The One.

[Kopfjaeger]

Have you ever been lucky enough to pick up and instrument and instantly you realize, this is the one?? It just feels right, like a worn in pair of slippers or a comfy sweatshirt on a chilly fall day. The instrument speaks to you and everything about it just feels so right.

I own a lot of Rickenbacker basses, too many. Yes, I'll admit it. I own too many. I just got back my 1968 Burgundyglo from the shop the other day and I'm still really enjoying it. I have been missing my 73 4001 since the day I sold it. I gave her one last play before boxing her up and I knew I had made a mistake by selling her. Ever since that day, I've been looking at something to replace that instrument. I didn't want a show piece that I'd be worried about dinging but it had to have that IT factor. An instrument with all the early features that did not break the bank but it had to be a player. I flirted with a few and even almost got burned on a bad eBay deal but I found one that I thought had potential. I had messaged the owner and over several weeks we negotiated price until we both arrived at a number we both felt was fair. She arrived yesterday and as soon as I put her in my lap and grasped the neck, the wow factor hit me, like a brick!

She is no case queen, but I did not want that. She needs a bit of TLC but as you all know, I'm not afraid of that either. I tuned her up and plugged her in and she sang loud, strong, and like an early 70's Rickenbacker should. HS e is a bit battle scared but she instantly rates as one of my favorites. So much so that I may gig her on Saturday night. Yes, that good. Good enough to make my Spector take a back the majority of the gig off!! She is a dec. 1972 Jetglo and she is fantastic!! I have no fotos of her yet but I'll take a few. I need to perform some work on her but she is solid and sounds strong enough to do 90% of the songs in our set list. That is a pretty bold statement for a guy that has so many nice solid instruments to choose from.

So, how many of you are lucky enough to have found the perfect instrument for themselves? It truly is an awesome feeling and it really highlights that all instruments are not created equal. Each one has it's own feel and its own personality and attitude.

Sepp

[ram]

Can't wait for pictures. Sounds very cool. Congratulations! It's always nice when you have one of those 'old friend' moments with a bass. Mine? 1974 in the basement of Chuck Levins music store. No amp just the way the bass felt and resonated against me. I have had it since.

[jps]

[ilan]

So, how many of you are lucky enough to have found the perfect instrument for themselves?

I have, but it's a Fender. Just a '75 P that I bought 25 years ago just because it was dirt cheap, but this one is the perfect marriage of two or three planks of wood. Not exact science, but this magic happens.

Still waiting for that "one" Ric.

[Colonel Sanders]

Have you ever been lucky enough to pick up and instrument and instantly you realize, this is the one?? It just feels right, like a worn in pair of slippers or a comfy sweatshirt on a chilly fall day. The instrument speaks to you and everything about it just feels so right.

I own a lot of Rickenbacker basses, too many. Yes, I'll admit it. I own too many. I just got back my 1968 Burgundyglo from the shop the other day and I'm still really enjoying it. I have been missing my 73 4001 since the day I sold it. I gave her one last play before boxing her up and I knew I had made a mistake by selling her. Ever since that day, I've been looking at something to replace that instrument. I didn't want a show piece that I'd be worried about dinging but it had to have that IT factor. An instrument with all the early features that did not break the bank but it had to be a player. I flirted with a few and even almost got burned on a bad eBay deal but I found one that I thought had potential. I had messaged the owner and over several weeks we negotiated price until we both arrived at a number we both felt was fair. She arrived yesterday and as soon as I put her in my lap and grasped the neck, the wow factor hit me, like a brick!

She is no case queen, but I did not want that. She needs a bit of TLC but as you all know, I'm not afraid of that either. I tuned her up and plugged her in and she sang loud, strong, and like an early 70's Rickenbacker should. HS e is a bit battle scared but she instantly rates as one of my favorites. So much so that I may gig her on Saturday night. Yes, that good. Good enough to make my Spector take a back the majority of the gig off!! She is a dec. 1972 Jetglo and she is fantastic!! I have no fotos of her yet but I'll take a few. I need to perform some work on her but she is solid and sounds strong enough to do 90% of the songs in our set list. That is a pretty bold statement for a guy that has so many nice solid instruments to choose from.

So, how many of you are lucky enough to have found the perfect instrument for themselves? It truly is an awesome feeling and it really highlights that all instruments are not created equal. Each one has it's own feel and its own personality and attitude.

Sepp

I still have to play a 72 I did not enjoy. It maybe luck but all the 72 4001 had a very unique and powerful neck pickup sound.

[ram]

Jeff, you still got it! B5 was one of my faverorites!!

[woodyng]

I only keep the ones i like nowadays,after going through bunches of instruments like water when i was younger.( and they were much cheaper,lol).
As far as "the one", the closest thing i have to that now is my '04 Laredo 4002v57,as i think it is a great sounding bass with a lot of tonal versatility,but i also really love my other 2 4004's for their unique idiosyncrasies as well.
I lovvvvve my Fernandes Gravity 8-string now that I've replaced all the pickups and wiring harness,that has become my go-to bass in one of my 2 bands,The Other Guise.
Honorable mention must go to my 4000,which is the ONLY bass i use with my punk/pop/acid band,Caucasians in Crisis.
So....i guess i am a bit fickle.

[edski]

I've got 4 basses now:

1975 4001
2004 Laredo
~2001 Ibanez
recently constructed custom fretless

They are all ~ 1 5/8" at the nut, with 7/16" string spacing up there. All 2 pickup. The Ibanez is a student model, but when I put a set of old Fender 9050 ML flats it just exploded with tone. I've been remiss in getting a push-pull pot to replace a balky volume pot for the neck PU (I want to add a series mode), but even wounded with just the bridge pup it screams.

The fretless - well, I based the neck primarily off the Laredo, and it's pretty close to the "One" since I designed it from the ground up, but it's a fretless, and that's not going to cover all the ground I need. But I do not regret selling my old fretless J bass - I just do not like 3/8" spacing at the nut.

Each time I play either Rick I think I'm playing the best instrument I've ever owned.

So I guess I'm lucky (or not that discriminating?) and have four "Ones"...

[Kopfjaeger]

Here she is. I've done nothing to her except tuner her. She is filthy but I'm not sweating it. Her toaster is going to Tom Brantley for repair. The pole pieces are loose and epoxied in. One of the pots is scratchy so the harness is going to Dane Wilder for an inspection and re-wire. The caps are very odd. Well, actually the .0047 is. I've seen two like it in the RRF for 72 basses. 72 seems to be a mixed bag of electronics.

I was initially thinking of having the tail piece and pup surround re-chromed but I'm now leaning toward leaving it exactly liek it is. Those .105 Rotos will come off in favor of a string with less tension. There is a very slight fretbaord separation on the G side at the first fret, very very minor but I'll have it tended to to solidify it.

Sepp

[coolingitdown]

Very cool looking bass, Sepp! Enjoy the heck out of it!

By the way, might be time to update your signature...

[ram]

nice looking Sepp... I'd wait for re-chroming. Clean it up and see what it looks like in a month or two to you. Great looking bass got a nice mojo sheen to it!

[FretlessOnly]

She is a dec. 1972 Jetglo and she is fantastic!!

Interesting. I own a Dec '72 former JG that was worked on extensively by Paul W. a few years back and was converted to what I'd call a matte Autumnglo. While the finish is excellent, the way the bass sits on me and the way it sounds is what really matters. It's a really great bass.

[henry5]

As many here will know, my Feb '72 4001 Fireglo is The One, and I knew it as soon as I picked it up in the shop. I've told this story several times before but at the time I had no money and just thought, "well that's the best bass I've ever played but I can't have it". I was philosophical about it, grateful that I'd got to play it. A year later I went back to the same shop after saving up for a new amp and it was still there and what's more was on sale, so I bought it (obviously). Call me crazy, but I think it waited for me.

My search for an Azure bass (my favourite colour) with similar features took 17 years but culminated in the acquisition of my Aug '72 a few years back. I love '72s, although they vary as much as any others. I once played a Jetglo December 72 4001 in Birmingham (UK) that was great; it was up for sale as mid/late 70s IIRC but I put them right. Sadly I couldn't afford that either.

Glad to hear you've enjoying your new acquisition; I'd been watching that wondering where it would end up.

[teeder]

After going through numerous old Ricks, my '67 RM/S is by far the closest I've come to "The One". It feels oh-so-nice to play and sounds great. I'm not 100% completely satisfied with the electronics, but it's close.
Now, if only I could find it's counterpart with all the deluxe goodies!

[ricosound]

Sorry, my "One" for feel is my mid-80's Jap Jazz. Shout out to my 4003 though for live dates.