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I wanted to share the beautiful sound of the c64S on a new tune of mine. All I did was run it through a direct box into the mixer.

The song is still a demo, especially the vocals.. still working on that, but just LISTEN to how beautifully the Rick sits in the mix! I hardly did anything to it.

The song has been removed from the charts so I'm not asking for clicks or all that jazz that people do. I think when you hear the bass, you'll understand why I had to share it here..

Solar System Man DEMO
lo-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5324929&q=lo
hi-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5324929&q=hi

Nice tone! Needs to be louder though!!

You're right, the sound of the C64S fits the song like a glove.

LOL, I would love to crank it up more. Are you serious? But then we're all bass players here..

I was so stoked when I heard it happening. That open A is so good in the lead part, I almost skipped putting any lead on there at all. The bass tone is sweet enough to carry the part!

Great tone! The Rick is merrily grinding along!

A hint of King Crimson there.... and I mean that as a compliment!

Hey Dave nice tune, The Ric sounds sweet, I have a C64 and love that also,I have a C64S on my wish list and after hearing yours I simply just gotta get one of them, You have a gem of a bass there I wish you all the best, take good care and please always stay safe, Happy Ricken.

Dave that sounds SO good - classic C64S

Excellent

It does sound nice. I wish I had a recording of my own C64S for you. Sounds different from my older 4001s, but really sounds nice.

Awesome tone. Well done!
What's the difference between a c64s and a c64?

Quite a lot! :-

http://www.rickenbacker.com/model.asp?model=4001C64
http://www.rickenbacker.com/model.asp?model=4001C64S

>>>I wish I had a recording of my own C64S for you. Sounds different from my older 4001s, but really sounds nice.<<<

I can vouch for that! That thing has a nice sub-sonic rumble to it. And it's shoeless! Instant nice tone. I need one of those some day.

Thank guys.

I actually don't know what the difference would be between a c64S and a vintage Rick. I can say that the c64S is pretty different from my c2001 v63 (now sadly departed to other hands). The tone is clearer, or, I dunno, better to my ears. It has to be the cap because otherwise there's not too much different between them that I can tell. What I want to know is, do the 4003's with the vintage tone selector sound just as "good"? Maybe I should have saved myself a few hundred dollars..

It's a vanity issue, though. I just love the shoes. And they are NOT coming off!

Phillip, aside from the cosmetic issues, I can't imagine that there is much difference between a c64 and a c64S. They should sound identical, as much as any two instruments can.

Wow that is really nice tone! Pretty but ballsy...just what you want from a Rick. Sounds especially good when you go up to the high notes. Then you can really tell the difference between the C64S and a lesser bass.

"I can vouch for that! That thing has a nice sub-sonic rumble to it. And it's shoeless! Instant nice tone. I need one of those some day."

Thanks Tom. I'm glad you got to play/hear it. Ted really liked its tone as well. I believe his comment was "that thing just HONKS!"

David- I also have a 2006 4003 with the vintage tone circuit. They both sound like Ricks, but they sound different. I don't know how to describe the difference, but I'd say that if you really like the tone from your C64S, then you probably made the right choice. I'd also say forget about the few hundred bucks you may have saved. Your bass is more unique, has that comfy S body, and the horseshoe that you love.

My C64S is also very clear. I've removed the 'shoes but kept the horseshoe pickup. I don't care that it doesn't look as "cool" anymore, it plays better(for my style of playing, anyway).

I bypassed the cap on mine. IMHO, it REALLY helped. The capped tone just isn't for me.

And as for comparing the tone of the C64 vs. C64S, the finished fretboard of the C64 should make the bass a bit brighter. My '98 V63 is a bit brighter than my C64S. The zero fret on the C64S should make a slight difference as well.

You know what? I have a c64SJG, so I'm pretty sure the fretboard is finished on it too. I guess it should sound like a c64 then, plus whatever little bit the zero fret adds.

Ahhh, I see. Yes the fretboard is finished on yours. Cool basses, all! Gotta love the low action down by the nut on these, huh?