Rickenbacker...over-rated?

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 2:15 pm

Sometimes fret ends will stick out from the fingerboard due to climatic conditions. The metal won't change dimensions but the wood certainly can. You should have just had the fret ends filed down and kept a great bass. I would not have considered that to be an issue relating to a lack of quality control.

j_gary · Post by **j_gary** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 5:00 am

Hey Jeff, where you been hiding? Kinda quiet up there.

I'm curious young man, what's your choice for your "Friday" bass these days?

rickfan63 · Post by **rickfan63** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 8:02 am

Jeff is right. So many things can happen to a bass or guitar in shipping to alter it's playability, especially climate changes. A good set up is crucial. I've rarely played a bass in a shop that played the way I like them to. That goes for the high end ones too.

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:02 am

Hey Jon-

How close are you to Chicago? I can set your bass up for you. All 17 of my Ricks play like butter.

stevefox · Post by **stevefox** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:35 am

I felt the same about my ric after I bought it, took about 4 months to get it "Right", constant tweaking, trying different guages and brands of strings. Three years later I cant believe I thought it was ****, now its the best bass I've ever owned, took a while to bed in, but now its just perfect, give it time and learn to sort it out for yourself, Dont trust others.

jaybic · Post by **jaybic** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:28 am

Good advice all. I too felt the same when I first got mine. Took a lot of time with it to get it comfortable. Now my treble pickup isn't working so I'm diving in! Hopefully its just a little dirty or a some contact came loose.

peter_sillery · Post by **peter_sillery** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:49 pm

When I got my 4003 last year I was getting quite a lot of fret buzz. The thing came to Ireland from the USA so I'm sure the wood expanded/contracted with the change in tempreture/altitude on the plane.

I dropped it into my local Luthier and for 80 Euro he set it up for me and now it plays great.

gregson1 · Post by **gregson1** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:53 am

I had a V63 that hung in a store for years before I bought it. It had fret issues and a neck twist. Still had some warranty left, so back to Rickenbacker it went! Go back a great instrument that I never should have sold...

Rickenbacker has a solid warranty--and don't be afraid to use it.

thinneckrick · Post by **thinneckrick** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:05 pm

What up Gary !! 98 mapleglo is my friday bass . Just got my 07 amber fireglo today so i will put it through the paces this weekend . The friday bass will be there as well.Oh by the way . I had to fill the A nut slot and recut it as soon as it was out of the box.The E, D, and G nut slots were perfect but the A was kissing the first fret . WHAT THU !!!!!! Tisk , Tisk , Tisk .........

ricaddic · Post by **ricaddic** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 2:44 am

When I recieved my C64 last october everything was great but the action even after it was set up to the strings I put on her (T I Flats) was still higher than I like it but this seems to be normal because of all the same complaints, however I like my action low so in order to get the action where I like it the string slots had to be filed down alittle(no big deal) now she plays like budda, and is my favorite bass in my arsenal, I own 14 basses now and everyone had to be tweaked to my likeing thats just normal but I wouldnt call it ****, some people like thier action high, Macca likes a high action so his was probibly just right for him when Mr Hall Sr. gave it to him back in 1965, no matter what you pay for an instrument 9 out of ten times your not gonna be happy with the factory set up plus shipping the instrument plays havoc to a set up your gonna have to get it work to your likeing I absolutely love my 4001C64, and in October it will be a year that I have it and still am in awl of owning this classic instrument and still love playing her as much and maybe even more than the first day I got her and pluged her in.

j_gary · Post by **j_gary** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:17 am

Hey Jeff, the new Amber's are great looking pieces. I would be curious what you think after running her this weekend.

Pictures?

You know, your penchant for thin fast necks probably results in adjustments to any bass you play. The two basses I got from you were some of the lowest action & fastest set ups I've ever played. I struggle to keep them as nice as you had them. Good luck with the new girl!

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:22 am

"anyone who may give it a try at a jam things it is awesome."

I couldn'ta said that better...wait, maybe I coulda...

"I live, sleep, and eat Fireglo Rickenbacker's !"

Sounds painful...when I see 'sh*t' and 'fire' that close together in a sentence, it makes me think of combat or severe gastric distress...or both....

J. Gary...it's a fine line between 'sexy' and 'sexist', innit?...I don't object to you referring to a bass as 'her' or 'the new girl', but in the same post with phrases like 'lowest action' and 'fastest set ups', the whole allusion gets messy...

Let's work on our compositional style here, people!

thx1955 · Post by **thx1955** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:27 am

Nothing wrong with my style, I was making a point !

All my Rics are ladies, they're all fast and low, and they're all Fireglo, it's an obsession, always has been, you lot only exacerbate the problem.

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:29 am

I was always wondering... how do you, guys, identify your Ric's gender?

peewee · Post by **peewee** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:43 am

I think that you have to peek under the pickguard...