My very first Ric

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 4:28 am

Glad you like the idea, Anndra.
Yes it's a high gain bass pickup cover you see fitted to the treble pickup in the picture.
Contact Chris Clayton
([url=http://www.pickofthericks.coRickenbacker_index3.htm]http://www.pickofthericks.coRickenbacker_index3.htm[/url]) or Mike Parks (http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricpart.htm). They should have them for $15-20 a piece. The covers are not listed on their sites but you can go ahead and ask them.

That's Annie, my '98 4003 Fireglo in the pic above. Her original high gain bass pickup was replaced by a toaster.
Here are more pics:
http://www.rickbeat.com/gallery/paulyan/paulyan.htm

anndra · Post by **anndra** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:50 am

Thanks again, Paul. Your bass guitars look fabulous

It mentions on the site that one of the basses has a thinner neck? Do you mean the fretboard is narrower or are you referring to the neck profile? The neck on my Ric has a very pronounced and surprisingly deep C feel to it.

It's growing on me, but I'd certainly like to try one with a shallower C profile. I didn't know these options were available on Ric basses.

It looks like I have stumbled across the perfect Ric site. Where I can enjoy and learn about the instrument with other players of these awesome basses.

Thanks again guys for the very warm welcome.

I just can't believe the power of the tone on my Ric, it's so radically different from what I have had available to me with my other basses.

Live I use a Hartke 3500 head powering an Ampeg SVT1540HE (4 x 10 + 1 x 15 + horn in a single cab) and through this the dynamics available to me with the Ric are blowing my mind.

For recording I'm going through a bass pod xt pro with an additional, mirrored 'dry' channel recording both into a Yamaha AW16G DAW. I'm so damnably excited by the results that I'm going back through a pile of songs replacing the old bass lines with newly inspired takes and, of course, the fulsome tones of a Rickenbacker Bass Guitar.

I've waited near 30 years to find this tone. It's love.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 7:41 am

Oh no, the secret is out!

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 9:54 am

The late 80's early ninietes Ric necks seemed to be a little more narrow width-wise. The older rics have less pronounced C shaped necks but they vary as do the newer ones (flatter). The early 70's and 60's necks were almost flat compared to the newer ones, some of us like them others don't. I like the late 70's to early 90's necks a lot I've never played a late 80's bass. I've got a 95 4003 with a narrow neck. I have an 81 4003 with a shallow neck almost like the 4001 necks. Actually I like them all and get used to whatever I am playing very quickly.

anndra · Post by **anndra** » Mon Apr 19, 2004 6:41 am

Oooops, Jeffrey...what was I thinking?

That aside, could anyone tell me which strings I found shipped with my Ric? I really like them and I'd be keen to try them on some of my other basses.

Thanks again.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Mon Apr 19, 2004 10:43 am

If it was brand new they were Ric strings. (nickle I think?) I like them also, it's almost like they were made for a Ric bass, haha! I think Mike Parks has them for $20.00 a set.