The funniest descriptions of the Rick bass sound.

blazer · Post by **blazer** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:38 am

"A Rickenbacker ought to sound like an overloaded freighter grinding over a flint bottom of a too shallow river."
- Guitarist (UK Magazine) on how the Line6 Modelling bass fails to deliver on the "Rickenbacker" setting.

"It sounded like a chainsaw cutting up a concrete wall."
- Lemmy

"Twang and grunt."
- TGM (UK Magazine) describing Paul Mccartney's sound after he ditched the Hofner during the Wings era.

"Concrete mixer"
- Yours turly when talking about that typical rattle that Chris Squier has on tracks like "Roundabout".

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:48 am

We can add those to clanky, grindy, farty, and growly,

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:58 am

Dont forget "gank" and "honk".

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:09 am

I think the line 6 bass had a sample from a 60s 4001 with flats programed in ... that just doesn't give you the Geddy Lee/Chris Squire/Lemmy sound ...

I love line 6 ... but not everything they do is great ...

you gotta have a real Ric bass with roundwound strings, low action, fter buzz, distortion, and play it aggressively to get that sound ...

s4001 · Post by **s4001** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:17 am

"It sounded like a chainsaw cutting up a concrete wall."
- Lemmy

That's funny. I've never heard that quote before, but that's how I've always described the 'Ric' tone. The perfect description.

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:51 am

Somehow the epitome of Ric bass tone to me is Glover's neck toaster tone on Pictures of Home. I don't know how I would describe it but the word "hollow" comes to mind.

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:18 am

Right on with "hollow" I call it "honk".

clankchris · Post by **clankchris** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:27 am

"I think the line 6 bass had a sample from a 60s 4001 with flats programed in"

They also have a setting for roundwounds, ala Squire(they even mention him)

just_bassics · Post by **just_bassics** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:08 pm

I always described the Glover "Pictures of home" sound as "sinister", that tone always got me.

edski · Post by **edski** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:29 pm

Squires sound on Close To The Edge always brought "meat grinder" to mind...

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:03 pm

Someone here used "gerch-pang" a while back while describing the sound...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:11 pm

I recently put some Yes songs on my mp3 player ... the Squire bass sounds from the early 70s are really nice ... a good balance of low end, mid growl, treble bite, distortion, fret buzz, and aggressive attack ... and best of all the engineer put the bass really up front in the mix ...

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:03 pm

You guys are living in the past, try getting into your average band with a bass that sounds like a hollow gritch-ping meatgrinder today, you'll get the door shown to you unless it's a 70's prog rock tribute band.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:53 pm

I agree Bob! My Rick basses thump - just a fat, full sound rich in bass and short on treble.

These basses sure are versatile, huh!

kidvett · Post by **kidvett** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:03 pm

Bob,

I am in partial agreement....I play in 2 bands. One is a vintage 70-80s ``soft rock`` type outfit ( not my primary band ). They gave me heck yesterday because of my Ric sound !! They wanted something more ``soft in the back`` !! I told them I play a RIC and this is my sound !! Later on I pulled out a P bass ( set up w/ rotos & duncan spb3 ) and gave them one hell of a screetchy-razor-distorted sound while playing some GnR...

Marc