i want a rickenbacker........

[jonsmith]

[quote name='davidmpires' post='516559' date='Jun 17 2009, 04:18 PM']I don't mean to sound like a jerk on my 2nd post but you may want to read this before you think about buying one.

[url="http://bassthatricbuilt.web.officelive.com/default.aspx"]Bad experience with Ric[/url][/quote]
That's a real tale of woe and I'm aware of another person who had similar problems with a blueburst 4004. The guy seems to have then gone on a mission to find every person who has ever had a problem with a Rickenbacker and provided a link to it. Fair enough, it's obviously a personal crusade for him.

I wouldn't let that put you off though. I'm obviously someone who likes Rickenbackers a lot, but in my own experience, the finish on Rickenbackers is absolutely outstanding. I also have no complaints about bass construction, especially recent examples which are very robust indeed. I will concede that the guitar neck joints on my doublenecks are something I treat with utmost care as there is very little wood behind the start of the joint owing to the neck angle. Still quite useable though and one of those is almost 35 years old.

Here in the UK, because Rosetti order bulk shipments (of 4003 s at least), most of us have the opportunity to pick and choose which Rickenbacker we'd like, rather than being stuck with the one we've specifically ordered.

[quote name='chilisfan16' post='516673' date='Jun 17 2009, 05:39 PM']actually, i played a ricky for the first time in ages yesterday, and to be brutally honest, i was bitterly disappointed from all their hype.

the sound was very bland, and the action was amazingly high.i would advise againt them.[/quote]
As for action, if you know what you are doing (bridge/neck relief/nut filing), you can get it really low.


More Jetglo for you:

Edited June 18, 2009 by jonsmith

[davidmpires]

[quote name='jonsmith' post='517257' date='Jun 18 2009, 11:11 AM']That's a real tale of woe and I'm aware of another person who had similar problems with a blueburst 4004. The guy seems to have then gone on a mission to find every person who has ever had a problem with a Rickenbacker and provided a link to it. Fair enough, it's obviously a personal crusade for him.

I wouldn't let that put you off though. I'm obviously someone who likes Rickenbackers a lot, but in my own experience, the finish on Rickenbackers is absolutely outstanding. I also have no complaints about bass construction, especially recent examples which are very robust indeed. I will concede that the guitar neck joints on my doublenecks are something I treat with utmost care as there is very little wood behind the start of the joint owing to the neck angle. Still quite useable though and one of those is almost 35 years old.

Here in the UK, because Rosetti order bulk shipments (of 4003 s at least), most of us have the opportunity to pick and choose which Rickenbacker we'd like, rather than being stuck with the one we've specifically ordered.[/quote]

For sure Jon

I really think that the guy who did the website did it in very high spirits, I wouldn't be so calm myself.
Saying that we all hear bad experiences with bass builders when some other people swear by it. I guess that's just luck...or not.

It's always good to have both opinions and then decide for yourself.

[chilisfan16]

i did try and re-set the action but it was amazingly complex, nothing like the ease of a musicman or a fender.

[4000]

[quote name='chilisfan16' post='516673' date='Jun 17 2009, 05:39 PM']actually, i played a ricky for the first time in ages yesterday, and to be brutally honest, i was bitterly disappointed from all their hype.

the sound was very bland, and the action was amazingly high.i would advise againt them.[/quote]

They have to be eq'd properly; many people assume they can just plug in and use the same eq as for anything else, which isn't the case. They seem to favour certain types of amps and cabs too, and really don't like others. Listen to players like Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, McCartney, Foxton etc; if you don't like them then maybe they're not for you, although there's no guarantee you'll get them to sound like that.

FWIW action can be adjusted; I've always had incredibly low action on the bulk of my Rics.

I would never advise against any type of bass because what suits you might not suit someone else and vice versa, and individual examples of instruments vary greatly.

[riff raff]

still not had these photos.on the trail of another one as well.mapleglo.couple of years old.

[umph]

[quote name='davidmpires' post='516559' date='Jun 17 2009, 04:18 PM']I don't mean to sound like a jerk on my 2nd post but you may want to read this before you think about buying one.

[url="http://bassthatricbuilt.web.officelive.com/default.aspx"]Bad experience with Ric[/url][/quote]
that website made me lol.

[dmz]

Hmmm - all this Rickenbackery talk is giving me GAS - stop it dammit !

Montezuma Brown - Gold pickguard/trus rod cover - toaster pickup - vintage knobs (the all black ones) and a horseshoe pick-up cover - now that would do.

There is something similar on evilbay at the moment I notice - a 2005 model.

So - would the 2005 model have a P-bass style chunky neck ?

Another question for the Ricky experts out there - do the 2009 basses have chunky P-bass style necks ?

[LeftyJ]

Yes, the current models have thick and wide necks. I have a 2008 and in feel it's closer to a P than anything else in my collection.

[cytania]

I remind myself how I don't want a Ric, how old ones are knackered and over-priced, how the glassy neck feels all wrong... and then KT Tunstall's 'Suddenly I See' comes on the radio and the GAS is all back again!

[mrcrow]

[quote name='riff raff' post='511252' date='Jun 11 2009, 02:43 PM']i want a rickenbacker.
thats it really.just wanted to share my feelings.[/quote]

if you dont have a lot of money to burn ask yourself why..is it just the looks

[riff raff]

oh yes.same criteria as i use for girlfriends.good looks go a long way in the face of being difficult to handle.

[mrcrow]

[quote name='riff raff' post='519349' date='Jun 20 2009, 02:55 PM']oh yes.same criteria as i use for girlfriends.good looks go a long way in the face of being difficult to handle. [/quote]

riff raff
you are a genius

[riff raff]

heres some pics.

[riff raff]

2 more

[Starless]

I was a Rickenbacker nut for years, but have now off-loaded the last 2 that I owned. Several reasons, the main one being I discovered the Fender Jazz Bass. I can make my Jazz sound like a Ric, but can't do the trick the other way round.

The previously noted contempt for their customers, the shoddy Quality Control, and the fact that any famous Ric player through history has only really played them as a passing fad (McCartney, Roger Waters, Geddy Lee etc etc) leads me to finally believe that they really are not special and are now shockingly over-priced for what you actually get (even one that has managed to escape the factory relatively defect-free).

It's the Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle for the noughties. Living on past glories and bumping up the prices to 'cool demand' rather than produce enough instruments.

Anyone wanting to part with £1500 or upwards really should hold it, play it and inspect every last detail before parting with any cash (even a deposit). If you had ordered a 4003 in 2007 after having a shot of a friend's new one, you will now be receiving a 4003 with a completely different (fatter) neck profile from the one your mate has. You might like it, you might not - tough sh*t amigo - Ric will do what they like and have you pay through the nose for the priviledge of owning a 'classic'. But you have to ask - a classic what?

Long live Leo!

Edited June 20, 2009 by Starless

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Starless' post='519515' date='Jun 20 2009, 07:30 PM']I was a Rickenbacker nut for years, but have now off-loaded the last 2 that I owned. Several reasons, the main one being I discovered the Fender Jazz Bass. I can make my Jazz sound like a Ric, but can't do the trick the other way round.

The previously noted contempt for their customers, the shoddy Quality Control, and the fact that any famous Ric player through history has only really played them as a passing fad (McCartney, Roger Waters, Geddy Lee etc etc) leads me to finally believe that they really are not special and are now shockingly over-priced for what you actually get (even one that has managed to escape the factory relatively defect-free).

It's the Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle for the noughties. Living on past glories and bumping up the prices to 'cool demand' rather than produce enough instruments.

Anyone wanting to part with £1500 or upwards really should hold it, play it and inspect every last detail before parting with any cash (even a deposit). If you had ordered a 4003 in 2007 after having a shot of a friend's new one, you will now be receiving a 4003 with a completely different (fatter) neck profile from the one your mate has. You might like it, you might not - tough sh*t amigo - Ric will do what they like and have you pay through the nose for the priviledge of owning a 'classic'. But you have to ask - a classic what?

Long live Leo![/quote]


I personally cannot believe some of the QC problems Ive heard about recently...its digusting! Lovely looking bases, never played one though.

I did have Rick gas...but...after seeing the price, I was put off. At that price, you could get a decent Sadowsky, or nearly 2 USA Fenders.

Or...put it towards a custom.

£1600 plus or whatever they are is ridiculous.

[bassmachine2112]

hiho,you,ve got to stand tall to be a Ricky man,if you aint got the minerals then winge away and blame the tools.

[LeftyJ]

Well, about QC at Rickenbacker...

My 2008 4003 MG had to have the nut reglued, as it leaned forward towards the fingerboard, resulting in a terrible buzz on the open G-string in the nut itself. And to be able to intonate it properly after the nut had been reglued, a luthier had to cut in the holes of the bridge to accomodate greater travel space for the G-string saddle. Stuff like that shouldn't happen with a bass in that price range. But those are the risks of buying a bass online without being able to give it a try first. The bass doesn't disappoint me though, I've wanted a Ric for a long time and I love the tone and feel of mine. And thanks to the low Pound last January, 1516 Pounds were only 1650 Euros instead of the 2400 Euros the lefties sell for over here

[riff raff]

any opinions on the photos.mine for 850.if i decide yes.

[Clarky]

[quote name='riff raff' post='519799' date='Jun 21 2009, 10:27 AM']any opinions on the photos.mine for 850.if i decide yes.[/quote]
Overall condition looks great for age but action looks uncomfortably high to me. If you have the time I would put up these photos on RickResource and ask them if there's anything to be done with the neck/action. Its a very US-centric Forum but they really know their onions on absolutely everything to do with Ricks (just don't mention Rickenfakers or you will be [verbally] nuked!)

[riff raff]

the action is very high.and does need an adjustment.that was my concern.whether it was simply a truss rod adjustment or something more serious.snapped rod,dried out rod cavity etc.or something which might need a luthier to remove the fretboard to repair.

[Clarky]

[quote name='riff raff' post='519811' date='Jun 21 2009, 10:44 AM']the action is very high.and does need an adjustment.that was my concern.whether it was simply a truss rod adjustment or something more serious.snapped rod,dried out rod cavity etc.or something which might need a luthier to remove the fretboard to repair.[/quote]
I'm sure the shop won't mind if you ask them to take the truss rod cover off and see what is happening with the truss rods. That will at least eliminate some possibilities (snapped rods) and you may find they are too loose (they will rattle), which could be a partial or even full explanation

PS, if the neck can be resolved without significant extra expense £850 seems a reasonable price to me - I sold my early 80s Fireglo 4001 for about £900

Edited June 21, 2009 by Clarky

[riff raff]

i've just gone back over a conversation i had with him.........the rods ae super tight.they wont tighten any more.and obviosly he doesn't want to crank them any more in case the fretboard lifts.

Edited June 21, 2009 by riff raff

[Clarky]

[quote name='riff raff' post='519826' date='Jun 21 2009, 11:00 AM']i've just gone back over a conversation i had with him.........the rods ae super tight.they wont tighten any more.and obviosly he doesn't want to crank them any more in case the fretboard lifts.[/quote]
Hmmm, doesn't sound good. I would still ask the question on Rickresource to see if there is a reasonable fix. But sounds like it may be a costly problem (perhaps a warped neck from using too high tension strings?), in which case you would be better off paying a higher price for a Rick without issues.

There's a 2007 mapleglo on ebay for £800 with no bids and the aforementioned Jetglo for £998 - you could always PM the seller of the Jetglo pinting out lack of bids and offer to do a B-I-N of say £900 - nothing lost there

[riff raff]

already in contact with the mapleglo owner.not really looking to buy trouble d'ya know what i mean.i've done a lot of buying and selling in various areas and i always trust my gut.and i'm not feeling this 75.

Edited June 21, 2009 by riff raff