Why Rickenbacker?

[WillyW]

My 4004 (top) has a svelte jazz-like neck, I do believe it was Ric’s attempt to modernize, but the public (whiny-ass ric purists) didn’t like the change.

the next one down is my 95 4003 and it has a chunky P-bass like neck.

next is a 4003w and the neck pickup was too weak for my taste so I added magnets to it and it perked up. Middle of the road neck (95 ric has a nice pickup balance without the magnets added)

last is a 4003AC and probably one of the finest instruments I have held, punchy, nasty and elegant. (Next finest at any price is a 7ender Tony Franklin, (traded it away for a ric)

I can live happy the rest of my life with Rick basses and thunderbirds. And never long for a 7ender…

 

[nixdad]

Stop stop! I'm a massive McCartney fan, and don't need to be gassing over another bass!

More posts about twisted necks and bad build quality please.

YES you do. The McCartney tone is sooooooooo good!

I'm in an acoustic/electric Beatles band. Here's how you achieve the tone:
- Replace the stock round wound strings with flats (both of my Rics are strung with Thomastik Infeld JF344 strings.) They are the best string investment you'll ever make. Put them on once, and they will last you for years. I've had mine on for going on 10 years (several TB'rs have had them on their basses for 20+ years.) I use these strings on most of my basses.

- Set your pickup selector for your front pickup only, and roll the tone knob almost all the way back (I actually set my selector for both pickups, but roll the rear pickup volume and tone almost all the way back.)

- Play (primarily) with a pick. Flats with a pick is wonderful!

The build quality on mine are excellent - no neck issues, either. Rics have their quirks, are not Swiss Army knives and are not perfect, but they are fine instruments.

Let us know your results when your new Ric arrives.

 

[micguy]

The thing that affects the tone of a bass guitar the most is...the pickup position(s). It's in the Physics (I studied thisk which is why I have curves like this around) Rics put theirs in a different place, which has a big effect on the timbre.

Here' is the frequency response (on the A string - it's different on every string) from pickup position (electrical response ignored for the time being) on a bass with pickups in the "Jazz" (60's position), and then a Ric (4001 0r 4003). there is a distinct difference in the curves - they do sound quite different.

Jazz:

Ric:

 

[thmsjordan]

View attachment 5269463 ....I can't quite put a finger on it

Goodness, wouldn't that make it rather difficult to play??

 

[Koshchei]

In the last 10 years, my bass tone/style preferences have changed significantly. I used to be a 'jazz bass only' kind of fella. And while I still like a good jazz (usually active), I am head over heels for well-made precision basses with the wide flat neck (stay tuned... I found a REALLY good one this week with a Black Friday deal). Because my tastes have been changing, I've been looking at brands I am unfamiliar with.

The one brand I've never checked out is Rickenbacker. I read through the Rickenbacker club thread.. Some of the discussion gets pretty deep in the weeds (in a good way). So for those of you who love them, what's the deal? Why are they so special?

And do I need this in my arsenal? (Sweetwater & GC don't even have prices listed. I'm a little scared!)

View attachment 5269345

Because they sound like this:

 

[Hounddog409]

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.

Come one. Really? If this were true, RIC would have stopped making basses a long ago. I mean who could stay in business selling 10-40% of a product?

They sell every bass they make.

 

[Stranger Danger]

In the last 10 years, my bass tone/style preferences have changed significantly. I used to be a 'jazz bass only' kind of fella. And while I still like a good jazz (usually active), I am head over heels for well-made precision basses with the wide flat neck (stay tuned... I found a REALLY good one this week with a Black Friday deal). Because my tastes have been changing, I've been looking at brands I am unfamiliar with.

The one brand I've never checked out is Rickenbacker. I read through the Rickenbacker club thread.. Some of the discussion gets pretty deep in the weeds (in a good way). So for those of you who love them, what's the deal? Why are they so special?

And do I need this in my arsenal? (Sweetwater & GC don't even have prices listed. I'm a little scared!)

View attachment 5269345

Looks great
Sounds great
Horrific ergonomics that border on torture device

 

[tb-player]

Towson Guitar Center had a Rick in stock last week. Not sure if it’s still there.

Bill’s Music in Catonsville has quite a few in stock. There may be a road trip in my future.

...Because I don't always want to play my Spector, Stingray or Precision.View attachment 5269591

I like that color a lot.

 

[Batced]

FWIW, Hipshot makes a nice Rickenbacker replacement bridge that allows for palm muting.

That makes me wonder if Paul ever had issues palm muting with his Rickenbacker back in the day. All the Wings and solo live footage I see his picking hand seems away from the bridge as opposed to hovering over it for muting like his Hofner.

 

[Michael F Clef]

I got my 4003 in 1982. It's the only bass I've ever owned. That is, not including my first no name starter bass and until about 5 years ago when I treated myself to a 6 string fretless and an electric upright. But as far as 4 string fretted, for 40 years of jamming, it's the only bass I've needed. It's not that I'm a Rick Elitist; I'm just not a collector, and I can dial in any tone I am looking for - or my jam mates want. I've even been complimented "Man, that sounds like a fender!" I know what the guy meant and took it as a compliment. My rig is usually straight into 2 x 15s, here and there a chorus.

 

[Batced]

I own a 4003 (very early 2000s model). It was my main bass for gigs and recording for around 7-8 years until it more or less self destructed (more about that later...).

Positives:

-Ricks look cool.
-They have a very unique tone.
-Rick-o-sound (although you'll probably never use it).

Negatives:

-Not the best ergonomics (although to a large degree it's really just a matter of adapting).

-I've always found Ricks difficult to mix. Especially in a dense mix. Ricks are at their best when the bass is given a lot of space in the mix IMO.

-I often struggled to hear myself properly on stage when I used a Rick.

-Ricks have a number issues that many (but not all) Rick owners experience: Twisted necks, the dreaded tail lift and the binding coming loose from the body. My brand new 4003 (early 2000s model) started to develop all these issues after only a couple of years. It was more or less useless in less than a decade. The tail lift is no longer an issue on newer models because RIC has finally upgraded the bridge (after blatantly lying and denying the existence of the tail lift for DECADES...). I suspect twisted necks may also be less of a problem after they stopped using the rather pointless double truss rods.

-Adjusting the truss rods on older models (cirka pre-1984) can be a bit of hassle. Many RIC with this older type of truss rod have been severely damaged (or completely ruined) by people who didn't know how to adjust them. Make sure you know what you're doing if you're buying an older Rick.

-RIC warranty is a joke and an insult to their customers.

-RIC is a company to deal with. They treat their customers (and their dealers) like garbage. At least you can get replacement parts from other sources these days...


It's also worth mentioning that the necks on Ricks has varied a LOT over the years, even on the same model.

My advice: Try before you buy!!!

Pretty much why I ended up selling my 70s vintage 4001. I’d gotten it off eBay and it was already beaten up but I had this bad fear that if I used it as a gigging bass I’d be susceptible to all those issues you named and would just sink money into expensive repairs. Nowadays I’ll just drool over the newer models and hope to get one soon enough, so I won’t have to worry too much about the issues of the vintage instruments.

 

[JC BASS 91]

I have ALWAYS loved the tone and look of a Ric.

However, every time I had an opportunity to play one, I found the necks to be uncomfortable for me to play. Keep in mind, all of these were 4003 basses. When I stated this fact around someone that was knowledgeable about Ric 4000 series basses, he told me that 4001 basses had a far slimmer neck profile and that I should look for one of those.

Well, I live in a 'black hole' of some kind for Ric anything. SW Missouri doesn't seem to have any stores that deal with Ric at all, and lets face it, you can't go into a store and buy a new 4001 (Although, the 2023 4003 models are supposed to have the old 4001 neck profile, now...so I have read).

In January, I walked into a pawn shop and they had a 1974 4001 sitting behind the counter. I asked to see it and fell in love instantly with the neck on it. Everything about the bass and even the transaction screamed "this bass is for YOU". I have used it for practices and live gigs and I have never been disappointed with it.

 

[Koshchei]

The thing that affects the tone of a bass guitar the most is...the pickup position(s). It's in the Physics (I studied thisk which is why I have curves like this around) Rics put theirs in a different place, which has a big effect on the timbre.

Here' is the frequency response (on the A string - it's different on every string) from pickup position (electrical response ignored for the time being) on a bass with pickups in the "Jazz" (60's position), and then a Ric (4001 0r 4003). there is a distinct difference in the curves - they do sound quite different.

Jazz:

View attachment 5269615

Ric:

View attachment 5269614

They also use 44awg rather than the usual 42. This is why they have insane resistance ratings but are still rather quiet. I'm not sure how/if this translates to a difference in timbre, but it's worth noting.

 

[TheReceder]

Best reason to own a Ric

Because you can.

 

[SturmUndDrang]

Because they go so well with thigh high red boots.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

No,

 

[TeeSee]

Because they go so well with thigh high red boots.

Gotta be stiletto heels like New Yoik Dolls wore tho' .
Our own version of the NY Dolls, may I say a few years before they formed.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, I must admit the iconic image was the main reason I bought one. It's a well-made bass and has a lot more tone variables than I'll ever need.
I was playing with several different bands and was looking to stand out a little. I also thought I owed it to my primary BL to upgrade my stage equipment to better represent his band.

It was also late November, and I needed a tax write-off for that year.

 

[nixdad]

That makes me wonder if Paul ever had issues palm muting with his Rickenbacker back in the day. All the Wings and solo live footage I see his picking hand seems away from the bridge as opposed to hovering over it for muting like his Hofner.

This is likely because the treble pickup on his Ric was dead for several years (it was eventually replaced by Rickenbacker.) He did play back by the bridge once replaced.

 

[MCF]

In the last 10 years, my bass tone/style preferences have changed significantly. I used to be a 'jazz bass only' kind of fella. And while I still like a good jazz (usually active), I am head over heels for well-made precision basses with the wide flat neck (stay tuned... I found a REALLY good one this week with a Black Friday deal). Because my tastes have been changing, I've been looking at brands I am unfamiliar with.

The one brand I've never checked out is Rickenbacker. I read through the Rickenbacker club thread.. Some of the discussion gets pretty deep in the weeds (in a good way). So for those of you who love them, what's the deal? Why are they so special?

And do I need this in my arsenal? (Sweetwater & GC don't even have prices listed. I'm a little scared!)

View attachment 5269345

Of the Ric dealers, only Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Amps, Accessories & more | Wildwood Guitars usually has prices available. Were I buying one, I’d go through them or Sweetwater for their stellar customer service should something be amiss.