Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

iiipopes wrote:Oh - and Fender 9050 flats have a mid grind to them. They used to be my favorite flatwound string until Fender quit making the CL 45-60-80-105 set and won't sell singles. Some of the thuddiest flats (without turning the tone knob down) are GHS Precision Flats. D'Addario Chromes start with top end zing that also fades to complete thud over time. La Bella are rather neutral, not too dark, even overtone spectrum, and Ernie Ball flats (not the "new cobalt" flats) have a little bit of growl also. But I digress....

Agree about the new 9050's compared to the old ones. I'm lucky that 1) the old set I cut for the 4001 make my Ibanez scream, and 2) I have an unopened NOS set. I figure that bass is set for strings until I'm close to 80.

The mid grind seems to be dependent on the bass. On my J these strings were great, but no highs or mids to speak of (at least to my ear). On my Ibanez they have quite a bit of mid/high presence. Electronically the 2 basses are basically the same (the Ibby is a P/J), but the J was about 2 pounds heavier.

My good friend the guitarist had informed me several times that I'm not a "Ric Guy". We play modern praise/gospel, americana, folk and blues. So now that I have my '14 4003 strung with EB Cobalt flats, fed through an Avalon U5.....he's very happy that I'm a Ric Guy and doesn't miss my Lakland 5'r. wait til he gets a load of my LAB L2 head and cab that's coming next week.

Just tell him that you just changed your add for a drummer on Craigslist to a drummer that doesn't talk back…and got 100 hits right away!

RickyBubba wrote:Just tell him that you just changed your add for a drummer on Craigslist to a drummer that doesn't talk back…and got 100 hits right away!

A drummer that dosen't talk back is called a drum machine.

I've read a couple of stories on this stuff on here before... It seems its usually (control freaks) and inflated ego type idiots that don't like Rickenbackers.......all the more reason to play my 4001v63 more and more and more.....on every type of song. And it sounds great!!!!!

Make the (Idiots) suffer for (Your) Art..!

Despite these stories cropping up as often as they do, this has never happened to me across dozens of gigging bands of almost all the major Western genres... my Rics were very well received in jazz, fusion, hip hop, folk rock/psychobilly and country for instance. The biggest control freaks were the "hard rock" people, who liked my Rics but were always complaining about my choice of fuzz pedal or amp. Maybe it's no mistake that I haven't had one of those gigs in a while.

CanOpener wrote:I've read a couple of stories on this stuff on here before... It seems its usually (control freaks) and inflated ego type idiots that don't like Rickenbackers.......all the more reason to play my 4001v63 more and more and more.....on every type of song. And it sounds great!!!!!

Make the (Idiots) suffer for (Your) Art..!

You're surely not suggesting that anyone who doesn't like Ricks is a control freak, an idiot, or has an inflated ego??? I love Ricks as much as anyone here but I'd never insult anyone who prefers other basses in the way you have done - it's a matter of freedom to make personal choices. To paraphrase Voltaire: I do not agree with your choice of bass, but I'll defend to the death your right to make that choice.

Ash

ehh, insult?

I think the only insult is from the (idiot's) in bands, music director's ect. that cause these stories to be told in the first place..


P.S. I have never experienced anything bad myself with using a Rickenbacker bass, as of yet.. Like many bassists here on the forum, I've played, rock, blues, and jazz with a 4001.. A long time ago- only once- at a band audition, I was asked if I liked playing a Precision Bass.

I played my walnut Ci 4004 at a bar gig a few weeks ago,and was approached by a geezer patron carrrying a very full beer mug asking "can i see/touch your Rick,never seen one like that"....of course I'm giving both he and his sloshing beer the hairy eyeball. "Yeah,Sure,just set your drink down"... He didn't do so (possibly deaf?),so i just held it up for him to see the front/back,and he seems impressed,but then he says "you always play with a pick?" Like he found that wrong or something.....
I probably should have said "of course,it's a Rick!" but said "only when the drummer's too loud" .....which as usual,he was. Come to think of it,that was the deciding gig of canning him,but that's another story for another thread.....

I've had the 'haters' occasionally make comments but usually the real/good player in the audience loves the bass and sound! I've had many of the confirmed F or G bassist and guitarist complement me on my basses. How they cut thru the mix, the tone etc. Quality people know quality. There are a lot of really good basses out there and to each their own. One does not need to trash other folks choice of weapon to make their own choice any better... insecurity???

As for what you can use it for... it doesn't make a very good cheese slicer...?

Let me ask a related question: understanding that bass in general can be tough to record, I've read that Rics can be particularly difficult. Let's say we're in a quality studio with a competent (and not lazy) engineer. Is there something about a Ric that complicates the recording process?

I think it's actually because there's not nearly as many rics as fenders & fender clones. These guys have a time tested method for fenders. When a ric comes along they now have to think. To be fair fenders have more mids & less bottom than rics.

farace wrote:Let me ask a related question: understanding that bass in general can be tough to record, I've read that Rics can be particularly difficult. Let's say we're in a quality studio with a competent (and not lazy) engineer. Is there something about a Ric that complicates the recording process?

None at all in experience recording various different Rick basses over the years. It may very well come down to the engineer on session.

This is my old '98 4001V63 with a scatterwound toaster and the RI HS PU with bent up shoes (the second prototype of mine), TI Jazz Rounds, into an Avalon U5 to console/recorder.

Same bass but with a '60s magnetic HS PU in place of the RIHSPU, and D'Addario Chromes into Universal Audio LA-610 Mk II to console/recorder.

farace wrote:Let me ask a related question: understanding that bass in general can be tough to record, I've read that Rics can be particularly difficult. Let's say we're in a quality studio with a competent (and not lazy) engineer. Is there something about a Ric that complicates the recording process?

Tough to record?..

I would have to disagree... Maybe some low output if your using one with the .0047mf capacitor...

I recorded this track with my '95 4001v63 JetGlo through a Hartke "bass attack" pedal and direct to the console. No hassle or difficulty at all....Or playing slap/funk bass on a Rickenbacker...

Check it out here:

https://soundcloud.com/landmusic/refractor-mo-funkr