Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Mine is finally here and I'm having a blast with it! First task - getting that nasty Helter Skelter tone:



Note: you are hearing NONE of the original bass in that video - that's all me. Didn't go note-for-note - boy would THAT be a pain - just tried to capture the vibe and ham-fistedness of the original.

You've sure got the tone down, but you're playing it too good.

Nailed it.

great!,......now do the vocal.

Great John! Thanks for posting the vid.

I was thinking of getting one of those myself.

How does it compare with the '60s Bass VI you used to own?

Sounds cool. I love the thump of 30'' scale.

I enjoyed that

Rocked it!

How does the string spacing compare to a 4003S/5? I am really liking the tight 14 mm spacing on my Paul W. custom for efficient fingerstyle, which makes me wonder if I'd like one of these a lot more than I originally thought I would. The first time I played one, I was still a bass baby and couldn't really appreciate it.

cassius987 wrote:How does the string spacing compare to a 4003S/5? I am really liking the tight 14 mm spacing on my Paul W. custom for efficient fingerstyle, which makes me wonder if I'd like one of these a lot more than I originally thought I would. The first time I played one, I was still a bass baby and couldn't really appreciate it.

I have heard on other forums that people are playing fingerstyle on these. I don't see how its even possible. That being said, I have a fairly heavy attack on 4-strings and I'm used to wide vintage Precision spacing, so I may not be the best guy to ask.

sloop_john_b wrote:

cassius987 wrote:How does the string spacing compare to a 4003S/5? I am really liking the tight 14 mm spacing on my Paul W. custom for efficient fingerstyle, which makes me wonder if I'd like one of these a lot more than I originally thought I would. The first time I played one, I was still a bass baby and couldn't really appreciate it.

I have heard on other forums that people are playing fingerstyle on these. I don't see how its even possible. That being said, I have a fairly heavy attack on 4-strings and I'm used to wide vintage Precision spacing, so I may not be the best guy to ask.

I have heard the same complaints about the 4003 5-strings as being only good for pick style, but I prefer my fingers. I get used to the tight spacing with my fingers and it saves so much energy that when I go back to even a 4-string Ric I feel like I have to make giant leaps to go from string to string. Never mind the 19 mm spacing of my Roscoe Beck V which feels like jumping across the grand canyon. I have to warm up a bit to get used to it again.

Do you know what the string spacing is on these?

What are you playing that through: a bass amp or a guitar amp?

I definitely want to buy one of these, but I am completely in the dark over what amp would best suit it, bass amp or guitar amp?

johnnysain wrote:great!,......now do the vocal.

Ha, indeed. That song's a *****.

Tommy wrote:What are you playing that through: a bass amp or a guitar amp?

I definitely want to buy one of these, but I am completely in the dark over what amp would best suit it, bass amp or guitar amp?

Amplitube 3.

If you want it to sound like a bass, play it through a bass amp. If you're going for more of a baritone guitar thing, play it through a guitar amp.

whojamfan wrote:Rocked it!

Yeah, you nailed it good, JB ! And those LaBella Flats sounded good.