Hi folks

[Spikey]

Just saying hello

new on here but been told it’s a great community

ive been playing for ever (40 years) both bass and guitar - these days playing with some friends and do gigs in pubs around Bristol /Bath for fun

gear wise I am a long term Fender Jazz fan but recently changed to a Rick 4003 2017 fireglow model which is just great. I’ve wanted a Rick all my life and it didn’t disappoint. I kept my jazz then traded it for a fretless Jazz as I thought this would be a backup bass but one that added something different and therefore would get used 

amp wise - I am running the Rick via a rickosplit box - top pickup in to a Hartke 112c and the bottom pickup in to a Hartke 115c - I am still experimenting with this setup - it sounds fantastic but I think I’m about to change to a rack with two higher powered amps - just feels a more suitable / powerful / organised way to do it 

very interested in hearing from anyone else who is bi-amping a Rick and what they use / how they do it??

look forward to checking out the forum

Spikey 👍🙏🏻

Edited January 13, 2018 by Spikey

[SpondonBassed]

Welcome Spikey.

[Dad3353]

Good morning, Spikey, and ...

Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

[Skybone]

Good to hear a positive Ric owner story!

Welcome!

[dontregartha]

Welcome Spikey - I bi-amp my Ricky when recording at home. I don't gig with the Ric often - I play in a soul/motown/funk band so i use a mexican P bass which I'm not so paranoid about damaging!

The sound from the bi=amp setup - I do it Chris Squire style with an over driven toppy amp on the top pickup and a real round bottom sound on the bottom pick up. Awesome.

I have tried it live, but neither of my bass amps is massive on the bottom end and its a bit of a faff dragging two amps around.

Interestingly I too have an Hartke 112c which has some good tone shaping that suits the Rick  - I do find that the tone does drift away as the levels creep up during an evening and it starts to 'hollow out' - the best way I can describe it.

The other consideration is I'm a finger player - never really got on with picks so that may have a bearing.

But my Ric (midnight blue) is my baby and I love it to bits.

[discreet]

[Marc S]

Hi Spikey, and welcome to BC
I've only ever played either my former Rick or my current Shaftesbury clone in Stereo mode at home... and that wasn't via a proper splitter - just using a stereo lead
It did sound nice at home, but I didn't fancy carting two rigs around. (Mind you, these days I often carry a tiny spare head!)

Could you think about taking one amp rig, and maybe putting the second signal into a PA? - perhaps via a D.I. or pre-amp pedal?

Let us know how you get on with your live stereo experiments

Edited January 16, 2018 by Marc S

[dontregartha]

That could work Marc - send the low bass DI int the PA, especially if you've got decent subs.

[Marc S]

Yes, depending on the PA of course.
I was also wondering, whether in smaller venues (with smaller PA's) whether it could work the other way around?
Perhaps with the low bass into a 1x15 cab, and the higher bass frequencies going into the house PA?
Of course, that 1x15 cab would probably be the heavier option then....
Be interesting to experiment with doing this sort of stuff though, or from other Rick owners who've tried this sort of thing

 

[Spikey]

So I did a largish pub gig last week used the 112c for the top end and the 115c on the bottom - used the splitter box etc.

it sounded amazing tbh - took a little while to set up of course but the control with both pick up volume at 8 and plenty volume on the amps was very useful - especially when as ever others started turning up as the set progressed

ive bought a 500w amp and think I’m gonna experiment with that with a separate high power 1x15 for the bottom end ( still using the 112c for top)

benefit is I can just use the 112 for rehearsals and use the full rig for gigs

 

im a bit fussy about sound so it has to be just right

collect the amp Sunday will let you know how I get on 👍

Edited January 19, 2018 by Spikey

[Spikey]

Spelling

[Spikey]

So little update folks on the bi-amp / Rick experiment

i am now running a Warwick Pro-fret 5.1 500w amp on the bridge pickup into a Hartke 1x12 HyDrive- and a Hartke LH1000 valve pre-amp 1000w amp taking the neck pickup into a HyDrive 1x15

the sound is incredible - so much leg tingling bottom end you feel rather than hear and that classic clear cutting Rick sound from the top - and the ability to cut and mix the two - just from adjusting the volume controls on the bass

 

ive kept the two combos (112c and 115c) rather than sell and buy just the cabs as it’s the same speakers within and cost wise doesn’t make any sense to sell just to loose the now redundant on board combo amps

im having to be very careful not to overload the speakers but tbh my body and ears would give up long before I reached that point

i have a pic if I can figure how to load it .., 

[SpondonBassed]

I heard Nate Watts endorse Hartke by saying that their amps don't fade under pressure.  I've never played loud enough or in hot enough conditions to make any amp fade, you understand, so I just take it on faith from one of my bass heroes.

Rickies seem suited to bi-amping.  I read time and time again about the pups being significantly out of balance on some models.  I suppose this is the best reason to separate the signals and process them independently.

Secretly, I dream of building a Bootsy inspired five with independent outputs for each string AND each pick-up.  I might limit myself to two pick-ups at first though.  Just 'till I get used to tiptoeing through the vipers' nest of cable that I'll need.