What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

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lumgimfong
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What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by lumgimfong »

So many times we write about what we like about them, but I was wondering what people find that they don't like about their Ric bass.
I will start:

1. Neck heavy/Headstock too big. My 2016 4003 headstock is huge. It's like a big frying pan out there on the end of the neck. I have taken measures to eliminate the neck heaviness of the bass which has helped tremendously, but I can still feel it. They should shrink the headstocks. If you look at it you can see that they don't need to be so big.

2. Noisy pups and electronics. Cavity shielding and new harness and HB1 hum buckers totally fixed this.
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ram
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by ram »

Let's see... '74 4001 - Tail piece a little lift. Replaced it with a Ric V2 - Love it! Headstock didn't have dark wings. Painted them - Love it. Didn't have Cap Bypass. Added push pull Tone knob for that - Love it! Didn't have HS or Toaster. Replaced with Toaster and Lollar law suite HS - Love them! Didn't have checker binding... not going to do any thing as the white binding has aged and looks really cool!
The only thing we can perceive are our perceptions - George Berkeley
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henry5
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by henry5 »

As my current basses are ‘72s with the smaller headstock they don’t really suffer from neck dive. If it bothers you that much, look at replacing your 4003 with an older bass.

The only things I’m not keen on are the old 4001 rods - when they work, they really work, but sometimes they’re a nightmare, particularly for minute adjustments (although at least they’re removable and replaceable I suppose) and the Ric bridge/tailpiece. There are the zinc ones that lift, and the older aluminium ones with the narrower bridge that run out of intonation adjustment. As someone who requires super low action the shortcomings of the rods and bridge have haunted me since I first fell in love with everything else about the basses. The recent V2 bridge looks like a big step forward, but I won’t be putting one on my ‘72s.
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aceonbass
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by aceonbass »

I'd prefer a narrower nut width like Jazz bass on all my Ricks. On my new 4003, even though I really like the V2 bridge, I wish the mute were either quickly engageable, or had just been removed. The edges on the new tailpiece are a bit too crisp, and the top of the opening the strings pass through at the rear should have an arc to it instead of a flat roof.That's all. Next!
AndyM
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by AndyM »

I got nothin'
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Dirk
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by Dirk »

Sure I'll play this game.

The low E string grunt, instead of piano like ring.

The upper forearm edge cutting into my arm.

Standard bridge intonation adjustability.

The standard pickups.

Since you asked, I know it sounds like a lot, but none of them have ever been deal breakers, since nothing compares to the sound.
I have already addressed the pickups, and might some day replace the bridge on my '81 4003.

Dirk
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lumgimfong
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by lumgimfong »

henry5 wrote:As my current basses are ‘72s with the smaller headstock they don’t really suffer from neck dive. If it bothers you that much, look at replacing your 4003 with an older bass.
I didn’t know that! Thanks for the tip!!
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henry5
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by henry5 »

lumgimfong wrote:
henry5 wrote:As my current basses are ‘72s with the smaller headstock they don’t really suffer from neck dive. If it bothers you that much, look at replacing your 4003 with an older bass.
I didn’t know that! Thanks for the tip!!
Just bear in mind that you can still sometimes find older basses with the smaller headstock that do neck dive. It all depends on the relative weight and balance of the individual bass, but certainly in the case of my basses, with the smaller headstock and smaller Grover tuners, they balance pretty well.
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bassduke49
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by bassduke49 »

I don't get this "neck dive" or "neck heavy" thing. Are you experiencing this while standing and with a normal strap? I never found the few Ricks that I've played standing up to be divers. Now sitting down, sure. The natural fulcrum point placed on your leg will certainly be aft of the center of gravity. But standing?
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Isaac
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by Isaac »

Band practice yesterday. I was playing my 78 4001 BG. It has Bartolini pickups. I have thought before that they could be brighter, and comparing it to an active Ibanez one of the guitarists brought made that clear. I'm thinking it needs 500K volume pots.
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henry5
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by henry5 »

bassduke49 wrote:I don't get this "neck dive" or "neck heavy" thing. Are you experiencing this while standing and with a normal strap? I never found the few Ricks that I've played standing up to be divers. Now sitting down, sure. The natural fulcrum point placed on your leg will certainly be aft of the center of gravity. But standing?
Some of this depends on what you’re used to playing and some on how sensitive you are to it. We’re not talking head diving towards the floor, but I think all Rics have a degree of slight headstock bias - I have prolapsed discs in my spine and problems with both shoulders and am very, very aware of such things. But on many you don’t really notice. I’ve definitely noticed it on the larger headstocked basses though. Having said that, it’s no worse than many Fenders. Every Jazz I’ve had has been neck heavy, probably because they’ve all had relatively light bodies.
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henry5
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by henry5 »

Isaac wrote:Band practice yesterday. I was playing my 78 4001 BG. It has Bartolini pickups. I have thought before that they could be brighter, and comparing it to an active Ibanez one of the guitarists brought made that clear. I'm thinking it needs 500K volume pots.
FWIW I’ve had several custom basses with Barts and have found that I don’t generally like them as I find them typically too dark. The volume pots may work, but I’d definitely think about changing the pickups if it bothers you.
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thx1955
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by thx1955 »

I'm thinking ....

If time travel were an option:

Don't get rid of the Chequered binding

Don't change from full width crushed Mother Of Pearl inlays

Don't change from the Magnetised horseshoe's

All that said, I'm struggling to find a "Don't like" about any of mine.
Rickenbacker's are like Rum and Women, they're all lovely, just some more so than others.
"It's Red Jim, but not as we know it...."
teeder
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by teeder »

What I don't like about my Rickenbacker bass?
At this moment it would have to be the horrible buzz I get on my V63 when the RIHS pu is selected. I actually have two gigs this weekend and planned to use it, but will have to go with my P-bass instead.
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Dirk
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Re: What DON'T you like about your Rickenbacker bass?

Post by Dirk »

@Isaac do you have a preamp installed?

I agree Barts can sound darker without a preamp for sure.
Active electronics will get you plenty of sizzle.

I currently have modern 4003 wiring with push pull passive, and I like it better than the Bartolini pre that came
from the previous owner.

Dirk
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