Iheartreverb

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1385552364' post='2289520'] You could try [url="http://geminipickups.co.uk/"]Gemini pickups[/url], t [/quote] sh*t, How big are those poles! once you factor in cost on top for correct bridge mount and cover they're only about £15 cheaper than actual Ric's. But honestly, thanks for showing me these and your advice. If these sound better I'd go for them anyway.

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1385547608' post='2289446'] Have you tried another bass ? The copy may have poor pick ups, they are built to emulate looks rather than working basses. The real Ricks do have a very odd quirk almost unique to them in that the bass does not roll off when you turn the tone pots up, it stays on unlike most basses and this can overwhelm amps. I find precisions cut much sharper as they have a fuller sound, almost the perfect output signal in that it is not scooped Like the Rick and the bass roll off with the tone up makes them cut through far better. [/quote] this is my old bass at the minute. I see your point though, when i had a precision and plugged it in my amp on the settings I had my Ric copy on I could barely keep the walls on my flat. soooo much more output and low end! With regards to the pickups I just loose volume and low end in the middle pos. Looking at Ric pickups to put in it at £220 a set!!!!

[quote name='0175westwood29' timestamp='1385505268' post='2289196'] ...also is there anyway of taking your amp each time? then you have a constant bass sound as ebs to ampeg although both awesome wnt sound the same ....[/quote] My amp is a small Ashdown 30 watt.Fine in my spare room but no hope in a band situation. Thats why I use the amps in the rooms. Its worth mentioning that the silly loud Marshall's aren't ours either. One guitarist uses a Fender twin, the other a Selmer head. [quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1385514295' post='2289294'] It really does sound like a mix issue with the guitars sitting in your space in which case it's not you, it's them - but possibly also a preference for quite a mid-scooped sound from the Ric if the middle position corresponds to two pickups blended (I'm not familiar with Ric settings)? ........Regarding the compression, do you have much control over attack/release settings, and can you change where it sits in the signal chain? [/quote] My compressor is a Boss CS3 so I can change it all I want. I usually have it Lev 1 o'clock, tone 1 o'clock, attach 3 o'clock, sustain 11 o'clock. Yes the middle position is both pickups together although I dont blend them and just have all pots on full. It's true that it sounds very guitar like at this point but this tone through a clean mid heavy amp is exactly how I want it to sound....just louder. [quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1385538165' post='2289343'] It sounds to me people are exercising double standards. Yes the guitars need to EQ, but a very valid point is that what sounds good alone may not be right for the mix. This is probably exactly what is happening here. You like sound A at home etc, but at rehearsals you can't hear it. So go for sound B, which you don't like. Sound B seems to be the sound right for the band.[/quote] Surely the only way for me to be heard isn't to play with the exact opposite to the sound I want? You wouldn't say this to a jazz or soul band..."yeah just grind the hell out of the amp". Plenty of bands I like achieve this balance and live this shouldn't be a issue as everything will go through a sound desk and pa so the mix will be there. Its just getting a practice tone right. Is there anything else that could help such as a clean boost in my chain that will increase my input before power amp? [quote name='bassmachine2112' timestamp='1385541554' post='2289374'] Hiho,I find a Rick cuts through like no other bass,the 4003 has plenty output from the pick ups. Marshalls that are to big I,m afraid.A Vox ac30 is blistering loud but a Marshall 100watt with a 4x12 is jet plane loud. Going to be hard to get them to turn down. Guitarists in the know use 50 watt or less versions so they can get the sound without destroying buildings even so they are loud as well. Ever played with a guitarist who has a Vox ac15 ?,great sound but very loud and it,s only 15 watt.I know wattage is subjective but you get the drift. If it was possible -turn up with 3 8x10 cabs and 3 Orange terror bass 1000 watt heads that,ll sort that out-oh don,t forget the ear plugs and tenna lights,you don,t want an oops moment. Volume wars are the bane of many a band.[/quote] Its only a copy and the pickups are loud enough on their own but I get a noticeable difference in output in the middle pos. Its worth mentioning that the silly loud Marshall's aren't ours either. One guitarist uses a Fender twin, the other a Selmer head.

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1385504357' post='2289175'] 412s can get very loud, but it's not just a volume thing. The Marshall sound is dense and can cover everything from around 100Hz right up to 4kHz, ie all over the bass guitar. You need to find the tonal gaps in there (if there are any) and boost those, or (better) get them to cut a hole somewhere for your bass. Often guitarists boost the bass/low-mids too much to get that thick chunky sound, great on its own but wipes out the bass in the mix, and it sounds better overall if they get a tone that's a little thin on it's own. When I do sound, Marshall-type driven guitar tone gives me the biggest difficulties with the mix 9 times out of 10. Especially if there are two of them, and especially especially if the guitarist comes with ego attached, which with Marshalls they usually seem to :/ Also, those Marshall overdrives give a very compressed tone. You may want to compress the bass to match, or you'll find the note decays too fast in comparison. [/quote] I'm already using a compressor quite high, this focuses my otherwise very low output. With that you said about finding a place (tone/frequency) to be heard, that's what I've done. Neck pickup, gain. But this isn't the overall tone I want, as described

Hi all, I can probably be accused of under powering my amp. I play at home with the gain less than half of the volume and love a super clean rounded tone. Usually mid 3 o'clock treble 12 o'clock, bass around 1 o'clock. I play a Ric copy with is fairly low output in the middle position, so I don't think that helps. Anyway, when I practice I use the amps at the practice rooms which is 300/350/450/600 watt heads of varying brands always either Ashdown, Ampeg or EBS and always into ampeg 810's. When trying to dail in my tone I just can't hear myself over two guitarists playing into Marshall 900's. I find myself needing to drive the amp and use my neck pickup just to cut through and hear myself (and be heard). I am aware of how to power you amp and the advice to run upto the peak point but for me this is too distorted. In simpep terms my one is less of a bumm and more of a burrrr Any advice on how to help my tone? I'm well aware of the problem could be me (my bass) and not the amp. I'm open to changing pots, pickups, using boost, pre amp as well as the issues of the Amp. Thanks is advance

I'm just gonna pitch in my opinion. It probably isn't needed. I have a Ric copy and it's pretty much on par with a mex fender in terms of build so the prices new are high but not a million miles off. Before this I had a VM Jazz which every man and his dog where/are raving about and I just couldn't get the sound I wanted. That being said I'm not a Ric hunter, I can't say mine sounds exactly like one but I don't really need/want it to. It was a combination if looks and sound. The jazz cost me £300 and I out £100 on top 4 years later to get my Ric copy. It's worth £400 deffo. That being said, people who are exclusively looking for a Ric sound sometimes miss that loads of players have managed to mirror their Ric tone on Fenders. We don't need the facts of Ric company ethics here. We know why they can charge what they do and we know why they don't need to change any of it. As stated above the model of fender selling licenced budget models is a win win situation and I genuinely believe you couldn't sound out a MIA fender vs a CV/ VM squier in a live band mix so if Ric did ever cut some corners and introduce cheaper a models EVERYONE wanting that sound or look would have one!

Haven't had them but I can't rave about him enough. Loads of unusual things as well as improved versions if classics. Spoken to him a few times about pickups for my Ric copy, really good guy. He will also custom voice things for you if they need a tweet from standard and has recently had his pickups fitted into guitars for some pretty big bands including Matt from muse and Alex from Franz Ferdinand. I wouldn't have a worry in the world in buying anything from them, and will when I decide what I want!

I'll have two!

Right, starting to get a picture as to why loads of people have them. Are people using them into the effects loop of amps to leave out the first section therefore the DI'd sound would mirror the one going into the amp (as this will leave our the "colour" of the particular amp being used?

So the world (you lot) have persuaded me that I want a pre amp following every single pedal board rocking a sansamp.....I just don't really know why. I understand the use if your playing into a desk but... I you needs it to make your amp sound good, why not get a better amp? If you want the ampeg sound (in the case of VT bass and stuff) then why don't you get one of those? If your using it as a drive why don't you just drive your amp or just use a OD/dist pedal? I saw a video A/B'ing the sansamp and Behringer and seemed next to no difference tone wise and any difference was in the Behringer's favour. Really tempted to get a PT nano and just go tuner/comp/tv bass or behringer/amp My current set up is Tuner/comp/reverb/chorus/dist/big muff/amp Like I said, I'm just trying to figure out why EVERYONE has one

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1384735091' post='2280219'] I have no problem with RIC protecting their design rights either but trademark laws in the UK apply when it's trade by [i]way of business[/i], i.e. not applicable to private sellers. [/quote] So all these threatening emails that people get sent when trying to sell Ric copies on gumtree/eBay uk are just all mouth, they couldn't actually do anything?

Thanks all for help so far. To answer a few of the comments. I'm not playing into a sound board or anything. A practice amp at home and gig quality rigs in a practice room. Sorry if my issue was not that clear. This is the 3rd place I have posted it with no replies elsewhere. In middle position (with 2xvol, 2xtone) if I roll either volume off slightly I lose the pickup completely (giving me just the other one) and if I roll off either if the tone I get no difference until it hits "nearly off" and gets too dark. All advice appreciated, I might just get a tech to look at it. It's a Ric 4003 copy by the way

Yeah. I've had a p bass pickup from them which was brilliant, fantastic when looking at the price. I've also had a humbucker sized P90 from them which was sort of an all or nothing type of pickup but still worked well with all pots open. I'd go with it and see but they are good. Read someone else talking about knowing the guy who owns/makes/ sells them knowing his stuff pretty well so I'd put money on it being alright.

Thanks, I'll have a look. What I was questioning is this the only cause/remedy to the problem described or I need to look further into it such as how I'm wired up?

Hi all, Any advice appreciated as to wether I only need new pots or my bass should be wired differently. I always play my Ric copy in the middle position and I'm finding the following problem, When in the middle if I back off the volume pots (to blend the tone slightly differently) more than 3/4 open then that pickup dissapears completely. In simple if I take the treble pickup out slightly the tone will be the same as the neck pickup on its own. Just to clarify it isn't wired to be master tone/master vol in the middle as some are. Just wanted to pick brains to see if I should be wired up slightly differently or just need to upgrade to better quality pots. Cheers

I think each cheap one will have its own issues. I bought an 'On Stage' branded tuner after the guy showing me in the shop that they are built like a tank. I also have a Boss tu2 which I moved onto a bass board and needed to buy this new one for guitar. If I use two together there is significant difference in the performance (speed of tracking note) and if you didn't find this you would have build issues with something like Behringer. Do yourself a favour and get a used pitchblack or keep one eye on gumtree for a tu2/3

My Ric 4003 copy can only have super long scale strings because of the scale (standard/ long scale strings the thick part of the string doesn't reach the nut). I'm using d'addario super long scale 50-105 which I can only find in round wound, does anyone know where in the UK (or even online) where I can get these in flats?

Yeah, that's what out the doubt in my mind about pots but I assume it's Duncan showing what they would use rather than what is factory standard on the instrument.

Thanks loads for your help. Tried the Ric forum a while back got a load of abuse for having a copy in the first place. Some people just can't get their head around most people not ring able to spend nearly 2k on a bass (mine cost squire bass part ex + £100) although I have no doubt they're worth it! For pickups I'm searching eBay on an hourly basis for someone to sell one off cheaply, missed one the other day for £60 rather than the £220 they are new. Thanks again

I keep finding loads of contradicting information on how Rickenbackers are wired. Pots Some sources have 2x250k and 2x500 other 4x330k. I read that there isn't much difference between 330k and 500k. With 500 being more common to get hold of is this why some people are using these? How much different will putting 250's in there make? Caps Modern Rics now come with push pull on treble tone. I though that it took the 47 cap out of the circuit to add low end but then I read that it is refered to a the 3 cap circuit. Surely if this was the case it would still only have two? Pickups From what I can find the options are between Seymour Duncan, Bortolli and Joe Barden. Real Ric pickups are just too expensive for me and Barden's seem to have the better reviews in terms of sounding closest to the originals. If anybody has any more options the. I'll be happy to listen. It's the bridge pickup that needs replacing more than the neck. I have an Aniversary copy which I'm hoping to mod a bit and get a more accurate sound from. I'm not gonna say a "better" tone cause it's quite useable as is. Anybody who could clear up the above would be a legend. Thanks