Taking Ric fugliness too far - KayRic

[spectoremg]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1970s-Kay-Vintage-Short-Scale-Bass/254347166892?hash=item3b3845c4ac:g:WBUAAOSwDStda8Y5

[TheGreek]

I know that Ric's are ugly and heavy but is that shape comfortable??? Been ages since I tried one.

[Ricky 4000]

That's odd, because my Ric is attractive, comfortable, light, and slim 🤗 ... and is actually a Ric.

You're welcome to try it if you're passing by here, Mr Greek.

[TheGreek]

3 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

...if you're passing by here, 

Thanks for the offer...TBH I am biased against Rics and probably need to try one again to re-assess my opinion.

Not planning on "passing by" East South Wales in the near future though...

Thanks again...

[Ricky 4000]

7 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Thanks for the offer...TBH I am biased against Rics and probably need to try one again to re-assess my opinion.

Not planning on "passing by" East South Wales in the near future though...

Thanks again...

You're welcome. 👍

Do you really think Rics are ugly?

I suppose some may be heavy. Mine isn't, but it's the only one I've ever lifted AFAICR.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Ricky 4000

[spectoremg]

In fairness I made the original accusation. I saw IIRC a John Burns version with all the edges smoothed out at a guitar show in Brum years ago and it looked gorgeous.

[Ricky 4000]

16 minutes ago, spectoremg said:

In fairness I made the original accusation. I saw IIRC a John Burns version with all the edges smoothed out at a guitar show in Brum years ago and it looked gorgeous.

That copy-ish thing on fleabay looks proper fugly to me as well (mostly due to the parts on it that don't look like a Ric', particularly the string trees, pups, bridge).

Re real ones - of course the S and 4000 model bodies have no binding, so they are rounded off a little, compared to the sharp outline of the 4001 etc.

If you like the looks of a bound body, I suppose you'd have to put up with the sharp edges. 👍

[skankdelvar]

37 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Do you really think Rics are ugly?

I think Rics look lovely. I like the sound they make. I've often thought about buying one and I nearly pulled the trigger on a 620 a few years ago.

But there's something stopping me.

 

[Ricky 4000]

3 minutes ago, skankdelvar said:

I think Rics look lovely. I like the sound they make. I've often thought about buying one and I nearly pulled the trigger on a 620 a few years ago.

But there's something stopping me.

 

Somebody, you mean?

[skankdelvar]

3 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Somebody, you mean?

Indeed. Joking aside and as God is my witness, I'll never buy a Ric while he's running the company.

[paulbuzz]

The Kay on ebay is overpriced by at least £180. 🤮

[Ricky 4000]

10 minutes ago, skankdelvar said:

Indeed. Joking aside and as God is my witness, I'll never buy a Ric while he's running the company.

I respect that, but my principles would allow me to buy examples made during the period when he wasn't in charge...

Damn, how long as he been there?

Is that him in 1979??

[skankdelvar]

5 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

I respect that, but my principles would allow me to buy examples made during the period when he wasn't in charge...

Damn, how long as he been there?

Francis Hall retired in September 1984. That's my notional cut-off date; anything after that is the 'Post-Francis' era afaic. 

To give credit to Francis Hall it was he who set up Fender's distribution arm in 1948 and worked with Leo until 1953. Also, anyone who names one of his product ranges after the family cat is always going to get a gold star from me.

Anyway, they're lovely instruments, even allowing for their quirks.

[Maude]

1 hour ago, Ricky 4000 said:

I respect that, but my principles would allow me to buy examples made during the period when he wasn't in charge...

Damn, how long as he been there?

Is that him in 1979??

Even the sexiest looking bass ever produced can't make a geography teacher look cool. 

[Maude]

I have to confess I have a blue 4003 sat in my living room right now. Our guitarist, who has more Rics than you can shake a chainsaw at, has a bass, which after playing my home set up 4005 replica, declared I should work my magic on. I'm covered in cuts and bruises from all the sharp bits and it still won't fit in the woodburner. I'm just having a cuppa and then back at her, I won't be beaten. 

[paulbuzz]

19 minutes ago, Maude said:

I have to confess I have a blue 4003 sat in my living room right now. Our guitarist, who has more Rics than you can shake a chainsaw at, has a bass, which after playing my home set up 4005 replica, declared I should work my magic on. I'm covered in cuts and bruises from all the sharp bits and it still won't fit in the woodburner. I'm just having a cuppa and then back at her, I won't be beaten. 

I seem to be making a string of posts about hopelessly designed equipment today. It must be the weather.

The Rick bass is an absolutely atrocious design. I'd still give my left arm for a blue 4003 though. (ok, maybe not my left arm, that would make the bass a bit pointless).

[Maude]

You have to sacrifice your right arm anyway if you play fingerstyle. 

Is @Ricky 4000biting yet 😉

[itsmedunc]

Yes. Indeed it is very very fugly. Indeed deformed.

It looks like that Kay was designed by someone partially sighted, who whilst cantering along on a horse, briefly saw a Ric through a dirty window in Detroit. He then got really drunk at a strip club and (awaking with with a major hangover) flew back to a small village in Outer Mongolia, where he continued his journey on foot to central China without a stop, whereupon he hurriedly described it (over a crackling landline) to his 7 year old child' who then envisaged the design and compiled a template using cheap crayons as a medium just before bedtime.

The template was then faxed to the tw@ who fitted several ill fitting doors at my house to manufacture and assemble the parts.

if anyone needs a joiner, feel free to PM me for his number. 😀

Edited September 7, 2019 by itsmedunc

[Ricky 4000]

2 hours ago, Maude said:

You have to sacrifice your right arm anyway if you play fingerstyle. 

Is @Ricky 4000biting yet 😉

Utter rubbish. A small-ish amount of flesh removal & bone shaving surgery on the inner forearm -- and you're good to go.

Well worth it IMHO. 🤗

Edited September 6, 2019 by Ricky 4000

[NikNik]

12 hours ago, skankdelvar said:

Indeed. Joking aside and as God is my witness, I'll never buy a Ric while he's running the company.

Same here. Never again. Despite all puff about Ben holding the reins,  that rude little megalomaniac is still overseeing the company. 

[oldslapper]

12 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

 

 

Have you seen where his left hand has ended up??!! 🤦🏻‍♂️

Seriously!!! 👴🏻

[NikNik]

10 hours ago, Maude said:

Even the sexiest looking bass ever produced can't make a geography teacher look cool. 

That's not JH. That's one of the Gruppenführern in the Rickenwaffen. Cant mind his name. 

[prowla]

14 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

That's odd, because my Ric is attractive, comfortable, light, and slim 🤗 ... and is actually a Ric.

You're welcome to try it if you're passing by here, Mr Greek.

Last time he walked past my Rics, he didn't stop!

(But I'll take a couple to this year's Bass Bash too, just in case...)

[prowla]

10 hours ago, paulbuzz said:

I seem to be making a string of posts about hopelessly designed equipment today. It must be the weather.

The Rick bass is an absolutely atrocious design. I'd still give my left arm for a blue 4003 though. (ok, maybe not my left arm, that would make the bass a bit pointless).

11 hours ago, Maude said:

I have to confess I have a blue 4003 sat in my living room right now. Our guitarist, who has more Rics than you can shake a chainsaw at, has a bass, which after playing my home set up 4005 replica, declared I should work my magic on. I'm covered in cuts and bruises from all the sharp bits and it still won't fit in the woodburner. I'm just having a cuppa and then back at her, I won't be beaten. 

My blue '78.

Incidentally, the Ric bass is the finest design ever, IMHO; up there with the classics like the Coke bottle, the Barcelona chair, the Spitfire, the red phone box, the London tube map, the red bus, the BIC biro.

Edited September 7, 2019 by prowla

[Skinnyman]

9 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Utter rubbish. A small-ish amount of flesh removal & bone shaving surgery on the inner forearm -- and you're good to go.

Well worth it IMHO. 🤗

It's strange but I've played my 4003 for over ten years and never had an issue with the binding digging into my forearm - until about a week ago.

And now I've noticed it, I can't stop noticing it.

I've decided that a walnut 4003s is the only solution.....