prowla

[quote name='martthebass' timestamp='1497451961' post='3318293'] The 4003 is definitely a marmite bass, [/quote] I didn't know they did that colour.

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497428974' post='3317987'] Some really interesting and varied points of view coming through - cheers! Opinion seems to be a lot more divided than about Sandbergs, which has been my go-to 4 string for the past three years and which seem to get a lot more love on this forum. Clearly the CEO has got the back up of many folk but whether that is 'cos he is simply just doing his job or being an idiot, is I guess the point of debate.[/quote] Yes - I think the man is aggressively protecting his brand against counterfeiters; kudos to him for doing it, I say. I do think that the vintage 70s/80s 'fakers are interesting machines and I did one up as a project recently. And from my side it's OK if it remains a cottage industry without impinging on the brand itself. [quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497428974' post='3317987'] That's a very BIG statement in favour of Rics - please elaborate! [/quote] (IMHO, of course!) The Ric has unique sound and look; I find that if I see a band with one, all I do is look at the Ric and listen for it. A lot of other basses are very samey Fender-alikes; they may be made better than Fenders, but they are visually uninspiring. There is no other bass which is so instantly recognisable. I find I can pick up any other brand of bass and play it and think it was really good, but then I walk away and it's pretty much forgotten. [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1497429215' post='3317990'] I do find them overpriced, but then overpriced is entirely related to what you want, and one mans overpriced is the next mans good deal - if it makes the sound you want and you can afford it, it is a good price. [/quote] They are priced similarly to other top-flight instruments, though there is a healthy mark-up in UK list prices. The quality of the workmanship is really rather good and they do last well.

[quote name='jimbartlett' timestamp='1497420066' post='3317907'] VERY nice! Great necks aren't they? [/quote] Yes - very slim, rock solid, fast. And (IMHO) they are the only 3rd party ones which look [i]better[/i] than Fenders!

"Touching on a Warwick growl" - that's funny! Anyway, though, the Ric is simply the best bass that ever has been and ever will be made. Apart from that, no reason at all.

I've got a Shadow (German) pickup in my partsblaster; it's not at all bad.

I recently sold a fretless one (J-bass), but I've still got its fretted cousin.

There's a vinyl group on FB.

Last time I went there I got a parking ticket.

I've got a Status neck on a Warmoth J-bass body; I think it is a really excellent combination. And the Status neck is the only replacement neck I've seen which looks better than a Fender one.

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1496651529' post='3312884'] Nope - "Matamp into a Barefaced 610" as Jack says in his post. I must say I'm almost glad that the compression software in the camera equalised the band's sound a bit: what we in the audience could hear during that song was mostly the bass - so much so that, at the end of that set, I was asked whether I could hear that strange noise coming from the stage and what it could possibly be... That's after we had spent some time setting the Rickenfaker up. (When Jack played it for the first time at home I immediately yelled at him to stop hitting the E and A strings against the damn pickups! Cue a bit of pickup lowering and string balancing.) [/quote] I bought a real Ric which had been set up like that! (And its strings were dead as a dodo, so it sounded like a rubber band.)

Sounds like a Ric should!

Status Graphite make very nice replacement necks.

I think that in this case the ebay link is a discussion point rather than somebody here offering it for sale. (At the moment I have 3 Rics and no fakers!)

There's a John Birch on ebay at the moment. (Well a couple of very expensive pickups with a free bass attached...)

I bought one of mine 40 years ago

Have you bought it yet?

You really need that new bass!

Westminster.

The ebay ones arrived and they have the exact same pattern; they are about 1mm taller, but that's not a problem. (Still waiting for the parts from Warwick to arrive, though...)

[quote name='keeponehandloose' timestamp='1495288703' post='3302740'] CIJ 51 P [/quote] I'm sure I had a car with that number plate!

I've got a J-bass with a J-Retro in it and it is bloddy good!

I think the generic Chinese ones are modelled on Schallers (& Fender MIM?).

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1495692946' post='3305837'] I've heard a lot of less than complimentary things said about the SD Ric pickups, and my past experience of SD's leaves me not wanting to experience them further. Though, I must admit that a noise free bass would be nice! [/quote] Well, visually I think the SD neck pickup looks hideous, but the dual-rail treble one sort of mirrors the toaster. Sonically, the bass still sounds like a Ric.

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1495646421' post='3305605'] Interesting. Why do you think this? [/quote] I'm sure I saw something recently advertised as a Cort/Kay, so was curious.