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Why I sold my Rickenbacker Bass


Bronner

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Just now, BigRedX said:

As I've said before, most bassists claiming to be lusting after a Rickenbacker really want Precision with a 4001 holographically laid over the top.

 

 

I tried one once at a bass bash and I really didn't get what the fuss was about.  It neither felt nor sounded particularly special to me.

 

"Well done, I'm proud of you", said my wallet.

 

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They do seem to be the Marmite of the bass world. 

For the money that's not a good place to be especially as a manufacturer.

At the end of the day they have a waiting list to get one now and you cant find any in our local shops so something is working for them. Either that or they aren't making as many as they used to.

Dave

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If I'd had the money when I was a teenager, I would have had a 4001 (or a John Birch copy), as for me they were the iconic bass of 70s pop/rock.

 

I don't have one now because I have no use for a 4-string bass and when I have tried one the pickup cover is in my preferred picking position, and IMO they look wrong (and on some of the older models the "cover" is an essential part of the pickup and so they don't work) without the cover in place.

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On 14/05/2015 at 11:38, 12stringbassist said:

I have 4 of the things. Not everyone will like them. That's perfectly ok.
I don't really care what everyone else likes. The only have to work for me.
I am not fond of John Hall either. My dealings with him were not pleasant.

I used to have a similar (in my case almost irrational) hatred of Jazz basses because of one that I used at a jam night.
Years later I fell in love with a USA Jazz in America and now I use it regularly.

Neither were mine. I cannot imagine being in the same room as him.

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1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

If I'd had the money when I was a teenager, I would have had a 4001 (or a John Birch copy), as for me they were the iconic bass of 70s pop/rock.

 

I don't have one now because I have no use for a 4-string bass and when I have tried one the pickup cover is in my preferred picking position, and IMO they look wrong (and on some of the older models the "cover" is an essential part of the pickup and so they don't work) without the cover in place.

When I was a teen. I coveted one. Had the Ibby 2388BDX with a Bill Lawrence in the front. I liked it and expected the real McCoy to be the dog's. When I did get one, the disappointment was crushing. Didn't buy one again until my late '40s. Some were Meh, but a Fireglo '74 and a 4001CS were fantastic. Now, I have a Greco and a HW C64. Don't think I'd buy even a second-hand Rick as the prices being asked are crazy.

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I used to have an early 90's 4003. I loved the sound of it, loved the look of it, but it was just murder on my right forearm. How I play just isn't compatible with a slab top and binding. I'd love to have one again, all the same, just for that lovely aggressive sound.

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4 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

I used to have an early 90's 4003. I loved the sound of it, loved the look of it, but it was just murder on my right forearm. How I play just isn't compatible with a slab top and binding. I'd love to have one again, all the same, just for that lovely aggressive sound.

 

Wrist sweatband, pulled up to where the forearm meets the body.  Works on my Jack Casady (also bound and hard edged)

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25 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

I used to have an early 90's 4003. I loved the sound of it, loved the look of it, but it was just murder on my right forearm. How I play just isn't compatible with a slab top and binding. I'd love to have one again, all the same, just for that lovely aggressive sound.

4003s is the way forward for you, no nasty sharp binding to deal with.

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1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

As I've said before, most bassists claiming to be lusting after a Rickenbacker really want Precision with a 4001 holographically laid over the top.

Funnily enough, they was a video on the Lakland website many years ago, where Yes were performing live somewhere and Chris Squire was playing a Lakland P type - sounded just like Chris always did (looked wrong though ;)).

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5 minutes ago, ezbass said:

4003s is the way forward for you, no nasty sharp binding to deal with.

 

Its a shame, the 4003s is much better with the smooth edges, but it looks so poor without the proper inlays.

Why can't they do a 4003 without the edges!

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John Hall has long been retired from running the Rickenbacker factory and is living in the UK. His son Ben is at the wheel and has been doing some interesting things. There have been some major changes to Ric basses since Ben has been there.

And people often think Rickenbacker is a big factory and compare it to Gibson or Fender. It’s a fraction of the size. It is not a big factory, and they have a substantial backlog of orders to fill. So everything coming off the production line has been long sold. 
For some reason it’s the Fender aficionados that seem to have the harshest criticism for  Ric basses. I appreciate both , but if I had to choose between the two, I’d choose the Ric. With flatwound strings , and the cap on the bridge pickup bypassed. 
Nice thump.

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5 minutes ago, Sambrook said:

How does the Rickenbacker collective feel about the Cheyenne?

They look sweetly simple to me, compared to all the 'clutter' of the normal Ric's...

 

Always wanted one, never one around when I had the cash :(

 

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53 minutes ago, Sambrook said:

How does the Rickenbacker collective feel about the Cheyenne?

They look sweetly simple to me, compared to all the 'clutter' of the normal Ric's...

 

They look like a Ric and Warwick bumped uglies. Not for me, but I've never played one tbh.

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3 hours ago, Sambrook said:

How does the Rickenbacker collective feel about the Cheyenne?

They look sweetly simple to me, compared to all the 'clutter' of the normal Ric's...

 

They look ace, but again, slightly flawed by having 1 Vol, 1 Tone & a 3 way switch. A lot of people convert them to VVT which makes them a bit more versatile.

 

"Night of the Living Thread"...

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