Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi Y'all,

Tonight I was watching the DVD of "Songs From Tsongas" (which I was lucky enough to have attended).

Question: Chris played all sorts of basses. I loved that green one the first time he used it (as well as that white one he used when the Buggles were on board). But I wonder, just why won't he ever wheel out a newer Ricky? Sure, an 8 string or that three neck monstrosity, but why play those others which just sound like a 4001 anyway?

Is there some bad blood or something? Really, it was the 4001 sound that helped define YES. Why no loyalty to the brand?

I sold my 1968 4001 to a friend of Squire's ... he claims that Chris only likes 60's Rics with the older weaker pickups and the thin 60's neck profile ... and I must say that 60's rics have a unique sound and resonance ...

He's already set the standard with Rickenbacker bass tone. Why would you want to mess with it ?

35+ years and running, we all love it, (at least some of us), try to imitate it, cant, wonder why, are amazed that he can and we cant, come to the conclusion that its the person, not necessarily the bass, but then think its because he has one of the very first ones and thats why, but then we here him play other basses and he sounds the same and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaahHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !

...

Actually yes I have. During the "Union" tour, at the Irving J. Nutter Center in Dayton Ohio. I had great seats along with a good freind of mine, watched Chris walk right past me, close enough to pat him on the back, carrying a CS 4001 reissue with his "signature" on the pickguard. Played the first couple of tunes with it, then switched to various other basses, including his RM1999. Just for the record, it sounded very "thin" compared to the original.

Then again, at that point in the show, it could, and probably was, the fault of the sound man.

Just for the record, here he is with JH and a 4004 CII.

I do like the sound of the Moradian on the "Tsongas" DVD.

The classic RM1999 really sounds good on "Starship Trooper" though.

I read an interview somewhere on the Yes in the Press site years ago where he said that they didn't make Rick necks like they used to-they'd become too chunky for his particular taste.

that's the good and bad about old 60's Rics ... the neck ... they feel really good in your hand ... but simply stringing them with Rotosound round wound strings stresses the neck beyond its design specs ... my old '68 held up fine and so did Squire's 4001 ... but some didn't ... Entwistle loved his 4001 until the neck went bogus ... but everybody who played my old '68 4001 just loved the neck ... I would say a 60's bass neck is my favorite feeling and playing neck around ... except it won't take a 5th string ... so for me the modern Ric's are the best because the neck is strong enough to take 5 strings ...

Also part of the reason the 60's basses sounded so good was the neck as well ... that weaker neck was more resonant than the modern neck ... and interestingly the modern 4003 sounds better when I add the 5th string ... the additional stress and tension on the neck improves the resonance and sound of the bass ... sort of like how putting rotosound round wounds on a 60's bass sounds incredible ...

"I read an interview somewhere on the Yes in the Press site years ago where he said that they didn't make Rick necks like they used to-they'd become too chunky for his particular taste."


I have small hands. Chris Squire has huge hands. And *he* says the modern neck is too chunky? I try to adapt to my neck, but it's certainly not comfortable. The 4001 neck is a dream to play compared to the 4003. Just my particular taste too I guess.

Strangely enough, I can relate to Mr. Squire. I have big hands...long fingers.... and I also like my 4001 neck much more than either 4003 I had.

I have small hands and I only play 5 string basses ... well sometimes a 10 stringer ... but that old '68 neck really felt good ... but I am at the point I can play all but the thickest and fattest of necks ... but the upside of the fatter necks of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and present is that you can get really low action all the way up and down the neck ... the old 60's necks didn't flatten out as well and newer necks ...

I always wondered this: there is that much difference between a modern 4003 neck and a p-bass neck, at least, not basic measurement-wise, so why is it that the neck of a 4003 feels infinitely more comfortable to me than that an American P-bass? Is there some measurement they don't take or what?