brighter sound, they still make the classic Toaster pickup to retrofit or (IIRC) factory upgrade - it's the same pickup as in Macca's and Chris Squire's bass, as well as Lennon's and Pete Townshend's jangly guitars!
To my understanding, the newest Rics of this year is overall the best they've ever made. Most of the hardware quirks have been addressed, resulting in a thoroughly modern and playable instrument.
Only the new pickups are a bit dark and hot - yet it doesn't prevent mine from growling harder than basses with much brighter pickups. If you'd like a brighter sound, they still make the classic Toaster pickup to retrofit or (IIRC) factory upgrade - it's the same pickup as in Macca's and Chris Squire's bass, as well as Lennon's and Pete Townshend's jangly guitars!
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- Apr 18, 2008
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Not remotely.
If you have the version with binding, then yes, the sharp edge can be a problem. But the unbound versions I find extremely ergonomic. For me. Ergonomics are obviously a personal thing. But the generous swoop of the upper body means generous clearance for the belly and right arm. The nice slim body thickness is quite wonderfully comfortable, and reduces weight as well. The neck-thru heel allows easy upper-fret access (much better than the abominable 7ender design). The crook in the lower body is in the right place for balance when playing seated.
The mute thingy is apparently problematic, but I built all of mine with normal bridges anyway, so no problem for me. The fake bridge pickup cover is completely pointless, and is fortunately easily removable.
If you like 7ender string spacing taper, you probably won’t like the Rick string geometry. For me, 7enders are too wide at the bridge and too narrow at the nut, so I really like the Rick design (and similar designs, such as Gibson).
^^^^^^^^
This is what kept me from buying one for a while. That story kept popping when I was shopping around and reading up on them, so I was hesitant to just order one. There's really no well enough equipped stores near this area to just walk in and try one out, so I just drooled over them for a while until I rolled the dice on a modded MapleGlo 4003S with a Nordenbocker at the neck that was listed in the classifieds by another TB'er. That gorgeous hunk of Ricness has become my number one.
To echo a few points above - they play so easily, sound so good (especially when you lean heavily on the bridge pickup), and they just look freakin' cool IMO.
I have found the volumes between pickups was off. When I raised the neck pickups all the way it balanced much better
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
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Put a nordenbacker pickup in it.
they look awesome. I actually like how non-S ones feel before I play a note. Just like any other mass produced bass guitar- sometimes you get good instrument-wood, sometimes you don’t. I’ve played five that just weren’t worth more than $300 to me. All they did was look cool.
I’m gonna keep trying them whenever I can as I know one time I will find one easily worth $9k and they’ll only be asking for $2k, and very likely on that day I’ll have left my wallet at home or recently blown a bunch of cash on something else. C’est lah vee.
I will never forget the first time I saw a Ric bass. It was for a Rotosound ad showing Chris Squire. At that time I didn't even know who Chris Squire was but his bass was so beautiful I could hardly believe it. Soon after that at a high school dance there was this band. They were like the most popular band in our area and the bass player had a Ric. I could hardly believe it. The sound that came out of this instrument was out of this world. I couldn't take my eyes off of that bass for the whole evening.
They aren’t for everyone. I come from the acoustic guitar world so to me, they are quite comfortable.
why I have one.
why I have one.
- It’s an iconic bass with a great neck
- The fireglo irl is a stunning finish
- They are rare in my neck of the woods
- And most importantly, the tone. There is no other bass that sounds better than a Ric when played with a pick. I’ll die on this hill.
Don't forget Lemmy, Al Cisneros, Cliff Burton, and DD Verni (before 1988) to name a few!
After years of admiring them from afar, I took the plunge few weeks ago and picked up a 2022 Jetglo 4003S. Historically, I've always preferred a slim, Jazz style neck, so this was very different for me as the Rick neck is deeper and chunkier up at the nut end. There's also the issue of plucking hand placement since the Rick doesn't really have natural anchoring points. But I figured those were the only two real problems for me and that if I wanted something that looks and sounds that good, I'd just eventually get used to it, so went for it. Last night, I debuted it live, played the whole gig with it (my CS Precision with Jazz neck stayed in the stand all night) - and I have to say I enjoyed the hell out of it. No problems with either of the pups cutting through. Definitely a keeper.
For me, it’s 100 percent looks, on my particular model and finish. The 4003S in Mapleglo is the only Rick that really gets me.
It’s a recent model, and a thing of sheer beauty, especially with the clearcoated gold-anodized aluminum pickguard and truss rod cover I installed.
The bass has good tones, but they’re not unique. I can get the same tones with pretty much any bass. The build and component quality is outstandingly bad for the cost – even when Sweetwater gave me a helluva deal at $1,600 special ordered. The fret work on my example was about the worst I have ever seen, on any instrument costing more than $150. The nut was poorly seated, and the slots poorly cut. There was an area of significant finish overspray on to the fretboard. The bridge is built to very poor tolerances (saddle height screws are way too loose), and the plating appears cheap/thin. Feels like outsourced junk hardware you’d find on a cheap-O import. The mute mechanism is super stiff to operate – also incredibly cheaply made – and the foam doesn’t contact the strings evenly. There was a void in one of the body’s glue joints, and they didn’t reject the body or even apply a filler; they just sprayed right over it. It’s seriously neck heavy. It very stupidly and annoyingly forces me to use Schaller strap locks, which I seriously dislike. The string volumes cannot be balanced on the neck pickup. The volumes of the neck and bridge pickups cannot be balanced as stock, because the pickup cover moves along with the pickup, hitting the strings when you try to lower the bridge pickup. (I solved this by removing and disassembling the pickup/cover assembly, and shimming the cover up significantly.)
Bottom line: It’s a $1,600 piece of garbage, but boy, does it look sweet.
It’s a recent model, and a thing of sheer beauty, especially with the clearcoated gold-anodized aluminum pickguard and truss rod cover I installed.
The bass has good tones, but they’re not unique. I can get the same tones with pretty much any bass. The build and component quality is outstandingly bad for the cost – even when Sweetwater gave me a helluva deal at $1,600 special ordered. The fret work on my example was about the worst I have ever seen, on any instrument costing more than $150. The nut was poorly seated, and the slots poorly cut. There was an area of significant finish overspray on to the fretboard. The bridge is built to very poor tolerances (saddle height screws are way too loose), and the plating appears cheap/thin. Feels like outsourced junk hardware you’d find on a cheap-O import. The mute mechanism is super stiff to operate – also incredibly cheaply made – and the foam doesn’t contact the strings evenly. There was a void in one of the body’s glue joints, and they didn’t reject the body or even apply a filler; they just sprayed right over it. It’s seriously neck heavy. It very stupidly and annoyingly forces me to use Schaller strap locks, which I seriously dislike. The string volumes cannot be balanced on the neck pickup. The volumes of the neck and bridge pickups cannot be balanced as stock, because the pickup cover moves along with the pickup, hitting the strings when you try to lower the bridge pickup. (I solved this by removing and disassembling the pickup/cover assembly, and shimming the cover up significantly.)
Bottom line: It’s a $1,600 piece of garbage, but boy, does it look sweet.
