Blue steels on a ric
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
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ira
Blue steels on a ric
i just got my 4003 back from the tech and he put DM blue steels on it. are these ok? they wont warp or bend the neck or anything?
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jwr2
a 4003 can take any kind of strings ... as opposed to the 4001 which is supposed to only have flat wounds ... The reality is most 4001 users use round wound strings without problems.
I have never understood why somebody would want to play a ric with flatwounds .... fret buzz is your friend .... that's how you get the Chris Squire and Geddy Lee sound .... it starts with a good set of round wound strings and low action ...
I have never understood why somebody would want to play a ric with flatwounds .... fret buzz is your friend .... that's how you get the Chris Squire and Geddy Lee sound .... it starts with a good set of round wound strings and low action ...
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jwr2
By the way DR strings are the best ....
I buy cheap strings and change them often ... when I used to use expensive strings I would leave them on too long because I wanted to get my money's worth
try http://www.musicyo.com they have pretty good strings cheap
I buy cheap strings and change them often ... when I used to use expensive strings I would leave them on too long because I wanted to get my money's worth
try http://www.musicyo.com they have pretty good strings cheap
Jeff, what on earth makes you think that everyone here wants Chris Squire or Geddy Lee sound? I certainly don't, and I'm pretty certain the many other flatwound users here don't.
You can't get the Paul McCartney sound with roundwounds. Not that I've ever sought to copy anyone else's sound.
DR strings? Can't stand 'em. Way too trebly and noisy for me. But to each his own.
BTW, the 4001 was designed for the old Rickenbacker low tension flats made by Maxima, not just any flats. Most people did not have problems if they used low or medium tension strings (flats or rounds) and adjusted the truss rods properly.
You can't get the Paul McCartney sound with roundwounds. Not that I've ever sought to copy anyone else's sound.
DR strings? Can't stand 'em. Way too trebly and noisy for me. But to each his own.
BTW, the 4001 was designed for the old Rickenbacker low tension flats made by Maxima, not just any flats. Most people did not have problems if they used low or medium tension strings (flats or rounds) and adjusted the truss rods properly.
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iamthebassman
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I concur. All my Ricks except the 1976 4001 have flatwounds on them, and they sound great. Of course not all flatwounds sound bright, but when you have to resort to using roundwounds and fret buzz to get the TONE, something is wrong with your gear OR bass. And to me there is no such thing as the Chris Squire or Geddy Lee sound, there is the unique Rickenbacker sound, end of story. Does that sound contentious to some of you?
A Rickenbacker bass is much like the Jaguar E car - perennially ultra-fashionable.
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jwr2
Here's a quote from John Hall
"Paul McCartney has always insisted on using those German-made flat wound strings on his instruments, while the rest of the world had (and since) moved on to strings with some ring."
I guess it is all a matter of opinion
I personally hate that plodding lame sound of flat wound strings .... I used to use them back in the 60's when that was all I could get ... but When I got my first ric (which I still have) I strung it with round wounds.
I FELL IN LOVE WITH THAT SOUND.
"Paul McCartney has always insisted on using those German-made flat wound strings on his instruments, while the rest of the world had (and since) moved on to strings with some ring."
I guess it is all a matter of opinion
I personally hate that plodding lame sound of flat wound strings .... I used to use them back in the 60's when that was all I could get ... but When I got my first ric (which I still have) I strung it with round wounds.
I FELL IN LOVE WITH THAT SOUND.
Mr. Hall was clearly a bit peeved at Paul when he made that statement, but Paul is definitely far from only one still using flats. I believe he was just refering to Paul's particular German brand.
String choice is all personal preference. But I agree with Sergio, fret buzz is not your friend.
And if you can look at Geddy Lee with a little humor, here's a site for you: http://www.moviefone.com/features/feature.adp?id=994099957,0
String choice is all personal preference. But I agree with Sergio, fret buzz is not your friend.
And if you can look at Geddy Lee with a little humor, here's a site for you: http://www.moviefone.com/features/feature.adp?id=994099957,0
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ricnvolved
As is usually the case around here, my sentiments are with Dave Westheimer, and also Sergio. I'm a confirmed flatwound user. Roundwounds obviously are preferred by others, and that's fine-- play what you like. Several factors about roundwounds pushed me to the flatwound corner.
First of all, I really don't like the finger noise. Certainly the more you play them the more you subconsciously learn to cut down on that. But it's still there to some extent. To echo what Nigel said earlier, fret buzz is NOT my friend either.
Another factor is the fret wear. True, it's not as though you normally have to replace the frets every year. But stainless roundwounds will most definitely wear them down quite a bit faster than any flatwound type I'm aware of. Again, it comes down to whatever projected maintenance one is willing to accept. That's an expense & hassle I choose to avoid as long as possible.
Another personal complaint, admittedly minor in comparison to the above mentioned, is the wear & tear of roundwounds on my fingers. When I played roundwounds exclusively back in my early days, I always had callouses................ and they were always sore. I realize this may sound like petty whining, but friends, that's just the way it is. Flatwounds are MUCH easier on my fingers, and soreness is never an issue.
As much as I love Geddy's and Chris's tone & style of play, McCartney's dull thud is still my favorite in this group of high profile Ric players.
First of all, I really don't like the finger noise. Certainly the more you play them the more you subconsciously learn to cut down on that. But it's still there to some extent. To echo what Nigel said earlier, fret buzz is NOT my friend either.
Another factor is the fret wear. True, it's not as though you normally have to replace the frets every year. But stainless roundwounds will most definitely wear them down quite a bit faster than any flatwound type I'm aware of. Again, it comes down to whatever projected maintenance one is willing to accept. That's an expense & hassle I choose to avoid as long as possible.
Another personal complaint, admittedly minor in comparison to the above mentioned, is the wear & tear of roundwounds on my fingers. When I played roundwounds exclusively back in my early days, I always had callouses................ and they were always sore. I realize this may sound like petty whining, but friends, that's just the way it is. Flatwounds are MUCH easier on my fingers, and soreness is never an issue.
As much as I love Geddy's and Chris's tone & style of play, McCartney's dull thud is still my favorite in this group of high profile Ric players.
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jwr2
Ya those round wounds do tear up my fingers ... I play several of my basses every day ... pretty much all five strings ... I have to admit it might be cool having a hofner with flats on it ... But I play modern music ... I need to have round wounds and a low D .... I used to play 2 basses one with a regular tuning and one detuned to D G C F ... now I pretty much play 5 strings tuned to B E A D G but I am experminting with a A D G C F tuning on a five string ... also for those of you concerned about the stress on the neck detuning will help there.
Also I use nickel round wounds ... not quite as bright but they are cheaper and they are a little easier on the frets and easier on the neck as well.
I have about 15 or 20 extra sets of strings for future use ... one set is flat wound that may never get used ... It is hard to find flat wound strings and when you do they are expensive.
The reason I like fret buzz is because as an experienced player I can make it come and go by simply controlling the attack on the strings. by using a combination of fingers and a pick and hard a soft attack I can really vary my sound from clean, to jazzy, to punky, to heavy or hard. Then I tune in some distortion and effects and boy it is a lot of fun playing a rickenbacker bass. Plus the metalic sound of the round wound strings and the warmth of the wood make for an interesting combination.
Any way for the kind of music that I do I HAVE TO HAVE ROUNDWOUNDS ...
Also I use nickel round wounds ... not quite as bright but they are cheaper and they are a little easier on the frets and easier on the neck as well.
I have about 15 or 20 extra sets of strings for future use ... one set is flat wound that may never get used ... It is hard to find flat wound strings and when you do they are expensive.
The reason I like fret buzz is because as an experienced player I can make it come and go by simply controlling the attack on the strings. by using a combination of fingers and a pick and hard a soft attack I can really vary my sound from clean, to jazzy, to punky, to heavy or hard. Then I tune in some distortion and effects and boy it is a lot of fun playing a rickenbacker bass. Plus the metalic sound of the round wound strings and the warmth of the wood make for an interesting combination.
Any way for the kind of music that I do I HAVE TO HAVE ROUNDWOUNDS ...
For those that prefer roundwounds, but don't like the finger noise. Rotosound has a model of string RS55 'Solo Bass'. This is a roundwound (stainless steel) string that the crown of the windings has been run through a roller & made smooth.
Unlike groundwounds no metal is removed from the string, thus preserving the harmonic content while considerably (compared to roundwounds)reducing finger & fret noise.
Having personally used this string on both my RIC & a fretless, I can attest to the above mentioned benefits.
There are a few ways to get rid of the fret noise associated with roundwounds.
Rolling off a little of the high end on an amplifier. Boiling the strings in water with a teaspoon of baking soda.
One fellow I saw even ran the lip of a glass coke bottle up & down the strings while they were on the bass. He said it "dulled the strings enough to get rid of any extra noise yet still sound roundwoundy".
The great thing about Rickenbacker's are: no matter what type of string (flat, round, tape) RICs still have a distinct & awesome sound that brings out the best in the player. As proven by Chris Squire, Geddy, Sir Paul, John Camp & Roger Glover among others.
Unlike groundwounds no metal is removed from the string, thus preserving the harmonic content while considerably (compared to roundwounds)reducing finger & fret noise.
Having personally used this string on both my RIC & a fretless, I can attest to the above mentioned benefits.
There are a few ways to get rid of the fret noise associated with roundwounds.
Rolling off a little of the high end on an amplifier. Boiling the strings in water with a teaspoon of baking soda.
One fellow I saw even ran the lip of a glass coke bottle up & down the strings while they were on the bass. He said it "dulled the strings enough to get rid of any extra noise yet still sound roundwoundy".
The great thing about Rickenbacker's are: no matter what type of string (flat, round, tape) RICs still have a distinct & awesome sound that brings out the best in the player. As proven by Chris Squire, Geddy, Sir Paul, John Camp & Roger Glover among others.
He walked out to face his arch-enemies with his arch-supporters.