Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My main gig rig is a '95 Trace Elliot AH350SMX w/ TE 2x10 and 1x15 cabs and my Ricks sound fantastic through that amp, I still haven't found another amp/rig I like nearly as well and I've auditioned many. My Ricks also sound great through my '65 Ampeg SB-12, GK MB150E and my old faithful Sunn Coliseum 300 paired with a 1X15 Energy cab or Sunn 8028.

While responding to this thread I would be curious whether the bass rig you choose would be different for a 5 string versus 4 string bass.

I can't carry the heavy gear these days.
I use a Hartke LH500 head, with two Eden 12' (concentric horn) cabs.
I play finger style blues/rock, these size cabs cover the highs & lows well, & are easily portable.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af2 ... 3748v3.jpg

Bass > Sansamp Para-Driver > Carvin HD1500 > GK 410 MBX.

Actually, I'm waiting on the power amp as we speak. So I guess this wont be my rig until next week. I like component rigs, lots of flexibility.

My Energy 1X15 was phenomenal with a four string but didn't work at all for the five string. The Bag End 2X10 is just about the same size, maybe even a little smaller, and sounds solid down to a low B.

admin wrote:While responding to this thread I would be curious whether the bass rig you choose would be different for a 5 string versus 4 string bass.

The rigs that I've mentioned using have great results with a 5 string bass guitar. Most well built modern bass cabs will handle a B string with no problem. Speaker size doesn't not matter, it's the design of the cab. One one the cabs I love very much, is the older style SWR Henry 8 X 8" cab. It has 8 - 8" speakers, handles a 5 string very well and is no slouch with low end, punch and growl. It's just heavy, which is why I don't own one, though I'm always tempted when I see a used one offered at a great price on Craigslist. How well the B string of a 5 string bass guitar sounds depends on the design of the instrument, B string break point over the bridge, it's setup, strings used and the technique of the bassist.
There are however, some are some bass cabs which I've heard, that claim to be able to handle a B string, which I've tried and thought sounded awful when the B string was played.
Some even have vids available to watch hear on the internet. I cringe, when I hear the B string played, then laugh when I hear the demonstrator say, "See, it even handles the B string great!"

jps wrote:Yeah, that was the prototype you swindled down to your Man Cave, right?

i sold it to a human in england that had a few 400w slaves and an emply head cab that did not have the fan holes cut in the sides. sold it on the bay for $3500.00 usd as it was one of a 100 ever made. it was a '73 i bought in toronto at a used store in 1995 for $500.00 cdn, cause it did not work. put new tubes in and i had to run from the launch pad !!!

thanks Joey, I appreciate you having a brief sidebar here. I thought the speaker size may matter so I have learned something. Back to our regular programming.

I played my first gig last night with my Ric through my new/old Trace Elliot preamp into a GK 700RBII effects loop pushing an SWR Goliath. I have never owned any Trace gear although I have always wanted to since the late 80's when I first became aware of them. Well after one gig......I am HOOKED!

The sound was so crystal clear and punchy. I have several preamps and this one is right up there with my Alembic F1-X. My Ric 4003 was just huge and the clarity was exactly the sound I was after.

Kiddwad57 wrote:My Energy 1X15 was phenomenal with a four string but didn't work at all for the five string. The Bag End 2X10 is just about the same size, maybe even a little smaller, and sounds solid down to a low B.

I don't recall having any issues with my Energy cab and my M*dulus Q5 but it's been awhile since I've played that combination. I think that cab might be the best sounding, tightest 1X15 I've ever played through. The downside as you know is it weighs a ton and with that slick cabinet finish it's just difficult to get ahold of and move around. There's a 300 watt McCauley in it as I recall, I still have the documentation on it somewhere.

I play my Rics (and "other" basses) through a Phil Jones M-500 head into Phil jones 8x5" and 16x5" cabs. What a great sounding rig.
The 5" speakers don't really have a "sonic signature" like 10", 15", and 18" speakers tend to do, they simply reproduce the full tonal range of the bass with astonishing clarity and volume. Each 5" speaker handles 100w @ 8 ohms, and their transient response is unbelievable. I'ts a very natural sounding amp - Rics sound like Rics, Jazz basses sound like Jazz basses, etc., and my Spectors through the PJB setup have the hard rock/heavy metal tone that I've spent the last 30 years (and embarrasing amounts of money) searching for.
Highly recommended.

I used to play this long time ago ('63 bassman 50 and '7something bassman 100):



And now play this (Mesa Boogie 400 + 2 x 15" diesel cabs):


And have this for practice at home (Fender musicmaster + Rickenbacker RB30):



I also have a '63 Fender bassman with 2 x 12" piggyback of which I use the amp through a Weber Mass of which the line-out goes into my macbook for practicing or recording.

Do you still have that Gibson, Bert?

Wow, some seriously sweet rigs here!

I am done with heavy gear myself as well. These days the Ric is going through an Ashdown Little ******* tube amp to a pair of Bergantino AE112. Sounds great and does the job.

jps wrote:Do you still have that Gibson, Bert?

Yes, it was my first quality bass (after the not so good Squire Katana which is visible in the pic with the Mesa gear). I've sold it some years ago but got the opportunity to buy it back.