Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Okay, since I'm back at college, I'm playing my Genz Benz amp rather than the small Fender combo that I've got at home. They're very different, mainly in that the Fender amp can easily make my Ric sound like a P-bass, and that with the Genz-Benz, the pickups don't turn to quiet mud when I mess with the tone knobs.

And I was doing just that about an hour or so ago. I switched to the treble pickup, turned the tone knob *just* to the point when the treble growl drops out partially (just before it turns to mud, when there is still bite there . . . it's a bit hard to find, just listen for it) . . . and now my Ric sounds like a Wal. I'm serious. It's an ever-so-slightly more aggressive sound, but it's there. I heard it, and I was like, "WHOA!!!" so I pulled out my tab of "Open Secrets" from Rush's Hold Your Fire album, and MAN did it sound great. It was like, the absolute right sound . . . it's also a perfect funk sound if you play up closer to the neck pickup.

The only disadvantage to this discovery is that I no longer have a reason (other than looks) for wanting a Wal. But still . . .

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!! I NEED TO TRY THAT!

Ok, it was just the treble pickup? I've said it many time. The Rick sound is number 1, the wal is number two. if I can get both sounds out of the same bass I'm gonna pee myself!

Yeah. The thing is, there's a lot of other stuff going on with my sound right now . . . I've got freshly-dead DR Hi-Beams on (though they still sound quite good, amazingly . . . best strings EVER!), and I've got a 4003 whereas I believe you have a 4001. If you've got a cap bypass, though, you should be fine. But yeah, I think it's got a lot to do with the strings and my amp settings as well.

I've got the Genz-Benz set like this: Bass @ 4:30, Mid Level @ 5:00, Mid Freq @ 3:00, High @ 3:00. Then, of course, there's the gain knob, which is at about 9:00.

But yeah, just the treble pickup, and roll off the treble tone until you hear the growl completely drop out, then slowly move it back up until right when it starts to get punchy again. Then play in between the two pickups really hard. That should do it. If you want it less aggressive, just play right over the neck pickup. You can still tell it's a Ric, but it's SO CLOSE.

Yeah, I have a 4001.. no bypass though. The cap is on because I'm
1. too lazy to bypass it and
2. Geddy's had that cap, and I'm still keeping that bass for the tribute.

I play really hard between the pickups a lot, but now a days I play really light and fast over the bridge pickup. My strings are really dead though. I've had those on since September. I have new set of Rotosounds, but I want the neck adjusted before I put them on.

Well, it might still work. However, with the cap on, it might cut too much bass out. Try it with both the bridge and the neck, but with the bridge tone cut like I said. That might do it. Let me know how it works out . . .

Nate-

If you are changing to a different brand or gauge of string then you should have your neck adjusted AFTER the new strings are on. And I'm sure that you've already heard this before, but be careful who you pick to adjust it. Make sure that he/she knows how to adjust RIC's old truss rod system. A very large percentage of "guitar techs" don't know how to adjust the rods on an old Rick and will do more harm than good.

Oh, ok, I'll put the Roto's on later then. I know about the whole adjust thing. I'm going to send a printout of Joey Vasco's bass notes site with the correct instructions so it gets done right.

I found that I did not need to adjust my 4001's neck at all when I changed string brands. Rotosound 45-105 to d'addario 45-100... resulting in lower action to a perfect level... then went to elixir 45-100 which kept the same action as the d'addarios.

yeah, my neck has a forward bow right now though, so I need it adjusted.

Well I put the RS strings on today.. I just played "La Villa" and "Free Will" about 20 min ago.. best bass sound ever. My little combo is a tube amp. I turned down the volume a bit and raised the bridge pickup. I played above the neck pickup or between the pickups for most of the rhythm stuff and over or behind the bridge pickup for the jam stuff.

It has that nice new string brightness, and jus that right tone for the Geddy sound. I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of stuff (I play mono) but that sound was simply incredible. when i was done I yelled "NOW THAT'S WHAT A BASS SHOULD SOUND LIKE!" Thank god I'm home alone!

My mom noticed the change in sound earlier today. "It sounds louder and more alive."

Unless I can get strings like these that bend easier I'm sticking to these.

I love my Genz-Benz. Can't understand why you don't see more big names using them.

Same here. It's a really freaking amazing amp, and for not much money at all. Part of me is wishing I'd gotten the 2x10 rather than the 1x15, but it sounds great as it is.

Nate - just a note of caution, and take it in stride... (it might depend on the finish of your strings, ie. nickel, etc.) several of us have tried Rotosounds and noticed increased fretwear. I, too, loved their sound when I first tried them in the late 90's, but they ate grooves in my basses frets. YMMV. Just keep an eye on it, it's a possibility....

They're already worn. They've been worn. I want to replace them, but I lack the cash. I think they've had roto's on before.. but I'm not sure.

Rotos Ate My Frets .. sounds like an Oprah episode. But they did, way back in 1972, within six months of my putting them on. Did the same thing to my P bass, but twice as quickly. I had hoped they would have fixed that by now by using harder frets.

I've had two Genz-Benz: a 2 x 10 200W that slanted back for use as a stage monitor, and my curret NEOx 400, with 1x12 and tweeter. I can't believe how much bottom this thing puts out.