Figuring out the "Rickenbacker Sound"

[jwr2]

Sounds like you need a compressor ...

[zoomduck]

Good point Jeff . I like to compress the Bass until it starts to sound like a kick drum .......then start backing off the compression from there .

[teeder]

Got farting problems? You might want to check out this site.
http://www.gas-x.ca/index.html

Another heavy-handed, behind the raised-high bridge pu, round wound string, finger player here.

[rickenbrother]

LOL

[gareth]

All my Rics get the same treatment. Everything turned up all the way on the bass, all pickups on. I use the Trace Elliots high and low band compressors, and the 11 band graphic to get the sound I need. The "smiley face" mentioned is a good place to start, with a little nudging around 7hz to clean up. I get that huge percussive thud that I want, and then dial in the amount of valve sound warmth using the Trace's valve/solid state mixer. Lastly, I get the growl by using the input balance to lightly overload.

This is all moot though, as without the right speakers, You'll never get the right sound. For the right RIC sound, I contend that you've got to have some 4x10's in there, either as 8x10's or as I use, 4x10 and 1x18. Lastly, I may be in the minority, but just like building engines, there's no replacement for displacement. More is better, louder is good. The harder I drive the rig, the better it sounds.

[bobcat]

"Sounds like you need a compressor ..."

No offense, but compressors make my bass sound like it's a dying animal.

[kcole4001]

It's all in how you use a compressor. Mine's just for taking the peaks off the signal so I don't have to listen to the soundguy squawk about my channel distorting (because he rides the gain instead of the fader).
It also helps keep my amp from taking a pounding on the low notes (I don't like the clip light to be on ALL the time).

+1 on the 10" speakers, but everyone has their own thing.