4000

My 2 CSs have actually been possibly my least favourite sounding of my Rics, but yes, that's a reasonable example of a "typical" Ric sound (whatever that is). Check out Chris Squire (Yes), Bruce Foxton (the Jam) and Geddy Lee (Rush) for more of if not the same, then not dissimilar.

[quote name='dougal' post='901697' date='Jul 22 2010, 10:22 AM']Give a guitarist, any guitarist, a bass guitar, and he can play Mustang Sally in five minutes. Give a guitarist a proper bass and... it wouldn't be pretty. It's a guitar.[/quote] It's called a bass guitar, so I reckon that's what it is.

[quote name='Doddy' post='903987' date='Jul 24 2010, 01:33 PM']However I don't get Entwistle at all. I don't like his playing or his tone.[/quote] This is what I essentially said about Marcus and got a load of grief for. Works both ways doesn't it? Personally I'd take the Ox every day of the week, but each to their own.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='903709' date='Jul 24 2010, 01:22 AM']Actually his fuzzed-up flatwound sound on My Generation was the only time he ever sounded good. He sounded worse the more technology he threw at it.[/quote] In your opinion. Personally I think it was the worst sound he ever had, and he only arrived at it because he kept breaking the thin roundwounds on his Danelectros.

[quote name='JTUK' post='903535' date='Jul 23 2010, 08:25 PM']I preferred his sound in the earlier days....as much as I ever took notice of him ...but his stints with Alembic and the like didn't really work, IMV, for a rock sound. He has the same problem as McCvie with his efforts... too wimpy a sound for their type of bass/drums section. IMHO. Give these guys a freakin P-Bass[/quote] Seeing as they both used P-Basses at various times in their careers that's a strange thing to say. Completely disagree with the other comment BTW, although you're perfectly entitled to your opinion. Entwistle's Alembic sound is one of my favourite rock bass sounds of all time (I think the last thing it is is "wimpy"), and I love McVie's Alembic sound too.

[quote name='purpleblob' post='902885' date='Jul 23 2010, 10:12 AM']Totally agree. I think when a musician is still around and has an output of new music they end up, in a way, being a little forgotten, sometimes because their output reduces (or fluctuates) in it's quality other times just because we get used to their style and so maybe it's no longer different or because others have copied or extended their style to become the next "best" thing. Obviously Jaco's life was cut short and so to an extent we always wonder if he could have done even more amazing things. But Stanley Clarke (imo) is without doubt one of the greats. A pioneer every bit as important to the bass (if not more) than Jaco, but often forgotten because he's thankfully still with us. I write this whilst listening to his latest album As for the whole "who is best" type debates - these are pointless as it depends on the type of music you like, the type of musician you like and so on. It's not based upon some truly quantifiable measurement. If we could quatify and therefore score musicians it'd still be meaningless. So let's not concern ourselves with who is the best but instead just enjoy listening to them.[/quote] Were we separated at birth?

[quote name='jazzyvee' post='902622' date='Jul 23 2010, 12:23 AM']I'm a big fan of Stanley and he is by far my favourite bass player on electric and double bass. Yes he does have a trademark sound/ style and is easily recognisable on record but then isn't that what we are looking for as musicians, a sound that represents us. I don't see it as a bad or negative thing. I heard an interview by marcus miller where he suggested that people should be able to recognise who you are in two notes. Jazzyvee[/quote] I would completely agree, but I guess that takes us back to the stylist/versatility debate.

[quote name='XB26354' post='902646' date='Jul 23 2010, 12:39 AM']Funny, on this forum I've considered the revisionism has gone the opposite way. It is easy to knock a dead man. When I heard Jaco's first solo album and Heavy Weather it sounded like music from another planet. Stanley was and is great but came across to me as souped-up funk. Never liked his bass tone or his tendency to muck around with piccolo bass (who's the bass player Stan? Jimmy Earl!) He has had a lot longer to grow and change, and whilst I don't doubt for a minute that his playing was top notch, as others have said he hasn't really gone anywhere stylistically. And that's without any (perceived) mental disorders... Still, each to their own.[/quote] I wasn't talking about this Forum per se, I was speaking generally. Besides, even if Jaco gets knocked on here (although I'm not sure he does apart from possibly in response to a "Jaco is the best ever" kind of comment - you could insert anyone's name in that sentence and someone will have a go!) Stanley hardly gets a mention normally, which kind of proves my point. Whenever I read an article about the the true giants of the electric bass it always seems to be about Jaco. Not that he shouldn't be up there, obviously he should...but Stan should be up there with him. Personally I feel that even if you only make one statement, if that statement is strong enough then you've confirmed your place in history.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='902740' date='Jul 23 2010, 02:55 AM']Firmly put, I think. I saw the Who with Pino Palladino playing bass a few years ago. For me his tone was so much preferable to Entwistle's and made the band sound better. Heresy maybe, but there it is.[/quote] Personally I don't thnk Pino suits the Who at all, so it's horses for courses. I also love pretty much every permutation of John's sound (the T-Bird sound least though) but I [i]like[/i] the "guitar" part of "bass guitar". Oh, and personally I think Phil Collins is a [i]great[/i] drummer, but if someone doesn't like him fair enough.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' post='902399' date='Jul 22 2010, 09:49 PM']Just out of interest, what was the electric sound like? Almost everytime I've seen him on telly it has sounded terrible, nothing like as nice as on record. Could that be just bad tv mix? I expect that close-up at Ronnies you hear exactly what's coming out of the amp.[/quote] I thought he had by far the best electric bass sound I've ever heard. It wasn't a thin nasal sound at all (he does sometimes sound a bit weird on more recent footage; maybe his live sound doesn't translate, although I know plenty of people who simply hate his sound regardless which is fair enough, each to their own); it sounded bloody huge, with teeth. I love how he uses the filters to sweep through completely different sounds for different phrases. I also loved his upright tone which was really clear and singing. FWIW, I love his Brown Album (one of my all-time favourite albums), but after School Days probably lost interest to a greater or lesser degree, not that that diminished to my eyes in any way what he accomplished prior to that. But live, certainly the last two times I've seen him (maybe not quite so much the first time with George Duke) he has just blown me away. Yes he does his thing, he has a distinct style, uses distinct phrasing and doesn't stretch too far away from that, but what a thing! IMO of course. As stated elsewhere, I'm far more interested in stylists and his style floats my boat big time. I actually bought Jaco's debut and Stanley's Brown Album on the same day many, many years ago; my dad suggested getting the Stanley album and I was like "yeah, whatever" (I'd never really heard either of them but had heard such great things about Jaco). I was expecting Jaco's to blow me away and wasn't that bothered about Stanley's; I listened to the Jaco album and thought "hmm, not really impressed", then put Stanley's album on and it blew my mind. Speaking of which, since Jaco died I feel like there's been a bit of revisionist history; all we ever seem to hear is how Jaco single-handedly changed the face of electric bass. Well when I was much younger and they were both around they were considered neck and neck at the top of the tree, which is how it should be. BTW Mike, looking forward to that interview.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='902365' date='Jul 22 2010, 09:16 PM']On the early Beatles songs - which were my era - I can't hear anything special at all. I've often heard people mention him, but can't hear anything different from the other 60s bands. Please enlighten me to something that he did that was special.[/quote] Pete, I think he's a genius and you can't see it; remind you of anything?

Always been one of my favourites; in fact I suspect that he was my earliest influence (aged 8, 9 years before I touched a bass!) and I know he was an influence on many of my other favourites; utterly sublime.

Seen him 3 times now; early 80s, a few years back and last friday. Got something different every time.

If I hadn't just bought a very rare Ric I'd be trying to get that off you. In fact if I decide to let my new acquisition go, I might still be trying to get that off you!

I was at the last show on Friday. I was always a huge Stanley fan (one of my greatest bass heroes) but Friday was unbelievable. It was probably one of the 2 or 3 best gigs I've ever been to; the band was incredible and Stan played out of his skin. My favourite live bass performance ever by a long way, and that really is saying something.

[quote name='Spike Vincent' post='854263' date='Jun 1 2010, 10:31 PM']Somewhere in between Lemmy and Jah Wobble.[/quote] Nice one. Depends what I'm doing. If I was playing reggae, obviously I'd roll everything off. Playing noodly fusion, I'd aim for something that allows that, possibly more in a Janek / Richard Bona vein (I'd prefer to go more Stanley but I'd look a prune). For rock (which I tend to play most, although I'd probably class it more as power pop), I tend to favour something big, growly, trebly and slightly distorted (think Squire, Entwistle, Geddy or possibly a deeper-sounding Lemmy). It really varies according to the setting and song / passage though. Of course people's perceptions differ anyway; I always classed Chris Squire as trebly (in a good way) but a guy I used to know completely disagreed. I guess if you're used to active basses, hi-fi amps and tweeters then he's not trebly at all. If I have tweeters the first thing I usually do (although it depends on the guitar and the rig) is turn them off. I never have my amp flat, it's normally heavily eq'd. Unlike the OP, most of my life I've had to compete with distorted guitars and that has shaped my typical sound, although not to the degree that I stifle my natural tendencies; I probably compete for our guitarist's frequencies more than I should. I've always like the sound of flats on record but have never liked the sound I produce when playing them, at least up until playing an old Warwick Thumb with TIs in the Gallery at weekend. That was a revelation and I may buy myself a set to put on some bass or other in the future.

[quote name='Musky' post='900456' date='Jul 20 2010, 08:45 PM']I've got a 68 (ish) 4001S and as far as I remember (it's been sitting in it's case for the last year or so) it doesn't have a model number and the 'Made in USA' is parallel to the Rick logo, rather than next to the nut. I've only had the TRC off once, but if I remember correctly it was painted on the back rather than a piece of paper like the OP's.[/quote] Yep, all the plexi's I've ever seen (and I've seen a few) are painted. You should get that '68 out. What's the action like?

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='899808' date='Jul 20 2010, 10:57 AM']Ha! you beat me to my edit. Yup, I agree with you in parts... because again, it's all very subjective. For me, I get the reggae tones playing over the top of the neck, using the front pickup, with all the treble rolled off. I can go lighter in dynamics and stronger.. but if I need even more, that's where the amp volume comes in. As for sounding better, again, that's subjective... and somewhat influenced by the instrument that is being played. I guess it comes down to, again in part, having the right instrument for the job. There is a perceived link between low action and speed... but there are loads of guys I know who can propper rip it up at shred like speed on an action that is what I would call very high. I can't.[/quote] And +1 again..... One thing I will say is I find I get [i]better[/i] tone with lower action. I sound awful once I start raising it (which I try once in a while). Again, it's all about the way you play, the sound you're after etc etc.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='899775' date='Jul 20 2010, 10:19 AM']That's more like it! I think the problem people have with low action is that you do get the best results with a really light touch. Anybody who is used to playing with a higher action and then dropping the action is going to have problems. You have to adjust your right hand playing style also! I literally feather the the strings with my left hand and the right hand is a very soft touch. My "loud dynamics" may equate to another players "soft dynamics". You have to play appropriate to your action.[/quote] Absolutely +1.

I believe there were; some don't have it. The one in question looks fake to me, but I'm no expert on the 60s ones in particular. Someone on there will know.

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='899937' date='Jul 20 2010, 01:04 PM']Started in a Punk Band. Joined A RHCP Band. Played a few trad Jazz Sessions. Played Melodic, Hooky-Esque Lead Bass and Baritone Guitar in an Alt-Rock Band. And down i'm playing really dark Indie/Folk stuff. In my spare time, I practice using Miller/Wooten/Mark King stuff. And i've recently been working through Motown gear. I find that any Slap/Funk/Jazz stuff helps me work on timing, knowing wher to miss notes, add notes etc. I'm not adverse to using a chunky plectrum, an e-bow and I have used a slide on one recording...nothing groundbreaking. I've basically worked on being a toolkit, a bit of everything as a player. My current band is led by a prolific singer/songwriter, and he'll throw suggestions like 'can you make the bassline really groovy' or 'really electronic' or 'as much like a double bass a possible' he then totally leaves me to it, and has never asked me to rethink what i'm playing. So it's nice to have direction, but with total freedom. There are plenty of bassists who come in my shop, and sit with a bass. They sit down and nail 'Teen Town' (Something i'm too lazy to commit to) perfect tone, touch, timing and feel, but then try to slap something and it sounds like a bag of spanners... There are also folks who Slap something amazingly well, but just can't do anything else. And it makes me think - why didn't you 50/50 split your practice time? And of course there are Playes who sound like a bag of spanners rolling down the stairs no matter what they do, but are convinced they're the grooviest white guy in town... Each to their own, but if you're going to be a Stylistic type, learn how to bloody play the thing.[/quote] Ah but Andy, that assumes that everyone wants to slap/play fingestyle/play with a pick etc etc and be able to do all equally well. I don't play much slap but will occasionally bash out a bit in a shop for my own amusement. I'll seldom actually use it, and only then within my limitations, which are considerable. There seems to be an assumption that unless someone can do something well they shouldn't be doing it at all, but isn't it supposed to be about enjoying yourself at the end of the day? If someone is hopeless at slap / whatever but want to go ahead and do it, that's up to them. Of course they may not get in a band doing it, or get on a session, but that shouldn't be the be all and end all. This somewhat reminds me of people criticising Youtube footage of people noodling away for their own amusement. The point is, they're doing it for exactly that reason. When I go in a shop I don't stick to the things I can do, I try whatever pops in my head at the time, good or bad. I'm just having fun, hopefully. What I play in that sort of situation bears no relation to what I'd play in a band or on a session.

Looking fantastic. I was on the latter stages of planning a Marseer build a short while back before a change of circumstances nobbled me (apologies once again Robbie). However I WILL get one done in the not too distant future, as soon as funds allow. I think the Marseer is a stunning design, one of the best I've seen IMO. The fishtail and headstock are lovely touches. Interested to see how the bolt-on neck pans out.

[quote name='urb' post='899457' date='Jul 19 2010, 09:43 PM']Bollocks to it I'm a wuss - I love my action low and light - fighting the bass is a pointless exercise for me. Admitedly my action is very low but it's not as low as some players I know, I think it's all about the end result, ie does it sound good and are you comfortable while playing? Damaging tendons, fingers and wrists to 'be a man' is just silly, so do what feels good and suits you best, not out of some misguided macho attitude. Just my 0.02 Euros... M[/quote] +1 to that!