Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

In the latest copy of Bass Guitar magazine there is an article about Chris Squire and Rickenbacker.(It's the copy with Geddy on the front with his Jazz Bass). In the article Chris says he invented the stereo set-up on the 4001 basses. Squires Ric was built mono and he split the pick ups to get different sounds.
Here is some of the article:" Rickenbacker later released its on version of the split-pickup sound,using a stereo jack the company dubbed "Rick-o-sound." "Of course they use it in a different way," Squire says. "Sometimes I forget I invented that." BASS GUITAR, page 31.
I thought this was very interesting. The article is very good and has some very good pics. peace Grendel

That is not true, he's said that before too, Rickenbacker had stereo guitars from at least 1963.

My '60 Capri is Stereo. First year for this, I understand. Squire would have been 12...

Chris belives he invented the stereo BASS guitar, if I'm not mistaken. The bass was just a backing track before the pioneers, like Bruce and Squire, went mad on them.

Well who ever invented it, I'm glad they did. Since I now have two amps, I'm really waiting to here my new ric in stereo. By the way, Chris did put Ric basses on the map for me. Thanks Chris.

Same here - Chris Squire was the first player I heard of (except for Macca of course) who used the 4001, back in 1969. It was probably due almost solely to Chris and his use of the 4001 on early Yes albums that I stopped in wonder, slack-jawed, at that window display on the streets of New Orleans and bought my first brand-new 4001 in April 1971. Most of the US had not ever heard of Yes at that time.

It is also his fault that I blew nearly $900 each on a pair of Sunn Coliseum Lead heads (and blew even more on the speaker cabs) in 1974-75 just to see if I could get the TFTO sound that he did...

I went back to the SVTs later, but that Coliseum was a nice transistor amp...

I thought it was Al Gore who invented the Ric-o-Sound.

Yes but, it was I, using Rickenbacker 4001 bass, a Fender bassman amp, A Sunn Concert bass head, and a Sunn SPL cabinet who perfected the "Rick-O-Sound".

I did this by using a stereo cable, putting the bassman head through effects into the 10" speaker, and the Sunn clean through the 18" speaker. Obviously the bridge pickup had the dirty sound, the neck, the clean sound.

Then , I used a wireless to keep this setup in my attic, while I took the bass outside walking up and down the block playing thunderous bass notes.

This endeared my family to the neighbors for sure. Of course except for my neighbors, no one ever heard me use this set up, so I guess like Al Gore inventing the internet, and CS inventing the stereo bass sound, you're just going to have to take my word for it.

Funny thing was I never knew about the Rick-o-sound box. My local music store made me a stereo cable for about $25. I still have it.

I got a store-made stereo cable in 1977 from Wurlitzers in 1977 when I bought my first 4001. Never knew about the ric-o-sound box.

I love Squire as much as the next forumite, but the circuit is what is the issue here I'd think no matter what it's installed in...and as Paul said ROS has been a feature on a Rickenbacker since 1960, although I have yet to see it even as an option on a 4001 prior to 1970...that doesn't mean they didn't exist... Some of the 4005 owners have stated they have ROS on their basses, right?

Bass was recorded in 2-channel stereo years before Yes, and DI/mic on some Beatles tracks in the late 60's.

I can run a stereo cable straight into my Rickenbacker B-115 amp with stereo input. Beat that!

Is that THE Chris Squire who invented roundwound strings and performed the first heart transplant??? LOL!

Some of the 4005 owners have stated they have ROS on their basses, right?

I do, I do!