What are your favorite recordings with a Ric bass?

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Wed May 28, 2003 4:56 am

There's a new commercial on tv for Dodge trucks. A bass riff in the background sounds suspiciously crunchy and trebly. Think it could be...?

robj · Post by **robj** » Wed May 28, 2003 6:21 am

There is an ELP song which has a very pure bass tone. My ears tell me it's a 4001 but I don't know for sure. I will have to review my ELP CDs to identify the song but I think it's on Brain Salad Surgery. The song has some quite complex staccato type lines accented by Carl Palmer's drumming.

Did Greg Lake play a Rick on the early ELP albums?

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Wed May 28, 2003 9:10 am

If it's the same riff that ends all the Dodge truck commercials, that sounds like a synth to me. On The Bottom Line (mailing list) someone stated that it's a Sonic Foundry Acid Loop.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed May 28, 2003 10:10 am

I too thought that that album (Joe Jackson) was a Ric with either flats or just plain dead strings, but there was an article a few years ago in bass player about that bass player (Graham Maby?) and he said that he used a Jazz-style Ibanez (sp?) with flat wound strings, I was a little surprised myself when I read that.
I too love that "plunk" sound Mac got, I think it is especially prominent on: "Baby you're a rich man" which is another one of my favorites, (especially on the CD, which has much more bass) I read in one of the books that Ric sells (still don't remember the name, but will be home next week and will post it) that he used flats, the mute and a pick to get that fast decaying plunk sound, I have tried it and it works, especially with the 4003's (the rubber or whatever it is deteriorates and gets hard on the old Rics)
Another favorite is: "It feels like the first time" Foreigner, their first three or four albums with the original bass player was all Ric, he was good too.
The guy in Styx had a good sound, and yeah the guy in The Knack had a great sound.
I don't know why Mac and Geddy Lee switched from Rics, all their ground breaking (and their best sounding) stuff was done with Rics. Many, many recordings were done in the 70's with Rics. I know that Greg Lake used a Ric, I'm not sure which albums though.
One more favorite: "The lamb lies down on Broadway" Genesis. Mike Rutherford had a great sound, I saw a foto of him with a doubleneck about 25 years ago, I'm not sure what model it was, but obviously it had a bass on it.
Keep 'em coming.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Wed May 28, 2003 11:08 am

Listen to the authoritative Rick tone on 'Falling In Love With Myself Again' by Sparks. Halfway through the song the music stops and bassplayer Martin Gordon lets his 4001 speak loud and clear. I dare you to try and make current 4003s sound like that!

robj · Post by **robj** » Wed May 28, 2003 11:52 am

Yeah the bass on Baby You're a Rich Man is fabulous and probably my favorite for bass tone on all the Beatle's tracks. Interestingly enough, that track wasn't cut at EMI (Abbey Road) but I think it was recorded at Olympic which had better gear. I will have to look it up.

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed May 28, 2003 12:35 pm

Robert Joseph,

I believe Greg was playing a Gibson Ripper on that album.

Paul Boyer,

I used to play Ocean Gypsy; that and the song Song For All Seasons are probably my two favorite Jon Camp bass lines, very melodic and full of emotion.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Wed May 28, 2003 12:49 pm

Bob,

Thanks for reminding me! Styx - Grand Illusion.

Mike Rutherford's doubleneck was a Dick Knight custom. Dick was known for grafting 4001's to 6 strings. He did one for Jon Camp too.

I could've sworn I read somewhere that Joe Jackson's bassist used a RIC on that album (Look Sharp?). I'll see if I can find anything definite out.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Wed May 28, 2003 1:09 pm

Well, Graham himself says he used an Ibanez.

See 3rd Paragraph

But, on several other websites, including the Rickenbacker Registration Page Site, people refer to his RIC usage on the first album.

See answer to Question 66

It sure sounds like a RIC to me ...

robj · Post by **robj** » Wed May 28, 2003 1:46 pm

Jeffery,
I'll have to listen to my ELP CD's to get the title I'm thinking of. Yes Greg did play a Gibson Ripper, he also played a Fender Jazz, a Fender Precision, an Alembic and a Rickenbacker between '72 and '74 according to the photos at his website http://www.greglake.com/newsite/Gallery2.asp?ID=42

So who knows for sure. The bass on that track sure sounds like a Rick to me though.

dougp · Post by **dougp** » Wed May 28, 2003 2:32 pm

Kinks - "Sunny Afternoon" (Peter Quaife)
Flamin' Groovies - "Heading For The Texas Border" (George Alexander)
Hawkwind - "Down Through The Night", 'Space Ritual' live version (Lemmy)
Sweet - "Sweet F.A." (Steve Priest)
The Jam - "In The City" (Bruce Foxton)

I'll probably think of more after I post ...

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed May 28, 2003 3:26 pm

Robert,

You may be thinking of Karn Evil Nine Second Impression on side two. It is an "acoustic" piece, piano, bass, drums.

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Thu May 29, 2003 2:25 am

Being a "Squireista" rather than a "McCartneyite" I vote for any sound that has some texture to it. My current favorites are any pre-"Tales" Yes and anything from the first five Spock's Beard CDs.

robj · Post by **robj** » Thu May 29, 2003 5:40 am

Jeffery,
I listened to that track this morning while driving and that one does sound like a Rick to me, but it isn't the song I was thinking of. It must be a song from another album. I need to find that song, this is making me crazy.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu May 29, 2003 9:53 am

One more song: "Brass in Pocket", The Pretenders. The bass player had a nice all black 4001, trim and body, with chrome. The E string was tuned down to D on this song. I think his name was Peter Farndon ( or something like that), the whole album has a nice bass sound.
Does anyone remember the song: "Avenging Annie"? I forgot the singer's name, he was from Mass too. I saw him in the middle 70's and his bass player had a P bass and didn't sound anything like the recorded version, it is either a Ric or a real trebly Fender (jazz?) played with a Pick on the record.