Dawning Realisation...

[rickaddict]

...And 26 years later, Jeffy T's "Dawning Realisation" is that he still loves his Ricks.

I've tried just about everything else. Carvin, Fender, Alembic, Music Man, Modulus, Kubicki, Benevente, Gibson, Epiphone, Ibanez, Hofner, Lakland, Dean, Schecter, Cort, Warwick, and probably a hundred others. From over $10,000 down to around $100. Most were excellent basses, but for one reason or another they just didn't do it for me like my Rick(s).

Either they weren't comfortable enough, they didn't balance well, the string spacing didn't feel right at the bridge, the neck didn't feel right, the string spacing wasn't right at the nut, the bass/neck/or headstock was too long, the tone wasn't what I was looking for, the controls were needlessly confusing, or some combination of the above.

Not trying to insult anyone...Play what makes you happy. For me, it's a Rick.

In the past year I've concluded that I'm done looking at anything else. If anything, it's time for me to get "Rickenbacker" tatooed on me somewhere!

[Starless]

[

Fender does not equal RIC does not equal Fender. Enjoy them both if you will.

selling a 4001C64 because you really like your fretless P Bass? That makes absolutely no sense to me. That's like saying, "I just bought this great hammer so I'm going to go sell my chainsaw."

Not quite what I was intending to do (it was the 4003 that was for the chop), although that's a very apt comparison - Hammer (thump), chainsaw (buzzz), Fender, Ric....

Things have moved on a bit since originally posting about the Dawning Realisation and I still have the 4003 and the C64 and the fretless P, and now a (Japanese) 62 fretted Jazz. (I'm not going to add pics of that to my comparison pictorial spread). There is no doubt that the only way to evaluate, try-out, contrast and compare basses is to OWN them (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it, it's not GAS at all, no really...). I wanted a fretted Fender, so plumped for the Jazz.

Having the opportunity to get some gigging meant that I had to make some hard decisions about which basses I was prepared to carry (bash, bump, nick, scrape) around with me in public places. The C64 was ruled out immediately, too collectible, better to maintain in as pristine a state as possible for future generations to enjoy. The 4003 was surplus to requirements and so was hibernating in its case with a view to offloading when the right price came along.
The fretless P would certainly come with me, but I still don't feel confident enough to perform an entire set without a parachute/safety net/FRETS! That meant that the Jazz would be the workhorse, the beater, my primary instrument.

Only after playing it for a month did another Dawning Realisation hit me - I didn't like the Jazz. The neck was OK, finger-style was really comfortable, sounded classically thumpy and bright, but it just started bugging the hell out of me. The body shape, too pointy down by the jack socket. Raise my right leg slightly and the corner of the body bangs against my thigh. Not a major problem, but too niggling an annoyance to put up with 90% of the time. If only I had gone for a fretted P....

So, a gig is looming and I don't have a preferred primary instrument. Give the 4003 another go, but after so much Fender finger picking, the string spacing on the 4003 just isn't comfy enough, but I keep hammering away, trying to adjust and eventually decide I can get away with it. Big decision, sell it or use it as the workhorse.

Decision made. Off comes the bridge pickup assembly, out comes the plastic cover, off comes the factory strings and tailpiece, on goes a Hipshot bridge, and a set of Fender medium roundwounds. The bridge pickup sounds terrible, but the neck pickup is pure Fender. Lovely stuff. More tension on the strings, but a couple of quarter turns and the neck is flat again. It's a thin-necked Fender with slightly awkward string spacing and 'Rickenbacker' written on the headstock. Maybe I should remove the bridge pickup completely and fill in the hole.... I'll think about it.

Not so long ago the 4003 was heading out the door, now it is going to perform to the masses and enjoy the bumps and dings of outrageous fortune along the way.

Anyone wanna buy a Jazz...?.....

[rictified]

Long story short: 70's Rick 4001 owner, first proper bass. Regretted selling it in the 80's. Turned 50 last year, time to get back to what I enjoyed doing (after wives, kids etc). Purchased 4003, OK, not great, didn't like the neck - not how I remembered it. Not long ago, sourced a 4001C64S - now you're talking, great bass, flatwound heaven. Always wanted to play fretless, so one cheap Rockbass later I'm getting not too bad at it. Definitely need to upgrade. Rick out of the question, can't get hold of one anywhere, so decide to do what I had always resisted in the past - try a Fender. Always hated how just about every band in history wore the rock 'uniform' of Precision/Strat/Tele etc so in principle they were a no-go area for me. Tried one (Precision) in a shop back in my youth and it felt like a paving slab with a baseball bat stuck on it. First impressions and all that.

But I'm older, wiser, richer, and can afford to experiment a bit these days. Now, how to find a Fender which a) is natural finish, b) fretless, c) maple fingerboard and d) doesn't have any lines on it (the default Fender fretless always seems to be geared towards bass-monkeys who can't get by without somewhere to mark where their fingers should go - who plays bass with their head bent forward looking at the fingerboard anyway?!). Next the thorny issue of 'Country of Origin'. When it comes to Fenders, the consensus seems to be that they are inferior if made in Mexico by Mexicans, and much superior if made in America by Mexicans. But delving deeper reveals a strong body of opinion that those cunning devils from Nippon have actually been churning out class instruments which are virtually indistinguishable from the so-called 'Real Thing' (and a damn sight cheaper to boot).

And then, as if by magic, a Japanese Precision, natural, maple, fretless, un-lined, comes up and it is drawing me in.....

It arrived today, my first Fender. Lined it up against my C64 and 4003 and..... boy does it look impressive. Strapped it on, plugged it in... and.... boy does it SOUND impressive. A few darting runs up the neck and back...boy does it FEEL impressive. One pickup, a small bent bit of metal with four saddles for a tailpiece, one volume, one tone control. Intonation slightly off on the D string, a small screwdriver and 30 seconds later - intonation spot-on. Basic, simple, un-cluttered tone monster.

I have hardly put it down all day. The Ricks are sitting there, looking weedy, fussy, complicated, over-priced.....

My 4003 was surplus to requirements as soon as the C64 arrived. Now, it could be that both of them will be on their way. I may have to say goodbye to this forum and seek out people on the Fender side of the internet (but I have this nagging feeling that they are probably mostly 14 years old and call everyone 'Dude').

I don't suppose anyone will be wanting pictures of my latest acquisition then...?

I wouldn't do it. I play both and both are nice. I have two fretless basses a 72 maple necked P bass and a 72 jetglo 4001FL. I agree with you about the lines, they just get in the way. The P bass has a bigger tone but can get muddy, the 4001 always sounds great and plays a lot better. I have just read that Rickenbacker is now making FL's with proper dot placement again, that will probably be my next bass. The new ones sound massive with Chromes on them.

[jps]

Maybe I should remove the bridge pickup completely and fill in the hole.... I'll think about it.

Don't do that, just cover it with a piece of pickguard material using the existing four screws that hold the pickup surround. If you ever want to sell the bass this would be the best thing for it.

[cassius987]

Decision made. Off comes the bridge pickup assembly, out comes the plastic cover, off comes the factory strings and tailpiece, on goes a Hipshot bridge, and a set of Fender medium roundwounds. The bridge pickup sounds terrible, but the neck pickup is pure Fender. Lovely stuff. More tension on the strings, but a couple of quarter turns and the neck is flat again. It's a thin-necked Fender with slightly awkward string spacing and 'Rickenbacker' written on the headstock. Maybe I should remove the bridge pickup completely and fill in the hole.... I'll think about it.

I'm fairly incredulous that you don't like the sound of the bridge pickup. Are you playing through good amplification? The neck pickup on my 2007 4003 is crystalline-sounding and with the cap engaged I can morph into Stanley Clarke... for reals. However if I run it through a cheap amp it chokes the poor thing half to death. It needs a good, strong amp or else the sound just comes out muffled and frustrated. Just thought I would ask just in case... I've never met anyone before who thought a Ric bridge pickup sounded "terrible". If anything, that is the pickup that defines the instrument, as much as I love the neck pickup's sound.

Also, I would go ahead and take your 4001C64 to gigs. Where else are you going to get good mileage out of it? Unless you do lots of studio recording, I think it's a waste to let it sit at home while you take all of your other basses out. These things are built to be played and enjoyed, or so I tell myself.

Jazz Basses are great basses as a whole but sometimes they can sound predictably muddy and, well, Jazz Bass-y. Rics have more options, believe it or not... withstanding those people who do tons of mods to their basses, of which there are tons for J models. Anyways, I own a Jazz and love it, but I will be among the first to admit that it can't compete with either of my Rics for versatility. Basically, I see a trend that Fenders come stock with a handful of good sounds and from there a player has to invest in additional equipment to further spice things up. On the other hand both of my Rics display this ninja-like quality of surprising me with whole new tones at the slight twist of a knob in a way my Fender Jazz has never offered. I think this actually makes Rics harder to learn but ultimately more fun, at least for people like me.

Just my 2 .01 currency credits.