Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

But then you would have difficulty expressing, "The 4003's body is bound; the 4003S' body is unbound." As a writer and editor, I try to express the unbound model with the uppercase S, and possessives and plurals with the undercase s. I usually end up writing "4003 basses" or "4003 instruments."

And up there, you see what looks like another rule violation – the end quote mark outside the period. I remember the rule from my grade-school grammar about the position of the end punctuation inside or outside quotes. If the entire sentence was a quote, then the period goes inside the quote mark; if it is a quoted section at the end of a sentence, the period would go outside. Not so much anymore in modern typography. The style now is leaving the quote mark outside in either case as it just plain looks better that way. The English language, both spoken and written, is dynamic. Even if "properly" expressed in print, some readers may be confused. It's always best to be clear and simple. You don't get much on style points, but fewer readers will be confused.

Gaaa, listen to this old man prattle!

These days, it seems most people just rely on the computer spell check (and in extremely rare instances, the grammar check) to tell them if it's right (or maybe I should say,"write")...

bassduke49 wrote:But then you would have difficulty expressing, "The 4003's body is bound; the 4003S' body is unbound." As a writer and editor, I try to express the unbound model with the uppercase S, and possessives and plurals with the undercase s. I usually end up writing "4003 basses" or "4003 instruments."

And up there, you see what looks like another rule violation – the end quote mark outside the period. I remember the rule from my grade-school grammar about the position of the end punctuation inside or outside quotes. If the entire sentence was a quote, then the period goes inside the quote mark; if it is a quoted section at the end of a sentence, the period would go outside. Not so much anymore in modern typography. The style now is leaving the quote mark outside in either case as it just plain looks better that way. The English language, both spoken and written, is dynamic. Even if "properly" expressed in print, some readers may be confused. It's always best to be clear and simple. You don't get much on style points, but fewer readers will be confused.

Gaaa, listen to this old man prattle!

The bigger stinker in writing is the old, show me as opposed to telling me - at least in creative fiction.

And let's not forget the nastiest thing of all - the passive voice.

http://www.myspace.com/revolutionxkent

I recorded both 'Moving To New York' and 'New York' with my 2010 4003, strung with flats.

Other two tracks are my 2009 also with flats. Funny how slightly different they sound, but both still totally Ric.

I too have owned other 4003's, and totally agree that the current batch feel really stable, and seem more easily capable of a perfect tone (or my idea of one!)

cjj wrote:These days, it seems most people just rely on the computer spell check (and in extremely rare instances, the grammar check) to tell them if it's right (or maybe I should say,"write")...

Ahhh...the infamous spell check and grammar check...the bane of my existence as an English teacher. I demonstrated and modeled the fact that these are tools that work well in the right hands but they are only tools and not the final answer. The errors that I receive still amaze me. Sorry for the derailment...as you were.

I have to say my 2008 4003 4-2-5 has the most stable neck of any bass I have owned in the last 40 years.

VRICKY63 wrote:I have to say my 2008 4003 4-2-5 has the most stable neck of any bass I have owned in the last 40 years.

That would be a 1 piece neck.

jdogric12 wrote:

tmossman wrote:Love the '10s too.

BTW - Your thread title is going to give some members a heart attack. Your grammatically correct 4003s is going to read as a 4003s.

I hate to contradict you, Todd, buddy, but I looked it up once and I seem to recall one of the rare instances where an apostrophe is used for the plural is with numbers, so I guess 4003s would be a bass without binding, and 4003's would denote more than one bass with binding. Sorry. I didn't want to post this, but felt compelled to.

I hate myself sometimes, and the dirt won't come off.

Carry on!!!

I use this rule:

The plurals for capital letters and numbers used as nouns are not formed with apostrophes.
Examples:

She consulted with three M.D.s.
BUT
She went to three M.D.s' offices.
The apostrophe is needed here to show plural possessive.
She learned her ABCs.
the 1990s not the 1990's
the '90s or the mid-'70s not the '90's or the mid-'70's
She learned her times tables for 6s and 7s.

but youse can use whatever youse want.

Todd thats Scottish slang and that a whole new kettle ah fish.

johnallg wrote:

cassius987 wrote:.... My 4001FL, however, is the king of neck stability.

Old style rods. Unless you abuse the neck with heavy pull strings, the old rods work fantastic. My 4001 never needs touching. My 4003s do. Michigan temp/humidity swings dictate twice a year adjusting.

Don't forget the Shedua stripe -- a major component, which I really miss in the new instruments, which by its different density and grain counters the maple.

lennon211 wrote:

cjj wrote:These days, it seems most people just rely on the computer spell check (and in extremely rare instances, the grammar check) to tell them if it's right (or maybe I should say,"write")...

Ahhh...the infamous spell check and grammar check...the bane of my existence as an English teacher. I demonstrated and modeled the fact that these are tools that work well in the right hands but they are only tools and not the final answer. The errors that I receive still amaze me. Sorry for the derailment...as you were.

Yes, my favorite example is that a spell checker cannot distinguish a letter written to "Dear friend," versus one to "Dear fiend." For every time I see something that has been spell-checked, but not proofread for grammar and syntax, I want to beat the author severely about the head and shoulders with a copy of the Strunk & White.

iiipopes wrote:I want to beat the author severely about the head and shoulders with a copy of the Strunk & White.

Avoid cliches like the plague.

bassduke49 wrote:

iiipopes wrote:I want to beat the author severely about the head and shoulders with a copy of the Strunk & White.

Avoid cliches like the plague.

It isn't a cliche. It's exactly what I would do to the person.

Ric N. Backer wrote:And let's not forget the nastiest thing of all - the passive voice.

The phrase I learned as a reminder to use active voice was "S-V-O is the way to go," referring to the order of "subject, verb, object."

The new 4003 models are dyno!!!

"Let's all diagram sentences now" said sister Patricia Ann. All this grammar is making my knuckles ache. I do not miss the brass ruler. 1 peace neck 2 peace neck woo kares as long as it holds it's stiff ness/

Language is a skill that we are not using, and, therefore, are losing.

I worked in mail order for a couple of decades, and the letters and orders I received from ordinary citizens were pathetic in their use of English. Ten years ago, I worked with a millionaire who couldn't spell the name of his own company's products.

Nothing wrong or sissified with being able to express oneself in writing.