With that said, it does bother me that the 4004 has not become more of a mainstream instrument(As seen on TV etc) but, That's OK. I think it's the best kept secret in musical instruments.
It doesn't bother me, it just simply surprises me – these are highly versatile basses that also look great.
What matters to me is that I have two Cii's and simply love them and will get a 5er when JH is ready to put it back on the market.
I have tried Musicman, Warwick, Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, Schecter, Spector, Ibanez, and more ... none of them give me the sound of my Rickenbackers ... I don't care who plays them ... I care about the growl and the sound ... If I was going to gripe then I would complain about old features and no 5 strings ... but you guys have heard my opinions on this already ... and I played a Peavey and didn't like it ...
There are a lot of pro musicians that play Rics. Some of the Top acts right now may not, but there are still many. One of the MAIN reasons that RIC is not more visible is there are not cheap Rics and there are almost no copy Rics. So when a musician starts out he/she is most likely to get a Fender/Gibson/etc copy (or cheap licensed guitar.)
JH owns Rickenbacker, he has no shareholders to tell him what to do (ie. mess things up.) He runs a small company that first and foremost has to make money to stay in business. To stay in business he makes high quality quitars. To grow the business he would probably have to make cheap versions to gain market share. That would dilute the brand. Among other things the company would have to get much larger, include overseas (China) operations and be a much different company than it is now. Much more headaches for the company.
I can't speak for JH, but he must like it the way it is. I as a Ric player appreciate the accessibility he and his company have to it's customers. Over the years I have called the company and have spoken to some very nice people. If this was a large company like Fender or Gibson do you think JH would have the time or energy to post on boards like this?
Anyway, I would have liked to see checkerboard binding back on the 4003. Yes it would be nice to see more people play Rics. As long as I get to play mine...I'm happy.
Here's my take. First off, there's no question in my mind on the quality. They may not be as fancy as boutique brands, and may not have (presently 5) six or seven strings, but the bottom line is that they are every bit as good as anything Fender or Peavy produces. Then why don't we see more of them? My guess is that Fender and Peavy probably produce 20 or 50 basses to every one Rick makes. Is that hurting RIC? Depends on how you look at it. RIC sells EVERY one they make, to the point where orders exceed production capacity.
I was disappointed by not seeing RIC ads in "Bass Player" magazine, and very few pictures of featured players with Ricks. But why should they advertise? That would only drive up orders, and we'd wait even longer than the projected 1.5 years right now. If RIC wanted to double production, they could do it, but would have to move to a more economically feasible area or initiate overseas production. The first option is a possibility, the second is not, thankfully.
With a sole ownership, there's no demand from investors for more return on their dollars, so no demand for increased production and profits. John Hall is eyeing ways to cut down the order backlog, but for now, his company is a victim of its own success. He (and his family and workers) are his main responsibility.
Overall, the customers get what they pay for (eventually): fine attractive instruments at reasonable prices. If a popular "pro" bassist or guitarist made a statement in an interview or onstage that RIC instruments were the best and everyone should get one, John would probably be faced with enormous order increases, compounding the problem. It's the curse/blessing of the small/middle-size manufacturer: You can't make enough product fast enough to satisfy every customer, but you don't have to worry about excess inventory eating up profits.
Would I like to see more visible "pros" using RIC products? Yes, if only to reinforce my own choices. "See, I play the same bass that (insert your current fave's name here) plays."
Author: "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass - 50 Years As Rock's Bottom"
I don't know if I would agree with that statement, although I couldn't really name a “hero” from today - you would really have to ask the kids that question (and yes it hurts to say that).
Clearly we wouldn't consider comparing any one today to Townsend or McCartney or Squire or Harrison or, or, or… but it could may be all relative you know – don’t know just a thought…
My 16 year old son plays guitar, my 15 year old daughter bass. Their friends play mostly everything else.
I turned them on to what I listen to and they went nuts! Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP, Rush, Led Zeppelin, it is so strange to watch these little guys listen to (and start to play)this now VINTAGE stuff!
My son nailed it. "Other than some of the Metallcia and RUSH stuff, there isn't anything really GREAT that the NEW bands play; they just don't have the talent that those "OLD" bands had!
"OLD". I'm starting to resent that word....
"Freedom of expression is important, but I have learned that people want to know how much you care before they care how much you know." The only time a bass player gets noticed is when he stops playing.
Tony-
At least he didn't use the ugly catch-phrase "classic rock"!
But we may be getting on in years.
There was a question in another thread asking "since when is Led Zep old people music" in reference to Cadillac using a tune...
I think that it shows greater integrity in Rick that they don't chase after musicians for endorsements. Leave that to the second rate brands!
Oh, there are heroes of today . . . it's just that they're not universal or ubiquitous heroes like Page and McCartney and Moon and such . . . EVERYONE loved those guys . . . EVERYONE. Today, you have musicians who are just as revolutionary, just as innovative, and (I think) just as talented, people whom I would consider my modern musical heroes, but the fact of the matter is that they're not #1 TOP OF THE CHARTS SELL A BAZILLION RECORDS ARTISTS like the heroes were back then. These days, you don't have to be a great musician to get on the pop charts, and, as such, the people who everyone looks at today (Britney Spears, 50 Cent, the plethora of cookie-cutter nu-metal/alternative bands) are lacking in some very important things: inspiration, musicality, and so on.
But yeah, I have plenty of modern musical heroes . . . everyone in the Mars Volta, Claudio Sanchez from Coheed & Cambria, Matt Bellamy and Chris Wolstenholme from Muse, Chris Martin from Coldplay (who actually does have the public eye), all the guys in Audioslave . . . and they're all iconic people who play iconic instruments . . . Claudio has his Gibson Explorer, Chris Wolstenholme always plays a Pedulla, Tom Morello has his "soul power" Stratocaster, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has that crazy one-pickup custom Ibanez.
The thing about it is that not everyone loves these bands. They may be thought very highly of, and they may sell lots of albums and fly up on the rock charts, but they're not popular icons. There are too many others with millions of obsessive fans who won't be disillusioned any time soon.
Personally, I don't mind one bit that Ricks aren't as ubiquitous as Fenders and Gibsons. When I see someone playing a Rickenbacker guitar or bass, I get the feeling they really wanted to be a part of that unique Rickenbacker "fellowship" and they're not just following the herds.
Ken-
I agree with you on the c64. My Rick bass heros all used 1999s
or 4001.
I just wish Rick would put a right handed headstock on the c64;
I buy one....
Very interesting thread. Two things jump out at me. First, most pros appear to use, strings, amps, guitars, that provide sponsorship or a "cool" factor. Second, Mr. Hall does not seem to tolerate the terminally dim. These two things would virtually eliminate all the backstage sliding around required to get a Rick in some hot guns hands.
From the late 60's to the early 80's I made a living with a 4001 and an Acoustic 370/301 amp. These two pieces were dragged all over creation and through the rock/disco/rock transition, without giving me a single problem, zero.
For the last twenty plus years I've had a "real" job and have become a weekend warrior. As such I've had the time to step back and experiment with the "new" gear. I've got them, Fender, Alembic, Ken Smith, all very cool in their own way.
What is difficult to explain is my constant return to Rick world. There is something very visceral about the 4001/4003/4004 series bass. It's not just about tone, price, or looks. To me the bass just plain feels part of you, not hung on you. When combined with the quality construction, flexibility and the Rickenbacker culture, it's a combination that's unmatched.
I believe it would parallel my motorcycle experience with Harley Davidson. I left to try all the new hardware and found it all deficient. There appears to be a magical, if not mystical, combination of craftsmanship, design and materials in both products that I find very satisfying. This experience seems to intertwine amongst the faithful of both cultures. It's not found or shared by all, just the fortunate few.
I bought my first Ric bass new in 77, I toured the factory in 86 with Brian Carmon,I actually had a job with them[customer service] if I came back to CA which I did not [came back home for a wedding and stayed]My reason for playing a Ric Paul M,Roger Waters,Mike Rutherford,Glover,Leon Wilkinson[skynard]Bachman turner overdrive...um...You get my point.
PM, used to play one,Rutherford used to play one,glover used to play one Geddy used to play one........The list goes on.
"But yeah, I have plenty of modern musical heroes . . . everyone in the Mars Volta, Claudio Sanchez from Coheed & Cambria,"
That's awesome... CoCa are old friends of mine!
I actually think this is a great discussion, and one that speaks alot for the state of popularity in music today. There really aren't alot of instantly and widely identifiable "heroes" left... as far as bass goes I think the last to be truly identified with his instrument was Flea when he played his Stingray (I'd say Claypool and his Carl Thompson, but millions of budding bassists aren't rushing out to buy one!) I think alot of it breaks down to exposure... there are a million and 3 Fender bassists out there on the charts, and why? There's a Fender dealer on some street in every city! Growing up where I did it was pretty much the easiest instrument to attain, and that store got much business from our local scene. Good for them... bad for those who wanted to try something different, but it's "okay" since 90% of the musicians that you see on videos play Fenders. And like has been said you have to do a little digging to find the kind of music coming out today that inspires people to pick up a bass, or a guitar.
In the end, I think it's cool to be part of this exclusive club that I think we are as Rick players, and if we and some select others are the only ones that get it, I don't mind. I'll just smirk a little when my record's done and people want to know where that bass tone came from!
