Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Bob - i totally agree with what you are saying! It would seem that Rickenbackers (the basses mind - not the guitars) are strongly associated with prog rock - music which i personally dislike.
There are so many sounds that a Rick is capable of. My favorite rick player is Bruce Foxton of the Jam. Ok, so he has a trebly sound, but its different. The stone Roses' bassist Mani used a Rick (4005?) and has a big boomy tone.

Basically, i think Rickys can make a great trebly sound, or a great fat bassy sound. Its the clarity of the instrument that sets it apart for other makes. A certain sound you cant lose, trebly or bassy or whatever

Good call on the 4005 sound!! When I heard that Stone Roses album, I immediately thought of Paul McCartney on Rain/Paperback Writer. *then* I looked at the album art and realized it was a different model

the sound of my 4005 with flat steel pyramids is fantanstic, but when I had tape wounds, the simple recordings I made had the most dead on Mac sounds I could imagine.

Bob,

You do have a very valid point. The bright, proggy, roundwound-ish, trebly, growling, compressed etc. sound I love so much was once described very eloquantly by "Evil-Bob" (anyone remember him?) as "Grrch-Pang!"

While I agree that a RIC bass is no one trick pony, the most distinctive and identifyable-as-a-RIC sounds, to me, are these sounds. I've also heard quite a few recordings of a RIC bass with a clear, yet much more subdued tone. I don't instantly think "RIC!" and get goosebumps when I hear this. I do, however, with the "Grrch-Pang!" sound.

Compare Jon Camp's tone on the first Renaissance album, Prologue, with the second, Ashes are Burning. He played the RIC on both, but "the sound" really wasn't quite there until the second.

I certainly don't want to offend anyone, but the Macca sound generally doesn't qualify as "Grrch-Pang!" enough (except maybe for brief portions of Paperback Writer)!

I like that, Grrch-pang! I remember the first time I heard Roundabout (does that qualify for Grrch-pang?)on AM radio! jajaj. I remember wondering what a great sound, how does he get that sound? (whoever he was). How about Helter Skelter, was not a G-P sound but was definitely wild for it's time. I have to confess that although I remember the name Renaissance I am not familiar with them. I used to love Mike Rutherfords sound with Genesis. And I like Geddy Lee's early sound as well as his thicker later sound, but his early sound, sounds like straight Ric to me with minimal effects. I like all Ric bass sounds, even the stuff like Foreigner and 10 CC, I just love these basses. Maybe it depends on when you first become aware of bass or something, I was 11 when The Beatles broke and the 60's sound is my foundation I guess.

Roundabout! The "Poster-Child" of "Grrch-Pang!"

I had a chance to listen to "Rain" for the first time in several years. I must admit, Macca's bass doesn't sound bad

I think I read it here but, someone discribed the sound of a Ric as"playing piano with a hammer"(I love that,I wish I thought of it.)does the Lemmy sound qualify as"grrch-pang??if so then would he be at the extreme end of grrch,or pang?..(you don't have to answer that if you don't like,I'm being a smarta$$..although,I am curious as to what catagory Lemmy's sound would be) I think all the sounds of the Ric are truly beautiful and unique..and I must admit that there are a few songs listed(that I love the bass sounds in)that I did'nt know were Ric's(thank you for the education).it just proves how versitile the Ric really is.

I kind of think of Lemmy's sound in the same catagory as Cliff Burton, Metallica's first bassist, as another guitar.
Neither player seemed too concerned about the amount of bottom end he had, just growl and bite. Both really have an overdrive sound, much like another guitar player.

yeah,I guess I would consider them the same in the tone catagory.I think Cliff had a little more lows but, the production on those early albums did'nt do them justice(no pun intended)...it's just another side of the Ric

> There was also the uncompromising tone of Martin Gordon's 4001 with Sparks on their 1974 'Kimono My House' album.

Sorry, I'm late in this topic, but I must say that Martin Gordon, as well as Chris Squire, bears a great responsbility : that's because I listened to them that I became a Rickenbacker addict. My first "real" bass, back in 1977, was a 4001 JG. Without them guys, I'm not sure I would have bought the same...

Thanks for reminding us of Martin Gordon. Great player, great tone, great album.

All the best,
JL

Back on 6/11/03 Mortivan accurately pointed out the huge difference in Jon Camp's 4001 sound from "Prologue" to "Ashes Are Burning". Does anyone know what Jon did ? Was it an amp change, production technique change ?

Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, The Jam. I real sharp pick sound on a 4001. With great dynamics, nice harmonics.

Jean:
Merci d'avoir lu mon message au sujet de Martin Gordon, parmi d'autres bassistes. After 'Kimono My House', Martin left Sparks to form Jet. On that outfit's sole album (1975), Martin's Rick sounded real clanky, giving the impression that only the treble pickup on it was being used!
As for Jon Camp's noticeably improved sound on 'Ashes Are Burning', I guess this has only to do with an improvement in his technique. The 4001 clear, clanky sound is bound to give away clumsy fingering. I guess on 'Prologue' he wasn't yet feeling too adventurous, which I feel explains the muddy Rick sound he used throughout the album.

I'm listening to some great RIC bass on a CD I just received: Triumvirat, Illusions on a Double Dimple, 1974.

Got a few more from other groups I haven't listened to yet that supposedly have the sound too ...

Yep, the Rick on 'Illusions...' sounds really great. Somewhere on the record you can hear the neck pickup (a high-gain, most likely) soloed. Musically, though, the record is hardly special, but that's just my opinion. Triumvirat's subsequent offering, 'Spartacus' (1975), is much more inspired, and again the Rick features prominently throughout the album.