Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

VRICKY63 wrote:So I could buy a laredo thinking I'm getting an all maple instrument that might have a creamy walnut center ? Bad on Rickenbacker.

As the Tibetan ox farmer once said, "Who knows what's good or bad?"

I guess the idea is that you're supposed to go into your local music shop and try the bass out (and decide if you like it's tone) before you buy it? But that's not realistic these days.

I suppose there are tonal differences between the L (if all maple) and the Cii, but frankly, I really couldn't say that any of my Ricks sounds the same or different from any others. I don't A&B the basses, and I'm a true believer that there's more tone in a player's technique than there is in the percentage of maple to walnut in the body. I notice more the weight than the tone, and this Laredo feels much lighter than my '97 all-maple Fireglo 4004L. Makes sense as walnut is lighter than maple. I really should get a decent digital scale to weigh these things.

bassduke49 wrote:I suppose there are tonal differences between the L (if all maple) and the Cii, but frankly, I really couldn't say that any of my Ricks sounds the same or different from any others. I don't A&B the basses, and I'm a true believer that there's more tone in a player's technique than there is in the percentage of maple to walnut in the body. I notice more the weight than the tone, and this Laredo feels much lighter than my '97 all-maple Fireglo 4004L. Makes sense as walnut is lighter than maple. I really should get a decent digital scale to weigh these things.

I am still kicking myself for not recording the various basses at the SF Bay Area gathering earlier this year. It would be cool to record each bass being played by different people, but also different basses being played by the same person.

bassduke49 wrote:...and I'm a true believer that there's more tone in a player's technique than there is in the percentage of maple to walnut in the body...

Never a truer statement Paul.

The walnut is just cosmetic. Tonally, there is no difference.

BTW, the Laredo is not billed as an "all maple" instrument. I seriously doubt that this particular bass has figured maple, if it does, it is most likely not very attractive, thus the solid color. Another possibility to entertain is that it was a Cii that was some transparent color that cracked at some point in production. Since it often gets extremely dry in Southern California (especially now), it is not uncommon for a perfectly good MG or FG to crack on the production line. In this instance, I change the color to a solid one once the crack is filled.

Also, we do not have very many orders for opaque 4004Cii's because the highlight of that model is the figured maple/walnut. My guess is that this was converted to TUR because the Laredos on backorder are more heavily tilted to the solid colors as opposed to transparent colors.

However, since I was probably not here yet when this bass was built, I can't guarantee that what I described is 100% accurate.

godber wrote:

bassduke49 wrote:...and I'm a true believer that there's more tone in a player's technique than there is in the percentage of maple to walnut in the body...

Never a truer statement Paul.

This can go both ways - two slightly different basses can bring out two different techniques, maybe without any conscious effort on the player's part. Even though Chris Squire manages to sound like Chris Squire no matter what bass he uses, I think it's normal for a player to respond to minor variations like those being discussed.

Ben Hall commented that Walnut in the Cii doesn't affect the tone. I've never A/B'ed a Laredo against a Cii, but if Ben is right, which I don't doubt, then what explains the consistent reporting that a Laredo tends to sound brighter than a Cii?

Ben Hall commented that Walnut in the Cii doesn't affect the tone. I've never A/B'ed a Laredo against a Cii, but if Ben is right, which I don't doubt, then what explains the consistent reporting that a Laredo tends to sound brighter than a Cii?

To be more specific, we have compared both, and we can't detect an audible difference. Also, it should be duly noted that the majority of 4004Cii JG/MID's have all maple bodies.

RIC_FACTORY wrote:To be more specific, we have compared both, and we can't detect an audible difference. Also, it should be duly noted that the majority of 4004Cii JG/MID's have all maple bodies.

Doesn't that go against the specifications of the model on the website for the Cii? If I were to ever order a solid color Cii (which I probably won't, but I might magically come across a bunch of cash one day ) and it was solid maple, I would be quite upset because it wasn't built as advertised.

I was thinking about how wood can affect the tone transmitted through an electric pickup and I would guess that it is primarily a function of where the bridge meets the body. Since it is maple on both the Cii and L, they should have similar characteristics. The walnut may play a small part in the shape of the string oscillation, but I don't know if it would impact it that much. Just my thoughts...

RIC_FACTORY wrote:The walnut is just cosmetic. Tonally, there is no difference.

I have suspected that for a while, but I've only ever played Ciis (several though). What got me thinking this is that everyone commented on how dark they were, but it didn't sound too different from a 4003 with HB-1s such as I own.

Like I said before, if this sort of thing happened to me--say, getting an L with the wooden sandwich, or a Cii without--I really wouldn't care after hearing the Cii and not detecting much difference against the 4003 (in a way it actually seemed brighter due I believe to the limited circuit). But it looks like I was right in thinking there are some who would be upset. It sounds like as far as aesthetic mismatches, RIC doesn't let that happen, and that's probably the sort of thing that would bother me since the sound isn't significantly affected.

nukebass wrote:Doesn't that go against the specifications of the model on the website for the Cii? If I were to ever order a solid color Cii (which I probably won't, but I might magically come across a bunch of cash one day ) and it was solid maple, I would be quite upset because it wasn't built as advertised.

There is no difference in tone between a bass that has an all maple body compared to a maple-walnut sandwich, so why would it matter to you? They sound exactly the same. We'd rather not have to use pore filler on Cheyennes that are going to be JG or MID beccause the walnut underneath will exhibit a certain degree of shrinkback as the the finish gets sucked down into the pores of the wood. An all maple construction prevents that, so the finish looks better longer.

The only difference between a Laredo and a Cheyenne is the color of the hardware and whether or not you want a finished fretboard.

[/quote]The only difference between a Laredo and a Cheyenne is the color of the hardware and whether or not you want a finished fretboard.[/quote]

......and the flamey maple on the Cheyenne

RIC_FACTORY wrote:....so why would it matter to you?....

It doesn't - I'm a neck/tone man... the thickness of the neck and how the unit resonates in my hands. Love the '93 4004L JG and the '74 4001 MG... and the tone out of both of them is fantastic!

RIC_FACTORY wrote: There is no difference in tone between a bass that has an all maple body compared to a maple-walnut sandwich, so why would it matter to you? They sound exactly the same. We'd rather not have to use pore filler on Cheyennes that are going to be JG or MID beccause the walnut underneath will exhibit a certain degree of shrinkback as the the finish gets sucked down into the pores of the wood. An all maple construction prevents that, so the finish looks better longer.

The only difference between a Laredo and a Cheyenne is the color of the hardware and whether or not you want a finished fretboard.

But you are building a bass that isn't built according to your advertised specs. If you aren't going to build them as advertised, what's stopping you from putting a maple fret board on them and not telling anybody? You should at least put on your website and pricesheets that solid color Ciis are made of hardwood, like the L is listed, so there won't be any confusion. That's my only point.