Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have owned 3 different RIC 4001's and a brand new 4003. I recently purchased a 1989 Blackstar and have found it to be noticeably louder and punchier then any of my other basses. I love it !!! The strings are the same on all of my basses and the PU's are all set the same. Have any other Blackstar owners out there noticed a tonal/volume difference? I assume the electronics are roughly the same. Does the lack of a RIC-O-Sound stereo jack have any influence on this? Just curious....Thanks.

Blackstar4003 wrote:I have owned 3 different RIC 4001's and a brand new 4003. I recently purchased a 1989 Blackstar and have found it to be noticeably louder and punchier then any of my other basses. I love it !!! The strings are the same on all of my basses and the PU's are all set the same. Have any other Blackstar owners out there noticed a tonal/volume difference? I assume the electronics are roughly the same. Does the lack of a RIC-O-Sound stereo jack have any influence on this? Just curious....Thanks.

I think you've just discovered that late 80's mojo that I've been preaching for years. I don't know why it is...It just is!

Edit: For the record, I don't own a Blackstar (yet). Just 2 1987 4003S's and an '88 4003 (and a bunch of other Rick basses from 1971 to 2006).

Just curious: Does yours have the 2 extra screws in the tail?

It's all in the fretboard. Under the enamel, Blackstars have maple boards. That's because maple, a closed-pore wood, is easier to paint than the porous bubinga.

In my experience, fretboard wood has more effect on the sound of a bass or guitar than body wood.

rickaddict wrote:

Blackstar4003 wrote:I have owned 3 different RIC 4001's and a brand new 4003. I recently purchased a 1989 Blackstar and have found it to be noticeably louder and punchier then any of my other basses. I love it !!! The strings are the same on all of my basses and the PU's are all set the same. Have any other Blackstar owners out there noticed a tonal/volume difference? I assume the electronics are roughly the same. Does the lack of a RIC-O-Sound stereo jack have any influence on this? Just curious....Thanks.

I think you've just discovered that late 80's mojo that I've been preaching for years. I don't know why it is...It just is!

Edit: For the record, I don't own a Blackstar (yet). Just 2 1987 4003S's and an '88 4003 (and a bunch of other Rick basses from 1971 to 2006).

Just curious: Does yours have the 2 extra screws in the tail?

my 89 MB/BT has the normal Ric fingerboard and it is zingy and punchy like none of the others..

That's 'cause it has black trim. It's a well-kept secret that black binding and especially a black TRC adds a certain "something" to the tone of a Rickenbacker...

I knew it! I just knew it! Why did RIC hafta go and get rid of the black trim option??!?!!!??!!!!

It's OK. I've been accumulating a supply in an effort to corner the market.

black sounds better. absolute lutherie truth.

jingle_jangle wrote:It's a well-kept secret that black binding

Binding? On a Blackstar?

It's Jetglo, so it rocks!

ilan wrote:

jingle_jangle wrote:It's a well-kept secret that black binding

Binding? On a Blackstar?

The rule applies not only to unbound basses, but even to Ricks with more than 4 strings.

What??!?! There are Ricks with more than 4 strings??!?!?!?!

Oh, wait...

cjj wrote:What??!?! There are Ricks with more than 4 strings??!?!?!?

Yep, even some with skinny strings!

Really??? Wow, what do you do with those????

Where's Tony for all this Jet Glo goodness?!