Beedster

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1422908244' post='2678288'] I will say though that the 4004 I had was stunningly made, better than either of the Wals I owned and as good as some of my Seis. [/quote] That is in part the problem, Ric have a loyal, almost rabid, fan base for their traditional output, yet have experienced very little reward for their attempts at innovation and improved quality. I can't help thinking that RH's philosophy could best be summed up as 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Forumites around the world can rant all they want, but traditional Rics sell, they hold their value, and the brand maintains a semi-mystical and iconic foothold in music instrument culture that only Fender and Gibson can rival.

[quote name='BigGuyAtTheBack' timestamp='1422867653' post='2677592'] I've had 2 4003 lefthanders and both had the dead E string. The last one was a beautiful Mapleglo jobbie. I tried everything to make it work, truss rod adjustments, set ups, changed pickups, bought one of those fancy drop in bridges ( which had problems of its own!) to no avail. Gutted as I love Ricks and the sounds. Even my missus was sad to see it go! Of course these were bought online with no chance to play them as I live up in God's country and they were down south. Lesson learned eventually! [/quote] There's s thread on TB suggesting the dead E is a truss rid issue. Brave man who plays around with the rods in a Ric too much, but if you know what you're doing might be worth a go. Re the thread topic, I love Rics, own two great examples, but even by Fender standards their QC is absolutely appalling, even instruments at trade shows have poorly aligned PUPs/strings/bridges, gaps under pickguards, poor finishes etc. Buying new and unseen is a huge risk. It's going to be interesting to see whether the 'new' 4003s series is a genuine attempt to lure back an increasingly disaffected and weary bass community , or just another run of poorly made reinventions of the same old model.

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1422874891' post='2677701'] Tried lots of different manufacturers through the years but it's always surprised me how [i]little[/i] difference there is between one set of roundwounds of the same guage and another. After reading lots of string related threads I thought I'd better check again so last string change I swapped the cheap £5 a set jobs I'd been happy with and bought some Rotosounds in the same guage for about £16. Can't tell the difference at all, if anything I think I prefer the £5 set. This is testing them in a real life situation though, playing in a band. Maybe I might hear tiny differences in isolation just noodling in my bedroom but I couldn't care less about that, it's not what I'm playing for. [/quote] Gauge, material and type perhaps are more substantial factors than brand, but brand will have an effect. Re your Rotos, I'd expect a cheap set by an unknown brand to be preferable to most Rotos I've played

http://youtu.be/hx01UXtjuFg

[quote name='joeghee' timestamp='1422442221' post='2672606'] [i]But we can't please everyone with how we do handles [/i] [/quote] Ha ha, I expect Alex had a wry grin on his face as he wrote that Cab looks lovely. All other things being equal, I'd rather have a light cab with less than ideal handles than vice versa (when my 69er arrived the carriage box was so light I was utterly convinced that Alex had forgotten to put the cab in it).

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1422611395' post='2674532'] The line reminds me a bit of Badge by Cream, but these sort of coincidences happen! [/quote] A little? The section in question [i]is[/i] Badge by Cream in almost every respect (can't be sure about key though) Like the tone though

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1422570729' post='2674315'] It's whatever you feel comfortable with init. [/quote] That's the bottom line isn't it. No matter how cool we may think we look, someone somewhere thinks differently, just do what works for you. I used to have rather a crap beard. I liked it, made me feel good (no idea why). I used a pic with said beard on a webpage a few years back, to the unanimous verdict of "what an awful look" from friends, family etc. Now that beardiness is for some reason de rigueur in certain quarters, I am suddenly considered somewhat hip (or at least my photo is, the beard went in 2010 and would take about a year to grow back, by which time it won't of course be hip any more). Just easier to stay as you are really

[quote name='Jenny_Innie' timestamp='1422559521' post='2674159'] Now, I guess this guy has money - so why did he have such a crap job done all in a colour that doesn't exist in nature? [/quote] If you look hard there are some clues in his past as to why he may have opted for this particular colour? [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1422604388' post='2674437'] Maybe there was a party in the bar from the Bat Preservation Society? A difference of opinion surfaced, one thing led to another.... It happens all the time. [/quote] It's a good theory

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1422558770' post='2674149'] In truth, we know nothing about what went down. Was Geezer being a drunken arse? Or was he heroically defending someone on the receiving end of some hassle? Who knows. It's a bit unfair to judge at this stage. [/quote] I totally agree, I doubt we can rely on the US media for an accurate version of events. Rock star, bar, alcohol, fight, police, detox; all the info a journo needs to write a story. Either way, even if he was a bad boy, we all have off days, I've a very good mate who is usually impeccably behaved found himself in the cell for a night after a pretty nasty bit of provocation in a bar led to a bit of fistycuffs. Luckily the CCTV bore out his side of events and led to the original accuser - who I'm guessing didn't realise he was on camera - being nicked. It happens, nothing to judge a man too harshly on.

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1422550815' post='2674021'] [color=#333333][font=Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif][size=1]'....the Corkscrew Saloon on the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley National Park...'[/size][/font][/color] [color=#333333][font=Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif][size=1]It's a rock 'n roll setting, better than Weatherspoons' in Walsall [/size][/font][/color] [/quote] I said that very quietly didn't I

[color=#333333][font=Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif][size=1] '....the Corkscrew Saloon on the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley National Park...'[/size][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif][size=1] It's a rock 'n roll setting, better than Weatherspoons' in Walsall [/size][/font][/color]

Just picked one of these up and really looking forward to using it. Anyone know if I can use both channels at once, specifically for a stereo Ric? I'm pretty sure that combining both channels from the mono output will get me close to the tone I'm after, but the two channel option would be ideal? C

Among several things that worry me, what is going on at the dusty end of the fretboard, looks like a lump of plastic on my screen....?

I've been buying stuff in Denmark St. since the early 80's and Wunjo's blew me away first time I walked in there and haven't disappointed since, I just wasn't expecting friendly, helpful and respectful staff in the street in question. Keep it up guys Chris

PS anyone know where the white pickguard got to, would love to install it?

Thanks all, greatly appreciated, you've likely saved me a few quid there Chris

This has now been mine fro about a month and I have only one thing to say, Billy, why did you sell it, it is an absolute stunner, 100% Custom Shop quality, light as a feather and a dream to play. This is going to be my go to gigging bass for a while at least

TI Jazz Flats are OK on through body bridges, La Bella Deep Talkers are not, and the Pyramids are somewhere between the two in terms of tension and stiffness. Having learned my lesson with the La Bellas (and why is it always the most expensive string that breaks), it seems best to ask. Before you ask there is no non-through option on the bass in question Cheers Chris

Makes a difference on some basses and not on others. As has been said above it should be kept in mind that 'difference' does not always mean 'improvement'. Some bridges are an improvement simply because they allow better intonation, alignment or action, others because they link the surfaces better than the original perhaps allowing more sustain (or fewer energy losses), others because they actually do alter the tone. Either way, there's a whole lot of reasons why you'd change a bridge, but I've done it many times and I'd say that tonally there are often as many improvements going from a heavy and expensive bridge like a Badass II to a Fender BBOT as there are the opposite direction. A very good example for me is my 4003, on which the brass Hipshot version bridge to my mind takes something away from the Ric tone and sustain, despite facilitating far better intonation and string alignment. I'm sure the answer to the OP's question is quite simple, you'll never know until you try a certain bridge on a certain bass.