The wrong brand?

[jwr2]

Maybe I like the wrong brand of guitars.

Perhaps I should have become a Fender or Gibson junkie.

When I put a fender p-bass neck on my t-bird body people say it is cool. When I put a 5th string on that bass nobody complains about where I put the tuner. If I add active electronics that is ok with everybody.

But some poor slob puts a bad *** bridge on his Ric and he gets trashed on this forum. What was he thinking? He modified his Ric! That is horrible!

When I had my 1968 4001 I hated the backwards tuners, the .0047 capacitor, the weak horseshoe pickup, the weak toaster pickup, the mechanical mute. It was a much better bass with all of those things removed.

I just don't have the right mentality to be a Rickenbacker person. I like clones, I like 5 strings, I like to modify basses.

[VRICKY63]

Do what you like . Mod it so it works . Rickenbackers have never been perfect . Purists ? Who cares ? I play a 4-2-5 and V63 with a Hipshot bridge and High gain where the in the horseshoe should be .

[tmossman]

Wrong brand, I don't think so. There may be a strong vocal opposition to modding Rics, but as one of those who doesn't speak here often I offer my two cents.

I tend to like mine as they come from Santa Ana. One of the minor reasons I enjoy Rics are the aesthetics. The shapes are pleasing to the eye. Therefore, some mods stand out because they are simply different than what my brain is used to seeing. However, at the end of the day I prefer function over form. So if you need to drill an extra hole in slightly less than aesthetically pleasing but perfectly functional position, I say more power to you. At the end of the day these things need to make sounds not sit on a pedestal. Anybody who doesn't like modded Rics needs to spend 5 minutes with one of Dane's creations. There is plenty of room in the world for those who prefer/demand stock and those who need to have an instrument that fits their needs.

Stick around. I may never mod one of my Rics but it good to know there are those of you out there who are blazing the trail in case I decide to fulfill the urge for a 4004/8, 4003/8, etc.

[atomic_punk]

I think the difference in thinking is there because Fender turns out instruments by the million and are considered pretty generic...and lots of people mod them and make aftermarket parts for them. They outsource to Mexico, It's almost like a Scion, a car made to be customized.
Ricks are, on the flip side, considered pretty rare as compared to Fender, expensive and something that everyone here aspires to get. Maybe that is part of the "criminal" aspect, but I am all about making it do what you want it to do.
Everyone from McCartney to Squire has modded theirs, (wallpaper??) and they are getting models named after the basses they modded. You just have to get really famous, or have someone famous play one of your special models, and everyone will want one like yours.

[prismacolor2]

I think (know) that a lot of vintage Fender/Gibson/etc aficionados hate seeing that stuff too. It, by no means, only exists in world of vintage Rick lovers. There are also those who don't care either way. I understand why a lot of people modded their basses (any brand) and trends (some time tested in their purpose and others - not) are clear and present through the years in this regard. e.g. P basses with brass nuts/BADASS/Dimarzios/J-pickup routes

That being said, while I sometimes understand it and have even seen mods that made me specifically want a certain bass more, I don't often like to see the vintage instruments that I prefer in their truest form (not all vintage instruments) to be modded/routed/stripped of parts.

Of course, sometimes I see a trashed/stripped/routed, old, pre 73 4001 and it excites me because, whatever the finish, i see it as a possible excuse/chance to get the Azureglow Rick I've always dreamt of.

[Happyface]

The old collectors versus players debate. Thankfully, there is plenty of room for both factions.

[ajish4]

Hey Jeff,

There's two sides to every issue. The older I get, the more I try to look at both sides and look at the pro's & con's of each. I sometimes am accused of having one foot on each side, therefore not "choosing a side". On this issue, there clearly are two sides.

I don't THINK the resistance you may be feeling is because you are customizing your RIC's, I think it is because you sometimes (looking for words here) insult other's by saying that RIC's are FLAWED or FALL SHORT on some of the basic functionality of the stock RIC. Kind of like saying "hey your wife is really pretty, but she SHOULD get a boob job to maker her perfect". Get my drift?

I REALLY liked your light green Fenderbird, I'm STILL kicking myself for not getting that one! I've been tempted by your 4-2-5 conversions, but I would like to find a RIC that has been altered already before I do it. It is just my preference, that I like original. I was the same way with 50's & 60's cars. I just loved the factory stock. Some guys made hot rods, chopped them and modded them, but you never heard those guys saying "I corrected a factory flaw" or something like that.

I have a RIC with Alembic pickups in it. I also have 12 other RIC's that area all stock. My AlemRic fills a need I've had for years, a DEAD QUIET RIC. It is practical for me to have one set up like this. I've never knocked RIC's pickups or design of the single coil pickups, I just love Alembic's as well, and it was a perfect match. I've never heard one bad thing about that conversion.

We all love our RIC's, some of us are very protective of them & the company. I honestly don't think the mods are the problem, but when you insult the company to justify the mods, I think that is where you are meeting some resistance.

I feel your mods fill a place in the market. It is a perfect solution for those RIC fans who don't want (or can't) spend upwards of 2K for a 5 string. I'd order one new if RIC decides to bring back the 4004/5. BUT, if that day doesn't come, I'd rather have you do a 4-2-5 on a early 90's 4003 than spend 2.5K on a used one. Even though I'm a purist, I don't play a 5 now, and investing that much money on something used that I don't know if I would play isn't practical for me at this point.

[rickaddict]

Maybe I like the wrong brand of guitars.

Perhaps I should have become a Fender or Gibson junkie.

When I put a fender p-bass neck on my t-bird body people say it is cool. When I put a 5th string on that bass nobody complains about where I put the tuner. If I add active electronics that is ok with everybody.

But some poor slob puts a bad *** bridge on his Ric and he gets trashed on this forum. What was he thinking? He modified his Ric! That is horrible!

When I had my 1968 4001 I hated the backwards tuners, the .0047 capacitor, the weak horseshoe pickup, the weak toaster pickup, the mechanical mute. It was a much better bass with all of those things removed.

I just don't have the right mentality to be a Rickenbacker person. I like clones, I like 5 strings, I like to modify basses.

They're just bustin' your chops, Jeff. I wouldn't worry about it.

I'm sure there are Gibson/Fender people that would prefer to see their classic instruments left alone as well. Your FenderBird bass is very cool. But correct me if I'm wrong...I think you made it from a non-Fender neck and a non-Gibson body. If you had taken a mint, classic Gibson T-bird and sawed the neck off, and taken a pre-CBS fender neck and drilled an extra hole in it for the fifth tuner you might cause more of a stir in the Fender/Gibson community.

IMHO, If you need to modify your instrument to make it better fit your needs, then go for it. It's your instrument. You paid for it and you have the right to do whatever you want to it. But by irreversibly modifying your basses, you have to understand (and I know that you do understand) that that instrument is not going to appeal to as many prospective buyers as it did before the mod.

[Aussiericlover]

As a forumite that has received and played a 'Rathified' 4 2 5 conversion I feel Jeff has provided me with the opportunity to play and own a unique Rickenbacker 5 string. It does everything I want, or could want from a Ric 5 string. I regularly see forumites wishing they could get hold of a Ric 5 string if they were manufactured again. Why dream when reality is so obtainable. IMHO

Keep up the good work Jeff.

[lucky]

Hello Jeff,The one thing i have always got from reading your threads was,that whatever you said was what you honestly thought & belived and knew from owning an old Ric bass and never did i think that any malice was meant in any of your comments.

I love Rick basses since i saw my first pic of one back in '87/88 i knew i wanted one.I have modded my own 4003 with a V63 style scratchplate,vintage style voloume/tone knobs,& A V63 treble pickup surround. (guess what i'm trying to turn my bass into)

When you have paid for anything it's up to you how you look after/use etc,your 4-2-5 conversions have been well recived by forum members & nicely done as well.If i had the money i would have one done by you.

[wj350]

Some of the most beautiful Rics I've ever seen are custom jobs owners have posted here. Custom finishes, binding, vibratos, inlays, etc.. I understand both points of view, and like many things in life, I think there's more than enough room for both groups to coexist!!

For me, if I purchased and waited a long time for a new Ric, I'd probably be inclined to keep it stock...but on the other hand, if I found a good deal on a used Ric that had some wear and tear I'd probably want to tinker with it a bit, just to make it "mine."

Bill

[gareth]

All of my basses bar the 4004LK are modded. However, they all still look like stock RICs unless you inspect them closely. The 4001's have custom wound toasters or Lollar and RIC horseshoes. They also have push/pull pots installed. I really like to tweak the sounds, but I can't bear to mess with the aesthetics of them.

Part of the reason people have a visceral reaction to non-stock mods is because the cresting wave bass shape is so iconic. Fender and Gibson gave up the patent fight so long ago, that their designs are really not theirs any more for any real intents and purposes. If there were as many RIC copies out there as there are Fenders, we'd have become immune to modifications long ago. You don't have to drill holes in a Pre CBS P-Bass to get the P-Bass you want. You can build it from superior aftermarket parts and have exactly the bass you want. You can't really do that with a RIC. You have to start with the genuine article and start drilling it. There''s a strong desire in me not to do that.

For me, the form and function have to go hand in hand. I don't have a problem with others modding their basses any way they want, though I have to say that I've seen hack jobs that make me wince. The Hall of Shame is proof of that.

[rickenbrother]

Hey Jeff,

There's two sides to every issue. The older I get, the more I try to look at both sides and look at the pro's & con's of each. I sometimes am accused of having one foot on each side, therefore not "choosing a side". On this issue, there clearly are two sides.

I don't THINK the resistance you may be feeling is because you are customizing your RIC's, I think it is because you sometimes (looking for words here) insult other's by saying that RIC's are FLAWED or FALL SHORT on some of the basic functionality of the stock RIC. Kind of like saying "hey your wife is really pretty, but she SHOULD get a boob job to maker her perfect". Get my drift?

Also kind of like saying; "Is that the best you could do?"

They're just bustin' your chops

That's part of it.

[sloop_john_b]

Though i'm not a 5-string guy, I don't mind the 4-2-5 stuff because RIC doesn't make a 5-string bass, isn't going to be in the forseeable future, and there are obviously guys who love Rickenbackers but need that low B.

Doing stuff like adding a Badass bridge has long been seen as "hacking" up the instrument, but honestly, with the recent rise of Dale, Paul, and the other brilliant repair/restoration guys, no instrument is "gone".

However, I'm with Tony in that you can be almost patronizing at times - especially to those, like me, who use the mute, like toaster pickups, leave the bridge pickup cover on, all the stuff you like to call "obsolete". It comes off as preachy.

You're also not adding a 5th string and active electronics to a "real" P-bass, for instance - it's all Warmoth or Mighty Mite parts basses, or inexpensive stuff (like the Epi T-bird body) that you're putting together. But honestly, I don't think that would bother me either all that much - it's almost as if Fender basses were meant to be modded. How many vintage Precisions are floating around out there with Jazz pickups at the bridge? A ton!

But this isn't the Fender forum, so naturally our feathers won't get as ruffled from Fender mods as they would from Rickenbacker mods.

You do have a "hall of shame" with modded Ricks though, don't you?

[rickenbrother]

You do have a "hall of shame" with modded Ricks though, don't you?

I was going to say that. Glad you did. Now I don't have to.