Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I don't think flats are the answer here. I can't help but think they would take all of the "gurgle" out of the sound.

Toaster/horseshoe

Haha! Don't say that! I have a v63 that I am continuously battling myself to not modify by replacing the mono jack with a stereo.

Maybe I could get a horseshoe and toaster and put it in something else to try it out...

Flats can do more than "Motown Mud"

Here is my old V63 with an old set of Chromes on it:



This recording, too:

Sepp wrote:What tone are you seeking?

I guess I don't know how to describe it, really. The best word I can think of is "throaty." For the most part, I'm another Chris Squire copycat guy. As unoriginal as that is, I just can't get enough of that rolling chug. Then, perhaps mix in some added aggression with the trademark jazz bass tone, like what you can hear here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y99TYueeFek#t=2m58s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqTxhvwaSPk

I'm 90% there, I just don't have any "margin for error", so to speak. With all of that lovely treble and gain, I have to play really soft, delicate and clean. Much more so than other setups (but they definitely don't sound as good as my Rick!). Any lack of precision is very noticeable.

jps wrote:Flats can do more than "Motown Mud"

Motown Mud
I watched the video and listened to the mp3. Very nice! That v63 with the flats reminds me quite a bit of early Steve Harris!

Thanks, all!

jdogric12 wrote:Toaster/horseshoe

My v63 just became my favorite bass! Now I am glad it didn't sell! Thanks, Jason!

Since this bass does not have a stereo output, I am currently splitting the bridge pickup, and it sounds great. However, I am tempted to swap out the stock jack with a stereo to see how the toaster would add to the sound, but I hesitate because this bass is 100% stock, unmodifed and in excellent condition.

I should probably take Colin Cowherd's advice and stop being a moralist, and just do it, since I am much more worried about "maintaining the purity of a rare and precious nstrument" rather than resale value (not that it's an actual '63 or anything that rare or precious, haha).

Making a mono Rick stereo is not as simple as just swapping the mono jack for a stereo one. I do however build a harness that is switchable from mono to stereo via a push-pull pot, while at the same time replacing the way outta spec 180K-330K pots currently in them with 60's-70's spec pots.

I would say Rotos are among the harshest strings you can use. Very noisy; honestly, I hate them whenever I play them. Steel flats will definitely give you more of what you are looking for but if that's too extreme then try nickel rounds like Sunbeams. A lot smoother sounding. Better still, tapewounds. Even a different stell round like the D'Addario rounds could sound much better to your ears. Rotos are angry, unforgiving beasts.

Kopfjaeger wrote:Rickenbackers gravitate more toward the treble side of the bass tone.

Agree to disagree. They are pretty dang thumpy in my book.

"Rotos are angry, unforgiving beasts."

I'd have to completely disagree with this statement. I guess that's why they always say tone is in the hands....

superheavydeathmetal wrote:

Sepp wrote: I watched the video and listened to the mp3. Very nice! That v63 with the flats reminds me quite a bit of early Steve Harris!

Thanks, all!

Steve Harris plays on flatwounds

One thing I found over the years is to study our hero Chris Squire and figure out how he got the multitude of sounds from just one bass, and Rotosounds...
Having seen him live like 20 times, I was surprised to see how even with the amp setup, bass and strings all the same, he was getting several distinct sounds simply by alternating between two pickups, finger and pick, and plucking or picking in several places along the strings, from the 15th fret all the way back to the bridge. I was also surprised by how predominant the toaster was. I can get several useful sounds out of a Rick, not just (but also!) the clank and grind. A light touch goes a long way sometimes, for me....

fran4001 wrote:One thing I found over the years is to study our hero Chris Squire and figure out how he got the multitude of sounds from just one bass, and Rotosounds...
Having seen him live like 20 times, I was surprised to see how even with the amp setup, bass and strings all the same, he was getting several distinct sounds simply by alternating between two pickups, finger and pick, and plucking or picking in several places along the strings, from the 15th fret all the way back to the bridge. I was also surprised by how predominant the toaster was. I can get several useful sounds out of a Rick, not just (but also!) the clank and grind. A light touch goes a long way sometimes, for me....

Very well said, Fran! I agree, and felt the same way when I saw Squire play on many occasions. Your description is very much like what I experienced, when he would just play that bass like a fine, delicate violin, putting one foot up on his other leg ( a la Ian Anderson), and just playing so beautifully, sometimes just taking over the show for a brief period of time, very inspiring to me every time. I always came home from those shows inspired to play my Rick, always the one with Rotosounds on it, and I have always had good luck playing them when I used the right touch.
Thanks for posting that, it helped me remember some of the concerts I've seen him play in the past!

daveman wrote:Have you considered adding relief? (Loosening your truss rods, or moving to a heavier/higher-tension set of strings.).

Kopfjaeger wrote:Like others here have said, add a touch of relief.
Sepp

I picked up a set of Dean Markley Blue Steels and Ernie Ball Cobats, both. 45-.105 to add a little relief.

I am curious to see what they are like!

Play with the mids. Rick basses love mids.

cheyenne wrote:Play with the mids. Rick basses love mids.

+1!
I've been paying a lot more attention to mids and using nickel Rotos on my Ricks.

Also agree about how important a toaster is, especially on a '60's Rick.

superheavydeathmetal wrote:

daveman wrote:Have you considered adding relief? (Loosening your truss rods, or moving to a heavier/higher-tension set of strings.).

Kopfjaeger wrote:Like others here have said, add a touch of relief.
Sepp

I picked up a set of Dean Markley Blue Steels and Ernie Ball Cobats, both. 45-.105 to add a little relief.

I am curious to see what they are like!

I just put a set of EB cobalts on my 4003s that just arrived, and I'm loving them!

cheyenne wrote:Play with the mids. Rick basses love mids.

teeder wrote: +1!
I've been paying a lot more attention to mids and using nickel Rotos on my Ricks.

Also agree about how important a toaster is, especially on a '60's Rick.

A stereo jack it is, then! I sent Dane a message inquiring about the possibility of making a harness with lefty pots, as I am sure all 3 of my Ricks have righty pots wired lefty, so they don't taper well at all.

To get overly technical, when you say "mids", are there specific frequencies or a frequency range that you like to boost or cut to make some magic? I ask because I have a parametric EQ, so I can customize the EQ to a pretty great degree.

Run in stereo.

The tone options open up big time.