Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hm, did a gig last night.

Was OK. Used the Cii, people were stunned by the look of it, Sounded great.

I used my old 1976 DiMarzio-equipped Precision for a few songs, (Fender Precisions are *the bomb* after Rics...)

Afterwards people said it sounded like a Ric itself... more so than the Cii! They loved the sound.

What do you think?

I just think it sounds like a normal, beefed-up P.

This is recorded, but my live sound is very similar.

http://www.geocities.com/hennyboy2002/raven.wma

I've been told my Cii sounds like a Gibson Ripper. There's no way a Precision sounds like a Ric. A Jazz Bass is probably closer than a Precision.

I presume that "sounding like a Ric" meant sounding like a 4003?

I'd be insulted if anyone said a Fender sounded like my Ric.

4001/3, uh-huh.

There is certainly some overlap in the sounds. I would not say they are exactly alike but depending on player technique and amplification they could have very similar voices. There are certain sounds that considered classic for both basses and then there is middle ground where they could over lap. P-basses can growl when played right.

A little while ago there was talk about some Asia tunes where Wetton played a Rick...I always thought Wetton exclusively played P's...

I've played some P's that were really bright. With the tone pot wide open and rounds they can have a very punchy sound.

My 4001, with beefy Fender Flats on it, can get a bass tone that compares with anything a P bass puts out. So I'd agree there is an overlap...

Now my J bass? I don't think it sounds like either. YMMV...

my collection is all Ric's and p-basses ...

I did a demo CD while I was in Lima, 78 4001/ Fender flats/ SVT head/B-15 cabs mic'ed, sounded just like a P bass to everyone that heard it. I think a Ric can sound more like a P bass than the other way around.
I agree a jazz sounds more like a Ric than a P. And I would take that as a compliment if I was playing a P bass and it sounded like a Ric, that shows you can get your sound out of other instruments.

For years I thought Dave Hope of Kansas played a Ric (I naively assumed ALL of my favorite bass players played them!) until I saw a picture of him playing on stage with a F****r Precision. I then re-listened to the old Kansas stuff with headphones and could definitely make out the farty (IMO) low end of a F****r, although his use of a pick and high treble setting fooled me for a long time. "When you assume..."

I have a 2001 American Series Precision. It is a fantastic bass, with a real quality build and great overall feel. From the day I bought it, the first thing I noticed was the resemblance in sound to the Ric when the tone was full open. It is very aggressive with rounds and the tone full-on, and has that nice bite that I usually associate with a Ric. Like the Ric, the Precision is an addicting bass to play and it has fantastic overall sound. It is also one of those rare bass guitars which sound great no matter where the tone is set.

I always thought Wetton got a kinda snarly Ric-ish sound out of his P-bass. Are you using a pick, Henny? That and some high end always helps in getting a Ric-ish sound, to me at least.
I usually associate a P-bass with a "thump, thump, thump" sound and a Jazz with a more Ric-like sound.

the Kansas sound is 100% p-bass ... that bass player used his mid frequencies very effectively ... I was playing a p-bass at guitar center a few days ago ... if you eq the amp properly turn both dials to 10 and whack it aggressively or pick it aggressively then the p-bass can sound ric-esque ... there are many different p-basses out there ... the body wood varies, the necks vary and the pickups and bridges vary ... I make my own 5 string p-basses from various parts like Schaller, Seymour Duncan, Mighty mite, Warmoth, and more ...

Also Geddy was very adept at making his Fender basses sound like a ric ...

I think the Kansas bassist was Dave Hope. I have seen pictures of him with a Kramer bass. One of those V headstock, aluminum neck deals that have become 80's artifacts. I never could get into a metal necked bass.

Geddy used a Jazz on Limelight and several other tracks on Moving Pictures. I love my half Fender, half Lakland Jazz.

"... There is certainly some overlap in the sounds. I would not say they are exactly alike but depending on player technique and amplification they could have very similar voices. There are certain sounds that considered classic for both basses and then there is middle ground where they could overlap."

Ted nailed it.

Several years ago, I spent one morning listening to Deep Purple's Machine Head album, and later that night went to a gig, I had the 76 P-bass, we taped that gig, and on the way back home, in the car, we listend to the recording and both the guitar player and myself said, that sounds exactly like a Ric. Sometimes your fingers will play the sound that you hear in your head, and a Fender Precision is flexible enough to enable this.