Convince me that I don't need a Ric

[Ricky 4000]

12 minutes ago, Studio GC said:

Thanks man! It's that chickenbacker bass I had in this clip that made me want to go to a real Ric. The Chinese one had a REALLY thick neck and weighed in at 6.5 kilos! A deal killer for 2 sets.

Wow, I never really considered the weight of a Rickenfacker (or a twin pup genuine one for that matter). Yours looked and sounded good though! 😃

1 hour ago, Studio GC said:

Please come check us out if we're near you in 2021!

Will do. 👍

And I'm sorry to read the circumstances of your trip to the US.

Best regards to you and your mum.

[Cat Burrito]

I have a 4003s that I use very frequently. The s has the all important 60s stylings & I love mine. There's a lot of hate online for them (a mix of the way the company has been run & not being as easy as a Fender in terms of playability) but I really like the tone and the look. £1200 is good money for a 4003s - if you didn't like it you'd make money selling it on in the UK. I rarely see them go under £1400.

[binky_bass]

Can't you take it home as hand luggage and avoid tax? Most airlines allow instruments in the cabin for no fee (BA do/did). I flew over to San Francisco some time ago to collect a bass and was able to take it in the aircraft as hand luggage. 

[P-Belly Evans]

I can't. I have no other gas except for a mapleglo 4003 and the fun I could have with 2 amps and Ric'o'Sound....

[musicbassman]

I would guess that a lot of bass players would regard a Rick as a pick players bass only - both in terms of ergonomics and the overall sound ?

For a 60's band, pick playing fits right in (hello Carol Kaye), and may also solve your singers...err....issues, in terms of tone.

Have fun.  🙂

[Studio GC]

2 hours ago, binky_bass said:

Can't you take it home as hand luggage and avoid tax? Most airlines allow instruments in the cabin for no fee (BA do/did). I flew over to San Francisco some time ago to collect a bass and was able to take it in the aircraft as hand luggage. 

Didn't know that. I'll do some research....and see what United says🙄

[Studio GC]

4 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

I loved mine, I really did.  It was pretty much clank right out of the case.

If you want some convincing as to why you don't need one, I'd only cite that I gigged it twice and I was lucky enough to stop someone nicking it on both occassions.  They are too high-profile.  Interestingly, I now play a five string that cost me nearly six times as much as the 4003 in the photo below and nobody so much as bats an eyelid as they don't know what it is.

Yes, that does worry me that Ric's do seem to catch the eyes of thieves. I'll have to be careful on that front.

[pbasspecial]

What about a Jaguar bass? P and a J pick up and a funky shape too!

[Ricky 4000]

20 minutes ago, Studio GC said:

Didn't know that. I'll do some research....and see what United says🙄

You probably know this, but UK customs are well practised in charging the duty on high value goods that are cheaper in the US.

Thirty years ago, they had at least one guitar expert at Heathrow who knew his onions, if you know what I mean.

[Geek99]

I’ll convince you that “you don’t need a ric” by  a) letting you see one b) letting you play one 

 

there you go. Sorted 😛

[Dad3353]

I mis-read the title again. 

[TheGreek]

You probably don't need a Ric at the moment but the weather is set to get colder next week so if you have an open fire a Ric would be perfect.....and you'll be doing the world a favour.

[Ricky 4000]

Oi, this here thread is Rickenbacker country. On a quiet night you can hear the sound of Fenders bending.

Edited December 4, 2020 by Ricky 4000

[pbasspecial]

I always wanted one. So I tried a few in Denmark street 20 years ago. Never had the urge since. Horrible to play and really thin sound. P bass all the way. Even Bruce Foxton agrees. 

[binky_bass]

I wonder what Rickbasspecial thinks...

Edited December 4, 2020 by binky_bass

[Ricky 4000]

Whoops, wrong thread.

Edited December 5, 2020 by Ricky 4000

[Geek99]

55 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Oi, this here thread is Rickenbacker country. On a quiet night you can hear the sound of Fenders bending.

Yes but at least that sound is not some dreadful trebly played-with-a-pick-like-a-total-lamer racket 

let me guess, you use the black ones, chopped up into kindling (ie “the neck”) to blend in with the charcoal and the red ones to blend in with the lit burning staves ? To cook your cowboy cookout beans on, right? 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Geek99

[Geek99]

I tried one once - I’d never played a fender then and owned an aria magna 5 

I gave it back to its owner (and his lovely redhead wife) and lied convincingly that it was lovely and that I could see why it was his pride and joy. I had my fingers crossed behind my back 

[Ricky 4000]

3 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Yes but at least that sound is not some dreadful trebly played-with-a-pick-like-a-total-lamer racket 

Lamers! That reminds me of AOL computing chat from the 1990s, and the Eric Raymond misquote:

"This is Linux country. On a quiet night you can hear the sound of Windows crashing"

[Geek99]

If you attached the headstock to a decent sized cart horse you could do Some ploughing and the pickup cover would be really good for turning stones out of the churned earth fromnthe ploughing .

 

And you could play it to scare away crows

[Ricky 4000]

8 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

If you attached the headstock to a decent sized cart horse you could do Some ploughing

The top of the headstock is a stylised 'wave' you know. 😗

10 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

and the pickup cover would be really good for turning stones out of the churned earth from the ploughing .

I've changed mine to a completely flat one, so now it's as easy to play as a Fender bass. 🙂

[Studio GC]

3 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

You probably know this, but UK customs are well practised in charging the duty on high value goods that are cheaper in the US.

Thirty years ago, they had at least one guitar expert at Heathrow who knew his onions, if you know what I mean.

Hummm, Was wondering that. What do gigging musicians do when travelling back from the States with their guitars? When I moved all of our stuff over from the States I had a USA jazz bass and '76 vintage bass, luckily no charges on those....but those were shipped in a container with our furniture.

[Studio GC]

3 hours ago, pbasspecial said:

What about a Jaguar bass? P and a J pick up and a funky shape too!

Had one! Too many darn switches, knobs and wizbangery going on....I got confused.

[Studio GC]

55 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

If you attached the headstock to a decent sized cart horse you could do Some ploughing and the pickup cover would be really good for turning stones out of the churned earth fromnthe ploughing .

 

And you could play it to scare away crows

I was hoping the thread would go in this direction!😂

[CameronJ]

8 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Looked you up on YT:

I'm impressed!

Oh man, this band looks and sounds like a whole lot of fun! Really enjoyed that.