Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

What is the best bass guitar you've ever played and/or owned, overall? This includes stopping into the local GC and playing one. I say overall, which includes sound, playability, and comfort.

Since I haven't had a chance to really play my Rick and Peavey Dyna yet, I'd have to vote for the Hofner CT ... for now!

Jack

I guess I'd HAVE to say....Andy Winter's 1964 RM1999 Rickenbacker bass.

With my 1988 V63 in a close second.

Too many to choose from, really. My friend's late 1959 Precision easily makes the top 10 as does the Lakland Skyline Bob Glaub bass that I recently was forced to sell to another friend; the lakland felt and sounded exactly like the aforementioned '59 Precision. Ron Sodano's '92 4001CS makes that list and I'd have to cast a vote for my Hofner Vintage '62 reissue. Then there is yet another late 1959 Precision that is at a local music shop owned by yet another friend; that bass is just incredible and if I could swing it, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat! The same shop had a '72 4001 JG that was one of the nicest playing Ricks I've ever had the opportunity to play.

This is waaay too complicated, Jack! Kind of like asking "What is the best piece of pie you've ever eaten?" !

Not a bass player but...a Ric 4001 would top the list.. the feel and the punchy tone rule..two that I owned when I did play bass and liked were a 60's Guild Starfire and in a 70's a Gibson Ripper

Starfire is a great little bass, George! The guy I sold my Lakland to has quite a few; he's a huge Jack Casady fan.

peewee wrote: This is waaay too complicated, Jack! Kind of like asking "What is the best piece of pie you've ever eaten?" !

+1
I can't pick just one, but all the very best are Rickenbackers!

I'm partial to my late 70's MusicMan Sabre, but the easiest bass I ever played (by far!) is the black Rick that Joey brings to the SoCal jams. Like butta....
Tom

Probably my '74 4001 followed by an early 70's Carvin SB-70 (I think).

beatbyrd wrote:I'm partial to my late 70's MusicMan Sabre, but the easiest bass I ever played (by far!) is the black Rick that Joey brings to the SoCal jams. Like butta....
Tom

That would be this 4001S. Tom, I could get the action even lower if I could find a scooped bridge pickup surround for it.

rickenbrother wrote:

beatbyrd wrote:I'm partial to my late 70's MusicMan Sabre, but the easiest bass I ever played (by far!) is the black Rick that Joey brings to the SoCal jams. Like butta....
Tom

That would be this 4001S. Tom, I could get the action even lower if I could find a scooped bridge pickup surround for it.

You mean, like butta, but betta? I'll help you look for that surround!!!!
Tom

As a NON bass player, I really like my Eastwood Club (Hofner copy):

My 1964 RM1999 followed by my 4001CS (#88).

it changes over time for me-but i am really loving my 2004 cii- i think i actually have grown to prefer the neck profile over my 74 4000,and i like that it has at least 3 distinctly different tonal variations. i still love my 4000 too. sound wise,a 60s epiphone embassy bass i no longer own was hard to beat,and it had a nice neck-albeit with major dive tendencys. but those 60s t-bird humbuckers were the bomb......the cii actually captures some of that same grunt...

I'm really partial to Ricks, but in the top 3 would be a '59 P-bass I played at Rudy's in NYC a couple years ago. That was "the" Fender to own. I still have dreams about that one. This Ricky is high up there.

rickenbrother wrote:

beatbyrd wrote:I'm partial to my late 70's MusicMan Sabre, but the easiest bass I ever played (by far!) is the black Rick that Joey brings to the SoCal jams. Like butta....
Tom

That would be this 4001S. Tom, I could get the action even lower if I could find a scooped bridge pickup surround for it.

Ditto here; Joey's S bass is one of the best I've ever played.

Dan Saifer's `74 4001 is pretty amazing as well. I think Joey helped him set it up. The action is crazy low and easy to play.

There's a FG 4004 I really like as well.