Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

In a thread about strings, I replied, I use Elixer strings. I was asked if they have flatwounds too. I never saw flatwounds. I only use flatwounds on a fretless(F*****r P-)bass. Proberly overhere in Holland we have different customs with basses, altough I use an all American bass-rig. (Eden WT-300, Mesa 2 x 10" and Peavey 4 x 10") Personally I like the "rasp & growl" of roundwounds on my 4003. I play mainly rock and metal, and once in a while some groovy stuff. Maybe because of that, I don't use flatwounds. Thinking of it: one of my bass heroes - Steve Harris/Iron Maiden uses flatwounds too - be it from Rotosound (which I think the brandname should be Rotten-sound).

But soundwise I've got the feeling that I'm quit different than most of the forum using Ampeg amps and flatwounds. It could be from walking on wooden shoes and eating cheese alday in Holland that we become like this.....LOL

Robin - The Netherlands.

Elixir doesn't make flatwounds.

I think plenty of us on this forum use roundwounds and non-Ampeg amps. And there's no doubt that rounds make up the great majority of overall sales. You just hear more alternative points of view here.

Wasn't Elixer the company that used to make flatwounds for Rics during the 70's or do I have the wrong name? And I did not mention Ampeg in my post. LOL

No, Maxima (of Germany) made the old RIC flatwounds.

Bob, with "Bobampeg" as your user name, you always mention it!

Haha, but your username tells it all, Bob.
Hey I'm enjoying my T-I flatwounds on 2 of my Rick basses and my Ampeg B100R.

Oh yeah, Maxima, residual brain damage from a mispent youth! haha. I have to change that stupid name, I use that because I never forget it, not because I'm trying to push Ampegs, it was my original E-mail screen name, cursed name!
I just have to say this: I'm sitting in an internet cafe here in Lima, with Latin dance music aimed at teen aged girls blasting out of a computer, you think Brittany Spears is bad! I apologize to any BP fans that may read this. But I do have to say it beats rap, I apologize to any rap fans that may read this LOL.

Mmmmm Maxima strings. Me gusto mucho.

Maxima? The prince of Holland, who is becoming King in a few years, is married with a girl from Argentina - and she's called Maxima, but I doubt that she plays either bass or makes strings LOL maybe she wears strings LOL.

Is she flatwound?

Robin - I played in a REALLY loud REALLY heavy band using flats on my Ric and it sounded great! I think it may depend on the line up tho - with 2 (& sometimes 3!) electric guitars, there's not much space left tonally, so flatwounds helped to make me sound more a part of the drums than the guitars.

I think AC/DC's Cliff Williams also uses flats and I don't think anyone can beat them for me....

Sometimes I use flatwounds, and yes, I have an Ampeg V-2 head.

That's one of the reason's I like flats so much, you are in your own place, you are below the guitars, not competing with them. I too played in a very loud 3 piece band and used flats, and the other two guys in the band loved them, they really filled in the sound of the band, it gave the guitar something to float on, and sounded great with the kick drum. The sound is SOLID!
Cliff used to use a 4001 jetglo at one time too. A mi me gusto mucho flatwounds tambien.

I never knew that. The earliest pics of him I can find show him with a Gibson Grabber. If anybody's got any pics of Cliff with a Ric I'd love to get a copy of one! Ah... hang on... it's just occurred to me that Mark Evans (their bassist '75-'77) used to play a 4001. You're not thinking of him are you Bob?

PS Does anybody have any pics of Macca with his Fireglo 4001S before he soiled it? Apart from the one that's in the 'Beatles Anthology' book.

There's another picture of it (but not at a good angle) in the Babiak's Beatles Gear book. Mal Evans is laying guitars out in prep of a gig, and the bass is in the foreground with the neck comin' at you. Those two are the only pics I remember seeing of the bass before it became "psychedelicized."

Tim, you are probably right, I know it was before their first great singer died (sad day) when I saw the picture. It was a jetglo that I saw I'm pretty sure.