Players who've stopped playing Rics?

[4000]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='1265140' date='Jun 11 2011, 05:36 PM']I read some promo material for a "From The Jam" tour last year & it said he used a Precision for most of The Jam's recording; Malice was specifically mentioned. Surprised me, taking the blurb at face value.



In the early 80's there was an excellent A5 size magaine called "Music UK". I don't think it lasted long. But one I kept for years had a Lemmy special in it, from when they'd really hit the big time. He said his all maple Rick started off as a Fireglo (he said it was pink) which he hated, so he sanded it all off. Not being arsed to refin it, it was for several years - in his words - bled on, spewed on, spat on & had all kinds of alcohol and bodily fluids soaked into it. When it got too much he sanded it back again. He thought between the now slightly smaller body size & all of the abuse it was what gave it "his tone". And of course he "always" replaced the neck pup with one from a Thunderbird.[/quote]

I tend to watch footage of the Jam more than listen to the recordings; they're one of those "visual" bands. Playing live his Rics always sound like Rics and his P Bass always sounds like a P IMO. A mate of mine (a big fan) agrees, and he prefers his P sound.

I've still got that issue of MUsic UK, somewhere. I was reading it recently. The bass wasn't his "all maple" Ric, if you mean the one with the maple neck (Lem was my biggest early influence so this is one instance where "fanboy" is probably accurate) the bass was his first one, which was a 70-sh (certainly between '69 and '71 at any rate) 4000 (at least he says it was a 4000; IMO it looks from footage under the guard more like a 4001s, but I'm perfectly happy to be wrong).

He said it was, and I quote, "that horrible salmon pink colour"; he also added the T Bird pickup (and wired it wrong according to Peter Cook, who did some work on it and said that's why it sounded as it did. Apparently the output was actually really low!) He did indeed take all the paint off and played it like that for several years. The bass in question, the Ric he used in Hawkwind and at the start of Motorhead -it's most famously on the Ace of Spades video - can be seen here at approx 2:50.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9wnd69WKgw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9wnd69WKgw[/url]


I've never read any interview (and I've spoken to him twice about this too) where he said it was sanded smaller, although I guess it's possible. Chris Squire of course is the most famous "sanded smaller" guy (McCartneys is just sanded different!). Squire said that he kept refinishing his (it started as Fireglo) and that every time he changed it he sanded the colour off (or wallpaper in one instance at least). He's said many times that the smaller body size of his bass gave it it's tone; I don't know if you're possibly confusing the two, but it's quite possible that they both felt the same.

Lem only had 2 T/Bird pickups; he said he bought a pair of them in the West End. After that he got "a bloke" (I suspect Peter Cook as they look similar to the pickups on his old basses and as I stated earlier Peter had worked on Lem's bass) to make some copy T/Bird pickups, but Lem said "they weren't very good, not like the real thing". From there he went to Barts, and from there to Ric humbuckers.

[stingrayPete1977]

Fair enough I dont think anyone else should dislike them just because of the things that I dont like, I would always tell people to try things for themselves on the other hand to be fair if someone says "Has anyone tried a Ric, how was it" then me giving my likes and dislikes to them is not me trying to persuade them to not like them its me just telling them what I found. Should everyone that dislikes them not comment and leave only positive remarks and posts?
I have a similar list of likes and dislikes for most basses but its more often the Ric camp that get upset about the findings often overlooking the good points given (Looks & sound for me ). Maybe the stick has been poked too many times in the hornets nest?, which Im not trying to do BTW.

[RhysP]

[quote name='4000' post='1265189' date='Jun 11 2011, 06:23 PM']I've never read any interview (and I've spoken to him twice about this too) where he said it was sanded smaller, although I guess it's possible. Chris Squire of course is the most famous "sanded smaller" guy (McCartneys is just sanded different!). Squire said that he kept refinishing his (it started as Fireglo) and that every time he changed it he sanded the colour off (or wallpaper in one instance at least). He's said many times that the smaller body size of his bass gave it it's tone; I don't know if you're possibly confusing the two, but it's quite possible that they both felt the same.[/quote]
Squire didn't do the work himself; Sam Lee did it.

[4000]

[quote name='RhysP' post='1265205' date='Jun 11 2011, 06:43 PM']Squire didn't do the work himself; Sam Lee did it.[/quote]

Yes, I know, I didn't want to go off on an A-Z of Chris Squire's bass too.

[4000]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1265193' date='Jun 11 2011, 06:29 PM']Should everyone that dislikes them not comment and leave only positive remarks and posts?[/quote]

Again I think you've missed what I've written. The problem isn't people saying negative things about a bass, it's people then not qualifying their comments. It's when someone states that something (Ric or otherwise) is crap as if it's absolute fact, coupled with the implication from some (again, not you) that anyone who likes the bass in question (and this does generally apply far more to Rics) is in some way deluded, that's what I object to. I've been playing bass 30 years and have been through most of the better known makes. For most things I prefer Rics. Does that make me deluded? No, it means I prefer what works best for me.

EDIT: Re the first point, the issue for me is stating opinion as fact. If you state "Fender basses are more comfortable", this is implying that it's a fact, which it can't be as I've already refuted it. If you state "I find Fender basses more comfortable" that's an opinion, and I have no problem at all with that.

Edited June 11, 2011 by 4000

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='4000' post='1265189' date='Jun 11 2011, 06:23 PM']He said it was, and I quote, "that horrible salmon pink colour"; he also added the T Bird pickup (and wired it wrong according to Peter Cook, who did some work on it and said that's why it sounded as it did. Apparently the output was actually really low!) He did indeed take all the paint off and played it like that for several years. The bass in question, the Ric he used in Hawkwind and at the start of Motorhead -it's most famously on the Ace of Spades video - can be seen here at approx 2:50.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9wnd69WKgw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9wnd69WKgw[/url]


Lem only had 2 T/Bird pickups; he said he bought a pair of them in the West End. After that he got "a bloke" (I suspect Peter Cook as they look similar to the pickups on his old basses and as I stated earlier Peter had worked on Lem's bass) to make some copy T/Bird pickups, but Lem said "they weren't very good, not like the real thing". From there he went to Barts, and from there to Ric humbuckers.[/quote]

Didn't Lemmy only replace the neck pickups? If he did, I always thought it to be a bit daft as he says in interviews he only used the bridge pickup.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='RhysP' post='1265205' date='Jun 11 2011, 06:43 PM']Squire didn't do the work himself; Sam Lee did it.[/quote]
The same Sam Lee who built Dave Hill's "Dad's Gibson"??? That's only the 2nd time I've heard his name related to guitar build.

"4000" - I doff my imaginary cap to you. No it won't be anyone other than Lemmy I was remembering, since I have/had no interest in Chris Squire. It was maybe more than one article I was combining with a memory from 30+ years ago.
Though in reference to your comments on StingrayPete's comments; not for the first time I will say that I "read" all posts on here as being solely the opinion of the writer & never to be gospel or claimed as "fact" unless it's specifically stated as such. I find it makes reading less annoying, baiting & controversial............. mostly.

Edited June 11, 2011 by Big_Stu

[Guest MoJo]

After many years of dreaming of owning a Ric and having played countless Fenders and their clones, I took the plunge and bought a brand new Midnight Blue 4003 a week or so ago. The first thing that struck me was that the build quality which, although good, is certainly no better than either my £200 Ibanez or the G&L Tribute. If anything the Ibanez has the edge.

I used it at rehearsal for the first time on Thursday and with it set at the same strap length as I use on my G&L, I found the sharp edge of the body cutting into my forearm after only half an hour. I had to drop the bass down a good six inches to get it to a comfortable right hand position. This, of course now put the bass in a less than favourable position for my left hand, so ended up having to angle the neck upwards a la Bill Wyman to compensate. I've not experienced any noticable neck dive problems spoken about on this thread although I do use a wide, grippy strap. If there is any, it's certainly not in the same league as my old BC Rich Mockingbird whose headstock absolutely loved the floor.

The amount of money that these basses fetch is ludicrous. Had I paid £900-£1000, I'd have said that I'd got reasonable value for money. I've given serious thought to selling it and getting a Ray but I'd probably struggle to sell it and take a big hit in the process

[gelfin]

[quote name='Clarky' post='1263099' date='Jun 9 2011, 07:15 PM']I saw Bruce Foxton on the cover of BGM a couple of years ago with an all-black 4003 (Jetglo with black scratchplate) but yeah its true he plays Fender more[/quote]

When I saw Bruce playing with Casbah Club he was using a Status.

[4000]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' post='1265334' date='Jun 11 2011, 08:30 PM']Didn't Lemmy only replace the neck pickups? If he did, I always thought it to be a bit daft as he says in interviews he only used the bridge pickup.[/quote]

He did indeed. Lem seems to have changed how he sets everything up over the years, and I can only imagine has more recently (relatively speaking, since my interest in him as a player goes back a loooong way) started using the bridge pickup only. In the old days IIRC he used to set his amps up with the presence, middle & treble full on, whereas these days he has has said he has the treble full off. In some interviews over the years his accounts of his gear differ slightly too.

[4000]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='1265383' date='Jun 11 2011, 09:12 PM']The same Sam Lee who built Dave Hill's "Dad's Gibson"??? That's only the 2nd time I've heard his name related to guitar build.

"4000" - I doff my imaginary cap to you. No it won't be anyone other than Lemmy I was remembering, since I have/had no interest in Chris Squire. It was maybe more than one article I was combining with a memory from 30+ years ago.
Though in reference to your comments on StingrayPete's comments; not for the first time I will say that I "read" all posts on here as being solely the opinion of the writer & never to be gospel or claimed as "fact" unless it's specifically stated as such. I find it makes reading less annoying, baiting & controversial............. mostly.[/quote]

Stu, as above his accounts seem to vary slightly; Robocorpse on here is a big Lem fan and may be able to confirm. FWIW Sam Lee originally painted Squire's bass the cream that it has been for most of its "famous" life; Chris said it was the only colour he had!

Re the 2nd point you're probably right to do that and I wish I could; its just a pet hate of mine, not least because some posters really can't understand there's a difference. It's funny, I've been accused of too much fence-sitting before now but whenever I do actually voice an opinion people take issue with it. You can't win.

Bassman, the binding thing is one of the issues that our guitarist has with Les Pauls; he hates it. I learnt to play on a Ric so I guess it's just what you're used to; it's never bothered me in the slightest and is probably why LPs also feel more familiar (and perfectly comfortable) to me.

Edited June 11, 2011 by 4000

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='4000' post='1265493' date='Jun 11 2011, 10:58 PM']Bassman, the binding thing is one of the issues that our guitarist has with Les Pauls; he hates it. I learnt to play on a Ric so I guess it's just what you're used to; it's never bothered me in the slightest and is probably why LPs also feel more familiar (and perfectly comfortable) to me.[/quote]

This is my Ibanez SRX650



Same cream binding all around the maple cap as on my Ric, only Ibanez have thoughtfully added a chamfer for comfort

[4000]

[quote name='bassman2790' post='1265531' date='Jun 11 2011, 11:36 PM']This is my Ibanez SRX650



Same cream binding all around the maple cap as on my Ric, only Ibanez have thoughtfully added a chamfer for comfort[/quote]

It's the forearm chamfer that cripples me. Any bass with a forearm chamfer I can't play for long; I would therefore find a Ric far more comfortable. As I've said before, we're all different and have different requirements. This is a perfect example of my point about someone assuming something is more comfortable across the board when for some it won't be (not that I'm saying that you're assuming that, I'm being general).

Edited June 12, 2011 by 4000