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Thread: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

  1. #1
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    Last night I went to see a local band that was doing a Led Zep tribute.

    One of the guys was playing a gorgeously beautiful Rickenbacker 4003s bass



    I've always been a sucker for Fender and Gibson tones, but OH BOY.

    What a sound, this bass was a KILLER. I must confess that this was the first time I ever wanted to pick up a bass and play it.

  2. #2
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    1978 4001. Worked hard at McD's and saved for it while it was on order--6 months.





    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member FrankJohnson's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    I have never owned a Rick - but have played a couple -
    Honest opinion is that they are great basses - and that they necks and playability can vary like any others

    one had an AWESOME thin neck like an early Moserite guitar

    2-3 others had med/heavy neck and action, one in particular was like a truck on a washboard road -

    have not tried one recently and would be interested in it, but prolly wouldn't buy one right now

    I ALWAYS liked the way they sounded when dialed in , not the heavy clanky or too thin blat sound though
    Kenny Belmont
    >:^{I)>

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    The original 78 pups were never worth a poo, and I know that mine were an anomaly. I prefer the sound of the "vintage" pups in it now.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    I've got a 1973, the last year for the "toaster" neck pup. I won't even tell you how much I bought it for... Let's just say I basically stole it!

    Now, while I LOVE my Ric and think it's an AMAZING bass. I have to say that it's not the most versatile, it DOES NOT sound good playing the blues and a couple other types of music. But, what it does do well is that "ringing pianoey sustain for days and rattle your nuts" tone that I just dig!!! It doesn't like to played in Drop D, and there's some other things it doesn't do. But, if you want to play any Beatles, Tom Petty, gnarly fuzzed out "nerd rock" and other things? Well, it's your Huckleberry! Pick or fingers, sounds great either way. Hard to explain, but when you hit a note, you can feel the root (along with ALL the overtones) all the way down to the bottom. Some basses you can hear that you're playing a low E, but actually here most of the first overtone (the octave) as opposed to hearing mostly the root note. This one just RUMBLES without being muddy. It's its own thing. Through a PA with nice subs this bastard hits you in the chest like a jackhammer.

    I'll try to get a pic up of it here soon.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  6. #6
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers



    Here's my main 3, from left: Unknown year Ovation Magnum, the original neck was shot so I modded a Warmoth J to fit. Switch was going wonky so I yanked it since I never used it. My '73 Ric! What can I say? She's a beauty and a beast!!! And last, but certainly not least, is my P bass. This started life as a Squier, and has been beaten up, broken, and hacked to pieces. For awhile the body lived on the top shelf of a closet, out of sight and out of mind. Then one night I pulled her out and set to work. Repainted the body, filled the hacked up bridge pup, added a Badass 2 bridge. I cut a new guard to house the Gibson Recording Bass pup, and wired her up with the correct transformer (using the middle tap as it was "just right"). She's strung up with the bottom strings from a 5 string set and tuned BEAD, as I struggle to play a 5'er and this works great at church where having those low notes are really useful.

    I like them all for different reasons. And while I always "sound like me" with whichever one I'm playing, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. If I need a bass that will cover a lot of sonic territory I'll reach for the P, as the Magnum and Ric are more "specialized".
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  7. #7
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    Those are great basses to look at, BOSS.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  8. #8
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    Rics do what they do so well. I've told and retold of playing through an all tube SVT stack once and going all weak-kneed. The Ric can boom out those bottom E notes. I've felt it in my guts and heard it in my ear'ole.

    But, you're absolutely right about it's versatility compared to a Fender--at least for the kinds of music that exist already...
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  9. #9
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    My last bass rig was a V4B (little brother of the SVT) and either a 4X10 or 6X10 Ampeg cab. It was a "club sized" rig, nailed the tone without being overbearingly loud. I had one "green" sound guy tell me once that he thought something was wrong with my setup cuz it "sounded a little distorted"... After the gig he kept raving on and on about how "authentic" and "badass" my bass tone was. I had my Tele bass and Ric that night. I let him in on the "secret" that all the songs we had played were recorded with rigs close to what I was using. Use the "real" thing and you get the real tone.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  10. #10
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    I've never before or since gotten such great tone out of a bass. The gods of loud and gut rumbling bass blessed that amp for sure.

    That's right. Among my favorite recorded live bass tones comes from Wings Over America. McCartney's got an Ampeg SVT stack, and that Ric just thunders. That amp is a beautiful brute.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  11. #11
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Gotta respect Rickenbackers

    Great basses everyone!

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