Lemmy's original bass

12stringbassist · Post by **12stringbassist** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 1:36 pm

I seem to remember reading either in Lemmy's book or in an interview, where he fired a roadie on the spot for dropping his favorite Ric, which was irreparably broken.

rikk · Post by **rikk** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:36 pm

The maple neck RIC does not have a RIC TRC. I have a photo that I got off of ebay with Lemmy with three basses. The guy I bought it from says he got it at the RIC booth when they were selling the Lemmy bass. If RIC would give away this picture than it must be real. I'll have to dig up the pix and post it if anybody is interested. One of the reasons I got the pic is so I'd have a high resolution photo of his basses.

pekka · Post by **pekka** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:31 am

Ian, it was in Lemmy's book.

I wonder how many Rick's Lemmy has or have had? I've seen him play at least white and jetglo 4001 or 4003.

He also has a Thunderbird which he "plays" in "Eat The Rich" movie.

How about the 8-string bass mentioned in the credits of "Bomber" album? Was it a Rick or some other, Hagström maybe? Which song it was used for?

In my opinion, Lemmy's best recorded bass sound is on "The Golden Years" live-EP, especially "Leaving Here".

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:49 am

Lemmy's original Rick is the one with the T-Bird pickup. It was a through-neck 4000, probably from around 70-71 by the look of it (pre-skunk obviously), and he added the T/Bird pickup himself. When he got it it had been painted Salmon Pink, which he hated; he stripped it to bare wood and played it like that for a few years. He also wired the bass wrong when he put the pickup in, as discovered by luthier Peter Cook years later; apparently the output was really low, believe it or not .

The next one I saw him with was his white 4001 w/black trim, with the Born To Lose sticker. He put a Dimarzio Model 1 in that, but later on replaced that with a copy T/Bird pickup; I haven't seen him using that for a long time .

The maple neck one he bought off someone who sold it very cheap and because of that he assumed it may have been stolen; he said when he got it that it had the maple fingerboard but the frets were all pulled out and it was in a bit of a mess (I think he also said there were holes in the head, if I remember correctly; I'm typing at work so this is all from memory). He said it had the stereo Ric-o-sound though; it could be that it was an original Ric which had been modified. He said it was the only one he'd seen and that "it may have been a test-bed or something"; not sure about that!

Both the original 4000 and the maple-necked bass have been continuously modified over the years. So far as I'm aware that particular maple-necked bass is the only one he's had, although because it's been changed so many times it will look different on different pictures.

He's also played other 4001 basses and of course the Lemmys, but his original (and I would say most used) basses are the 4000 (which may have been his favourite that was broken, I'm not sure; I know that he said that the neck warped because he'd been sweating into the bare wood for so long, but I did later see him using it again, looking rather different; this was prior to his favourite bass being broken, so it could be the same), the maple necked bass, and the white w/black trim one. You can see all 3 basses on the inside sleeve of the "No Sleep..." LP, and I saw Motorhead an awful lot in the early(ish) days; he always used those 3 basses live. They're also on the "live" video compilation (I think it's called "The Best of Motorhead"; I seldom look at the cover, I just watch it!)

The Hagstrom 8 he still has I believe. I think it was used on "Poison". He's stated that he hates 8 string Rics which he thinks "have necks like baseball bats". The T/bird was apparently stolen.

Pekka, I'd probably agree about Lemmy's best recorded sound. Having heard him play several basses live, his first (the 4000)was always my favourite, dodgy wiring or no. It just had an extra something.

s4001 · Post by **s4001** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 8:44 am

+1. The 4000 is my favorite too. It's just got that proper beaten up mojo that it wears so well.

pekka · Post by **pekka** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 8:45 pm

Shaun, great info! A large thank you! Gotta listen "Poison" soon again. Any pics of Lemmy playing the 8-string Hag?

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:19 am

Happy to oblige Pekka. I've got loads of old interviews with Lemmy lying around somewhere; I've also met him a couple of times, once having a fair old chat with him (not that he'd remember obviously!). That 4000 of his taught me how to play; the bulk of the basslines I learnt when first starting were played on that bass. If could have any bass ever, that would be the one, although it may be firewood by now! I used to obsess about it to an alarming degree. In fact if I ever managed to get hold of a T/bird pickup I'd love to drop it in a Ric (ducks for cover!). I know Lem didn't get that bass until he'd been in Hawkwind a short while (he used to use a German-made bass called a Hopf which was a sort of Gibson EB copy), so I don't think he got it in the late 60s, which I think would be confirmed by the spec of the bass.

wints · Post by **wints** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:49 am

He didn't like a Salmon Pink Rickenbacker?

What kind of a wuss is he....

jaymi · Post by **jaymi** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:39 am

"Salmon pink would be fun"(he says like a poncy hairdresser)

pekka · Post by **pekka** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:50 am

So if his first Rick was a 4000 it didn't have the cap, right? That might contribute to it's great sound...

Did Lemmy ever use the Rick-O-Sound?

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 6:13 am

Not that I'm aware of. Usually in one Marshall, out the front into another, basically linking the two, but through different inputs, if I remember correctly. I'm not completely sure though. I'll have to dig out those old magazines!

pekka · Post by **pekka** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:02 pm

I did listen to "Poison" but "Talking Head" sounded more like an 8-string to me. Can't be sure 'though, Lemmy's sound is a bit distorted on all tracks.

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 12:59 am

I'll try and confirm as soon as I find my magazines, Pekka. I'm pretty sure it was Poison that he said he used it on.

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 3:51 am

Pekka, I found the old interview (from 1981) and it was definitely on Poison that he used the Hagstrom. He also says that his maple necked bass has a thinner (by which I think he means narrower) neck than his original, but he describes the original as "my favourite".

Amps wise, at that time he had the bass full off, the presence, treble and middle all full on, and the volume about half way, always using the first channel. In an interview from 1995 he says he links the amps by going into the first channel of one amp, out of the second channel and then into the first channel of the second amp. I've read later on that he changed his settings; I think he turned his treble off, but I can't find the interview where he says that at the moment. He definitely doesn't use the Ric-O-Sound; in a later interview he gives his thoughts on stereo bass which are unfortunately unrepeatable! Let's just say he thinks it's pointless

Re-reading the earlier interview he also implies that he had the maple necked 4001 before the white one, although the 4000 was definitely his first.

pekka · Post by **pekka** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:09 am

Thanks again Shaun. Lemmy's ultra-distorto sound just makes it hard to tell.

With Lemmy's sound preference the stereo is pointless, he doesn't need the clean low end.