You can't funk a Rickenbacker, ha!

[luciens]

I always thought the problem was with slap. Rics produce a really nasty sound if the strings ever come in contact with the pickup pole pieces.

It did not take me very long to figure out how to get past the problem. Just play thumb strokes over the edge of the finger board. With a proper setup, this keeps the strings from hitting the pole pieces...or at least it did on my 4001.

Looks funky enough in this video:


Possum Jenkins on bass
View attachment 4696615

All basses make a nasty noise when the strings hit the PU pole pieces. So best idea is just don't do that .

That said, on the Rick, the neck PU is the main potential problem child in that respect, because it's height isn't adjustable without taking a bunch of stuff apart. But there's always the electrical tape trick, which will at least get rid of the .22-going-off crack pretty well.

Otherwise, it sounds fine when slapped. The Rick kind of naturally doesn't have a lot of thick bottom end, tho, so it will sound thinner than other basses. But it more than makes up for it with high-end pop and grind....

L

 

[thmsjordan]

They say, huh?

Gawd, this is giving me flashbacks of my early 20's. Make it stop......

 

[P-Belly Evans]

View attachment 4696634

Nuff said......

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

I hate that slap became synonymous with funk.
It ain't.

+ 1 .. P-bass with flats is the funkiest IMO

 

[Jeff Scott]

View attachment 4696634

MonoNeon's father/grandfather?

I hate that slap became synonymous with funk.
It ain't.

AFAIK, nobody here said it was.

Sure, bass players know that. The populace does not.

Truth!

Check out Johnny Lee Long playing a Rickenbacker. He most surely slaps on a Ric and makes it look easy.

Love him!

 

[BigBluez]

Great footage! Funk is in the fingers.

 

[krfoss]

I always thought the problem was with slap. Rics produce a really nasty sound if the strings ever come in contact with the pickup pole pieces.

It did not take me very long to figure out how to get past the problem. Just play thumb strokes over the edge of the finger board. With a proper setup, this keeps the strings from hitting the pole pieces...or at least it did on my 4001.

Looks funky enough in this video:


Possum Jenkins on bass
View attachment 4696615

This was my first exposure to the Ric. I saw it in that video and immediately thought "what is that sexy monster!" The bass..... Obviously.

Also, who's saying you can't funk a Ric!? The longer I play, the longer I realize you can do anything with anything so long as you lean into it. The Ric is just a bass that looks awesome, not a limitation.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

This is like the Dingwall is only for metal.

Talkbass.com/Dingwall: More than Metal

 

[FlyingV73]

My funk brutha Trevor Lindsey... on a Ric.. Bringing it...

 

[Gizmot]

A Ric with Jazz Flats is awesome! I've been using that combination for several years and I never get tired of it. Funk, Jazz, Folk, Rock, Ensemble, etc. - it all works with a Ric with Jazz Flats

 

[chris_b]

I hate that slap became synonymous with funk.
It ain't.

Oh yes. Finger style funk rules.

 

[Low Down Brown]

The funkiest man on the planet...and a little more my speed:



Riis

Was visiting my folks the other day and saw this commerical come on the Western channel. I been gassin for a 4003s so bad...seems like every where I go, I'm reminded of how bad I want one. Soon. Real soon

 

[Zooberwerx]

Was visiting my folks the other day and saw this commerical come on the Western channel. I been gassin for a 4003s so bad...seems like every where I go, I'm reminded of how bad I want one. Soon. Real soon

If you may recall, he used to rock-out a Tobias at the end of his Fox News program. I think we should get him on-board to discuss his gear...we need more ex-governors and failed presidential candidates as contributors.

Riis

 

[JimmyM]

Maybe one day people will learn that it’s never the gear’s fault. Doesn’t mean some gear is less inspiring than other gear, but it’s a very shallow way to think that gear is your limitation.

 

[dedpool1052]

you can slap a Ric, but you gotta work at it. It just doesn't lend itself to that as easily as some other basses.

IME, yes.
The neck pick is a bit of an inhibitor, but I can still make it happen.
It just requires a bit more focus, whereas an FSO allows me to accomplish this more naturally.

 

[vvvmmm]

In Part 1, Les has a price tag hanging on his Rick - 3:26.

Warren has a broken string at 3:40 (presumably why he changes guitars at the end).

 

[2F/2F]

They say, huh?

What? Who? Where? When? Why?

I have never heard such nonsense.

 

[Jeff Scott]

A Ric with Jazz Flats is awesome! I've been using that combination for several years and I never get tired of it. Funk, Jazz, Folk, Rock, Ensemble, etc. - it all works with a Ric with Jazz Flats

Half of my Ricks sport Jazz Flats, the other half has Jazz Rounds.

What? Who? Where? When? Why?

I have never heard such nonsense.

Oh, it's out there, even in TBLand®.

 

[DJ Bebop]

In Part 1, Les has a price tag hanging on his Rick - 3:26.

 

[Wasnex]

All basses make a nasty noise when the strings hit the PU pole pieces. So best idea is just don't do that .

That said, on the Rick, the neck PU is the main potential problem child in that respect, because it's height isn't adjustable without taking a bunch of stuff apart. But there's always the electrical tape trick, which will at least get rid of the .22-going-off crack pretty well.

Otherwise, it sounds fine when slapped. The Rick kind of naturally doesn't have a lot of thick bottom end, tho, so it will sound thinner than other basses. But it more than makes up for it with high-end pop and grind....

L

I don't remember ever having the problem on any other bass. The pickups on my Ric had exposed, raised pole pieces, so it was very easy to hit them. It's been a really long time, but I believe I tried the electrical tape solution and it did not totally fix the problem. Aiming heavy thumb strikes over the edge of the finger board, was my solution.