Chris Squire 4001

[NancyJohnson]

I got this link off a US site...someone selling a Chris Squire. I'm wondering something, I've played a few Ricky's in my time and never really fell in love with them, but the tone here is quite stunning.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0hrmaTuqUI"]Link[/url]

Is this tone achievable on all 4000 series basses?
P

[parker_muse]

I want that tone.

[Old Horse Murphy]

I get a very similar sound from my 4003.

[Waldo]

Can't say I find that tone particularly impressive, IMO.

[martthebass]

Shouldn't grin, but I'm sure that guy had a 'sex face' thing going when it got to the fast bit............the concentration was stunning.

[bnt]

Check out that guy's profile: he also has a G-K rig, lots of pedals, Fender Geddy Lee Jazz, and a Wal that features in most of his videos... in his living room!

[Musky]

I could very well be wrong, but I think the 4001CS came with the bass cut capacitor that Rickenabacker abandoned in the early eighties. I know they've messed about with the inclusion/exclusion of this in some of their more recent models, but I've no idea what model has got it nowadays.

But it's just a capacitor - a minor amount of modding to any 4001/4003 should sort you out.

Though thinking about it, the CS has a toaster, low output pickup so maybe not.

Hmmm... I've had Ricks for 25 years now - I really ought to get a bit more up to date with the specs!

[Bassassin]

Current Ricks have a push/pull pot wired to bypass the cap, and so should be easily capable of that sound.

Having said that, that's a fairly standard Rick-with-pick tone to my ears - and my Japcrap Rickenbugger copy sounds just like that - well, it does with new strings on!

As far as I know, Chris Squire Ricks were a very limited edition, are as rare as the proverbial & cost a fortune. They have a vintage-style toaster pup in the neck position (actually a guitar pickup) as opposed to the Hi-Gain on the standard 4003, but the bass in the vid is almost certainly just on the bridge pickup.

Nice tone - no comment on the playing...

Jon.

[steve-soar]

Chris Squire dosen't sound like that at all. Listen to Roundabout and what your're hearing on the track is a double tracked guitar overlayed.
On all of his bass sounds is a good bit of classic Neve mixing desk as well as a large portion of FX.

[KevB]

Quite agree. More to the point, CS sounds like CS when he picks up virtually every bass he plays. More evidence that it's the way he plays and his rig/fx set up that gives him his sound rather than just the instrument. I can get a closer sound to CS than on that youtube clip with my regular 4003 and a bit of tweaking around with my set up. I recall when I got my Hartke Bass Attack there is a list of suggested knob settings in the manual, one of them is called 'roundabout' and with the 4003 sounded quite close to CS's sound.

[stevebasshead]

Sound wise it doesn't sound specifically like Chris Squire's tone to me, just very Rickenbacker which is still pretty damn good. And yes, you should be able to get that tone from any 4001/4003 with the right technique, roundwound strings, a pick and a bit of amp tweaking.

CS didn't always use the Ric he's most associated with on all the albums either. Fragile (I think) was done mostly on a 21-fret 4001 (which was later stolen.) Most 4001/4003 models were and are 20 fretters. Listening to tracks from each of the Yes albums back to back and you can hear huge differences in his tone and yet he's still identifiably [i]him[/i] even with different basses, amps, f/x, recording techniques etc.

CS models always came with the old horseshoe bridge pickup - the one in the videoclip hasn't got the horseshoes. Either he's had the entire pickup replaced or just the horseshoes themselves have been removed. Either way, the seller should include them in the deal as without them the value [b]will[/b] be lower. And since horseshoe pickups are massively rarer than CS models it's not possible to put the bass back to original spec without a very, very long wait! Not to mention expense...

I can't remember if it was just the early CS models that had the magnetic horseshoes, or all of them. If it wasn't on all of them then it'd only be the later one's that had cosmetic horseshoes which can be removed without stopping the pickup from working.

CS models are pretty rare and also the occasional subject of eBay (and other) scammers - I nearly got my fingers burned once. Not saying this is the case here necessarily and I don't know if you're thinking of buying it, [b]but[/b], if you are ask the seller to tell you the serial number (off the jackplate). You can type it into [url="http://www.rickenbacker.com/service_serials.asp"]this[/url] serial number decoder on the Rickenbacker site. It'll confirm that it's a genuine CS model.

Also make sure your seller has the original certificate of authenticity. Ask him to photograph it and the bass next to a local paper showing the date so you know he has the bass in his possession.

Regards,
Steve.

[nick]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='70765' date='Oct 7 2007, 08:10 PM']Current Ricks have a push/pull pot wired to bypass the cap, and so should be easily capable of that sound.

Having said that, that's a fairly standard Rick-with-pick tone to my ears - and my Japcrap Rickenbugger copy sounds just like that - well, it does with new strings on!

As far as I know, Chris Squire Ricks were a very limited edition, are as rare as the proverbial & cost a fortune. They have a vintage-style toaster pup in the neck position (actually a guitar pickup) as opposed to the Hi-Gain on the standard 4003, but the bass in the vid is almost certainly just on the bridge pickup.

Nice tone - no comment on the playing...

Jon.[/quote]

Did that mod myself on my old Maya '4001S' , as probably because it's old, it already had the cap
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3199&hl=rickenbacker+mod"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...ickenbacker+mod[/url]
Must admit I prefer the vintage tone with the cap, rather than with bypass, but it's nice to have the choice.

[johnm]

didn't Chris Squire say that his unique tone was down to the number of times his Rick was
stripped and re-sprayed that it ended up being thinner bodywise................

[Delberthot]

Chris Squiers bass was one of the original export 1999 ricks(4001S exports). Apparently he had the 4th one into the country.

the first 3 went to the Ox, Pete Quaife (Kinks) and Donovan (?)

Chris' 1999 went through a lot of different guises involving putting wallpaper amongst other things on the face of the bass that had to be sanded off resulting in the bass ending up around 3/4 the weight it originally was.

Indeed, the horseshoe is missing - you can't just take the horseshoe section off as it is an integral part of the pickup. this guy has replaced it with a standard high gain pickup. If he doesn't have it then you are in the mire as shoes are as rare as rocking horses' doo daa.

One interesting fact is that when RIC serviced Chris' original 1999 bass last year, they discovered that one of the pickups was completely disconnected and had been for several years

[synaesthesia]

I had the 4001CS lefty, and still have my 4001V63 lefty. I had the CS first, and got the other becuase it was jetglo without binding and I could string one with flats and the other with roundwounds. Swapped strings etc... the sonic difference? I didn't find any to be honest and I worked in recording studios and tested both in comparison extensively in the 90s....., the 4001V63 has the same pickups. Sold my CS to a US Yes collector for a high profit, as mine was one of 4 lefty CS models made. Didn't have to sell it but I thought I might as well cash in. Still have my v63 dot neck. Great bass.

The pickup at the 'bridge' - more like the middle really, you can take the horseshoe assembly off, don't let anyone tell you you can't. They are 2 folded metal pieces. I have had mine on, off several times. Presently I think it is off, took it off a couple of months ago.

Sonically, if you want a rick and don't need the cosmetics of the investment models, any rick will do if you get the toaster, hi gain or whatever pickup fits your fancy. As one vintage collector told me, a Rick doesn't get any better in age - which is an inverse compliment that the QC is typically high. RIC did not have a bad patch in their manufacturing output in QC terms, unlike Norlin and CBS eras of Gibson and Fender, or Baldwin Gretsches....

The QC on colour is something else. Whist not actually bad, the consistency of the sunbursts, i.e. fireglo varies somewhat. My 360/12v64 LH is a bit redder and less yellow than others I've seen. According to Mark Arnquist, a repairman who used to work at RIC, the fella in charge of spraying was clinically colour blind!

Frankly Chris Squire's tone has a lot to do with his amp set up despite using a Rick, though I grant you that the basis of the tone was from his Rick.

Edited October 17, 2007 by synaesthesia

[LeftyBass]

[quote]as mine was one of 4 lefty CS models made[/quote]

Here's my lefty CS.

[4000]

[quote name='Waldo' post='70110' date='Oct 5 2007, 06:57 PM']Can't say I find that tone particularly impressive, IMO.[/quote]

Different strokes for different folks and all that. I love it. So, anyone wanna buy my CS (see for sale section)?

[4000]

[quote name='Musky' post='70216' date='Oct 6 2007, 08:55 AM']I could very well be wrong, but I think the 4001CS came with the bass cut capacitor that Rickenabacker abandoned in the early eighties. I know they've messed about with the inclusion/exclusion of this in some of their more recent models, but I've no idea what model has got it nowadays.

But it's just a capacitor - a minor amount of modding to any 4001/4003 should sort you out.

Though thinking about it, the CS has a toaster, low output pickup so maybe not.

Hmmm... I've had Ricks for 25 years now - I really ought to get a bit more up to date with the specs![/quote]

No, they didn't come with the capacitor. I've had 2 (got 1). The biggest difference is the reissue horseshoe (although he's not using one...).

I've also a/b-d many times against V63s (owned one, nearly owned another, played several) and in every instance the CS has sounded harder (I personally suspect the vermillion fingerboard, unique to the CS, although I could be wrong). I will however add that my Ric ear is annoyingly sensitive, although our guitarist, who has a similarly discerning ear, agrees. Every Ric I've owned (heck, pretty much every one I've played) has sounded different, although you may only notice back to back; I'll add that a friend of mine couldn't tell the difference between my CS and V63 but to me they were night & day. The most aggressive-sounding Ric I've ever played is my single pickup 4000.

Edited August 6, 2008 by 4000

[4000]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='75389' date='Oct 17 2007, 12:55 AM']Chris Squiers bass was one of the original export 1999 ricks(4001S exports). Apparently he had the 4th one into the country.

the first 3 went to the Ox, Pete Quaife (Kinks) and Donovan (?)

Chris' 1999 went through a lot of different guises involving putting wallpaper amongst other things on the face of the bass that had to be sanded off resulting in the bass ending up around 3/4 the weight it originally was.

Indeed, the horseshoe is missing - you can't just take the horseshoe section off as it is an integral part of the pickup. this guy has replaced it with a standard high gain pickup. If he doesn't have it then you are in the mire as shoes are as rare as rocking horses' doo daa.

One interesting fact is that when RIC serviced Chris' original 1999 bass last year, they discovered that one of the pickups was completely disconnected and had been for several years[/quote]

You can take the shoes off actually; it's only the very earliest reissues that have magnetised horsies.

Edited August 6, 2008 by 4000

[GreeneKing]

[quote]didn't Chris Squire say that his unique tone was down to the number of times his Rick was
stripped and re-sprayed that it ended up being thinner bodywise................[/quote]

That I think you'll find was Macca's C64.

I am fortunate to have a mint one of each

Peter

[LeftyBass]

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='257341' date='Aug 7 2008, 09:07 AM']That I think you'll find was Macca's C64.

I am fortunate to have a mint one of each

Peter[/quote]


Nope, while we all know the phases McCartney's 4001S went thru, it was Squire who says he painted and wallpapered his bass several times in the 60s and after each time he had a guy in Soho strip it, removing wood from the body each time, thus leaving it thinner than the average Ric bass, which he feels has something to do with his bass' unique tone.

Edited August 7, 2008 by LeftyBass

[4000]

[quote name='LeftyBass' post='257398' date='Aug 7 2008, 05:16 PM']Nope, while we all know the phases McCartney's 4001S went thru, it was Squire who says he painted and wallpapered his bass several times in the 60s and after each time he had a guy in Soho strip it, removing wood from the body each time, thus leaving it thinner than the average Ric bass, which he feels has something to do with his bass' unique tone.[/quote]

Yep, it's something he mentions in every single interview I've read.

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Chris mentioned that the guy was a Chinese repairman based in Soho called Sam Lee!

Every year Chris would take the Ric to Sam and he'd say `oh terrible - I shave it off! He (Chris) wallpapered it many times and at one stage, it had a `band' of black rubber round the body edges! Weird!

To my mind, Chris is the rock bassist - I just love his overall command of the instrument and his stage presence cannot be matched - total showman! And he has the biggest hands Ive ever seen.

[GreeneKing]

I'd obviously got the stories muddled, I had that down as the Macca one.

Peter

[lineboss58]

The tone in the link isnt actually a CS sound its just fret rattle with a slight overdrive edge on the amp, i used to have a very early 70s checker board 4001 a few years ago. That bass nailed the CS tone so you couldnt tell them apart this was down to the weird bridge pickup rickenbacker used to use. It was pickup distortion that you could get at any volume without pushing the amp input!! it was not possible to have the bridge pu on its own because it had no bottom end. I loved that bass but you could only do yes stuff with it and the band i was in hated it, they liked my thunderbird or precision better. I wish i still had it these things now sell for silly money.