Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hey Steve,

did'ya see that Hamer acoustic look-alike on the bay?

I have, somewhere, a CH12 that had cracks in the body-brand new from the dealer. Sent it back to Hamer for a claim. This was in January. Was told "they're still looking at it".

I will never buy another Hamer again.

Hopefully RIC will produce a 4004Cii/12 sometime soon

LOL

would that have active electronics as well?

There use to be some talk about extending the neck of the bass to acheive a low B or C. Great for players like myself who aren't cmfortable with 5 strings. How about a Shadow LN (Long Neck)?

why not? and while we're at it the 4002/5 Shadow LTD Ed 76 RIC Anniv model ;o

They say anticipation makes the heart grow fonder...

Waiting for my 4004Cii just makes me tired.

Chris Squire has a custom Tobias with an extended neck!

Hi Jared,
Yes, I saw that B12A on Ebay, I love that bass, but just bought a Ric so I cant get it. Love the flame top on it....WOW!
I have had nothing but good experiences with Hamer and their customer support, I have had a few of their guitars and basses and never a problem. I'm sorry to hear they are giving you a hard time.

This is an interesting thread, however, I suspect that the demand for anything beyond a 5 string bass is quite limited. This does not mean, of course, that it doesn't have its application.

As I have read the comments here, they have challenged my view of what a bass is. At what point does a bass guitar stop and another instrument begin? I confess to being intrigued by chording possibilities up the neck.

My bass parts often have fairly complex sections which often require rethinking when it comes to actually executing the parts, and having an extra string or two widens the possibilities, and allows a more ergonomic approach. Those six fret stretches get a bit uncomfortable after a while.

As for the role of the bass, to me it is just another tool. The extreme low end on a five string isn't always that useful, when a different instrument can achieve both the tone and clarity better. I do like to remove the low end at times, which makes it all that much more powerful when it returns. Moving up the neck, the bass has a different timbre than a guitar, and is more suited to melody lines in some scenarios. The same goes for chording and arpeggios. I don't know how much I'd like doing some of these things on a 12 string though - I'd need a bench press for my fingers!

Hey Peter-

As I can't even play a 4 stringer well imagine the possibilities on the 12!

It isn't as difficult as one would imagine, the two octave strings are actually tuned identical.

I don't play chords cause I don't know how!

Now if only RIC made a production 12 stringer...

The 12 is the hugest sounding instrument I have ever heard aside from a grand piano. When I play it, it takes up so much room in the mix, its amazing. You get this huge bottom end and the shimmer of the top end from the octave strings. It is hard to play on a song that requires a lot of really fast playing and I wouldn't recommend it for that, but some of the songs we do have relatively simple bass lines and it is great for that.

The owner of the only known 12 string RIC bass in here under resume:

http://www.12stringbass.com/MainFrames.html

The Surfrat!

As a point of reference on multi-string bass work. Check out the music John Paul Jones is writing and recording these days. I have his CD The Thunderthief, great stuff in my opinion.

Jared,
I am quite familiar with the Surfrat, as my resume is in the same section as his! He is a HARDCORE multi-string bassist.

Some think "why not just get a guitar?" in regards to the extended-range bass guitars, but I am definitely in the school of thought that states a bass guitar is just another instrument, and it's up to the individual player as to what he or she wants to do with it. Do you want to play a custom made nine-string instrument and be an avant-garde solo performer? Go for it! Want a battle-worn Fender Precision and play some old blues? Go for it! It's your music, your choice, and there's more than enough room for everyone.

Well put, Kurt!