Rickenbacker Basses Versus Guitars

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:38 am

I'm a guitarist (of sorts) but did play bass back in the 60s. When I started collecting (and playing) Ricks last year one of my aims was to get a Rick Bass - because to a large extent I simply wanted to own one of these magnificent looking instruments. Now that I have a 4003 FG, I play it and I wouldn't consider any other!

I play mostly rhythm on my guitars but the 650 and 620 are great guitars for lead. Very underrated in that department IMO.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:44 am

I just wanted to offer up a correction of sorts. Paul, you mentioned the "unique style of the Rick classic set-neck bass", and it isn't a set neck but is a neck through style of construction. Maybe you confused the bass with the guitars?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:48 am

You're right, Greg...I did mean "neck through"! Migod, I'm wsorking on a whole passel of them right now, so excuse my Rickian slip and thanks for the correction.

I was trying to distinguish the neck-throughs from the bolt-necks.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:49 am

The Rickenbacker Guitars are sometimes hollow bodied ... they sometimes even have f-holes ... they are jangley ... they make you smile with their happy melodies ...

But when us bass guitar types get our hands on a Ric bass women and children run for cover the grinding growling low notes shake the foundation ... no happy jangley melodies here ... and with some distortion and a low B we then run it into a big pa with sub woofers and along with the drums we make a thundering rhythm section ... our bass notes are so profound that we usually don't dare play chords for fear of overwhelming our listeners ... we generate a low end that competes with the bass drum and we generate a mid growl that can put a Les Paul through a Marshal and a hammond organ to shame and we have a treble bite that gives a distinctive punch through the mix ... the other musicians are lucky to share the stage with us Rickenbacker bass players!!!

Rickenbacker basses exude a different kind of cool that transcends eras ... where to me a Ric guitar says Sixties ...

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:02 am

Part of the appeal of the 4001/4003 would obviously be the fact that it's the only bass available with a bound body! There may be others, but I can't think of any. It gives them a refined look, & the shape is elegant.

Regarding the guitars, nothing else really sounds quite like a Rick, but a Rick can sound like other guitars.

Ricks in general are not the type of guitar one would "bash" on like you would a Strat or Tele, therefore Rick players would tend (in general) to be a more sophisticated group.

As far as relative popularity between Rick models, perhaps a rough breakdown of production would aid in deciphering whether there is a disparity in players posting here, or maybe the bass players are just more prolific posters!

alanz · Post by **alanz** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:10 am

the other musicians are lucky to share the stage with us Rickenbacker bass players!!!

I say this all the time to the other guys in my band but for some reason they don't seem to believe me.

tony_carey · Post by **tony_carey** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:22 am

'where to me a Ric guitar says Sixties'

You are saying what a lot of people say Jeff, but I am a staunch supporter of Rickenbacker guitars as totaly valid & competitive contemporary gtrs. In no way do I consider my sound to be '60's & yet I use thinline Rics exclusively. I'm not sure what can be done about the '60's connection, as although I think that this is an important & influential era concerning Rickenbacker gtrs, I also think that there could be a potential of damage to Rics long term future if this can't be replaced by more contemporary thinking.

Thankfully, I think that Rics are being used by a number of contemporary high profile artistes, to keep these great gtrs in the forefront of peoples minds.

This isn't critisicm of your words Jeff, in fact I find them an honest appraisal of what I hear very often.

'Ricks in general are not the type of guitar one would "bash" on like you would a Strat or Tele, therefore Rick players would tend (in general) to be a more sophisticated group.'

Damn Kev....I thrash mine like no tomorrow.....can't help it, I get carried away on stage! I often shrink with embarrasment at the abuse my gorgous 381-12 gets!

squid · Post by **squid** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:52 am

I think that Paul W. is right and that Rickenbacker basses have the same macho appeal that Les Pauls and Strats have. Part of it stems from hero worship, but there's also no denying the jump you get from owning a "legendary" instrument. It can be an inspiration in and of itself. I check in with both forums on a regular basis, and it's not uncommon to see bass guitar virtuosos mentioned in the general discussion of Ric basses. That's not the case in the guitar forum. Us guitarists are all a'twitter whenever those pictures of Stevie Ray Vaughan with his 330 Capri show up.

I think it's a question of product exposure and pop-culture and how you imagine yourself as a musician. I think as a developing player, it's harder to say, "I'm going to play a 650C" because nobody ridiculously famous seems to be using a 650C as the basis for his or her sound. In fact, most of us guitarists seem to be constantly asking each other things like, "How does the 650 sound?" or "What does a 330 with humbuckers sound like?" Wouldn't it be nice if somebody famous was on stage with a 650C or a 330HB so that you could hear it for yourself? Otherwise, you're sticking your neck (and your money) out there looking for a result that you might not get. Buy a Les Paul, a Strat, a Tele, or one of those PRS things and you already know what you should sound like. It's like a ready-made musical identity or persona.

I don't want to be heard to suggest that Ric needs more celebrity endorsers. That's not what I'm saying. I'm simply saying that players gravitate towards the sounds and styles that they personally admire. Ric basses seem to have found their way into a lot of bands that people love. My first electric guitar was a Guild Starfire. I bought it because Stuart Staples of the Tindersticks uses one, and I love the way his band sounds. I've grown as a player since then, and Ric guitars have started to become a cornerstone of "my sound". My playing still can't keep up with my imagination, but I find that Rics tend to get me closer to what I'm looking for than any other guitar. I still love that Guild Starfire, but that's a whole other story.

Hope this makes sense to someone out there.

tony_carey · Post by **tony_carey** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:59 am

A very good point John.....

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:49 pm

A while back, I think we had a quote from John Hall to the effect that the best selling Rickenbacker instruments "by far" was the 300 series guitars. Now, I don't know exactly how that statistic should be read: There are a lot of 300 series models, what with all the trim, pickup, tremelo combinations. Now do all the 300 family outsell the 4001/3 family? Do we include the 4002, 4004, 4005, and 3000/1 and the 20x0 series basses? RIC doesn't divulge production stats (and those in the Smith book are incomplete). I don't think it is a "none of your business" thing, but more of a "we don't have the time or manpower to hunt down all those records" thing. I've thought about including some sort of production numbers in my forthcoming Rick bass book, but I'm not optimistic that that kind of info will be coming out any time soon.

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:13 pm

Nice topic, Peter...

To be honest, I have no interest in owning ANY other basses other than Ric's. I've played Fender Jazzes , Precisions and Warriors. I've never played any other brands. I just know I LOVE the look of the Ric.....and I love the sounds they make when I and others play them(for the most part).....but there is something about the look that is timeless that keeps me coming back. It doesn't hurt that my bass playing "heroes" all played Ric's....

jsm610 · Post by **jsm610** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 6:10 pm

"Now do all the 300 family outsell the 4001/3 family"

If resales represent/indicate the # of models out there, maybe this data shows something:
Approx guitar sales on ebay in the last year:
1,300+
Approx bass sales on ebay in the last year:
600+

fenderslash · Post by **fenderslash** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:35 am

I know I might get a bit of a backlash for this one, but please try to read this post in the objective manner that it was written in...

Firstly, I've never tried a Ric bass so this is just a thought that crossed my mind while reading this thread, but could it be that Ric basses are equal to the other big brands when it comes to playability, as opposed to the six-string guitars?

To validate that statement about the 6-strings, I want to start by stating that I'm not knocking the quality of craftsmanship that goes into Ric guitars, or the great sound that comes from them. Nor am I criticising anyone here for choosing to own and love their Rickenbackers. I myself own three Ric guitars and I'm not just a stay-at-home strummer. I am the sole guitarist in a rock band (not metal) playing rock covers from the 70s to current stuff (from "Sweet Home Alabama" to Good Charlotte and everything in between, so cross Beatles and Byrds out of your mind right here). I work each weekend at local pubs and clubs, and I use a 330 as my main gigging guitar. I love Rickenbackers (believe me!) and I'm proud to be flying the flag. But to make no bones about it, I have a bit of a fight on my hands with the guitar each night to get the most out of it. I won't go into the specifics of it (unless someone particularly wants me to) because we all own them, and I'm sure we all also own a Fender/Gibson/Ibanez/whatever, so I'm sure everyone would make the same comparison if they were being honest.

I've let occasional muso friends have a play on my 330 and they just shake their heads at the fact that I play what I play on it. They would rather get the most out of their talent by playing a guitar that has more practical playability. I can't argue with their logic, so I think that may be a big reason why gigging guitarists more often than not would choose a Strat/Tele/LP, etc. Myself, I still love the mystique of this classic instrument, and being the only guy around who gigs with one. It certainly feels good when you win the fight!

So when it comes to the basses I'm wondering if their playability feels just as good as the Fenders and other big brands. The 6-string guitars have a great sound, but if the basses have the great sound plus practical gig playability too it could certainly explain why you see a lot of them put to use on stage.

I'd be interested in any other thoughts on what I've just said, especially from the bassists.

tony_carey · Post by **tony_carey** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:33 am

It's an interesting point Carl & one that has been hinted at before. However, I don't understand it from a personal angle, as I have never had any problem what so ever, with the playability of a Ric gtr. They feel totaly natural to me & I actualy believe that they enhance my playing ability.

One gtr that I fail miserably on, is a Strat. The strings are too close to the pickguard & as a result, the middle pick up gets in the way & if I turn the volume down once with my rather aggressive style of play, then I turn it down a hundred times!

I think that my point is probably, that it depends what you get used to. To me, a Strat is almost unplayable, but many thousands prove me wrong. My Rics are almost an organic part of me that I know backwards & let's be honest, they don't feel much different to a Gretsch, a 335 & any hollow body gtr. You are either a hollow body man (or girl), or a solid...few people play both & many of the peculiarities of a Ric thinline, are in fact just peculiarities of hollow body gtrs.

steverok · Post by **steverok** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:25 am

I don't know why, but for me, when I play open chords, I sound much more "in tune" on a Ric guitar, as opposed to a Fender, maybe it has to do with the shape of the neck. Anyway, I just sound better on a Ric, end of story for me.