Sort of disappointed with Ric.

[throw_this_away]

Kevin,

acoustic rhythm guitar... you would be infringing on many of his frequencies with a 4000.

Boot + *** = problem solved

[bobcat]

The thing is, even a low-treble, ultra-bassy P-bass can sound BRILLIANT in a mix. People here turned me on to Gentle Giant, and HOLY **** does that P-bass cut through . . . and it hardly has sparkling highs. But it's mixed well.

I don't understand it. What is peoples' obsession with walls of guitar crunch and NO DEFINITION ANYWHERE?!

As for the mixer-guy screwing up your bass sound: tell him to do it your way, no buts about it. The other guys in the band like it your way. You like it your way. It works PERFECTLY your way, and not his way. Therefore, he should stop mixing it his way (i.e. muddy rumbling) and start mixing it the way everyone else wants it. Get him to try it once and make everyone listen to it and point out exactly how good the bass sounds there as opposed to the regular mix.

[thinneckrick]

I agree Robert . It seems when some body out there trys a different tone change . Its either transparent and lost in the mix or so lowendy it sounds like a carefully executed Fart .

[zakb7]

The band I play with wanted me to get an American-made P or J bass. They are Fender guys, at least in part, and used to all the chatter about how American Fenders are the standard, we want that classic tone, etc. I was playing with probably the crappiest rig to ever hit the stage for a long while, and now that we'd gotten much busier it came time to upgrade.

So, I'm getting e-mails every day from our lead singer about good deals on MIA Fenders; Ebay auctions, various online classifieds, etc. I had actually been leaning toward a Warwick Thumb at first, but then I played a Ric 4003 in a store, and that was it. Sold. Well, sort of. . .I bought it online.

After a handful of gigs, the guys in the band are sold on the Ric tone once and for all. I'm not some pop-goes-the-weasel, slap-happy bass nut, I'm a classic rock guy, and the Ric wins. If I become some famous bass icon I'll tell everyone my secret. And I won't charge a dime.

It's symptomatic of our evolving culture that we're all so influenced by advertising - if there's no buzz about something it's like it doesn't exist. It takes a calculated effort from a lot of people to create such a buzz; writers, artists, famous people, executives and salespeople. All of them expect to be paid for it. And that's why your Ric doesn't cost $5,000.

[atomic_punk]

Super guitar crunch covers up a lot of playing issues. More distortion = less definition, and less definition means fewer audible mistakes.

[tomg]

"It's symptomatic of our evolving culture that we're all so influenced by advertising - if there's no buzz about something it's like it doesn't exist. "

Rickenbacker would only need a "buzz" if they were having a hard time selling their instruments. And given that they sell everything they can make, I think they're doing pretty well without buzz.

While arguable, I guess, I think Fender basses _are_ the standard. One of the reasons we all play Rics is because we don't want the standard, we want something different.

[simer4001]

3-5 year back orders! I would say they aren't hurting. That's actually a pretty good way of doing business if you think about it.

[zakb7]

It's a great way to do business.

[throw_this_away]

Not a good way to do business as far as share holders would be concerned (though ric is private I assume)... because it means that they could be doing even better business if they had the facilities and production.

Kinda like apple iPods in the early days. Production used to be low... and a lot of people wanted them. Once production met demand Apple began to make a killing.

[tomg]

Rickenbacker is privately owned, so no shareholders to appease.

I'd say it is a great way to do business, if you're Rickenbacker, but less great for customers.

We all know that the (usual) long wait to get our babies is well worth it, but it can be frustrating waiting.

[trick_knee]

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An
American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?"
asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs...I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat." "And after that?" asked the Mexican. "With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American. "And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting." Answered the American laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican. "After that, you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."
And the moral of the story is: Know where you're going in life...you may already be there.

[simer4001]

OK.

[jps]

Excellent!

[clankchris]

Awesome story!... I'll remember that one

[bobcat]

"Rickenbacker is privately owned, so no shareholders to appease."

Thank god. Please, Ric, NEVER EVER change that.

Oh, and Dennis, awesome story. Sometimes that's how I feel . . . I don't want a huge house and millions of dollars . . . I just want a place to live, a job I like, and a Rickenbacker bass.