The 4001's place in recording history

[jdogric12]

We all know the 4001 (4003) has a distinct tone. To my amateur studio ears, it's got plenty of bass, a killer treble bite, and a low/mid scoop to remove some of the "warmth" you get with a Fender bass.

I was listening to some of my own recordings on some lousy speakers last night and could still hear the Rick bass even though there was no subwoofer. Could the Rick's ability to catapult its sound to the top of the mix on 1970's stereo equipment have been a main contributor to it's success in that era? Just a thought. Discuss.

[jps]

Even with small speakers the unique mids and high end of the 4001 is quite apparent. When we started hearing it's tone back in the early '70s no other bass had that sound. Now keep in mind we are talking of primarily prog rock as, for example, Macca's tone was very different and to this day we still see discussions here on the RRF about whether Paul used his 4001S or Jazz Bass or Höfner on various Beatles recordings.

[ajish4]

Great topic Jdog!

EVEN before I knew I liked RIC's, I was able to pick out THAT SOUND from many other artists! Early Genesis, RUSH, Deep Purple,
McCartney, Renaissance, Nektar....that sound always came through...even in our old 66 Oldsmobile with stock AM/FM radio.

Only years later, did I discover that many songs I enjoyed, even through different styles (Bee Gee's for example) THAT SOUND has been the foundation of so many classic songs.

[deaconblues]

I think the late '60s - the '70s was the first time the bass took a prominent role in music, aided by better recording technology. IMO, the Rickenbacker bass' unique tonality really took advantage of that change in comparison to the usual Fender/Gibson offerings.

[leftybass]

Chris Squire = The 'awakening' of the Rickenbacker bass.

[winston]

Even though I was not really a bass player back in the 60's I knew what I wanted to hear on our recordings. Almost every bass sound was a little bit disappointing to me because I had this sound in my head that I wanted to get down on record. Then I heard Chris play Roundabout. It hit me like a sledgehammer. That was it, that was THE sound that I was after.

Good old Rickenbacker. I had been playing their guitars since I was 16. Who would have thought it would be their bass that I was looking for?

[jaymi]

Even though I was not really a bass player back in the 60's I knew what I wanted to hear on our recordings. Almost every bass sound was a little bit disappointing to me because I had this sound in my head that I wanted to get down on record. Then I heard Chris play Roundabout. It hit me like a sledgehammer. That was it, that was THE sound that I was after.

Good old Rickenbacker. I had been playing their guitars since I was 16. Who would have thought it would be their bass that I was looking for?

Between Chris and Geddy....that was all I could imagine...when i saw Geddy's Ric, I knew I wanted one and was given my first as a present in 1986...I have never looked back from that point...

[jdogric12]

Is there an EQ "sweet spot" involved here?

[jps]

Well, if you can still know that the bass is a Rick, even on small speakers, then the EQ sweet spot is in the upper bass to treble region.

[JakeK]

A Ric bass is a sound that will always be distinct. I know for a fact that a Ric 4001S is used by John Entwistle on "Can't Explain" by The Who as well as a 4005 on "The Seeker". It's musicians like Paul McCartney, Chris Squire and Geddy Lee (and to a minority, John Entwistle, Pete Quaife and Roger Waters) who made the Ric bass sound a classic one. What can you do? A Ric bass has a sound that is distinct and has a cool look to go with it!

[rickfan60]

Say what you will but I remember my heart skipping a beat the first time I heard My Sharona. I KNEW there was a Rickenbacker bass in the mix without ever seeing the album cover. There was no denying that tone. Nothing else sounds like that.

[kiramdear]

If Paul was the birth of the Rick bass sound, Chris was its coming-of-age. All the rest flowed from that, to oversimplify a bit.

[rickfan60]

With the possible exception of Lemmy, Squire is the only player who has consistently featured a Rick throughout his career. The others have had their "Rick" periods but Squire's Rick has been there year after year, decade after decade and he never seems to tire of it. I sure don't.

[johnallg]

Great topic Jdog!

EVEN before I knew I liked RIC's, I was able to pick out THAT SOUND from many other artists! Early Genesis, RUSH, Deep Purple,
McCartney, Renaissance, Nektar....that sound always came through...even in our old 66 Oldsmobile with stock AM/FM radio.

Only years later, did I discover that many songs I enjoyed, even through different styles (Bee Gee's for example) THAT SOUND has been the foundation of so many classic songs.

That is my experience too, Tony. Participating here on RRF, especially reading the Rickenbacker Artists forum, I've found out so many of the songs and groups I liked had Rick basses in them. I believe that is real factor in my enjoying them. I also think the 4001's playability and tone inspired the players to be more involved in composing and carrying the song.

[Spanky(Andy)]

I must be an odd one and certainly in the minority

I'm 43 and UK born, but came to Oz with my family in 1972 when I was 7. My first real knowledge of the Rickenbacker bass sound came courtesy of Mark Bedford (Bedders) of the English ska band Madness, and Bruce Foxton of the UK mod band The Jam.

The wonderfully woody, growly and farty bass tone in the Madness single "Baggy Trousers" sums it all up for me and always makes me smile. It's the sound that I hear from my 4003S and is what makes me crave another Rickenbacker bass.

Cheers

Andy
Proud owner of a road worn 1991 Jetglo 4003S