Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Who says Ric's can't do heavy metal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdwRNama9EA

Looks like either a 4001 or a 4003 with an aftermarket tortoise shell pickgaurd.

Don't mean to argue, but first, that's a genuine Rickenbacker 4002 (Mapleglo), a rare bird indeed.

I'm not sure I would classify that recording as "heavy metal" compared with music from other Rickenbacker bass users such as Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, Cliff Burton of Metallica, or even Roger Glover of Deep Purple. Slave Raider seems more like a hair band to me.

Thanks for the corrections Paul. Yeah, hair/glam band is probably closer.

A 4002? Isn't that what Michael Anthony started out with when Van Halen began?

Don't know about Michael Anthony and a 4002. I know he has/had a 1957-59 vintage 4000, though.

For (a lot) more on the 4002, see:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=385953&hilit=Model+of+the+week+4002

i used my '64 and '68 in the mid to late '80's with my "metal" band. they worked well except ricks with the original tailpiece don't handle being tuned a semi tone down from A440 as we were. there was too much string before the nut and after the saddles so i had to compensate by going to a 50-110 set to get the normal tension back as the 45-105 were floppy. i later retired them and used other basses with badarse mark 1 bridges but kept the 50-110 sets. now as a rotting carcass, i sit at home with all my basses tuned to A440 with 45-105 sets and noodle.

hey, bassduke...slave raider is a heavy metal hair band ! didn't jesse dupre use a chain saw ?

I remember absolutely LOVING the tone on a record called "Prove you Wrong" by a band called Prong. Pretty sure that was a Ric.

Ronbo- saw Jackyl open for Ted Nugent once- chainsaw solo good, chaisaw solo by naked guy.......

Tool is sometimes called "metal", though probably incorrectly, and they got their start with the tone of a 4001CS mixed beautifully on the album Undertow.

Metal has become such a broad range genre of music. Bands that were labeled heavy metal back in the 70's seem like tame pop rock bands with some of the bands that followed.
Bands like Deep Purple and Steppenwolf put claims on starting heavy metal. I think it was actually the combination of the influence of several bands that started it, including The Beatles.

To me, TOOL is a progressive metal/alternative band.

yess...the beatles' "she's heavy" part was quite heavy...goth band "type o negative" covered that one ! it was heavy too !

Type O Negative rules!!!!

I don't know who (or what) started heavy metal, but I do know that when you hear "doom metal", you cannot dispute that it is in fact metal. Which is why a lot of people give bands like Black Sabbath a lot of credit for propelling the genre forward...

Pioneers of modern doom metal, Saint Vitus. Horrible video quality but note the bass.

coolhandjjl wrote:Who says Ric's can't do heavy metal?

I like some metal, and the first time I payed attention to the band Arch Enemy was because the bass player was using a Rick. I love the way Rickenbackers respond to Metal... Cliff Burton is my favorite bass player too... Kyuss, which is not heavy metal, but the sound is, I like to think, of the same sort, used a Rick too. And there are countless more...

Cheers!!