Rickenbacker the latest rage with the kids?

[jps]

Tom, once I saw the G&L headstock against a dark background and noticed the negative space it changed my mind regarding that. Look at it with the headstock vertical.

[bassduke49]

Hmm. A Rorschach test? I see the profile south side of a north facing woman.

[jimk]

Hmm. A Rorschach test? I see the profile south side of a north facing woman.

Hey! You're right. I can see it.
JimK

[jps]

Sometimes negativity can change one's perspective in a positive way!

[AndyM]

I may have contributed to this thread a few months back. I'm not going to revisit all the postings.

I was riding the subway one weekend, which in itself is rare because another commuter train gets me to most downtown destinations. I spotted the Scott Pilgrim movie poster and WHAM! I couldn't take my eyes off the Ric bass the kid is playing. Back when I was finished high school and heading to college, I left the band I was in (we were on the verge of going pro). A one-off gig came up and the guy that replaced me was unavailable. I got hired to go out of town to play the gig and used this fellow's Ric bass and the full size Vox bass stack - chrome stand and all. I had only played my 60's Precision bass up to that point and didn't particularly care for the weight or sound of the Ric.
Fast forward to last year...I had an unbelievable attraction to the Ric based on that poster. I did all my usual research and homework and within a month I owned my very first Rickenbacker. I love it to death. What a beautiful looking and sounding instrument!
I've since seen more of the Scott Pilgrim photos from the movie. In typical teenage style, the bass he plays in the movie is slathered with grey duct tape and looks awful (hey! I'm a geezer).

I can't say if Ric's are the latest rage with kids, or not. I'm sure glad I came to my senses and tossed aside my long standing prejudice against the look and sound of Rickenbackers.

[walker]

Giving props to the movie poster in discussion:



I think this was a COUP for Rickenbacker and it's mass appeal. True, the 4001 (among the many other great models) has it's own attraction without needed the media hype machine to cram it down anyone's throat, but after seeing Fender instruments getting the majority of the exposure in movies and TV, it's great to see a Rick take front and center this time. Not only THEE instrument in the movie, but promo poster placement! That rocks! It would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall during that negotiation. I assume Mr. Hall was present!

On Andy's comment about his initial experience with the 4001 (By the way, welcome to the RRF, Andy!) being a negative one, I have to wonder if part of that encounter with the 4001 tone could be attributed to the amp, and how the tone was dialed in. I know that when I run a Rick 4001/3, and say, a Fender-P through the same amp, I set the tone controls VERY differently for each bass. I fell in love with the 4001 sound and look after hearing Chris Squire for the first time, so that was the model I was shooting for when trying to dial in my tone. Some amps just aren't a good match for the 4001, but CS showed us just how great a match Marshalls and Sunns are! The Fender Bassman is also a nice match on the cleaner side.

I got my first Rick when I was 16 - a 1979 4001 JG. Bought it used for $450 with money I made from my dishwasher job in high school. I still have that bass, although it's gone through a lot of changes over the years. Here's a before & after shot for posterity's sake:



This bass is about to undergo a MAJOR face-lift - will post details as they develop.

[jaymi]

fun stuff Mark...are you not using the Rick-o-sound?

[walker]

Not in those particular photos, Jaymi. I use it sometimes, though.

[rickaddict]

Cool before and after pics, Mark.

Looks like your neck has grown over the years!

[walker]

HA! Yes, Jeff. We've grown together over the years!

[ram]

Mark, what was your old rig made up from?

[johnallg]

Cool before and after pics, Mark.

Looks like your neck has grown over the years!

Even though he can still fit the top, looks like he outgrew the pants.

[walker]

John - I can't believe I still have that shirt! Just one of those things that tagged along over the years, I guess.

Tom - that little Ampeg practice amp on the top left was the only thing I had for a couple of years after my mom bought it & my first bass for me in about 1977-78. (my first bass was a Sears 3/4 scale Jazz knockoff - Encore!) Along with my first Rick bass, I picked up an Acoustic 370 head. (blocked in that photo; it's on top of the Kustom 2X15 cab.) That thing was awesome as transistor power amps go. It was my work horse until about '95 when it was stolen. I replaced it with the SWR that I now use. LOVE the SWR much moreso than the Acoustic. The tube pre-amp section makes everything sing. The cab sitting on the floor on the left is a Leslie 16. That cab and the Ampeg weren't actually part of my rig - they were just for the photo opp!

I didn't get much mileage out of that Leslie - I didn't have the right speaker cable for it, so any time I used it I had to literally tape a cable I cut up to the connectors. I only used that Kustom for a couple of years before picking up an Acoustic 2X15 cab loaded with JBLs. THAT sucker pushed some serious air! There was a sticker on the back of the cab that read: 'CAUTION: Sound level can exceed 120 decibels.' I also had a Sunn 2X15 cab, side-ported. It didn't have the earth moving prowess that the Acoustic had, but it's tone was much warmer and more enjoyable. It had a nice twang like a 2X12, but a little deeper sounding.

The pedals in that photo are an Ibanez UE-300 multi-FX unit which combine stereo chorus, a compressor, and 'Tube Screamer' distortion. That green pedal is a DOD phase shifter, I think. I also ran the signal through an old 'Realistic' tape deck for a little grit - or a LOT of it!

[1boominrick]

My first Rick was a 360/12 I bought when I was 20. Now I'm way old and have a 2009 4001 C64. My son (12) has a 2009 4003 FG.

[walker]

Aaah, a chip off the old maple block, I see! Did you guys get your basses on the same day?

Welcome to the RRF, by the way!