what is it that you think is so great about rickenbacker basses?

[coyote-1]

I have the same issue to a degree. Not about the things you mention, but the neck... the 4001s felt great but tend to come apart if fitted with roundwounds and mishandled - and so many of them were. I'd never buy one off eBay because odds are the fingerboard is separating from the neck up top by the nut. And the 4003s, until recently, had too much thickness in the neck to play comfortably.

The recent 4003s get it right in every respect. One day I WILL get one, in fireglo.

I really want to like Ric's more than I do, but I just can't get along with them enough playing-wise to ever buy one. They look cool, sound good, but that's it for me. If they could improve the ridiculously, stupidly huge pup route and sharp metal surround, make a fully adjustable bridge and still keep the looks and vibe, then maybe. But they won't.

 

[Clatter]

 

loved the sound, until i tried playing it in a metal band tuned to drop-c. then, not so much. couldn't really get into the feel of the neck either, but that's just player's preference.

 

Really? I love the growl in drop-C, but I could see that you might want something more bassy in your situation.

[jackcheez]

Personally I love the sound and the look. There is nothing else like it.

For such an expensive instrument now days though, there are too many negatives with the 4003 model.

1. The rear pickup mount and cover. Removing the cover exposes some umpleasantly sharp edges which don't feel too good on the plucking fingers.
2. The bridge is just retarded. You have to loosten the strings and tilt the entire rear side up to make intonation adjustments.
3. The nut is cut for light gage strings only.

For the money, they should do better.

[lug]

Personally I love the sound and the look. There is nothing else like it. For such an expensive instrument now days though, there are too many negatives with the 4003 model. 1. The rear pickup mount and cover. Removing the cover exposes some umpleasantly sharp edges which don't feel too good on the plucking fingers. 2. The bridge is just retarded. You have to loosten the strings and tilt the entire rear side up to make intonation adjustments. 3. The nut is cut for light gage strings only. For the money, they should do better.

1) It's not their fault you don't play the bass in it's original form
2) absolutely agree
3) nut slots should be cut for the guage you are using. If they cut them wide, you would have a sloppy fit if you wanted to go narrow. You can file a nut, but it's a lot harder to "unfile" one.

[bnyswonger]

A rick will never be my #1 bass, but they have a nice sound for recording or live. It's the pickups, I think.

[bassesofalessergod]

there is one great thing about a ric, and it is so major the many flaws can be overlooked.

the looks.

Without a doubt oneof the all time nicest basses. Except for fireglo. blech.

[fretless]

I'll let you know as soon as my 4004cii gets here

[bassesofalessergod]

I'll let you know as soon as my 4004cii gets here

that doesnt even have the looks going for it.

[fretless]

that doesnt even have the looks going for it.

neither do you but you made it this far .

[Clatter]

 

neither do you but you made it this far .

 

HAHAHA!

[ryanizzle]

 

my bass took a bit of tweaking to get a good sound out of it (given that it's a fretless and i wanted a completely different sound from it). i almost considered flipping it on the bay a few days after i got it, but i figured that i should give it a bit more time since i waited so long for it.

 

i'm about 90% satisfied with my tone. unlike most of you, i solely use the bass pickup and i roll the tone almost all of the way down, but still enough to get a bit of zing when i need it.

[Poltergeist]

there's ntohing quite like a Ric, tonewise, or lookwise.... that grindy tone just destroys everything in its path!

[isaac42]

i want to know. i dont doubt they are great, i just havent spent any quality time with one.

 

 

The neck is perfect for me. That is, the neck on the 4001 and 4003 models. I don't care as much for the neck on the 4004Cii, and the neck on the 3001 feels just like a Precision, not to my taste at all. The neck-through construction gives it a solid feel and sound that I haven't found on other basses. That's it for me. I like the pickups, but I like Bartolinis more. I've used the Ric-O-Sound, and I don't think anyone but me ever noticed.

[isaac42]

I really want to like Ric's more than I do, but I just can't get along with them enough playing-wise to ever buy one. They look cool, sound good, but that's it for me. If they could improve the ridiculously, stupidly huge pup route and sharp metal surround, make a fully adjustable bridge and still keep the looks and vibe, then maybe. But they won't.

 

 

They already have: http://www.rickenbacker.com/model.asp?model=4004Cii

[rummy]

neither do you but you made it this far .

[isaac42]

Aw! When I opened this thread I didn't expect to read that!! :) Rics just have this gorgeous piano-like tone that takes grit well and they play like butter. Here's my little family:

Do you notice any difference in tone between the half inch and one inch pickup placement?

[isaac42]

1) It's not their fault you don't play the bass in it's original form 2) absolutely agree 3) nut slots should be cut for the guage you are using. If they cut them wide, you would have a sloppy fit if you wanted to go narrow. You can file a nut, but it's a lot harder to "unfile" one.

Besides, Ric recommends light gauge strings.

[JacieFB]

The neck is perfect for me.

When I was kicking around the idea of getting a Ric a while back, I had mentioned that my Jazz bass "felt like home". You said that I probably wouldn't dig the Ric as much, if that was the case. After having a Ric for several months, now, I have to say, I much prefer the feel of the Ric's neck. It's hard to beat the Jazz from about frets 1 thru 5 or 6. But after that, the prize goes hands down to the Ric. It's amazing how good that instrument feels all the way up the neck. It makes my Jazz feel very clunky up the neck.

To answer the original question: It's kind of an all-of-the-above sort of thing with Rics. The look, feel, and sound...they are additive to creat a "mistique", for lack of a better term.

[jackcheez]

When I was kicking around the idea of getting a Ric a while back, I had mentioned that my Jazz bass "felt like home".

Jazz neck, Ric neck, both are fine with me. It's the other end where I haven't been able to feel at home with the Ric. I like to use it in the studio, but for live where I have to sing and perform at the same time, it demands too much of my attention.

[bnyswonger]

I cant hammer a rick like I would a fender, and it doesn't sound good if you hit it too hard IMO. I recognize the fact that I'm not a guy who can play restrained and civilized for more than a couple songs in a row...

[isaac42]

When I was kicking around the idea of getting a Ric a while back, I had mentioned that my Jazz bass "felt like home". You said that I probably wouldn't dig the Ric as much, if that was the case. After having a Ric for several months, now, I have to say, I much prefer the feel of the Ric's neck. It's hard to beat the Jazz from about frets 1 thru 5 or 6. But after that, the prize goes hands down to the Ric. It's amazing how good that instrument feels all the way up the neck. It makes my Jazz feel very clunky up the neck. To answer the original question: It's kind of an all-of-the-above sort of thing with Rics. The look, feel, and sound...they are additive to creat a "mistique", for lack of a better term.

So the Jazz neck no longer feels like home? That's cool. I liked the feel of my Jazz, until I tried a Ric.

[JacieFB]

So the Jazz neck no longer feels like home? That's cool. I liked the feel of my Jazz, until I tried a Ric.

 

 

Admittedly, the Ric isn't exactly home. It definitely dethrones the Jazz for that position. The shape is awesome. I do still like the thin laquer coat on the back of the Jazz more than I like the painted and finished back of the Ric neck. The back of the Ric neck has not been at all tacky for me like some painted and finished necks have been. So it's still a win in my book.

[gljerry]

tone

[Stella Joop]

so they sound like pianos?

[fretless]

I have 3 packs of S.I.T. Rock brights sitting right here