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The funniest descriptions of the Rick bass sound.
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:38 am
by blazer
"A Rickenbacker ought to sound like an overloaded freighter grinding over a flint bottom of a too shallow river."
- Guitarist (UK Magazine) on how the Line6 Modelling bass fails to deliver on the "Rickenbacker" setting.
"It sounded like a chainsaw cutting up a concrete wall."
- Lemmy
"Twang and grunt."
- TGM (UK Magazine) describing Paul Mccartney's sound after he ditched the Hofner during the Wings era.
"Concrete mixer"
- Yours turly when talking about that typical rattle that Chris Squier has on tracks like "Roundabout".
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:48 am
by rickfan60
We can add those to clanky, grindy, farty, and growly,
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 8:58 am
by cheyenne
Dont forget "gank" and "honk".
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:09 am
by jwr2
I think the line 6 bass had a sample from a 60s 4001 with flats programed in ... that just doesn't give you the Geddy Lee/Chris Squire/Lemmy sound ...
I love line 6 ... but not everything they do is great ...
you gotta have a real Ric bass with roundwound strings, low action, fter buzz, distortion, and play it aggressively to get that sound ...
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:17 am
by s4001
"It sounded like a chainsaw cutting up a concrete wall."
- Lemmy
That's funny. I've never heard that quote before, but that's how I've always described the 'Ric' tone. The perfect description.
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:51 am
by ilan
Somehow the epitome of Ric bass tone to me is Glover's neck toaster tone on Pictures of Home. I don't know how I would describe it but the word "hollow" comes to mind.
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:18 am
by cheyenne
Right on with "hollow" I call it "honk".
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:27 am
by clankchris
"I think the line 6 bass had a sample from a 60s 4001 with flats programed in"
They also have a setting for roundwounds, ala Squire(they even mention him)
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:08 pm
by just_bassics
I always described the Glover "Pictures of home" sound as "sinister", that tone always got me.
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:29 pm
by edski
Squires sound on Close To The Edge always brought "meat grinder" to mind...
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:03 pm
by beatlefan
Someone here used "gerch-pang" a while back while describing the sound...
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:11 pm
by jwr2
I recently put some Yes songs on my mp3 player ... the Squire bass sounds from the early 70s are really nice ... a good balance of low end, mid growl, treble bite, distortion, fret buzz, and aggressive attack ... and best of all the engineer put the bass really up front in the mix ...
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:03 pm
by rictified
You guys are living in the past, try getting into your average band with a bass that sounds like a hollow gritch-ping meatgrinder today, you'll get the door shown to you unless it's a 70's prog rock tribute band.
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:53 pm
by sloop_john_b
I agree Bob! My Rick basses thump - just a fat, full sound rich in bass and short on treble.
These basses sure are versatile, huh!
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:03 pm
by kidvett
Bob,
I am in partial agreement....I play in 2 bands. One is a vintage 70-80s ``soft rock`` type outfit ( not my primary band ). They gave me heck yesterday because of my Ric sound !! They wanted something more ``soft in the back`` !! I told them I play a RIC and this is my sound !! Later on I pulled out a P bass ( set up w/ rotos & duncan spb3 ) and gave them one hell of a screetchy-razor-distorted sound while playing some GnR...
Marc