Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

A 12-string 4001 would you believe?

Here's a sound bite: 4001/12

Tuned B-b-b, E-e-e, A-a-a, D-d-d.

Mark, first let me say that bass has awesome tone. Great sound and bass part. I'd like to hear the full song. Is that done with an octaviser that goes one up and one down?

Wow!!!!! Beautiful tone!

Hopefully, Dane and I can make this a reality.

Incredible sound.

Thanks guys. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I do have an 8-string project presently in limbo, and I wanted to emulate the sound I anticipate getting from the bass when it's done. I got a little greedy, of course, and added 4 additional strings for this song.

John - I'd love to milk the mystery for all it's worth, (dropping little hints like: no effects were used, there were 12 strings played at all times, etc etc,) but who's got time for that? So here's the skinny on the project:

It's a combination of three bass lines run through the same amplification. I used the 'Harley Bass' ('79 4001V63) for the fundamental line, and double-tracked the '79 lefty playing the octaves in unison. The lines were recorded direct into the board - no compression, no effects, then run line out to the amps. The direct & mic'd signals were submixed. You can hear the difference between the 12-string effect and the standard 4-string sound at about the 1:33 mark when the octave lines end.

Another thing for those into the minutia - the V63 has the low-cut cap bypassed, the lefty has it in line.

The song in it's 8 minute + entirety is almost done. Just finishing up the vocal parts. I'll post it on the 'Rick Recordings By RRF Members' thread when it's done. For those not hip to it already, go here:

http://www.rickresource.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=48

Innovative and again really great tone. I'm thinking my 2004 4003 neck could handle 12 strings, but I'd hate to find out it couldn't.

Man. Lucifer himself would be scared of that thing........

...forged from the sinews of blasphemers...

Seriously, I want to give you big-time props for this. Sounds wonderful.

johnallg wrote:Innovative and again really great tone. I'm thinking my 2004 4003 neck could handle 12 strings, but I'd hate to find out it couldn't.

Be afraid, John...be very afraid. The (several) 12 string basses I have all have necks a full 5/16" wider and 3/16" deeper than yer average Rick logneck, and even stouter than the thin neckers. That may be overkill (Koreans build tanks in this case), but a deeper and wider neck is called for IMO...

I can just imagine the tension that 12 bass strings would exert.

I really need to do the calculations on this to be exact, but would you believe...1/4 ton?

jingle_jangle wrote:Be afraid, John...be very afraid. The (several) 12 string basses I have all have necks a full 5/16" wider and 3/16" deeper than yer average Rick logneck, and even stouter than the thin neckers. That may be overkill (Koreans build tanks in this case), but a deeper and wider neck is called for IMO...

Deeper, wider or carbon fibre!

On a 12 string the narrowest nut that you could get away with is about 2" (I find the 2 &1/4 ones too wide)
Neck must be strong and with perhaps a neck/body join that is not on the 20th fret.

I personally don't think that a 400x 12 string is a good idea. A 4004/8 is though!

emac.

It would be a dream come true! Great job, Mark.

And yeah, that 4004/8 NEEDS to happen. Bring some more light onto the 4004!

"The Dream" of my 8-string 4001 is in the works of being a reality. I just need to save up more $$$ for a custom design I have in mind. The 12-string 4001 concept was really intended as nothing more than the concept, albeit a cool one. It was fun to emulate, but I doubt that I'll ever follow up and invest the time or money into buying one or having one made. I loved the sound and feel of Pascoe's 4005/8, ('Octavius The Magnificent' as I like to call it) but I imagine 12 strings on a bass would get a little cumbersome to play.

A correction on my earlier claims about the recording: there were indeed effects used, as I'm sure some of you noticed - the 1-second delay that echoes through the majority of the 12-string section is indeed an effect, but it was added in post.

By the way, for those of you Jonesing to hear a 4004/8, check out Tom Shiben's on the 2nd Vol of the RRF CD.

track 12. 'Angular Momentum' by the Quantum Kids.

It is indeed bad-***!