4000

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='260468' date='Aug 11 2008, 11:32 PM']My jazz band played at the UK launch of the Fiat Multipla at Fiat UK hq in Slough. And yes, it was ugly even then! BTW, I love the look of the Bongo! Especially in that chrome orange. Yum![/quote] Me too. I used to think they were hideous, but I really like them in Desert Gold (quick edit after reading post above!) .

[quote name='acidbass' post='260524' date='Aug 12 2008, 01:00 AM']I always consider this when admiring someone's tone. For example, people like Chris Squire and Bruce Foxton get some really great sounds from their 4001s, but in a Blues Rock band or orchestra pit, could you get away with it? I love hearing them, and I'd love to be able to make my setup sound like that, but I'm not sure other musicians would appreciate the cut-throatedness as much as I would! Probably end up having to start a Yes/Jam tribute band called The Brixton Roundabout or something along those lines[/quote] Nice band name! I tried to sell my 4000 a while back (my clankiest, nastiest sounding Ric - like a cross between Lemmy and JJ Burnel) and our singer went mad. He loves that bass! Still, as we're playing original stuff (that I write ) it's not so much an issue. Luckily fate intervened; I've still got it and it's not going anywhere now. Completely true though. Many of my favourite bassists could feasibly sound terrible in another band. Although as I once pointed out, Jaco would sound just as bad in Motorhead as Lemmy would in Weather Report...

Oh, and Dave Gilmour and Andy Latimer....Dave in particular is a giant. Not literally, obviously. If he was they'd need a lot more bricks in their wall.

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='258827' date='Aug 9 2008, 01:59 PM']Actually, thinking about wierd musicians, your avatar's just reminded me of something. I did a bit of TV work some years back, and after the last programme of the series, we set up in the bar and did a gig. We were joined by Uncle Peter (Woof, Bark, Donkey) on drums, and Fish on vocals, whilst being watched by Noddy Holder and Frank Sidebottom. Surreal.[/quote] !!!!!!! Are you sure that wasn't a cheese-before-bedtime induced dream?????

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='258601' date='Aug 8 2008, 11:24 PM']To name but a few..... I also really admire people like Neil Finn, not for being a great musician, but for being an incredible songwriter which in many ways is as important, if not more so, than just being a great guitarist/drummer, etc.[/quote] Amen to that; far more important. A great musician without great music is nothing. I look up to someone like McCartney (despite him having written a few ropey songs in his time) or Ulvaeus/Anderson far more than someone like Jeff Berlin or even Jaco because of the songs they've written.

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='258637' date='Aug 9 2008, 12:45 AM']I'll never forget getting home late from a gig many, many years ago, very tired. I sat scanning through the old German satellite channels and came across Paco, John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola playing acoustic guitars. I chucked a VHS tape in the old video recorder and sat mesmerised. It was absolutely stunning and I completely forgot that I was tired. Just amazing. I then went to Australia years later, and got hold of a copy of the CD of that night, on a market stall at a knock down price. Wonderful bit of business.[/quote] The Meeting of the Spirits, the version of that with Larry Coryell (haven't seen the Di Meola version, although I've heard it) is possibly my favourite piece of live music ever. The music, the performances (although poor old Larry looks completely out of his depth IMHO); just transcendental. The beatific grin on John's face all the way through just says it all. In addition, Buddy Rich (any truly great drummer, but he's by far the best IMHO). Saw him twice; greatest musician I've ever seen by an absolute mile. Incredible sense of time and drive, so flowing, so natural, but with so much energy and passion. Anyone who plays the piano really well, be it jazz or classical, as to me it's like a great set of opposite coloured teeth! Oscar Peterson would be a good example. Any great string players, particularly violinists; Sarah Chang being a good example. I saw Lucia Miccarelli playing Nocturne recently on one of the music channels and cried all the way through it. Next time it was on I recorded it, have watched it several times since and it reduces me to tears every time. Oh, and great classical or flamenco guitarists. I think for me it's about someone who can convey true passion and emotion through their playing.

Some of it is to do with context. When I saw Jeff Berlin at Bass day he was playing standards in a trio format and I loved it. However the first time I ever heard him properly was on a free disc which included Manos De Piedra IIRC. I thought his playing was great, but his tone was blah and the music was truly awful. I love Jimmy Johnson's playing with James Taylor (and much of the fusion stuff I've heard him do), so went to see him last year playing with Allan Holdsworth. I didn't enjoy anything about the gig, even Jimmy's playing, because I didn't enjoy the music (which I half expected). I must clarify that it's not because I don't like fusion; I love RTF, I love Matt Garrison, I love Mahavishnu, but they all have a certain energy and a certain musicality that touches me. The other stuff may have energy and musicality too, but it doesn't communicate to me personally. It's not that I don't understand it, I just don't like it. The Alain Caron clip is a good example; playing music that I like I may think he's a genius, but I absolutely hate everything about that clip. To reference another thread, I hate John Scofield's and Pat Metheny's guitar playing, and yet think John McLaughlin is one step short of God. So I think it's about finding something that connects with you. If it doesn't, technical or not, chances are it will leave you cold.

[quote name='elom' post='40731' date='Aug 3 2007, 12:49 AM']Everyone loves Lydia - I still prefer the pink bobble hat phase though. Hey, they should get her for Bass Day! Can we start a campaign?[/quote] + lots.....she's fab.

[quote name='Rich' post='258503' date='Aug 8 2008, 09:21 PM']Yup, a big +1 for Phil Lynott. "I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight... especially those who came more than once...". Classic. [/quote] Yep, doesn't get any cooler than Phil, bassist or anything else really. If you look cool up in the dictionary, I'm sure a picture of Phil will be grinning right back at ya. Obviously in a thread like this everyone's going to have different ideas, but I'd also say Lemmy (personal fave), Jean Jacques Burnel, Tony Levin, The Ox, Stanley Clarke (the cover of the brown album is sufficient for me), Stu Zender, Me'shell and Bernard Edwards, with a special mention for Mark King who is cool because he's arguably the nicest, most pleasant "star" I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Chris Squire is my favourite player and so is cool in that respect. Bootsy! Oh, and I have to add Glenn Hughes on Made In Europe, for that sound, that bass, and those trousers.....

[quote name='lozbass' post='255253' date='Aug 5 2008, 11:48 AM']I haven't used Bare Knuckle pickups (other than in a Sei I tried at the Gallery...err, uplugged) but I have Wizards in a Sei Jazz - I've been extremely impressed: you may wish to consider them as an alternative to the BKs.[/quote] If it was a singlecut that's my Sei. It has Bare Knuckles and they sound very good. I think they'll wind to your preference; the bass wasn't built for me but I believe Alex asked them for something specific. Of course it also has a Demeter circuit and is a through neck with a maple and macassar ebony top, so it's difficult to say what the pickups would sound like without the circuit and in a Fender-type bass.

[quote name='LeftyBass' post='257398' date='Aug 7 2008, 05:16 PM']Nope, while we all know the phases McCartney's 4001S went thru, it was Squire who says he painted and wallpapered his bass several times in the 60s and after each time he had a guy in Soho strip it, removing wood from the body each time, thus leaving it thinner than the average Ric bass, which he feels has something to do with his bass' unique tone.[/quote] Yep, it's something he mentions in every single interview I've read.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='256082' date='Aug 6 2008, 11:10 AM']Indeed - looks great - especially with the blue lights! My fave solid colour Rumour still remains the blue four string... the one that will never be sold![/quote] I tried that bass at Bass Day UK a couple of years ago. Bernie said "oh that one's thrown together, try the others". So I did, but I liked that one by far the best. Shame he wouldn't sell it, I'd have happily bought it.

[quote name='overwater#1' post='255659' date='Aug 5 2008, 06:38 PM']...and I wasn't even born This one does seem heavy, but I personally feel better playing a heavy bass. I have played much lighter basses, and never feel comfortable with them...Heavier feels more solid, I don't know, its a personal mentality, much the same as why I prefer to play 6 or more strings, I like the size and the feel of a wide neck in my hands, although the two extra strings are fantastic! I probably wont be saying that about weight in 20 or so years time, but at 17, Im making the most of it! [/quote] At 17, I could've worn and played the Ark Royal. At 27, the Starship Enterprise. Now, at 44, I couldn't bench press a dry Martini.

[quote name='Delberthot' post='75389' date='Oct 17 2007, 12:55 AM']Chris Squiers bass was one of the original export 1999 ricks(4001S exports). Apparently he had the 4th one into the country. the first 3 went to the Ox, Pete Quaife (Kinks) and Donovan (?) Chris' 1999 went through a lot of different guises involving putting wallpaper amongst other things on the face of the bass that had to be sanded off resulting in the bass ending up around 3/4 the weight it originally was. Indeed, the horseshoe is missing - you can't just take the horseshoe section off as it is an integral part of the pickup. this guy has replaced it with a standard high gain pickup. If he doesn't have it then you are in the mire as shoes are as rare as rocking horses' doo daa. One interesting fact is that when RIC serviced Chris' original 1999 bass last year, they discovered that one of the pickups was completely disconnected and had been for several years[/quote] You can take the shoes off actually; it's only the very earliest reissues that have magnetised horsies.

[quote name='Musky' post='70216' date='Oct 6 2007, 08:55 AM']I could very well be wrong, but I think the 4001CS came with the bass cut capacitor that Rickenabacker abandoned in the early eighties. I know they've messed about with the inclusion/exclusion of this in some of their more recent models, but I've no idea what model has got it nowadays. But it's just a capacitor - a minor amount of modding to any 4001/4003 should sort you out. Though thinking about it, the CS has a toaster, low output pickup so maybe not. Hmmm... I've had Ricks for 25 years now - I really ought to get a bit more up to date with the specs![/quote] No, they didn't come with the capacitor. I've had 2 (got 1). The biggest difference is the reissue horseshoe (although he's not using one...). I've also a/b-d many times against V63s (owned one, nearly owned another, played several) and in every instance the CS has sounded harder (I personally suspect the vermillion fingerboard, unique to the CS, although I could be wrong). I will however add that my Ric ear is annoyingly sensitive, although our guitarist, who has a similarly discerning ear, agrees. Every Ric I've owned (heck, pretty much every one I've played) has sounded different, although you may only notice back to back; I'll add that a friend of mine couldn't tell the difference between my CS and V63 but to me they were night & day. The most aggressive-sounding Ric I've ever played is my single pickup 4000.

[quote name='Waldo' post='70110' date='Oct 5 2007, 06:57 PM']Can't say I find that tone particularly impressive, IMO.[/quote] Different strokes for different folks and all that. I love it. So, anyone wanna buy my CS (see for sale section)?

Minus the add-ons and if a right hander - and with some crescent inlays - that's what I'd want a Jaydee to look like. Had one very similar actually, but without the neck binding; great bass, but soooo heavy. They really seem to vary a great deal. I've played some that were fairly light but never had the funds to buy them at the time.

[quote name='BassBod' post='255150' date='Aug 5 2008, 10:20 AM']As said, check battery first. Mine used to get through batteries every 6 - 8 months, but they died very quickly when they went. Lowering pickups is a good idea, and check the (adjustable) pole pieces aren't set really high. The transistors do distort when they go bad...but from memory its a fairly constant "Jack Bruce" distortion that gets worse when you pluck harder. On mine its was much more noticable on one pickup, but both did it. New transistors cleaned it up completely. There was a chap at Harrow Audio (google 'em?) who was able to get spares from Pete - get to know the bass, see what needs work and then talk to him? For the record, I love the Pro basses for their historical importance and the complete dedication that went into them - really ahead of their time. But I wouldn't buy or play one now. Too heavy, poor balance and a bit of a "marmite" sound - the only bass I've been requested not to play! BB[/quote] Are they all heavy? I've played about 3 Pro IIs over the years and I only remember one being heavy, although I was young & fit in them there days! The distortion thing happened to my old Wal Custom after the new owner had had it a couple of years; he sent it to Pete who fixed it. Not much chance of that now...

Niiiice! Now here's where if I'd sold my CS and that was definitely for sale I'd be on it (well, depending how heavy it is..)! In terms of price, over the last couple of years I've missed out on 2 ProIIEs, one at £899 and one at £820. Ironically I'd sooner have one than a Custom.

I once bought a Ric 4001V63 (a '92) on ebay from the US and it never appeared. Took me a year to get the insurance money and I lost £200 due to the change in exchange rates. Tread carefully & make sure it's tracked and insured.