Convince me that I don't need a Ric

[police squad]

I saw a Kinks tribute band( The Konks) a couple of years ago (we were on the same bill at a mini fest in Westerham. He had a '64 reissue with flats on it. It sounded amazing. I chatted with him about it, lovely bloke, great band and fab sound. I would like a Ric with flats, I have a rockinbetter with genuine Ric hi gain pickups, that I used with a Jam tribute but it has rounds on it and will stay with rounds.

I love the look of the 4003S and maybe I shall seek one out

Edited December 5, 2020 by police squad

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 10, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Studio GC]

I just ordered these as I'm very much a flatwound guy. I've always used Chromes, but they say the T-I's have less tension and better match the stick Ric strings size (and nut slot spacing).

 

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 10, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[roonjuice]

I have a couple of Ric’s. A 4001 with rounds, that is a total rock/funk machine, and a 4003 with flats, that is smoother than Barry white sliding down a slide covered in butter. 
buy it, if u don’t like it, sell it. 
 

you will like it. (Just don’t measure it against a Leo)

[4000]

9 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

Others may disagree, but the string gauges are something to evaluate, too.

I found the stock gauges very bizarre, with standard outer strings and a ridiculously light inner pair. I went over to normal 45-65-85-105s, which are great. I know it means a set up, and potentially finding a tech who's willing to work on Rics, but it could make the world of difference.

They’re like that because they are more balanced tension across the set, according to John Hall. I never really got used to it either, because I spent far too many years playing Rotos. Having said that my gauges are more like the inner two than the outer two. Haven’t used 45s for years.

FWIW, a lot of the problems some people have with Rics tend to be where they are used to playing more Fender-type basses, because they are utterly, utterly different. I learnt to play on a Ric and thus to me they feel like home, whereas Fender-type basses never do. YMMV.

Addressing an earlier point, I cannot understand why people think P Basses are dull-sounding. Have they never heard JJBurnel? It’s all about the eq. I had a P copy that was brighter than any of my Rics, I never had the tone up full.

[Studio GC]

On 04/12/2020 at 12:51, Skybone said:

Absolutely nothing wrong with a Faker, I've got a couple of Rockinbetter basses.

Got the first one after I had to sell my old 4003 because I needed the money. Bought a Jazz bass, had one previously, liked it, so got another. Hated it. Sold it on, searched t'interweb for a Rockinbetter, bought one. Great basses (but not light - though neither is a pukka 4003 to be fair).

Ya, the Chinese faker (walnut) had a great sound as stock.....amazing sound with real Ric controls and pick ups. Very well made....but very thick neck (funny...not uncomfortable for me), but the bass was HEAVY. 

I sold it when we finished our run of Beatles/Stones cover gigs and went with a deal from Bass Centre on one of their Guy Pratt Betsy basses. But, I really now want a USA quality instrument to gig.

[Pseudonym]

Advice from 2020 might fall on deaf ears. The OP might need less anachronistic persuasion:

I reckon they're alright with you getting a Ric as long as you get it from the right people. Don't be a fool to yourself.

[Chezz55]

I didn't need a Rickenbacker but I still bought a MapleGlow 4003 (after spending a month thinking about it, trying a few different models/finishes, trawling YouTube and reading many threads here and on other websites).

Lovely instrument, looks gorgeous and using the Ric-o-Sound output to drive two separate amps it sounds great.

Just need some gigs now.

[Skybone]

15 hours ago, Studio GC said:

Ya, the Chinese faker (walnut) had a great sound as stock.....amazing sound with real Ric controls and pick ups. Very well made....but very thick neck (funny...not uncomfortable for me), but the bass was HEAVY. 

Should prepare you well for a proper Ric then!  

Bizarrely, although the Rockinbetter's are slightly bigger than the 4003 & Walnut Faker, they're lighter than the 4003. The Walnut Faker is lighter still.

I'd forgotten how heavy Ric's were 'til I got the latest 4003.

Edited December 7, 2020 by Skybone

[dmccombe7]

If you can afford it and you have the notion for a bass that suits the band you are in and your style of playing then i would say go for it. They are great basses and the new ones with the switch mode can give you a more modern tone if and when required. 

I quite fancy one too and once things pick up i might give one another try before buying. I had one in 80's and altho nice to play it was very limited in tone. Just didn't suit what i was doing at the time and sold it on i think i bought a Jazz bass after it. Its the one bass i never had a pic off. All white one too.

Dave

[mr zed]

2 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

If you can afford it and you have the notion for a bass that suits the band you are in and your style of playing then i would say go for it. They are great basses and the new ones with the switch mode can give you a more modern tone if and when required. 

I quite fancy one too and once things pick up i might give one another try before buying. I had one in 80's and altho nice to play it was very limited in tone. Just didn't suit what i was doing at the time and sold it on i think i bought a Jazz bass after it. Its the one bass i never had a pic off. All white one too.

Dave

Is that you Geddy?

[dmccombe7]

Me with the Jazz i bought 😂

[ped]

Try talking to John Hall. That cured my need for a Ric!

[4000]

4 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

If you can afford it and you have the notion for a bass that suits the band you are in and your style of playing then i would say go for it. They are great basses and the new ones with the switch mode can give you a more modern tone if and when required. 

I quite fancy one too and once things pick up i might give one another try before buying. I had one in 80's and altho nice to play it was very limited in tone. Just didn't suit what i was doing at the time and sold it on i think i bought a Jazz bass after it. Its the one bass i never had a pic off. All white one too.

Dave

I think the newer basses sound different than the old ones, even with the cap in. Hotter pickups, lower pot values all contribute. 

Whilst I get that some people don’t like the various tones that Rics produce, I’ve never understood why people find the tones limited. Two tones and two volumes with two very different sounding pickups, plus stereo if you need it; I’ve found more useful sounds in them than in most of the actives I’ve had. Plus they’re very sensitive to playing in different areas between the bridge and neck. And you’ve got a mute! And then you can simply change the strings, which I find is one of the biggest tone-changers on any bass. I think people often just put everything on full and that’s that; I’m constantly fiddling with my controls, changing the tone for different passages. 

[dmccombe7]

35 minutes ago, 4000 said:

I think the newer basses sound different than the old ones, even with the cap in. Hotter pickups, lower pot values all contribute. 

Whilst I get that some people don’t like the various tones that Rics produce, I’ve never understood why people find the tones limited. Two tones and two volumes with two very different sounding pickups, plus stereo if you need it; I’ve found more useful sounds in them than in most of the actives I’ve had. Plus they’re very sensitive to playing in different areas between the bridge and neck. And you’ve got a mute! And then you can simply change the strings, which I find is one of the biggest tone-changers on any bass. I think people often just put everything on full and that’s that; I’m constantly fiddling with my controls, changing the tone for different passages. 

Think my views on tone are from an era when i was moving from Prog Rock into more Jazz Rock and the Jazz just suited what i was doing at the time. The Ric was fine for the Prog bands but i just couldn't get the sound i had in my head for the Jazz Rock bands. Over the years i've just preferred Jazz tone to anything else and i keep going back to them and that spans a 40+ yr of playing. From memory the Ric was a good bass to play and i don't recall any issues with playability. 

When i had the Ric i think i might have been in the full ON brigade during my Prog days and probably didn't experiment enough with the bass altho i only had it for about a year max. I do love the look of them.

Dave

[4000]

15 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Think my views on tone are from an era when i was moving from Prog Rock into more Jazz Rock and the Jazz just suited what i was doing at the time. The Ric was fine for the Prog bands but i just couldn't get the sound i had in my head for the Jazz Rock bands. Over the years i've just preferred Jazz tone to anything else and i keep going back to them and that spans a 40+ yr of playing. From memory the Ric was a good bass to play and i don't recall any issues with playability. 

When i had the Ric i think i might have been in the full ON brigade during my Prog days and probably didn't experiment enough with the bass altho i only had it for about a year max. I do love the look of them.

Dave

There absolutely are scenarios where I wouldn’t use a Ric.  But In terms of providing different tones, you have two very different sounding pickups, like on a Jazz. And compared to a typical Jazz, you have an extra control, a pickup selector, stereo capability and a mute. So whilst none of those things guarantees getting a sound you like, it is inherently capable of more variation  than a Jazz. It just often seems that people aren’t prepared to experiment. Obviously if the Jazz gets the specific sound you want and the Ric doesn’t that’s a different issue and nothing to do with a Ric’s versatility. 
 

Also, for all those who instantly think “clank” and no more, or maybe McCartney at the opposite end of the spectrum, don’t forget Maurice Gibb, or Graham Gouldman of 10cc, or David Paton’s lovely lines on the early Kate Bush records. 

Edited December 8, 2020 by 4000

[4000]

 

[dmccombe7]

Think for me the Jazz was a more overall "mellow" tone than the Ric^.. I prefer the more modern tone you get from the switch on the new Rics. If that had been on them years ago i might have kept mine.

Dave

[4000]

On 05/12/2020 at 12:19, Studio GC said:

I just ordered these as I'm very much a flatwound guy. I've always used Chromes, but they say the T-I's have less tension and better match the stick Ric strings size (and nut slot spacing).

 

I’m thinking of trying a set of these on my Azure ‘72. It’s just so much to spend to find out you don’t like them!

[4000]

2 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Think for me the Jazz was a more overall "mellow" tone than the Ric^.. I prefer the more modern tone you get from the switch on the new Rics. If that had been on them years ago i might have kept mine.

Dave

Dave, the switch just puts the cap in like on the old 4001 basses. The switch out removes the cap. So with the switch in (tone put pulled up) you get a more vintage tone. Tone pot down = cap out. Of course the 4003 generally sounds more beefy than the old ones regardless due to the hotter pickups and different pot values.

 

http://www.rickenbacker.com/news_item.asp?news_id=25&news=recent

 

 

[dmccombe7]

9 minutes ago, 4000 said:

Dave, the switch just puts the cap in like on the old 4001 basses. The switch out removes the cap. So with the switch in (tone put pulled up) you get a more vintage tone. Tone pot down = cap out. Of course the 4003 generally sounds more beefy than the old ones regardless due to the hotter pickups and different pot values.

 

http://www.rickenbacker.com/news_item.asp?news_id=25&news=recent

 

 

Been a while since watching the VID clip on Ric bass and couldn't remember how the switch worked. I prefer the modern Ric sound altho the vintage sound would work well in many bands especially mine where i cover 70's Glam Rock where some bassists used a Ric. Would maybe give me a better choice of tones than a Jazz. To be fair i use a Sandberg VM4 in this band and it works really well. I still love the look of the Ric plus its passive and takes away the risk of electronics failure or battery down. VM4 still works in passive mode without battery.

Dave

[4000]

11 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Been a while since watching the VID clip on Ric bass and couldn't remember how the switch worked. I prefer the modern Ric sound altho the vintage sound would work well in many bands especially mine where i cover 70's Glam Rock where some bassists used a Ric. Would maybe give me a better choice of tones than a Jazz. To be fair i use a Sandberg VM4 in this band and it works really well. I still love the look of the Ric plus its passive and takes away the risk of electronics failure or battery down. VM4 still works in passive mode without battery.

Dave

As much as I love that vintage Rick 4001 tone (and bear in mind mine really are about proper vintage tone with the screw top high gains and 1/2” toaster) I think in most situations a good 4003 is a better call. I once went to see my mate play live; he was playing a ‘90s 4003 at the time, so relatively hot output. I took my 2nd 4001CS and he played it for a song, but the 4003 sounded better in the mix. When we’d previously played them at home the CS sounded quite a bit better solo’d, but it’s all about the mix. 

[dmccombe7]

2 minutes ago, 4000 said:

As much as I love that vintage Rick 4001 tone (and bear in mind mine really are about proper vintage tone with the screw top high gains and 1/2” toaster) I think in most situations a good 4003 is a better call. I once went to see my mate play live; he was playing a ‘90s 4003 at the time, so relatively hot output. I took my 2nd 4001CS and he played it for a song, but the 4003 sounded better in the mix. When we’d previously played them at home the CS sounded quite a bit better solo’d, but it’s all about the mix. 

Having that option at flick of a switch to go vintage is a big plus i reckon.

Dave

[4000]

On 07/12/2020 at 16:39, Skybone said:

Should prepare you well for a proper Ric then!  

Bizarrely, although the Rockinbetter's are slightly bigger than the 4003 & Walnut Faker, they're lighter than the 4003. The Walnut Faker is lighter still.

I'd forgotten how heavy Ric's were 'til I got the latest 4003.

Not all Rics are heavy. Many of the newer ones I’ve played are about 9 and a half pounds, but mine are probably under 9.