Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

What kind of rig are you all running your Ric's through? Have any of you noticed an amplifier that is the best for that ric-o-sound?

I use a Trace Elliot 715 , 150w solid state with a 15" driver. Fantastic gritty bass sound

I can hear the groans now, but an Ampeg SVT is killer for a Ric (and the back).

Trace Elliot AH350-SMX with the Trace 2103H and a 1X15 Engergy cab. This has proven to be a very flexible rig for me and I can get most any tone I want out of it.

I agree with Bob about the SVT, I have one too. Another rig I have that sounds especially good wth my 4003 and 4001 is a Sunn Colliseum 300 and a Sunn 8028 cabinet. The cabinet has 1-18 and 1-12 with an internal passive X-over.

I have too many bass amps I think. <g>

Ampeg makes great stuff ... good preformance and a good price ... even the solid state stuff is warm sounding ...

the svt is good ... and then you have to move it .. groan ...

I use the ampeg b2r with 2x10 and 1x18 cabinets as my main rig ...

Mesa makes some great stuff but it gets pricey ...

Rick, I use a GK 800, but must be on bi-amp. The lows go to an SWR 15" and the highs to a Hartke with two 10's. Good sound, I can move everything by myself and I didn't need a mortgage to get the stuff.

What about Ashdown? I may be able to get a good deal on an Ashdown MAG250. I do not have my Ric yet, but I tried it w/my other basses and it sounds great.

Bob said

I can hear the groans now, but an Ampeg SVT is killer for a Ric (and the back).

Absolutely!

I use any combination of the following:

Walter Woods 650 watt 2 channel amp.
Ampeg PB250 amp.
Mesa/Boogie Studio Caliper amp.

Custom made 1-10 cabinet with EV 10BX.
Mesa/Boogie Diesel 1-15 cabinet with EVM15L.
'68 2-15 Sunn cabinet with Eminence Delta 15s.

My basses include a '73 4001, two Zon 5/1s (fretted and fretless), Rick Turner Renaissance RB5-FL, Fender AV '62 Jazz Bass and soon (8-10 months I've been told, ha ha, but probably more like a year and a half, I should have a 4004Cii).

I run my '01 4003 through an Ampeg B2R & BSE-410H. For a while I also had a 1-15 hooked to it. Two 8ohm or one 4ohm cab is definitely the way to go with a B2R.

For general practice and take-out service, I have a cheap used Marshall AVT20 I got off eBay then modified with an Eminence B102 10" speaker and Scan-Speak resistive flow vent then packed with 2/3 pound of Acousta-Stuff. Sounds OK with a 4004L and OLP MM2 (MusicMan copy) and allows really wild, heavy sounds with a 650D and an effects pedal. The typical Marshall brown sound is reduced as it stays cleaner at higher levels. Still sounds tubey when driven hard.

Also a SansAmp RBI that is run through anything that is high fidelity and high powered for modeling. For listening through headphones, a B&K Pro-10MC audiophile preamp with built-in phono amp and headphone amp. Eviction Level Power provided by a B&K ST-202+ stereo amp with 300WPC @ 4 ohms. Speakers.........anything I feel like hooking up and trying.

I have a Hartke 1415 combo. Works for me!

Like Jeffrey Scott, I also have a Walter Woods Ultra Hi-power amp. However, it is in transit back to Walter for repair since it died on me the night of July 4th at a private party gig. I called Walter on July 8th to discuss the problem and he assured me repeatedly after learning the details that I had done nothing to cause the amp to malfunction. Even though the amp is no longer under warranty, he generously offered to repair it, regardless of the problem, for a charge of only $50 to cover the cost of return shipping and insurance. Walter is indeed a class act all the way.

In the meantime, I still have my Eden WT-500 as a backup. It's a great bass amp and recommended for anyone searching for high caliber bass tone.

By the way, my cab is a Euphonic Audio VL-210B in 4 ohm. This model has been discontinued and it would take a lot of money to get me to part with mine.

I just picked up an Ampeg PortaBass 250 as my home practice or impromptu jam amp.To go with it I use one of my two twin 12" custom Thiele enclosures finished out with Ampeg Blue Diamond vinyl and grill cloth. This cab has an inexpensive pair of Carvin 400 watt speakers in it while my other one has a pair of 400 watt EVM 12L's. The Carvin's are only $89.00 a piece and can't be beat for the money.

I just received my 4003 JG, and I couldn't wait. So I went downstairs to my rehearsal room, and plugged it into my Ampeg B-100R.

Three words are enough to describe how it sounds : OH-MY-GOD ! Deep and warm, giving some extra low-end to the specific Rick tone. A great combination, IMO.

All the best,
JL