Joshua states:
Let me be clear that no one should buy a Ric because anyone else did but famous players are a marker on the map to look somewhere for a clue. If your favorite player plays a Ric, it's a clue that you should try one to see if you like it too--but it doesn't mean you necessarily will. That's not the message of this thread.
I agree with your statement. What I was trying to say is that as much as people talk about x person or y person here, that I had wondered why they chose a Ric over another brand.
Your thread takes it one step further by asking what celebrity bassist (that played a Ric) influenced the buying process.
I didn't know much about Rics then or who played them. It was happenstance that I ended up walking into the shop that day and seeing that 4001 sitting there and playing it.
After that, there was no question about my preference. So much so that I will hardly look at another bass that's deemed "high-end" because if I were to spend money on that, it would be money taken away from spending on a Ric, which is why I have some "inferior" basses that I play as well. I can't ever justify taking money from the Ric fund. GGMR (Gotta Get More Rics).
I hope that doesn't imply that I'm some elitist snob that knew better just because or something. I just loved the feel and sound I was getting.
That may be partially due to the basses I had played in the past. Some Fender copy that I borrowed when I was 13 and then my first bass... a really craptacular BC Rich Warlock that I ripped the frets out of later in its life.