4000

Tough one. Zero 7 at Glastonbury featuring Sia and Tina Dico (2004? Can't remember!), or very recently, Radiohead at Glastonbury this year as I thought their set was perfection. Alternatives would be Hawkwind circa Space Ritual, Genesis circa Seconds Out (they'd have to play Supper's Ready in its entirety), Camel circa Moonmadness (I'll be getting as close as I can next year but there's only Andy left these days), Kate Bush in '79, Fleetwood Mac Rumours era, and Jimi Hendrix anytime, anyplace, anywhere. It would also have been nice to not turn down the AC/DC ticket a friend offered to buy for the last tour prior to Bon dying, with me saying "I'll see 'em next time".

Wow, I’ve never seen that before. Thanks for sharing, that’s awesome!

My celebrity crush. Meeting her 3 times hasn't made it any easier; she's just lovely. On U2, I remember the first time I heard 'I Will Follow', back when it came out, the hairs on the back of my neck went up. Which is surely what most people want from music, for it to connect with them, for it to make them feel something. Whether it makes them want to dance, jump about like a loon, laugh, cry, bang their head against a wall, whatever. Exposure is of course hugely important as without it nobody will ever hear them, but an artist still has to connect with an audience.

Seconds Out is my favourite live album. And Going for the One contains my all-time favourite track, Awaken. Good calls.

I always find this odd. I started playing in 1980, and in my part of the world (North West) around that time, pretty much everyone I knew was talking about Stanley; I think I only knew 1 person - a non-musician - who was more than vaguely aware of Jaco. That only really changed when Jaco died. Maybe it was different elsewhere. FWIW, I bought Jaco's debut and Stanley's 'brown' album at exactly the same time (my first real exposure to either), or rather I bought Jaco's and my dad bought me Stanley's as he'd 'heard he was good'. I was much less interested in hearing Stanley, but after listening to both albums back to back that afternoon, Jaco's left me pretty cold and Stanley's blew my head off, and remains one of my all-time favourite albums. But that was me, no reflection on how anyone else should think or react. At the end of the day an artist either connects with the individual or they don't, and it shouldn't reflect in any way their validity as an artist.

Studio albums would be: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd Moonmadness by Camel and probably And Then There Were Three by Genesis

Zero 7. Failing that, Lemmy-era Hawkwind or first-two-albums Seal. I'd love to play in maybe Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, Genesis circa Seconds Out, Yes or Bow Wow Wow, but much of the joy of those bands for me is listening to the original bassists in context. Return to Forever would be a fun gig.

Mostly negatives from me I’m afraid. I’ve had four, all bought used & now long gone, and have played a great many more. Firstly, I’ve found the bodies are extremely uncomfortable for me but I have fairly unique nerve problems so it’s unlikely you’ll have issues in that direction. My Series 2000 had a very odd neck; the upper register was extremely deep and pretty uncomfortable. The others all had very nice, flattish neck profiles; the (graphite) necks are generally the only thing I like about Status basses. All were obviously very stable but one (bought on ebay) turned out to have a warped neck, one of only 2 warped necks I’ve ever had across about 40-odd basses. 3 out of 4 basses also had electronic issues too. As for the sounds, I’m definitely in the camp that finds them typically too synthetic, but I do play mostly with a plectrum which doubtless accentuates the issue. My experience of the company is limited to attempting to order strings but I had a lot of issues with Dawn not getting back to me about stuff. Quite a few years back, a friend also had a lot of similar issues when trying to order a custom bass (he gave up in the end) but did eventually manage to order a custom Streamline which he’s very happy with and which seems like a pretty nice bass.

A pretty easy 100%. Bass nerd, official.

I'll admit I haven't read all the previous pages but having not been on for a while and now finding the site upgraded, I now also find that I can't see a lot of the pictures that are being posted (I'm a Mac user if that helps). Any suggestions?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1502462414' post='3351669'] You took your time! [/quote] Well, there are a lot of Stingrays out there. I know many people consider Rics have various design flaws, and there are certainly one or two things I'd change (the intonation access being one that gets on my nerves, and the old rods, even though they do work, are a bit of a pain) but I can't help thinking that the biggest design flaw I've ever seen on an instrument is having to take the neck off to adjust the truss rod, or shim it to achieve the right neck angle.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1501494451' post='3344961'] No mention of the finish bleed into the bindings, neck dive, crappy pickup cover thing, razor Sharp body edges? Calling 4000 [/quote] Sorry, was busy trying to find a Stingray that I actually liked. On a more serious note.......ho hum. There really do seem to be some strange generalisations thrown about with regards to Rickenbackers. Both mine are '72s and the neck pickup is actually [i]louder[/i] than the bridge pickup (and yes, the caps are out). And you know what I do with [i]any[/i] 2 pickup bass? I know this might seem a bit out there, but I [i]adjust the pickup height to taste[/i]! A novel and wacky idea I know, but I'm just a novel and wacky guy. Oh, and as I've said many times before, my 4004 was better built than either of my Wals or Jaydees by quite a long way and was as well built as any of my Seis, and I've stuck with my Rics after owning and playing hundreds of basses that are supposedly "better"; Alembics, Wals, Seis, Statii, Jaydees, Warwicks, Stingrays, Fenders etc etc. They just work for me. If you don't like 'em, don't use 'em. Simple. I really don't understand why people get their knickers in such a twist about Rics and seem so inclined to vent about them. Usually if I don't like something I just don't bother with it. As for Dave.......the less said the better.

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1498500929' post='3325069'] I watched far too many hours, liked- almost all of it, loved - royal blood, FF, Killers, The Sherlocks, didn't like - Radiohead, very dreary, Ed, one trick pony, Biffy Clyro, usually love them but just too shouty and not at their best by a long way. I even watched ten minutes of Katy Perry! [/quote] Which just proves it's horses for courses as Royal Blood bored me stiff, Killers I don't like anyway, loved Biffy C, thought Ed was great and thought Radiohead were on another level entirely, far, far above anyone else I saw. Everyone has different tastes, which is as it should be, and is why people should try not to get their knickers in a twist when someone doesn't like something they do.

[quote name='crag42' timestamp='1498420376' post='3324500'] Oh no the bass player is slapping a solo!!!! Where's the MK haters? [/quote] You know, I love Chic. But although the band is indeed mostly killing it I really wish someone would cut Jerry's thumb off. He embodies a type of player that many bass players seem to want to be but which doesn't interest me at all. Horrible glassy bass sound and, for me, overplaying in the context of what I love about the original band. Sorry!

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1484751924' post='3218089'] Hope not, the Tbird is supposedly replacing the current Pro 1V, which sells around £350/£400. Certainly not going to pay pushing a grand for an Epi, as good as they can be. [/quote] A quick Google shows Sweetwater selling at 599 dollars. They also have pics of the white one. Oboy.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1484746250' post='3218004'] Oh Hell's bells, T/bird, white, chrome colour pups and vintage bridge. I KNOW I'm in trouble [/quote] Ooooof. Me want.

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497896132' post='3321199'] Cheers for that. Ok I think I get where you're coming from! However, I sense that the same make and model Rick will vary considerably more one to another than other basses from the feedback from the rest of our fellow BCers? I appreciate you consider that gives each bass individuality, which for me would work if they are all[i] consistently good[/i] when applying an objective set of criteria - even if we just applied, for example, your criteria of what makes a good bass. But if it is pot luck whether different basses from even the same year and model are going to be liked or disliked by the [i]same[/i] person that kinda feels like a quality control issue to me? Don't get me wrong, the XJ6 was a great design. You just never quite knew whether you were going to get a dud... [/quote] One thing to bear in mind; neck profiles, pot values and all sorts of other details often changed year on year or even several times in 1 year (thinking particularly '73), sometimes overlapping even from month to month, and all these things contribute to them being different from each other. I'm thinking more older basses when I talk about this. As Bassassin says, that shouldn't be so much the case nowadays. I think recent 4003 basses I've played have been pretty consistent, but as my favourite period is very early '73 and earlier I tend to think in terms of the history of the instruments made with an emphasis on the older basses, rather than current ones. Insofar as the QC thing, like I say, you could give me 2 supposedly identical basses of any make and I'll always prefer one and I would have thought most people would be the same. Also in QC terms, just to show it's not just Rics, I've bought one new Fender in my time. The neck had to be replaced immediately because it wouldn't straighten. My Wal Custom - which I bought used - had had the fingerboard levelled incorrectly from factory. My Warwick Streamer Stage 1, bought new, needed a replacement trussrod from the get go. I've had I think 4 or 5 Status basses, admittedly bought used, and 2 had warped necks. The only dud Ric I've had was a used '73 that so far as I could tell had severe water damage; that went straight back to the shop. But I appreciate others have had different experiences. Oh, one other thing; my 4004 Cheyenne II, sold only because it aggravated a nerve condition, was as well built as any of my Seis and better built than my Wals or Jaydees (in fact the only bass I've ever owned that was slightly better built was my custom Alembic).

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497884880' post='3321108'] @4000 thanks very much for both your responses above. [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][i]"I love the fact that they're all different. That's one of the things I love most about them. I [/i][/font][/color][i][i]want[/i][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828] each one to have it's own character. But I understand that others don't feel the same." [/color][/font][/i] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Hmmm.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I get that each bass having a certain individuality[/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] does make the thing more personal. However at the price point being asked, you would want and expect each one to be [i]individually excellent[/i] rather than some being excellent and some relatively poor, agreed? I just don't get why inconsistent QC should be a thing for any bass maker at the £2k price point as it then becomes a lottery as to whether the item in stock in a particular store that you've taken time out to pop into or ordered "blind" on the net, is a decent one and similarly even more if you're buying second hand. [/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Kinda has the feeling of a 1990s Jag XJ6 rather than a 2015 Jag XFR?[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The 4003 Walnut with neck through would also be my first choice, so good to know you approve [/font][/color] [/quote] I think you've missed my point though. They may all be excellent, or all be rubbish, or any number of variations in-between, [i]depending on your preference[/i]. I don't believe there's such a thing as a universally brilliant instrument, because everyone has different requirements and preferences. Like I say, I wasn't keen on my '76 but my friend loves it. I wasn't keen on my Wal Custom either but another friend bought it and loves it to this day. Etc etc. In terms of QC, that's a different issue, obviously you don't want one that's falling apart. But in terms of a dozen different instruments, all made to the same standard that simply feel or sound different, you have to choose the one you like. That may not be the one that somebody else likes. There was a round up of reissue Les Pauls in Guitarist a while back where they said the same thing. Different people preferred different ones. Of course this also comes down to how aware you are of subtle nuances. A friend played my 2nd CS and V63 back to back and couldn't tell the difference, whereas to me they were night and day, although I had no preference for either, they were just different. To be honest, although Rics do vary quite a lot, I've never played two identical basses side by side of any make. Fenders, Musicman, you name it, there have always been differences. My 2 Warwick Dolphin Pro 1s; the '91 was a really nice bass, my favourite of the Warwicks I've owned, but the '96 I couldn't wait to get rid of. Anyway, good luck with your search and I hope you find the bass - whatever make or model - that speaks to you. Oh, and I like XJ6s so I'm the wrong person to speak to about that.

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497633688' post='3319710'] Thanks for sharing that, really useful feedback about the kids (aka the mids), treble and lows. I'm kinda intrigued by your expertise of this brand! I doubt if many of us have "played literally hundreds of Rics" in the way you have. So I'd really like to put you on the spot with 3 Qs (YMMV etc noted!) if I may: - what is the best Ric you have ever played and why? - which ones to definitely avoid (and why)? - if you were to buy a current new model which of the range would you go for (and again why)? [/quote] The problem is, I can tell you my experiences, but they might not reflect yours or anyone else's having played the same basses. I don't play like anyone else I know or generate the same tone as anyone else I know (although does anyone?). I once had an early Tokai Jazz Bass and I got a terrible tone out of it. Everybody else who played it sounded wonderful. As I've said before, you need to find what works for [i]you[/i]. It's your hands, your ears. To use my favourite shoe anaology, would you buy a pair of shoes because someone else said they were really comfortable? Or would you try them first to see how they felt to you? Still, to answer the questions: The best Ric I've ever played - for me - is my original Feb '72 4001. The day I found it, I picked it up and it just fit. Sonically, the neck, everything. Like when you find the right partner, it was as simple as that. No real science. But as I've said, I sold my '76 4001 - which I'd never really been happy with - to a friend soon after and he much prefers that to my '72. Other people might hate them both. I've certainly had a few people play my main '72 who really haven't liked it at all, which is fine and to be expected. Ones to avoid? Anything with major structural issues. Otherwise, it's all down to your taste. Current new model? 4003, but I'd probably have to play it first.

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1497602822' post='3319356'] Sure, although Chris does say both the body and neck were shaved such that there was a significant weight reduction. Let's also not forget the 4kOhm bridge pickup which he states is very low output and trebley compared with the stock pickup. Probably an early example of a Rickenbacker QA fail.. If you like Ricks, that's fine.. However let's not pretend that even when the factory tries to make a standard product, the results are consistent.. Maybe it's character, but if other manufacturers can do it right consistently then I don't understand why Rickenbacker can't.. Apparently they ship the basses from the factory without them being set up (how the hell do you test a bass without doing this?) because "there is not enough time" ... I get that you like them. [/quote] Having spoken to someone who has examined Chris's bass, there was defintiely a weight reduction, though I think Chris's "a quarter of the weight gone" was along the lines of "I've told you a million times". They did say his bass had the thinnest neck of the many vintage ones they'd examined though. Sadly I never got to play the bass, although I met the man a couple of times. FWIW the Rics I've owned have weighed anything from 8 to 10lbs (on average they're about 9) so they do vary anyway, and sonically they're all over the place compared to each other. FWIW his bridge pickup [i]was [/i]stock, for the time. It was an original horseshoe, which some people considered (and some still do) underpowered. Was it exactly the same readings as every other? Doubtful. But you could say the same about PAFs. Of course his bass wasn't the same spec as a modern Ric, because it [i]wasn't[/i] a modern Ric. Neither are mine, and they're not the same as modern Rics either. I love the fact that they're all different. That's one of the things I love most about them. I [i]want[/i] each one to have it's own character. But I understand that others don't feel the same. FWIW the only thing about the factory set up that annoys me is the fact that they don't cut the nut low enough, arguing that it's up to the buyer to cut as they see fit. For most buyers that's a PIA. Still, unless I walk into the Bass Gallery I find I can never play [i]any[/i] basses in [i]any[/i] shop these days. [i]Everything [/i]that's mass-produced is horribly setup (or not, as the case may be). I actually don't have an issue with people saying they don't like them or criticising certain aspects of them; they're entitled to their opinion. What I don't like, as I've experienced on forums (including on here) before, is when people start to bend the facts simply because they don't like them. But then I'd be the same with any other brand; I just hate people spreading misinformation.

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1497466017' post='3318481'] So apart from the neck, body, finish and some of the electronics it was identical to a standard rick ? [/quote] Well let's see. Same woods, same construction, same pickups, same hardware, same pots, caps etc as before and simply converted to stereo like a standard 4001 (which is both mono & stereo, the 4001S being mono only). Basically it was gradually shaved a bit thinner - unintentionally I might add - and was refinished in a non-Ric colour. If either of those means that it could hardly be classed as Ric then there are a million guitars out there that are no longer Strats, Teles, Precisions, Jazzes, etc etc. I better let my mate know that the Strat he shaved the neck on and repainted a la Eddie Van Halen is no longer a Strat. He'll be mortified.

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1497458583' post='3318364'] Both of my custom builds were less than my 4003s. However, if one ever needs to realise the equity in a Rickenbacker, I'm guessing the comparable return over a custom build would be a fair amount. I can't believe how much a new 4003s costs now, compared to what I payed. [/quote] All my custom builds were considerably more, but given I don't have any of them anymore and I still have my '72s, and they're both steadily going up in value whilst my customs halved almost instantly (well, except for the Alembic), my Rics seem better value in the long run, to me at least. Again, YMMV. Whatever works for you (that's a general you, not a specific one). Oh, one other final thought; I sold my '76 to a friend who much prefers it to my main '72. Which kind of proves that you should make your own decision based on your own preferences.

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1497430935' post='3318007'] Chris Squires so heavily modified it probably does not count as a rick.. [/quote] The neck and body had been shaved down somewhat due to removing various different re-finishes - you know, that 60s thing - and it was originally mono then rewired to stereo so he could use a different effect on each pickup, but otherwise it was bog-standard.

I've owned something like 15 different Rics from all eras except the '60s (did get one but never received it - that's a whole other story) and my favourite Rics have seen off everything else, including Alembics, Wals, Jaydees, Seis, a bunch of Warwicks, Fenders, all sorts of things. They just work for me, which isn't to say they'll work for anyone else. I find them very versatile, I love how they look, play and feel, and personally I prefer the tone to anything else. HOWEVER!!! Please bear in mind that Ric necks have varied hugely, often by year. My '72s are relatively wide and flat (for Ricks). All the '72s I've tried are pretty much the same. '73s can be anything from similar (at the very start) to Precision-sized. Most of the other '70s ones I've owned feel narrower and rounder, but again they all vary. Do not assume that having played one, or even several similar, that they'll all feel the same. They won't. Same goes for tone. Pickups have changed, pot values have changed, construction has changed across the years. I had 2 Rics, an '80 and a '76, prior to finding my '72. Neither worked for me tonally and I was never 100% happy with the necks or feel. The '72 was so far above them, for my tastes, as to be virtually unmeasurable, and remains my favourite by far of the probably thousands of various basses I've played. I've played literally hundreds of Rics and I've found that anything after early '73 up to the early V63 and CSs just don't really work for me, although they do vary a lot. The newer ones, around 2011 onwards, I generally like. But of course YMMV. Ultimately, find one you like and buy it, because you may not find another exactly the same. Oh, and as for ergonomics, they remain possibly the only bass I can play comfortably with my various ailments, which is contrary to some people's experiences. Again, YMMV. If you find an instrument you bond with, whatever instrument that is, whatever brand it is, then that's great for you, regardless of whether it suits someone else.