Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So Bob ... you are NOT completely retro ... you like the new pickups better ...

Jeff, I've seen Squire on several occasions in the late '90s and early '00s and he sounded just FINE when he played his old Rick! It came thru loud and clear and he seems to always do the bass solo or featured part while playing his original Rick. I wouldn't be surprised if he's had the original horseshoe replaced or refurbished in some way...

Jeff, I love the new pickups, I'm really not retro, I play old music but in a very modern style. The two other members of my main band are 22 and 30. My main band is a rock n roll band. I play blues but I'm a rocker first and always have been.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's had the original horseshoe replaced or refurbished in some way...

Negative. The pickup is nearly dead, completely diffused. It's boosted by preamps and various other tools... as far as I am aware, he hasn't touched the pickups for 40 years. Chris claims the inefficiencies of his Rm1999 make it the perfect bass.

Well, I knew it had to be something, because I have heard of and seen some of the old horseshoes with problems like Jeff speaks of. I wonder if it was totally degaussed when he recorded the Chris Squire instructional video back in 1990 or '91, because he played "the bass" on that...or maybe it was preamped like you say. Tell him he needs to visit Texas more often, I haven't seen them here since the 2002 tour.

Chris Squire's bass still gets the job done ... it would sound better with high gains ... or reissue horseshoes ... my old '68 sounded pretty good ... but my old '73 cut through a lot better and my 4003 basses do even better than a '70's 4001 ...

Bob ... I am not completely new school ... I like an old 70's Squire/Entwistle/Wetton distorted ric/p-bass sound ... If I was completely new school I would have a clean sound with an active bass ... I like to play modern music with younger musicians but with a retro tone and a low B ...

I saw Yes in Syracuse, NY, in September, 04, I think, and the bass sounded sweet. The first couple of tunes he didn't use the Ric, but when it came out I had to cheer. It sounded what Rick-O-Sound is supposed to sound like. I didn't think the pickups sounded dead.

I heard somewhere he had his horsey re-wound.

I remember when I finally saw the video I thought the bass didn't sound quite as good as I thought it would.

The treble clank is certainly a lot more 'subtle' these days, for want of a better phrase. Compare some of his recorded stuff on new albums like Magnification, then go straight to CTTE, The Yes Album. I know Eddie Offord had a MAJOR part to play in Chris's signature sound back in the 70s.

In what way?

I think Squire's bass sounded great on the Symphonic Live DVD. Seeing him play live is a whole different ballgame, as usually, bass gets the low end (no pun intended)of the priority in getting a good sound, plus it is impossible to make bass sound good all over the venue.

Jim Mouradian told me Chris's original Ric has very "weak" output. I've suspected for a while that there are two seperate amp systems. It appears that Chris uses two Marshall Super-Bass amps and then a rack system with some Ampeg gear. I think the RM1999's pickups each use one Marshall as a pre-amp (one pickup into each head)then to the effects. I also think the newer guitars with more robust output are run in a conventional signal path. I've never been up close to the equipment thou so this should not be relied on a fact. If anyone knows any factual info on the amps please chime in.

Chris has used a lot of different setups through the years ...