Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

You grew your hair long?

I wish Geddy would check out a 2008 4003 with the slim neck, new truss rods, vintage tone circuit, and maybe a Hipshot aluminum tailpiece. The Jazz just don't cut it for tone. And if it was a reliability issue with the old 70's Rick, what about all the neck issues with his vintage Jazz basses? He has a rack full just to go on stage. Yeah I know, alternate tunings, etc.

I'm with you John, Rush doesn't sound just right to me unless Geddy is paying a Rick.

Does Geddy still pay for his Ricks?

jps wrote:You grew your hair long?

Yeah. Bought a Groucho Marx nose, too.

rickenbrother wrote:I'm with you John, Rush doesn't sound just right to me unless Geddy is paying a Rick.

One of the bass sounds I've ever heard is Geddy's Rickenbacker on the "Exit Stage Left" live record and concert video. I like some of their later stuff as well, but that sound was rich and beautiful. Nothing quite like it....

rickenbrother wrote:I'm with you John, Rush doesn't sound just right to me unless Geddy is paying a Rick.

Funny - the guys in the Wal forums say the same thing, as do the guys in the Steinberger forum. Who's telling the truth!

ajish4 wrote:Chris Squire.

+1

johnallg wrote:I wish Geddy would check out a 2008 4003 with the slim neck, new truss rods, vintage tone circuit, and maybe a Hipshot aluminum tailpiece. The Jazz just don't cut it for tone. And if it was a reliability issue with the old 70's Rick, what about all the neck issues with his vintage Jazz basses? He has a rack full just to go on stage. Yeah I know, alternate tunings, etc.

Actually... he only has the '72 Jazz. The rest are '96 custom shop basses. And when it comes to the neck on teh 72 it was replaced with a CS signature neck this tour. There are no problems with it anymore. Personally, I couldn't care less anymore. The jazz is his baby and he had to be talked into playing the 4001.

mgauction wrote:

rickenbrother wrote:I'm with you John, Rush doesn't sound just right to me unless Geddy is paying a Rick.

Funny - the guys in the Wal forums say the same thing, as do the guys in the Steinberger forum. Who's telling the truth!

The problem for me was the whole radical change from the band they started out to be. It seemed to me that they dumped the whole metal power trio style of music (and fans) to instead appeal to the preppie and yuppie music listening community. It left alot of their metal fans thinking: "WTF?" When Geddy switched to the Steinberger boat paddle and Lifeson stopped using Gibsons, their sound got way too sterile and the keyboards were overused. Some songs had no bass guitar at all in them! As a bassist looking to hear one of my favorites play his bass, I really don't want to buy an album to hear songs where he only playing keyboards. Many would say that Geddy went to Steinberger because it was the '80's thing to do and it made switching back and forth to the keyboards easier...but theh he went to the Wal which seems to have a wider body than a Rick.
When Geddy started using the Wal his sound was way too thin and wimpy for me. I'm sure the Wal was not the whole reason for that, they just seemed to be in search of that perfect sterile sound, which does not at all appeal to me. Weren't they one of the first bands to record using only digital recording equipment? There were problems with that too.
The latest album does sound much more like old Rush. It would sound even better to me if Geddy used a Rick.

nattiep wrote:

johnallg wrote:I wish Geddy would check out a 2008 4003 with the slim neck, new truss rods, vintage tone circuit, and maybe a Hipshot aluminum tailpiece. The Jazz just don't cut it for tone. And if it was a reliability issue with the old 70's Rick, what about all the neck issues with his vintage Jazz basses? He has a rack full just to go on stage. Yeah I know, alternate tunings, etc.

Actually... he only has the '72 Jazz. The rest are '96 custom shop basses. And when it comes to the neck on teh 72 it was replaced with a CS signature neck this tour. There are no problems with it anymore. Personally, I couldn't care less anymore. The jazz is his baby and he had to be talked into playing the 4001.

Not according to his bass tech....
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393208

Macca
Foxton
Townshend (and to a lesser degree Entwistle)
Graham Gouldman (who used a Jazz bass far more often, though I don't like Jazzes as a rule)
Martin Gordon (Sparks / Radio Stars)

Royston Langdon
Macca
Chris Squire
Mike Mills
Mickey Quinn

johnallg wrote:

nattiep wrote:

johnallg wrote: Not according to his bass tech....
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393208

John, that is one of the best threads EVER. Thanks for posting it here, I spent 2 hours reading it!

JakeK wrote:Which artists inspired you to have a liking for Rics?

Lemmy was the only one responsible for me buying my first Rick. Later I found out there was more music with Rickenbackers on it (like early Hawkwind ). And I found out I also liked these sounds very much (still do).