Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I can't remember ever seeing or hearing of Colin playing a Ric, he does play a Ric copy in the video of "Mayor of Simpleton"(I think it was that video). I know of Fender Mustang, Fender P-Bass fretless, Wal, Epiphone, and Vox.

Early Who would be Rick 4001 / Rose Morris & Fender Jazz / Precisions maybe Danelectros? later '60's Rick 4005. I've seen JE with all of these in pictures so he must have used Ricks in the studio for some of The Who's 60's recordings?

Sergio, several years ago I nearly bought the bass played on Druid's album from their bassist Neil Brewer. I was looking for a backup for my 72 (his was a 72 also, May I think). Unfortunately (and stupidly with hindsight) I passed; the bass was quite a bit heavier than mine and quite a bit more nasal, although I seem to remember he'd uncapped it. His also had the skunk whereas mine doesn't. Lovely guy BTW.

Glad to hear there's little or no Ric on Dreamboat Annie; it's a great album but the bass sound is one of my least favourite ever!

welcome Jukka!

"What is the most typical Rick bass sound"

I don't believe there is a most typical sound, as evidenced by the above postings.

Was it a 4001 on the very first 10CC album? I recall seeing early pics and Gouldman played a Mustang.

Others that have almost everything played on a Rick bass:
Deep Purple: Burn (Glenn Hughes)
Passport: Cross-Collateral (Wolfgang Schmidt)
Wigwam: Being (Pekka Pohjola)
Nektar: Remember The Future, Down To Earth, Live In New York, Sunday Night At London Roundhouse (Mo Moore)
Genesis: Tresspass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Live, Selling England By The Pound (Mike Rutherford)
Giles, Giles and Fripp: The Cheerful Insanity Of (Peter Giles)
McDonald & Giles: s/t (Peter Giles)
Betty Davis: Nasty Gal (Larry Johnson)
The Replacements: Let It Be, Tim (Tommy Stinson)
Flash: s/t, In The Can, Out Of Our Hands (Ray Bennett)

The first classic Stone Roses album has Mani's 4005 bass all over it & he's been playing 3000 series basses recently live with Primal Scream.

Hey Shaun
That's quite interesting. Neil's 4001 tone is even more in-your-face on the band's second, somewhat disappointing effort, "Fluid" (1976). What month of 1972 is your 4001, by the way? January? I can't quite remember exactly when 4001 basses started featuring the "skunk" stripe. I thought it was late '71.

Pekka: You got me curious. I have not listened to my copy of Betty Davis' "Nasty Gal" in years. I'll be sure to go and check out the bass tone on it. Flash, Nektar and Passport slipped my mind. Also check out Martin Gordon's very "dry" 4001 tone on his group Jet's sole album, "Jet" (CBS, 1975).

Ed Gagliardi used an early 70s FG 4001 on the first two Foreigner albums. Not sure about Gouldman/10cc's first LP ('72-'73?), but pretty darned sure about the 4001 on the rest of them.

You guys are unbelievable. So much that I have never heard. I wonder how much of this stuff you can even get anymore??

Thanks!

What is amazing to me is all this music I've listened to/cherished for all these years and then find out they contained Rick basses! I wonder if there is a connection.....

About half of the listings I knew had Ricks, half I didn't. Most of it I own.

Tool - Undertow
I'm pretty sure Oasis records with a Ric.
Fastball - Keep Yer Wig On

Sérgio Silva wrote: "Pekka: You got me curious. I have not listened to my copy of Betty Davis' "Nasty Gal" in years. I'll be sure to go and check out the bass tone on it."

Larry also plays on Betty's "They Say I'm Different" and might be playing a 4001 on that too. Kinda rare too hear Rickenbacker bass on an out'n'out funk album. Other funbassist who played a Rick is P-Funk's Cordell "Boogie" Mosson.

I'm not saying that the albums I mentioned are essential, just mentioning things I remembered. How about Spacehog?

Also try - The Move. Jeff Lynne from ELO guests playing bass, I forget which album, but lovely 'in yer face' Rick tone!

Mark...someone will know better than I, but I believe Jeff Lynne was not 'guesting'...I'm pretty sure he was a member of The Move before there was an ELO. The Move also featured Roy Wood, who went on to front his own band Wizzard, as has been discussed in another thread.

Now then, who was the third member? Mr. Rath, a little help if you please...?

This is somewhat embarrasing, I was pretty sure that Steve Fossen used 4001 on some Heart's songs. But on "Little Queen" it was Alembic!(Information at first hand.) I guess there are lots of other factors to get that kind of sound and it's possible with some other basses too.

Anyway, I'm after that sound myself, because my band is making a record with that classic rock style, and it would be nice to get some classic bass sounds too. I'll post a message on "basses" forum concerning the idea of getting a Rick bass for that certain sound. (I haven't got one yet).