Repaint my 4001?

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 8:27 am

Still compiling. Suggestions definitely still accepted

I'm going to put the list on a website as soon as I have time to do some 3-D "dream-RIC" graphics ...

Very true observation about the McCartney-school "true Rick sound", but I must admit his sound in "Rain" is not too bad

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 10:27 am

Is that a Ric on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"? I always thought it was, and if it is indeed, then Mac could get that Crisp Squirey sound as well.

Crank that song up, or better yet, blow out your eardrums with headphones (no don't). A brilliant song, brilliant guitar work by Clapton, yet the bass kicks Gluteous Maximus.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:53 pm

"Baby You're a Rich Man" Magical Mystery Tour. from one of the McCarneyites.
Actually IMHO you can get just about any sound you really want with a Ric if you are willing to experiment with strings, amps, and playing styles.
These stereotyped "Ric" sounds are really the indivdual players sounds. I've never really heard another bass player really nail Chris Squires sound for example, although I'm sure there are a few here who maybe can. In Geddy Lee's early days he had a very trebly sound. McCartney had a great chunky sound, what about Maurice Gibb and The early (60's) Beegees stuff? Talk about bottom, these very unique and different sounds are all from the the same type of bass. This is just an educated guess but I believe a lot of The Carpenters stuff has Ric bass in it. Bread was all Ric bass, it's all in how you use it.
Mac was very trebly on a lot of stuff on The White Album, I've always believed that song was a Ric. Also check out, Helter Skelter, great chunky bass sound. They sound very different with flat wounds on them. Much more full and still have a lot of bite and still cut right through the mix nicely.
I have an 81 4003 coming with Seymore Duncans in it, I'll try it long enough to get a feel for them, then yank them and put Ric pickups in. I'll report back if anyone is interested, (I doubt it).

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 1:26 pm

If you want something that's neither Squire nor Macca, The Grand Illusion, Styx, has a good middle-of-the-road, yet distinctively RIC sound.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 7:14 am

Different Rick bass sounds;
Very thick - Meatloafs "Bat Out Of Hell Album" the bassist used a 4001 to record on the album.
Middle of the road - Ed Gagliardi was the bassist for the first two Foreigners albums used a 4001. Listen especially to the song Starrider from the first album.
The bassist from Starcastle had a sound very close to Squires, then again, the whole band was a Yes clone.
With a great amp, especially in combination with a SansAmp BDDI and a good compressor, you can nail most all of the different Rick sounds if you like to tweak controls. it also helps if you have more than one Rick so you can put different string on them.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 2:13 pm

I like Starcastle's (Gary Strater's) 4001 sound. Kind of a Squire-Lite. Actually, the band was kinda a Yes-Lite.

I didn't know the Bat Out of Hell album was played with a RIC. Time for a relisten.

As far as well known RIC bass songs go, there's Deep Purple's Highway Star and Smoke on the Water and Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride and Born to be Wild.

And, I think, the out of tune (to my ears) bass on BTO's You Ain't Seen Nothinig Yet was also a RIC.

bear · Post by **bear** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 3:25 pm

For some reason, at least it sure sounds like flatwounds..... Did Mark Andes use a Rickenbacker on the Heart albums?

brianb · Post by **brianb** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 3:51 pm

Leo Lyons from TYA ,usually a Fender man, played a 4001 on "I'd Love to Change the World".

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 4:08 pm

I remember Heart with a Ric and I'm sure from the sound that it was flatwounds and a pick, and I think BTO used Ric basses on all their stuff, very deep probably only the bass pickup. I liked Styx's bass sound, it was very Ric to me, and I loved Ed Gagliardi's playing and well as his sound, very melodic player, the whole first album has great Ric bass sounds, some are more prominent and trebly than others. I still remember the first time I heard "It feels like the first time" great bass and drum thing going there.
There's a great little Ric bass solo on Machine Head, the Highway Star album
And I didn't know that "Bat out of hell" was a Ric, I always thought the bass player was great though and had a great sound, actually the whole thing was a great pop album, one of the best, it beats any of the did, er... I mean the King of pops albums.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 4:22 pm

Interesting about "I'd Love to Change the World". Another one to listen to again more closely! Many beginning guitarists practiced the arpeggiated chords on that one.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jan 03, 2004 4:39 pm

Oh yeah I loved the bass on that, I loved that band anyway, first pro band I ever saw, blew me away in every way, especially volume, the had about ten or fifteen Marhalls onstage and I think they used them all, I was 16 and saw them at The Boston tea Party in 1969, The Stooges opened for them.
you don't see bills like that anymore, especially for two bucks. saw Led Zep the same year there for two big ones, those were the days.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 12:05 pm

I did some checking into my certainty of a Rick 4001 on the Bat Out Of Hell album. Not every track was done with a 4001. Unfortunately the bassist himself can't remember on which songs he played the 4001...LOL. I guess we'll all have to listen to that album and debate which songs we think are the 4001.

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 12:19 pm

I think the Rick used with BTO was a 4000.

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 12:23 pm

Scott Powell, give "And you and I" from YES a listen, incredable Rick tone. One of my personal favorites.

jmh · Post by **jmh** » Sun Jan 04, 2004 2:21 pm

>Scott Powell, give "And you and I" from YES a listen, incredable Rick tone. One of my personal favorites.

Also, Siberian Khatru and America from YES.