Rickenbacker Bass Gets Outed For What It Is

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1501971674' post='3348603']
Rickenbacker seemed alright for Chris Squire.
His playing gets loads of praise on here.

Really don't see the point in this thread, each to his own.
I don't expect to like every bass I pick up.
[/quote]

The point of this thread, as mentioned above, is that it's a bit of fun and no more than that. Dave is entitled to his opinion as much as anyone else.
I don't expect to like every bass I pick up either. In fact, it accounts for a lot of basses I've sold over the years including, sacrilege I know, a Pino Custom Shop. I just didn't gel with it and that's my problem, not anyone else's.
For the most part, I've enjoyed all the Rickenbacker's I've owned. I wish I hadn't sold my early 4001, which wasn't without its problems, but being young, I didn't know what I know now.

It would be nice if geofio was a little more active on here these days. He's probably had more Rickenbacker's than anyone else on this forum and would be the first to say that it's not an easy job getting a keeper.

[SH73]

That sticky ricky sounds pretty... what's the word that rhymes?

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1501886646' post='3348088']
[media]http://youtu.be/-lwKyBW8W-Q[/media]
[/quote]

Just like "Chicken Knackers".
[attachment=250710:FoghornLeghorn.png]

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1501991643' post='3348631']
That sticky ricky sounds pretty... what's the word that rhymes?
[/quote]

Gritty? Bruce Foxton's sound was anyway.
[attachment=250711:BruceFoxton.png]

[Thunderbird]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP-TrHdfmSM

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1501999763' post='3348639']
Gritty? Bruce Foxton's sound was anyway.
[/quote]

Wasn't he most know for playing a copy though until near the end of the jam?

[BrunoBass]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1501999763' post='3348639']


Gritty? Bruce Foxton's sound was anyway.
[attachment=250711:BruceFoxton.png]
[/quote]

He used a Precision on most, if not all the records, the Ricky was largely a prop for live use.

[BrunoBass]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1502014893' post='3348727']


Wasn't he most know for playing a copy though until near the end of the jam?
[/quote]

He had an Ibanez copy in the very early days but once The Jam got signed Foxton and Weller got real Ricks.

[SpondonBassed]

Thanks for the detail. Seeing The Jam perform on TOTP with matching Rickys left a powerful image of a tight little band. I suppose I got caught up in the marketing image myself.

[Telebass]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1501502110' post='3345044']
There's absolutely no way they are the best made and best finished basses out there, everything else is subjective I'll conceed.
[/quote]
This. The few times I've been inside a Ric bass, I was horrified at the low level of workmanship, especially at the price point. The designer was never the most coherent guy in the world of guitars, sadly.

[T-Bay]

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1502030392' post='3348836']

This. The few times I've been inside a Ric bass, I was horrified at the low level of workmanship, especially at the price point. The designer was never the most coherent guy in the world of guitars, sadly.
[/quote]
I agree they aren't the best made by any stretch but to be fair I have been appalled by the level of workmanship on several high level basses, one make that is very highly regarded on here had soldering that looked like it had been done by five year old. I commented at the time, it was truly appalling in something north of £2k. It seems that several of the 'artisan' makers think they can hide any old rubbish and get away with it. And if you buy mainstream stuff it's often no better. The only ones I have had that have had decent standard of soldering inside are my Aria and Gibson, my Fender is dire.

Edited August 6, 2017 by T-Bay

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1502033346' post='3348861']
The only ones I have had that have had decent standard of soldering inside are my Aria and Gibson, my Fender is dire.
[/quote]

As a data point, the worst factory wiring I have ever seen was in a gibson.

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1502015674' post='3348731']
He used a Precision on most, if not all the records, the Ricky was largely a prop for live use.
[/quote]

It does seem that of all the people who are associated with rics, very few stuck with them for any length of time, apart from Chris Squier (who said his sounded very different from other rics), and Lemmy (who had a lot of fake rics).

I saw from a the Jam and he plays a P bass (and a semi acoustic one). Geddy Lee has played jazzes for most of his career (and started with Ps - the time with the Ric was actually fairly short). Roger Glover had P basses as well as Rics, but hasn't played them for a while.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1502038409' post='3348895']


It does seem that of all the people who are associated with rics, very few stuck with them for any length of time, apart from Chris Squier (who said his sounded very different from other rics), and Lemmy (who had a lot of fake rics).

I saw from a the Jam and he plays a P bass (and a semi acoustic one). Geddy Lee has played jazzes for most of his career (and started with Ps - the time with the Ric was actually fairly short). Roger Glover had P basses as well as Rics, but hasn't played them for a while.
[/quote]

Here we go again...

Geddy played the Rick over 8 albums from 1975 to 1982. He started playing the Jazz in the early 80s but then switched to Steinberger. He then used the Wals for a few years and on less albums than he used the Rick, but people don't use this as an excuse to rubbish Wals.

Roger Glover used lots of different basses in his career, and it's only really with the Vigier he plays today that he's really stuck with one. During his first stint with DP he used the Rick on two albums against one with the Precision and one with a Mustang. During the 80s and 90s he played Peavey and Tune.

Lemmy having 'a lot of fake Rics' - possibly. He had real ones too. And s signature model.

Chris Squire always said his bass sounded different to other Ricks but it doesn't really. You'd have to AB to notice the differences.

Apologies for coming over a bit defensive but it's getting a bit tiresome now, reeling off a list of dubious facts and people who once played Ricks but now don't as 'proof' of how crap the instruments are.

[Thunderbird]

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1502033346' post='3348861']

I agree they aren't the best made by any stretch but to be fair I have been appalled by the level of workmanship on several high level basses, one make that is very highly regarded on here had soldering that looked like it had been done by five year old. I commented at the time, it was truly appalling in something north of £2k. It seems that several of the 'artisan' makers think they can hide any old rubbish and get away with it. And if you buy mainstream stuff it's often no better. The only ones I have had that have had decent standard of soldering inside are my Aria and Gibson, my Fender is dire.
[/quote]oh yes the soldering on the Polish Chinese parts bass that was a classic lol

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1502042463' post='3348934']
Here we go again...
[/quote]

Do we? Have we ever discussed anything before?

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1502042463' post='3348934']
Geddy played the Rick over 8 albums from 1975 to 1982. He started playing the Jazz in the early 80s but then switched to Steinberger. He then used the Wals for a few years and on less albums than he used the Rick, but people don't use this as an excuse to rubbish Wals.
[/quote]

Sorry, did I rubbish rics anywhere? Let me go back and read my post...
Hmm.. didn't read that bit.

However, he also used the Jazz bass ever since 1982, or 35 years. So compared to 7 years, its hard to say that he is associated with it.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1502042463' post='3348934']
Chris Squire always said his bass sounded different to other Ricks but it doesn't really. You'd have to AB to notice the differences.
[/quote]

Well, he said it, I wasn't going to call him a liar, he was a lot bigger than me

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1502042463' post='3348934']
Apologies for coming over a bit defensive but it's getting a bit tiresome now, reeling off a list of dubious facts and people who once played Ricks but now don't as 'proof' of how crap the instruments are.
[/quote]

My fault, I didn't realise anyone on here was so personally wedded to an instrument that they would view any question as a personal attack on them or would indicate that they viewed an instrument as crap or somehow they had 'proof of it'. You can be assured that I will check for eggshells next time I talk to someone who has a ric!

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1502046372' post='3348978']


However, he also used the Jazz bass ever since 1982, or 35 years. So compared to 7 years, its hard to say that he is associated with it.





[/quote]

Apologies, didn't mean to attack you personally. It just always seems that on a thread about Ricks someone always lists players who once played them but have since moved on to other things. I don't play a Fender Precision at the moment, haven't for years. Doesn't mean my Fenderbird or Yamaha is any better, they just make the noises I like hearing at the moment.

The irony is, for all my OTT defensiveness, I am actually an ex-4003 owner 😂

That bit about Geddy's Jazz is still wrong though 😉

[louisthebass]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1502026176' post='3348802']
Thanks for the detail. Seeing The Jam perform on TOTP with matching Rickys left a powerful image of a tight little band. I suppose I got caught up in the marketing image myself.
[/quote]

Same here (almost) - wanted a Ricky when I first started playing bass because Bruce had one. When I eventually got to try one out after playing for about 18 months, I was pretty underwhelmed and put it back on the rack. Didn't like the glossy fretboard and the shape didn't fit either..

However, it is an iconic instrument that has it's own sound and loads of great rock players have used them so it can't be that bad. I found the video quite funny - I wonder if Dave had been at the Jack Daniels before he started.....

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1502046868' post='3348984']
Apologies, didn't mean to attack you personally.
[/quote]

No problems.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1502046868' post='3348984']
That bit about Geddy's Jazz is still wrong though
[/quote]

True, I got the year wrong, it was two years earlier than I thought!
Moving pictures was 1980. I know, I remembered queuing up outside Virgin records in Portsmouth tricorn on the release day for that album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04Ekje672mo

[Woodinblack]

I had an ibanez rick copy, a red one, back in the early 80s, very much Geddy Lee and Chris Squire based. Loved the thing, it got nicked.
Have played ricks I liked and others that you really wondered what the point is. Unlikely I will ever have one though as I don't really play 4 strings these days and I don't really have any non giggable basses.

[bigd1]

This post is completely pointless.
You don't like Rickenbacker basses then, I love them................................

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

[quote name='bigd1' timestamp='1502385954' post='3351155']
This post is completely pointless.
You don't like Rickenbacker basses then, I love them................................
[/quote]

The title of the topic is the title of the You Tube clip. It was not of my making.
If you had read the whole thread you would know that I'm also a Rickenbacker owner.
I posted it as I thought some would enjoy it for what it is and not take it personally.

[scalpy]

I'm not enjoying this thread as it's got me totally hooked on Dave's YouTube channel. His accent makes me laugh for starters and I've no idea if he's any good at repairs or not but there's something really relaxing about it. I know, I need to get out more!

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1502395701' post='3351232']
I'm not enjoying this thread as it's got me totally hooked on Dave's YouTube channel. His accent makes me laugh for starters and I've no idea if he's any good at repairs or not but there's something really relaxing about it. I know, I need to get out more!
[/quote]

Ah, who knows how good or bad he is, but his channel does give some good information and more than a few chuckles.

Have you seen this one yet?

http://youtu.be/IyyLsmXtyE0

[clivem]

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1502395701' post='3351232']
I'm not enjoying this thread as it's got me totally hooked on Dave's YouTube channel. His accent makes me laugh for starters and I've no idea if he's any good at repairs or not but there's something really relaxing about it. I know, I need to get out more!
[/quote]

Many things about Dave are hilarious, and that's before he's had a few of his favourite Molson Canadians....

Best giggle, is the video of Dave back in the 80/90's, (before he turned into a curmudgeonly old fart), bass player in Diamond.... That "mime along" video of him rocking-out his P-bass in the painted-on or leather strides, with the poodle perm.... Oh boy....

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF4acu5Xgv8"]Diamond "The Hardest Rock On Earth"[/url]

Edited August 10, 2017 by clivem