Can't get a good sound out of my Ric

[martthebass]

[quote name='thunderider' timestamp='1384003048' post='2271746']
i got a ric 4004...it was for sale on here just after xmas....but i couldnt get that rick sound from it i bought a 60s bassman lookalike basicallyafenderside kick...it made it sound muddy....then i found a cheap ashdown 180 blue face combo and ashdown 115 and i can get a sound im happy with,loads of treble,piano like!!,but im putting it up for sale,or have some one who will swap a 4003 jetglo as thats what i really want.....but i beleve its a lot down to amp as much as anything....i wanna sound like alan davey,ex hawkwind....i can get his early sound....but ill never sound like him as i need to get a 69 bassman and crank it,a great universal amp to buy as well cheap is a laney dp 150...they give u a palet of tone.
[/quote]

To be honest you need to put a different harness into the 4004 to coil tap the pups to get it to sound like a 4003. I couldn't get a sound I liked out of mine through my MB/BF Compact - it was on the muddy side. I didn't want to invalidate the warranty by modding it so in the end I let it go and got a 4003. This works spot on with My current set up.

There's a lot of people that hate the things, I agree on the ergonomics, THAT does take some getting used to but sound wise it's got a flexible sound that works in most situations. No...it can't sound like a Jazz, or a Precision, if that's the sound you want then save a few hundred quid and buy one of those (or a grand and have a Squier Jazz as I did). There's not many BCers that have only one bass, I wouldn't have the Rick as my only bass.....when you need a hammer why try and use a screwdriver?

[Black Coffee]

[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1384117820' post='2273022']


If you can't get along with a Ric either your technique is simply poor or you bought the wrong instrument for your personal taste.
Simply blaming the instrument is rather foolish.

Others before you got great results playing their Ric, Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, Justin Chancellor, Trevor Bolder, Geezer Butler, Cliff Burton, Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes, Paul McCartney to name a few.
[/quote]

I merely lamented my childhood dreams being shattered. Years of watching Motörhead made me just want one, but not wanting to admit to bad technique I will just agree that I didn't get on with the u bend over the pick up and even when removed it was just not right for me. The 4004 had a dodgy truss rod and got returned so I never got to really try it out.
Regardless, I lost a fortune on three over about 18 months, and won't ever get over it as I pined after the bass for years and for me it's just the wrong bass to play but I love the look.

[Beedster]

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1384026300' post='2272145']
My brother in law has a 4001, I've used it a lot. I find it very comfortable to play and can get the action crazy-low, however I can never get a sound I like from it. It's either wooly, or twangy. It doesn't seem to be able to do that right in the mix, kick-drum frequency that you get from a P bass.
[/quote]

Have you tried flats?

[gsgbass]

Nylons have the flat sound, without the clacking on the board.

[Lowender]

This works for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwhMw5lwzNg

[Stag]

I found Elixirs really helped my tone, I tend to go for the bridge pickup only with treble on full and the amp doing the bottom end stuff.

I guess the best way forward is to experiment with your EQ a fair bit, what works on your amp for one bass may not be the same for another - found that a few times!

[grenadilla]

For people who like a Precision better just use your neck pickup on your Rickenbacker. If the clanging treble from the bridge pickup is too much, turn down the tone knob for that pickup. As aggressive as the distortion is on " Smoke On The Water", many bands want it clean. Roger Glover seems to use a cleaner sound on the recent What Now? album. You probably don't want h. f. horns . They are too harsh for proper 'Purple tone.

[D.I. Joe]

[quote name='grenadilla' timestamp='1384298845' post='2275097']
For people who like a Precision better just use your neck pickup on your Rickenbacker. If the clanging treble from the bridge pickup is too much, turn down the tone knob for that pickup. As aggressive as the distortion is on " Smoke On The Water", many bands want it clean. Roger Glover seems to use a cleaner sound on the recent What Now? album. You probably don't want h. f. horns . They are too harsh for proper 'Purple tone.
[/quote]

I think he uses Vigier pretty much exclusively now though.

[The Twickerman]

I have a 1978 4001 (sounds and plays fantastic), a 4001cs (even better, but a little fragile) and a 4003s8 (a little hard work on the fingers - but worth it).

I have [i]never [/i]played a bad Ric - but they are out there I believe.

I simply cannot [i]stand [/i]the playability or the tone of a Precision (John Wetton made them sound good though!) - horrid uncomfortable wide flat necks and a peaky tone that I find just irritating.

I adore Jazz basses - although I have never found a good one that I could afford.

But my current obession is the Bass VI!!!!

[The Walloper]

Must say, my 4003 has fallen out of favour, when used with my current set up. Much prefer the tone I get with my jaguar, and the ric has barely been out the case.

[bassmachine2112]

Something nobody has mentioned-pick up heights.
They sound crap if they are to high or low and not balanced.
Here,s my method-neck pup on and adjust height so it sounds good-then adjust bridge one to balance the volume with the neck pup,you will know when you get it right when you toggle between pups as the tone changes but not the volume,then stick it in the middle with both on and it will be big sounding.To change the sound just pull back the volume of one of the pups a little and you will hear the difference and hit a sweet spot.
More thud pull back the bridge one ,more attack pull back the neck one-works for me,roughly about 7 or 8 on the volume.
Hope this helps,remember to get the relief right first though.
PS- Geddy uses a sansamp in front of his rig,so get a behringer bdi21 clone,does the job instant Squier,Foxton,Lemmy et all with a couple of twiddles on the knobs,oh and a loud good amp and speakers-enjoy-off to annoy the neighbours with ace of 2112 in the city.

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='grenadilla' timestamp='1384298845' post='2275097']
For people who like a Precision better just use your neck pickup on your Rickenbacker.
[/quote]

Or sell the ric, buy a precision, and keep the change to treat yourself with!
Its not really worth keeping something if you don't like it, they go for quite a bit and there is always someone out there who is going to like it.