How do i respond to this post
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ghs_boomer
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jwr2
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ghs_boomer
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Guys... wow! I shoulda put more of an opinion on there.
Ric, IMO, can do anything. With the sound samples and the many thing people on this forum can say they do I believe them. From an almost upright tone with flats, do that Geddy and Squire growl I love so much, they are NOT one trick ponies. I prefer to get the "classic" Rick growl on my bass, but if I fiddle with the knobs I get a completely different sound. A sound I may not like, but it's not the same.. not what everyone may think a Rick should sound like.
Fenders.. I've only really played a MIM J bass and P copy. P's and J's do have their many sounds... and both basses can sound pretty damn close to a Rick if you try. I'm just saying if they can get there and back, why can't a Rick bass? I pretty much can, with the right amp, strings, playing style...
I like Fenders now, don't get me wrong.. but there is a conformity factor about them. You can't turn a rock video nowadays without seeing the bass player using a P or a J... maybe a stingray, if you're lucky. But everywhere I turn, it's a P or a J. Most think that's the best out there. I know better. That is one of the reasons I'm a Rickenbacker player: I'm not EXACTLY like everyone else. Sure, there are a lot of Rickenbacker players on this forum, but we are very spread out. But you could go into your average bar three nights in a row and see three different bands with P and/or J basses and not see one 4001/4003.
Ric, IMO, can do anything. With the sound samples and the many thing people on this forum can say they do I believe them. From an almost upright tone with flats, do that Geddy and Squire growl I love so much, they are NOT one trick ponies. I prefer to get the "classic" Rick growl on my bass, but if I fiddle with the knobs I get a completely different sound. A sound I may not like, but it's not the same.. not what everyone may think a Rick should sound like.
Fenders.. I've only really played a MIM J bass and P copy. P's and J's do have their many sounds... and both basses can sound pretty damn close to a Rick if you try. I'm just saying if they can get there and back, why can't a Rick bass? I pretty much can, with the right amp, strings, playing style...
I like Fenders now, don't get me wrong.. but there is a conformity factor about them. You can't turn a rock video nowadays without seeing the bass player using a P or a J... maybe a stingray, if you're lucky. But everywhere I turn, it's a P or a J. Most think that's the best out there. I know better. That is one of the reasons I'm a Rickenbacker player: I'm not EXACTLY like everyone else. Sure, there are a lot of Rickenbacker players on this forum, but we are very spread out. But you could go into your average bar three nights in a row and see three different bands with P and/or J basses and not see one 4001/4003.
1976 Rickenbacker 4001
2011/05 Fender Standard Fretless Jazz Bass
2005/11 Fender Standard Jazz Bass
2011/05 Fender Standard Fretless Jazz Bass
2005/11 Fender Standard Jazz Bass
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bob_atherton
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This is very interesting.
For me the best thing about a RIC is how it plays and feels in my hands. I can get my tone out of it, as I can from a Fender Jazz, but not a Musicman, it's an active thing..
I also like the fact that it is different yet instantly recognizable. The slightly shorter scale, thinish necks and slim around the nut is just perfect for me.
There is also enough variety with the two P/Us to suit nearly every need.
Oh yes, they are quite light as well.
For me the best thing about a RIC is how it plays and feels in my hands. I can get my tone out of it, as I can from a Fender Jazz, but not a Musicman, it's an active thing..
I also like the fact that it is different yet instantly recognizable. The slightly shorter scale, thinish necks and slim around the nut is just perfect for me.
There is also enough variety with the two P/Us to suit nearly every need.
Oh yes, they are quite light as well.
Personally I hate, and I mean HATE, Jazz bass necks. And I don't get on with Jazz basses sonically either (well, haven't so far). I would go so far as to say that on average my least favourite popular bass is the Fender Jazz. But that's just me. In terms of versatility, in the right hands they're incredibly versatile, but not in mine! I just get numerous variations on an awful sound!
IMHO any bass can be "versatile", depending on how you interact with it. There is no "right" or "wrong".
I get on with Ricks ergonomically, they look great (to me), and I can achieve many of the sounds I want with them. But even then, it depends on the Rick. I swap between mine for different tones; all of mine have colours in them individually that aren't available from the others.
IMHO any bass can be "versatile", depending on how you interact with it. There is no "right" or "wrong".
I get on with Ricks ergonomically, they look great (to me), and I can achieve many of the sounds I want with them. But even then, it depends on the Rick. I swap between mine for different tones; all of mine have colours in them individually that aren't available from the others.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
Each bass or guitar certainly has it's own voice, that's possibly why a lot of us have more than one. As far as versatility, A Rick is as good as pretty much anything, & the build quality issue is really a non-issue. There's a lot of poorly informed people out there: one even tried to convince me Ricks were made of plywood! People just DON'T KNOW!
I never liked the Jazz necks taper. A Rick neck is so much more even from nut to body that it feels more comfortable to me, but I guess it's all in what you are used to.
I never liked the Jazz necks taper. A Rick neck is so much more even from nut to body that it feels more comfortable to me, but I guess it's all in what you are used to.
Plus five minus five!
Geddy played a Ric because he liked how it sounded. Then he switched to the Steinberger because he liked how it sounded (and I bet the whole "future of bass construction" thing struck him as awesome). Then he switched to the Wal because he liked how it sounded. And then to the Jazz . . . why? Because he liked how it sounded. There may be other reasons, but Geddy primarily switched because he played another bass and liked how it sounded. The only thing he had to take into consideration was whether or not he could play his older songs on one bass and have them sound close to the bass they were recorded on. I think, so far, he's done remarkably well. As has been said countless times before, how he plays has a lot to do with why it always sounds how it's supposed to.
The same goes for pretty much every other bassist out there. Unless they switched from like an acoustic upright bass to a 4000 with Rotosounds and through a guitar tube amp, people can, at the least, approximate other basses. Given, a P-bass will never sound EXACTLY like a Ric, and a Ric will never sound EXACTLY like a Spector, and a Spector will never sound exactly like a J-bass . . . but if you play it right, and change up your amp settings, you can get pretty damn close.
That being said, versatility, in large part, has a lot to do with the ease of changing sound. If all it takes to WILDLY alter the tone is a flick of a switch (Ric), or moving your hand from the bridge to the neck (most basses), or simply rolling off the neck volume, then the bass is already quite versatile. Obviously, though, number of different sounds easily obtained is part of it too. String changes are less easily performed than simply turning a knob, so that counts for less in the versatility question, but still, it's always an option. Given that, a P-bass may be popular, and it may sound awesome, but I think simply the fact that it has only one pickup limits it, sonically, as opposed to something that has two or three. At least, in terms of ease of differing tone. In the respect that a P-bass will fit into any environment comfortably (funk, rock, punk, disco, jazz, etc.), it gains back what it loses from having limited pickup options.
Now, a P-bass with a J-pickup at the bridge . . . there's a crazily variable bass.
The same goes for pretty much every other bassist out there. Unless they switched from like an acoustic upright bass to a 4000 with Rotosounds and through a guitar tube amp, people can, at the least, approximate other basses. Given, a P-bass will never sound EXACTLY like a Ric, and a Ric will never sound EXACTLY like a Spector, and a Spector will never sound exactly like a J-bass . . . but if you play it right, and change up your amp settings, you can get pretty damn close.
That being said, versatility, in large part, has a lot to do with the ease of changing sound. If all it takes to WILDLY alter the tone is a flick of a switch (Ric), or moving your hand from the bridge to the neck (most basses), or simply rolling off the neck volume, then the bass is already quite versatile. Obviously, though, number of different sounds easily obtained is part of it too. String changes are less easily performed than simply turning a knob, so that counts for less in the versatility question, but still, it's always an option. Given that, a P-bass may be popular, and it may sound awesome, but I think simply the fact that it has only one pickup limits it, sonically, as opposed to something that has two or three. At least, in terms of ease of differing tone. In the respect that a P-bass will fit into any environment comfortably (funk, rock, punk, disco, jazz, etc.), it gains back what it loses from having limited pickup options.
Now, a P-bass with a J-pickup at the bridge . . . there's a crazily variable bass.
The range of musicians who have/are used/using Rick basses makes me wonder: why didn't I "know" this from hearing all this music? Nothing overtly "Ricky" about those bass sounds.
Now, a lot of music I listen to closely, I can hear Fenders, and yes, they are the industry standard. Part of that I believe is ignorance on the part of many producers/engineers that the Ricks are "one-sound", part of it is "sheep mentality".
That said, the distinctive Rick growl is maybe not what a lot of people want. Fine, but I'm not other people. The 4003/1 bridge....well, yes, that's pretty much weird, but it seems to work. I have heard a few folks say they've wrecked them slapping and stuff...
Necks, well I guess they don't matter to me much. I can switch from my Jazz bass to my 4004 with no issue, I find both necks equally comfortable. Certainly different feels, but neither of them are "better" in my eyes.
If I were a pro session bassist, I'd play whatever the producer asked me to play, and yes, for damned sure I'd be bringing a P bass with me. But reading what the pros say, they'll show up to a studio gig with A LOT of basses. And as my mind wanders I can think of:
1) A couple Ricks, one with RW's the other with flats
2) A couple P's...same string choices
3) MY fretless J
So I could see myself bringing 5 basses easy to a situation like that (maybe the fact I only have three basses is hampering those intentions?
). But for my own personal use, when doing rock-n-roll, I prefer using my Ricks.
Henny, too bad you feel so strongly against the 4004's...I have nothing but a good feeling using mine. Then again, it is a Laredo, and I suspect that I am far less picky than most regarding tone.
**********
For whomever asked about quoting: it's all explained in the site here somewhere, but the general commands are done by using this format
\ "command" {"text"}
That is a backslash, followed by the command, with the text in brackets. The commands I use are "b" for bold, "i" for italics, and "quote" for quote...the " characters are NOT part of the coding.
Now, a lot of music I listen to closely, I can hear Fenders, and yes, they are the industry standard. Part of that I believe is ignorance on the part of many producers/engineers that the Ricks are "one-sound", part of it is "sheep mentality".
That said, the distinctive Rick growl is maybe not what a lot of people want. Fine, but I'm not other people. The 4003/1 bridge....well, yes, that's pretty much weird, but it seems to work. I have heard a few folks say they've wrecked them slapping and stuff...
Necks, well I guess they don't matter to me much. I can switch from my Jazz bass to my 4004 with no issue, I find both necks equally comfortable. Certainly different feels, but neither of them are "better" in my eyes.
If I were a pro session bassist, I'd play whatever the producer asked me to play, and yes, for damned sure I'd be bringing a P bass with me. But reading what the pros say, they'll show up to a studio gig with A LOT of basses. And as my mind wanders I can think of:
1) A couple Ricks, one with RW's the other with flats
2) A couple P's...same string choices
3) MY fretless J
So I could see myself bringing 5 basses easy to a situation like that (maybe the fact I only have three basses is hampering those intentions?
). But for my own personal use, when doing rock-n-roll, I prefer using my Ricks. Henny, too bad you feel so strongly against the 4004's...I have nothing but a good feeling using mine. Then again, it is a Laredo, and I suspect that I am far less picky than most regarding tone.
**********
For whomever asked about quoting: it's all explained in the site here somewhere, but the general commands are done by using this format
\ "command" {"text"}
That is a backslash, followed by the command, with the text in brackets. The commands I use are "b" for bold, "i" for italics, and "quote" for quote...the " characters are NOT part of the coding.
Above e-mail is inactive. try ed_ardzinski@**** where **** is Hotmail.com or Yahoo.com. I tend to see things inthe hotmail box quicker...
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