Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Does anyone know why Mike Mills of REM stopped using a Rick bass?

I heard (rumor here) he got annoyed that rick fretboards tend to pop off the neck.

Somebody posted a pic of Mills with an 8-string Rick in the studio for the current album.

Which albums did he use a rick for?

I'm pretty sure he used a Rick bass in the early years (early 80's) as a main axe.

Mr. Phelps: I agree with you. You can see Mike with his Model 4001 here.

Which particular album was the last Rick album?
Murmur?
Reckoning?
Fables?
Life's Rich Pageant?


Enquiring Mike Mills fans want to know!

I saw them on their "Pre-construction" tour, a pre-release Fables tour, and he was playing a non-Rick bass.

As far as I know, Mike stopped using his 4001 because one of the pickups went sour/died and he just made a change to the Fender bass you see him with most often today. I think this happened around '85-'86. I'm guessing that "Fables" was the last record Mike used the 4001. Peter's 360JG has appeared on every R.E.M. record to date.

For the new R.E.M. album (due Spring 2004, I think) it seems like we will be able to hear Mike playing a Ric bass once again.

I'll be seeing them on September 30th at the ACC in Toronto

I met Mike when I was on tour with my band going thru Athens. I think it was 1981. Anyway I had a 4001 that Ken Smith had put a badass bridge in for me because I was breaking strings.
Mike saw my bass and asked me about it. I think he did the same thing shortly after that.

Maybe that wasn't his only problem with the bass. also remember REM's sound was evolving heavily when he made the switch to Fender and it was just that he thought he needed that sound.

Anyway, I always thought the guy was a unique and terrific bassplayer and that in the early days especially, The Rickenbacker was perfect for his sound.

I remember reading an article about him, don't know when or where, probably the mid 80's, and he said something like he switched to the P bass because he was going back to his roots, and he then really sung the praises of P basses. He, if I remember right said or insinuated that he had started on a P bass.

How much did Fender pay him to say that

I still think The Rick fits his style. He's never just chugging along on the root. His basslines are full of melody and counterpoint.

He's really the melody in the band, except for the vocals. Pete Buck is not a typical "lead" player and more power to both of them!

Yeah I was very surprised to read those comments, I thought along similar lines, kinda like kissing up to Fender.
I liked his Ric stuff also, and was surprised he would change his sound so much, I like P basses, but I thought he had a much better sound with the Ric.

I know this is a rickenbacker forum but, since we're on the subject of REM. I always gave Pete Buck alot of credit. The story I heard was that Pete had started playing two weeks before he joined the band. Suffice to say he didn't have the chops the others had.

He heard the whispers of others to the band suggesting they might be better off with another guitarist. he worked constantly at his playing. Jamming with every band in sight. It paid off. I consider him world class on guitar.

I also credit the band. Despite what others said, I don;t think they thought for a moment about replacing him.

Does anyone know how Peter Buck gets the "jangle" out of his 360/6? Is it just straight through to the amp or is there something in between? Studio enhancements to his Rick's chime?

As the story goes, originally, R.E.M. (and they played their first gig as "Twisted Kites") was going to have Mike Mills as the guitarist and Peter Buck as the bass player, due to the obvious difference in technical skill at the time. Of course, the band would have sounded much different, if that had bappened.

Rkbsound - I think Peter is pretty standard with his sound - Ric, Vox, some overdrive or tremolo. To borrow a quote from someone I forget, the secret to Peter Buck's sound is in his right hand.