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Cheap Basses with Ric-a-like Necks?


Skybone
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Bit of a weird query, but I shall explain. Here goes...

My main bass at the moment is a Rockinbetter Rickenfaker, it replaced an MIC MP Jazz which replaced a Ric 4003. Even though I've played Jazz basses & jazz style necks in the past, but after the Ric, I was finding I was just not getting on with it at all. The Rockinbetter filled the Ric shaped gap with a similarly Ric-a-like proportioned neck (without the Ric-a-like financial outlay).

I now find myself with the proposition of a new band, and already I'm thinking about acquiring Bass No.2. I'd love another Faker, but they're pretty thin on the ground. Which got me to thinking, what basses out there, if any, have a Ric-a-like styled neck? I appreciate that their neck profiles are somewhat unique, and I went through a similar process when I was trying to find something to replace the Ric and the MP JB.

I keep coming back to the Epi Classic Pro IV Thunderbird, and the Yammy BB424 & 424X. The Yam has a nice chunky neck, feels nice and plays well (had a shot on one at a local music instrument retailing emporium), though never tried the Epi. How do the 2 compare with the Ric neck and each other?

Anyone have any other suggestions for a good bass on a limited budget?

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The Rockinbetter has a very different neck to a Rick in that it isn't almost parallel in the way that a Rick is - it's far more Precision like in that respect. As far as genuine Rick profiles go they can vary so much it's difficult to make any generalisations - my 4001S and 4003 have very different profiles, the 4003 being far more chunky. Something with a 70's style P bass profile might be good for you, though they're rounder than I remember the Yams that I've tried have been.

Sorry, that's not much use is it. The best idea would be to get yourself down to a shop with a decent amount of stock and try a few out. :)

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Musky, the neck on my Rockinbetter is incredibly similar to the neck on my old 4003, enough for me to be very happy with the bass. I know what you're saying about the older "chunky" PP bass profile, but the profile on the Yam 424 that I tried was more of a handful than the MIM P Bass I tried out in the same shop. The Yam kind of reminds me of the StingRay neck a wee bit (owned 2 StingRay's previously), but to my knowledge, there isn't a passive StingRay in either the MM range or the Sterling/SUB range, and if I could afford an MM StingRay, I would buy another 4003 instead.

I know what you mean by getting down to a shop & try a few out, but therein lies the difficulty... Near where I live there are only 2 music shoppes, there's 1 near where I work (50 miles away), and a few more about 100 miles away & more much further afield. Choice is limited in the few shops that are about, and though mail order is the best way to get a good deal, it means taking a big risk in buying something unseen & untried. I've been playing long enough to be know what I like & don't like and I've wasted far too much money over the years on gear that doesn't fit what it's intended for (as I'm pretty sure everyone else on here has as well! :D ). Hence asking the question on here. At the moment, the Yam is looking like a pretty good prospect.

Thanks for the heads up ead, but tbh, they simply don't float my boat.

Does anyone have any Thunderbird / Ric experience?

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[quote name='ead' timestamp='1421828762' post='2665350']
Have you seen these, 4-string R*********er like basses for £249

[url="http://www.probass.co.uk/Home.html"]http://www.probass.co.uk/Home.html[/url]
[/quote]

Interesting that they've given the Ric copies an SRay style headstock and the Ray copies a more Ric style headstock. Could always buy one of each and swap the necks over though.

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I got my Epiphone Thunderbird because there was very little taper in the neck, similar to a Rick.

They may have changed it but the standard one had a Precision width nut and the Goth had a Jazz width nut. I can't remember what the neck on the Epi Les Paul was like.

Good thing about those basses is if you don't like the sound you can fire EMG soapbars straight in. There's no room for a battery so it would need to be the HZs which I had in my Thunderbird and they worked very well

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