Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I had two Carvin 5 string basses a couple of years ago. I had gotten on a five string kick and had to have one. I wound up selling both of them within a year. Not because they weren't good basses, they were. But I never really used the low B that much, except as an occasional effect. Otherwise, it just got in my way, so I sold them. If I ever got another, I would want one with wide string spacing. But it would never replace my 4 string basses, especially my RIC 4 stringers.

I played a few Alembics that really got me thinking about getting an active bass. I love the Rick growl but it is not the only powerful and expressive bass sound to be had. My experience with quality actives is that they have rich and powerful voices that are laden with overtones. Some people are hardliners about not liking active electronics and often get hung up on the battery thing. Just like adding a string or two, active pickups are another way of expanding the instrument and the possibilities.

Scott ... you are right I am part retro and part cutting edge ... I love the retro sound of the Ric bass, and p-bass and jazz bass ... but I also love modern music ... I have tried several active basses ... they have a cool artificial clean sound ... but they seem to lack punchy growlly mids ... what comes through is dinky highs and rumbly and boomy lows ... the problem with most modern music is the bass has very little character ... a lot of modern bass players don't have distortion and growl on their bass ... probably the best bass player in a modern band is the guy in Green Day ... he plays a 4 string p-bass ... somebody posted something here recently about a good bass track sounding like somebody is working on a buick in the background ... also somebody posted ... distorted grind good ... thud thud bad ...

And I love the beautiful look of a Ric bass ...

It's always good to have options and choices. 5, 6, 8 strings and 21/24 frets but it's what you do with them that matters...
If you are playing covers of current bands then you need the low B and that's the end of it.
Contemporary music and the bass playing role within it leaves plenty to be desired imo. I try and listen to everything and with a couple of exceptions am constantly disappointed while comparing to the old school.
The music of today from Rock to R&B IS a far cry away from the inspirational writing/playing of the 60's and 70's where the truly great bass grooves were put down. From Jamerson to Squire and a whole host of others the melody dominated. Jaco could do more with two strings than most today do with five...

Technology has moved instruments and sound forward, but there has been very little progression when it comes to the actual bass lines being laid down imo..
It's the craftsman first and foremost, not the tools...

In my opinion, the mass merchandising of music and musical equipment alike has worked together to devaluate the current state of music. The image of the popular musician, no matter what kind of music they play, as a "rocker" proves that few of them even know what rock is. The incident on SNL a few months back with that no-talent who started lip syncing to the wrong song and then blamed her band, was the perfect example of what I'm talking about. Two weeks later U2 was on and showed us all how it's done by closing the show out with a fourth song and an audiance and cast going nuts.

When my band plays a club gig, it's usually a 4-set, 4 hour gig. By the end of the night, my hands have had enough. If my bass's neck were even wider or had more strings to negotiate, I'm imagining even more hand fatigue, but I guess I could be wrong - never tried a 5'er. Everybody has different hands and plays different styles, so we all have different needs.

I've got nothing against 5's - they are a useful tool for some musicians. I don't care for how some guys ride the low B and turn tracks to sludge, but that's just personal taste. The ultra-lows can be good in spots, for sure.

I like having options, but I'll stick with 4-strings personally.

As far as active basses, I don't like the sound as much as passive basses, but sometimes it can be very useful. I have a couple of Stingrays, and in certain band setups, they sound awesome cranked up on stage. I go thru periods of love and hate with the Stingrays. I'm not sure if I'd ever record with them, though. Who knows. I'll try anything that might help the song, but a 4-string Ric is my default instrument of choice.

I imagine many of us here also belong to the
Dudepit a forum for bassplayers, they have about 50 catagories over there all bass related, basses, amps, strings, etc. they have exactly one forum for all 5 stringers and 6 stringers lumped together, along with one forum for fretless basses. The fretless forum and 5 string forum are about neck and neck in posts, way below most of the other forums, and the other forums are by brand: Ric, Fender, Guild etc. I think that kind of puts things in perspective. A while ago a poll was taken there as to what you played, a 5 string or a 4 string, it was about 10 to 1 in favor of 4 string basses. I think that forum is a pretty fair cross section of bassists, it even has an upright forum.
But then again if basses went from 3 strings to four in 1840, then roughly 120-125 years passed until 5 string basses were started during the 60's, so I could see 5 stringers being the norm in 2080, haha! I also knew about three string uprights but did not know the details.
I don't think flatwounds of the 50's had any less definition than the new ones, listen to the rare recorded electric bass sounds from the 50's.
When electric bass first came out it was an attempt to make a louder bass and have more precise fingering hence the moniker: precision bass. I also don't necessarily think most Ric players are retro either, a lot of young players are playing them nowadays. There is nothing retro about a 4003 bass, it is a very modern sounding bass.

I love 5 string basses. Here are mine...
My first, a TUNE Bassmaniac 5 that I bought in March '86


Next was a fretless Gibson Victory Artist that I "425ed" with a Wilkinson 4+1 Kit in 1990. Notice the extra tuner in the bridge.


Then came my black StingRay5


...loved it, so I got a trans teal StingRay5 also.


My wife surprised me with this Ibanez QM405 a few years ago.


After being convinced by Jeff Rath that fingerstyle was possible on the 4003S/5...I got one, the Blue Beast.


Finally, after years of waiting for my dream bass to become a reality, came the 4004/5Cii.


Stay tuned boys and girls, Monday will be 17 months since I ordered a trans red 4004/5Cii...can't be TOO much longer of a wait...or can it??

The B string on the F*nd*er 5ers get both thumbs down from me.

Most of my gigs these days are musicals, so when I get the score, that's when I decide whether to use the 4 or 5 string. The 4 is my "default" choice, but if the gig warrants it, the 5 comes out. Actually many musicals (especially older ones) have bass parts that utilize notes that require a lot of work high up the fretboard on a 4 string - I've often considered putting a high C my 5 string. West Side Story is definitely one that comes to mind.
I also have to echo a concern of Jeff Rath's regarding the 4004Cii/5. As much as I'd like to order one, everytime I look at the pickup width (especially the bridge pickup), I have serious concerns about signal strength on the B and G strings. If RIC were to design a new wider pickup for this model, I'd be on the phone with my favourite dealer in a second. Until then, I'll stick with my Lakland 5-string.

why stop at 5?

...why stop at 5? ...

...after my second 4004/5Cii arrives I'd like to mod one of them or one of the StingRay5's to a 10 string...then again maybe I'll do one of each!

did you say 8 strings???



ahhh the worst of both worlds ... tight spacing and a wide neck ... where would you get strings for this monster???

Gibson Victory Artists are *THE* most ugliest basses I've ever seen.

However cool collection Joey!!

Your black 'Ray 5 is *wow*... real beaut.

My father plays 'Rays, his fave is a lefty 'Ray 5 in trans-purple, matching headstock, maple neck - white p/u and crushed ice pickguard.

I love it, even though it's a lefty.

I am thinking of getting one of these ...

.....stick with Ric.....