Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

what other basses do you own and use?

I only ask, because I yesterday snared myself a Fender Geddy Lee Jazz in a sale. I've got a lot of gigs coming up - some in not so nice places - so needed something so I don't have to constantly hammer the Rics, or worry about them in dodgy places!!

Obviously it's never a replacement, but just something else to rely on when needs be. I actually rehearsed with it last night...and it's good!!

So is it Rics all the way, or have any of you got your toes in the water of the dark side (ie other brands)??

Hmm.. Hope we are allowed to post competitor's stuff here. So, I also have a Stingray, Bongo, cheap Beatles bass copy from Rogue(which plays and sounds great, btw..)
My Ric doesn't go to gigs.. Too valuable to me..
G.

I have a Stingray and some Vox from the 80's that i've never been able to identify, like this one...

N.F.A. wrote:Hmm.. Hope we are allowed to post competitor's stuff here. So, I also have a Stingray, Bongo, cheap Beatles bass copy from Rogue(which plays and sounds great, btw..)
My Ric doesn't go to gigs.. Too valuable to me..
G.

I have an '05 Fender Jazz Bass, lovely instrument, and an ancient Kay P-Bass copy that weighs a ton. The Ric is so much easier to play well than either of them, especially the top half of the neck, so it most definitely DOES come to gigs!

Besides my (7) Rick's I own
- NS Wav (electric upright)
- Klira 162-3
- Squier Katana (my first own bass)
- Warwick Streamer LX Jazzman 5
- Bach Precision

pictures can be found here in chronological order of ownership.

My "other" bass is a '65 Jazz Bass that I've had for 20 years. It was the one and only that I used up until I got my 1st 4001V63 in 2004. Since then it's been Ricks all the way.

I also have a 5 string mexi Jazz, and a 1940 Kay M-1 upright.

'99 MIA Jazz Bass. I adore it.

Waterstone Tp-12/32 12 string basses x2
De-armond Ashbory bass (rubber string thing)
Jack Spira 8 String bass (the only one in fact)

I'll get a "P" bass one day perhaps..

Eden.

I had a beautiful Jazz Bass for a while, but sold it. Now I'm all Rick. 28 years with Ricks has made nothing else acceptable. The scale, the balance, the neck feel, the tone...I've played a million other brands. Some are very good, but none hold a candle to my Ricks. And I'm done searching.

I was on a kick where I thought it would make me more versatile to have a diverse stable of basses, but in the end I decided that I have all the versatility I need in my Ricks. I am lucky enough to have several different forms of Rick bass: 4 string hi gain w/RW, 4 string hi gain w/flats, 4 string vintage pickups w/RW, hollowbody w/flats, 4 string fretless w/flats, 5 string, 8 string, 4 string w/humbuckers, 4 string w/alternate pickup placement (4002). My favorites are still my '87 4003S's, but they're all great instruments and I think they provide all the versatility I need right now and then some.

There's no point in me gigging with a cheapie bass either. I just don't play as well on a bass that's not familiar. I have some older Ricks that have a bit of Mojo for gigs with tight stage space or in dodgy venues. I guess my only worry would be an outdoor gig and a sudden downpour. That would be a nightmare, but I'm sure I'd be able to get my Rick(s) out of the rain before they got ruined.

so...

- MiroN OnE (do it myself)
- MB Duke, (Italian made)
- MiroNenBackeR (can you see it in my avatar)
- Fender Jazz 5 strings EMG power
- Fender Precision 5 strings
- Godin Z111
- Rickenbacker 4001
- Esh Sovereign 6 strings
- Vigier Excess II
- MiroN Rickenberger Headless
- Vampire MiroN made
- Franky Fretless
- Jazz Warmoth fretless
- Harley Benton HBB 1960
- Dean Rapsody 12 strings
- Carvin 5 strings piezo & whammy
- Yamaha MiroN CUSTOM (like Sheehan Attitude)
- Epiphone Thunderbird
- Franky 5 Strings
- Double neck (telecaster/Precision) MiroN Custom
- MiroN 4001 Custom
- Rickenbacker 4003

Ok... I've got quite a few, so I'll just go through my main "gigging at nasty places" basses:

MIJ '62 J (with CS '62 Pups)
'71 Musicmaster
Jerry Jones U2
'71 P

The J-bass is great to play and was dirt cheap, the Musicmaster is indestructible, the Jerry Jones is extremely versatile, and the P was my main bass throughout my garage/teenage venue/nasty pub band mini-career in the '80s/early '90s - it's seen way worse places than anywhere I would play now...

Current bass list, some great stuff, some cheap stuff.

1. Brice violin bass(LH)
2. Davison Hollowbody bass(LH)
3. Dean Pace electric standup bass
4. Eastwood EEB-1 bass(LH)
5. Epiphone EB-O bass(LH)
6. Epiphone Flying V bass
7. Epiphone Rivoli bass
8. Fender Jazz Bass-white(LH)
9. Fender Jazz Bass-blue(LH)
10. Fender Jazz Bass-sunburst(LH)
11. Fender Jazz Bass FSR(LH)
12. Fender Precision Bass(LH)
13. Gibson EB-2 bass(Stereo)
14. Gretsch Synchromatic BassVI 6-string bass(modded to LH)
15. Hamer B12S 12-string bass
16. Hofner 500/1 V63 reissue Beatle Bass(LH)
17. Ibanez ASB140 bass
18. Ibanez GSR200L bass(LH)
19. Ibanez Jazz Bass(LH)
20. Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass
21. Jerry Jones Longhorn BassVI 6-string bass
22. Kona acoustic bass guitar
23. Peavey Millennium BXP bass(LH)
24. Phantom "Nigel Special" bass(LH)
25. Phantom BW Teardrop Hollowbody Bass
26. Rickenbacker 4001CS bass(LH)
27. Rickenbacker 4001S bass(LH)
28. Rickenbacker 4003 bass(LH)
29. SX Jazz Bass(LH)
30. SX Jazz Bass-Fretless(LH)
31. SX P-Bass(LH)
32. SX P-Bass short-scale(LH)
33. SX P/J-Bass(LH)
34. SX Scorpion Bass(LH)
35. Steinberger L2 bass(Previously Owned by Dee Murray)

Ricks are just one part of my stable. Right now I have:

'72 4001
'73 4001 (for sale)
'05 4004
'64 Fender Jazz
'64 Fender Precision
'66 Fender Precision (for sale)
custom Fenderbird with a darkstar pickup
Warmoth fretless jazz-style

The past few gigs have been on my Fenderbird and 4004. The Fenderbird sounds awesome live in the mix. The only one I rarely play is the fretless. Well, and the '72 4001 since it's been in San Francisco for a while!

I'm not real sensitive to changes in neck profile, string spacing, etc., so I like to switch between basses. But let me tell you, going from the Fenderbird ('51 precision reissue neck) to the '64 jazz and back is a massive difference. It takes me a few minutes of playing to remember where the strings are! I've been playing the 4004 the most lately, though.

besides my 2 ricks, i have a black jazz bass copy made from various 70's,80's and new parts,and a danelectro hodad strung w/ghs flatwounds.(great sounding bass!) i would like to check out a lace helix bass sometime.....(neck through,natch)