Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I bought this '97 CIJ Jazz FL in about '99 for less than $200, but no case. I've schlepped it around in gig bags and used one of the flight cases in the photo, but I wanted it to have a proper case dedicated to the amount I have used it. The brown w/ yellow interior is a new vintage remake.

I know you were probably hoping for a '61 or something, but while my '97 isn't worth a whole lot money-wise, it's a battle-axe and sounds great with diMarzio replacements and Audere JZ3 preamp.

I must admit, the 74P and Stingray FL get far more playing time these days.

That Freddie Washington groove is what the pocket P bass sound is all about.

I own & play
-2003 Rickenbacker 4003JG
-Aria 1540 J-bass clone. I don´t know the exact manufacturing date but according to Matsumoku it´s between 1970-75. This was my first bass guitar.
-Late 1990´s DeArmond by Guild Starfire. I bought this quite recently. It is in playable condition but it needs some new parts. Hopefully I can fix it in the near future.
The bands I´ve been playing in are too hard to categorize, at least for me. Let´s say they all have been mainly influenced by the following genres:

-acid rock/psychedelic rock
-punk (“´77” and “82 HC”)
-post punk
-krautrock
-heavy rock (but not anything “metal”)
-art rock
-undergound rock (The Fugs, Suomen talvisota 1939-1940 etc.)

And yes, last but maybe least, progressive rock. We were never influenced by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix or The Doors.

Nowadays I don´t have a working band but once a week I play blues with my guitarist friend. I don´t like blues at all, but playing it is quite good fun while listening it is sheer agony (and probably listening me playing the blues is even worse…)

Hey there,

Not surprised by the many Fenders, but very surprised by the few Alembics listed.

I'm still working at the Rush Tribute band thing and Originals, we need new a Guitarist. Is there a Alex Lifeson in the house?

Now that I have the Alembic Rick-Activator System nicely situated in my '72 Fireglo, I can give my '90 Alembic Persuader a rest.
I also have my self-made Alembic-esque 34" Scale Bass. My '81 Rick Jetglo should be sold tomorrow.

They all sound great through my Ampeg B-15R, 2-15 Stack.

Things would be great if we had a guitar player with us.

Garret

My other electric bass is a somewhat modified 1973 Fender. It started out as a very ordinary Jazz with maple neck. I liked the tone except it seemed to lack a bit in the deep, thick bass area... so I added one of those big Gibson humbuckers (like on the EB0/EB3). A bit later I swapped out the original bridge for a Bad***.

Fast forward a few years, I bought a somewhat used and not too badly abused '72 Fireglo 4001. My friends (who were getting into jazz) started getting on my case for having two fretted basses. Well, four screws and that Fender neck comes right off. A quick trip to the music store, and I had a fretless Precision neck with rosewood fingerboard on it.

Quite recently I switched out the original tuners for Hipshots, including a drop-D tuner which I love. Here's the Fender on stage, maybe around 2005 (before the Hipshots). I was playing some kind of mellow folk-rock with Brooke Pennock (http://www.brookepennock.com), thus sitting on a stool instead of dancing around as is my wont.
Of course, the Rick came to that gig too.
It hasn't been modified to the extent the Fender has. I found out the hard way that the screws on the bridge pickup are not adjustable pole pieces Thus the DiMarzio. It's completely rewired, that big black lever switch selects either pickup alone, both pickups together (parallel, in phase), or both series out of phase. One volume, one tone, which might as well not be there because I always leave them both wide open.

After several years of playing some great semi-acoustic rock with Brooke (you can hear both basses on her CD This Mind), I've been playing with Rick Ravenscroft (http://www.rickravenscroft.com; I need him to update the picture, that's his previous bass player). His music is more in a country rock direction, I use the fretless exclusively with him.

Most recently I've gotten back to some real rock - a power trio with a guitarist and drummer who are both way better players than I am. The music is a wild mix of everything I've enjoyed in rock for about the last 40 years. I'm not going to say more about that project until it's a little farther along and maybe I have some Youtube links to post. But the Rick is getting a lot more use, and sounds very Rickish through an SVT-3PRO and Genz Benz 410 XB2.

I also have an acoustic bass guitar (mid-70s Earthwood). Sorry, don't have a picture. I really need to find an excuse to play it more!

Bill, I like how both of your basses are so heavily customized--makes them seem special/particular to you, which I really dig.

'73 4001
CIJ Thinline precision
G&L L2000
Reverend Rumblefish x 2
Reverend 5L

I also build 12-18 instruments a year, basses usually end up getting gigged at least a few times before they find a home.

72rick wrote:.....very surprised by the few Alembics listed.

I used to have two Alembics, at the same time. I had a '87 Persuader (flame maple over mahogany) and a '84 Exploiter/Spoiler electronics (flame koa over mahogany). The Exploiter became fretless in my hands; both basses had some mods done by me.

I can't think of any bass I owned that did not get something done to it.

jps wrote:

72rick wrote:.....very surprised by the few Alembics listed.

I used to have two Alembics, at the same time. I had a '87 Persuader (flame maple over mahogany) and a '84 Exploiter/Spoiler electronics (flame koa over mahogany). The Exploiter became fretless in my hands; both basses had some mods done by me.

I can't think of any bass I owned that did not get something done to it.

For a while, I considered trading my '72 Rick for an Exploiter to have that same pairing.

At the 1985 Winter NAMM Show, I got to play a Black Exploiter owned by Stanley Clark.
They said I could own it for only $1000.00, that bass was so hot!

Later that year I could have bought another Exploiter from American Music in Seattle for $700.00, it was probably identical to your! I tried to trade him a '74 Rick Jetglo and an Ibanez Bass/6-String Double Neck, but he said it was a cash only deal.
Back then the value of both basses only totaled $800.00

It took me till 1997, to own my first Alembic!

The Exploiter is a very comfy bass that sits nicely on a strap, with an arm rest. to boot!

Yet another late entry:

Music - Sundays at Church plus a little recreational songwriting/recording across a range of genres.

Non Ric Basses: From my flock, MIJ '62 RI J-bass, Jerry Jones U2 and Hofner V63 get the most play behind my '74 4000 and '74 4001 (the '72/3 Frankenrick is having a little work done and my Mosrite Mk 1 is part of a special project to be unveiled late this year).

I have only played bass with the current "hope to be something" cover band that I've joined. I've been using my Allen Woody for practice with them and adding that and my home-based basses to my individual practicing.

So, the list for basses is:

Ric 4003 JetGlo
Fender Geddy Lee Jazz
Epiphone Allen Woody short scale (but with really cool mini humbuckers)

Harley

Oops! I left out the music type for the, as yet unnamed, band. It's mostly 60s to 80s with a few newer ones. The singer is a bit eclectic in his choices so we have Doors to Eagles to Beatles to Neil Young and others.

IN previous bands I played guitar and did my share of the singing. Those were more Rock/R&B leaning. If I ever get to where I can play bass AND sing on a more regular basis I may try to set up that kind of band again.

Harley

My basses.

Aria ZZB Deluxe Bass (blue sunburst)
Artisan acoustic-electric bass
Burns Bison Reissue Bass (white).
Cort Violin Bass (antigue sunburst).
Danelectro Longhorn Bass (green burst).
Dean Rhapsody 8 String Bass (natural bubinga wood).
Dean Stage Acoustic guitar (natural).
Eastwood Classic Four Bass (White).
Epiphone '58 Flying V Bass (black).
Epiphone Firebird guitar (white).
Fender USA Standard Jazz bass (Candy Cola Red, 2008).
Fender 60th anniversary USA P Bass (3-tone sunburst finish).
Fender Precision Lyte Bass (Toffeeburst).
Fender Squier Modified Vintage 50's Precision Bass (Sunburst).
Fender Squier Classic Vibe 50's P Bass (Lake Placid Blue).
Fender Squier Precision Special Bass (Red sunburst).
Gibson SG Supreme Bass (Quilted maple top).
Gibson SGII guitar (Natural mahogany, 1974).
Gordy XR Custom fretless 'Explorer' style bass (natural wood).
Gretsch White Falcon guitar.
Hamer B12S 12-String Bass (Translucent cherry flame).
Hamer Chaparral long scale 12-String Bass (Black)
John Birch SCDR stereo bass (greenburst).
Rickenbacker 620 12-string guitar (in Jetglo finish)
Rickenbacker 4003 (in fireglo finish)
Rickenbacker 4003 (in midnight blue finish)
Rickenbacker 4003 (in limited edition Blue Boy finish)
Tokai TST 50 guitar (Stratocaster type, fiesta red)
Warwick Streamer Chrome Tone Bass.
Warwick Custom Shop Thumb bass (Walnut gloss).

Hartke HA3500 350w head, with Transporter 2x10 / 4x10 cabs
2x Trace Elliott 715 combo amplifiers

I think you may be missing a brand or two, Ian!