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Rickenbackers - Overrated?


Ricky 4000

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On 28/12/2018 at 20:16, 4000 said:

To be fair, Macca started his career on the Hofner. He moved over to the Ric because it recorded and intonated better (and was free😂). So the Hofner was his iconic bass before the Ric came along. Having said that he used the Ric through Wings, but went back to the Hofner at the prompting of Elvis Costello. And because it was light. And iconic. 😉

Phil moved to the P because he felt it was easier to impose his personality on it.

Didn't Macca play a Jazz Bass on a lot of the recordings.?

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5 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

Didn't Macca play a Jazz Bass on a lot of the recordings.?

No, he didn’t. The Jazz was used for some of the White Album, IIRC (5 tracks I think). Apart from that, all the Beatles stuff is Hofner or Rick. There’s plenty of info available about what was used on what. 

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I see a few local band types using them, and they invariably seem to do their best to make them sound like a normal bass. Which I totally miss the point of... if you're not using it for its ability to get that grindy, aggressive trademark sound, then (IMO), there's too much downside in using one. If you're going to use a fat, wooly fingerstyle sound, there a loads of basses that do a better job. Grab a plectrum, turn up the gain, turn up the mids and turn up the volume!! Waste of money otherwise

BTW I'm not dissing them, I love them and own one, but they're not very practical or comfortable. The only reason to use such a specialist instrument (apart from how cool they look) is because you need their unique sound

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On 28/12/2018 at 00:23, Ricky 4000 said:

No, not really... differently rated, yes.

It's like, there are bass players, and then there are Rickenbacker bass players.

People think Rickenbacker players are the sort of folks who drive a Subaru Impreza (stereotype - yawn)... well that is simply not true... if it were a Japanese import Impreza, running at least 400/400, then yes, you're probably right. But please don't go judging every Subaru owner to be a Rickenbacker player.

It could be a farmer FFS, and everybody knows a farmer would play a Fender.

 

Thank you for your time.  😁

I must take issue with the farmers playing fenders bit as i know a lot of farmers and they would never fork out on a fender !

i think it far more likely they would build something from pallets ,tyre's , flashband ,gaffer tape ,and bits of old cars

the end result would surely look and play much more like a Ric ... 

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36 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

I certainly wouldn't plough any of my funds into one. 

Why not? If you buy fairly wise, vintage or second hand, you probably wouldn't lose a penny. Might be better than money in the bank (at .25% interest or whatever).

I'd be quite happy with getting all of these for starters (except the Gibson, obviously 😁)

 

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6 hours ago, Bob Lord said:

I see a few local band types using them, and they invariably seem to do their best to make them sound like a normal bass. Which I totally miss the point of... if you're not using it for its ability to get that grindy, aggressive trademark sound, then (IMO), there's too much downside in using one. If you're going to use a fat, wooly fingerstyle sound, there a loads of basses that do a better job. Grab a plectrum, turn up the gain, turn up the mids and turn up the volume!! Waste of money otherwise

BTW I'm not dissing them, I love them and own one, but they're not very practical or comfortable. The only reason to use such a specialist instrument (apart from how cool they look) is because you need their unique sound

There is great wisdom in this post ^^^^. it's what I was attempting to touch on in my OP, about "Rickenbacker players".

No shrinking violets, no fat wooly fingers, and often found in their natural habitat -- 3 piece band. 👍

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