Q for Bass Types and interested folks

[Rocketboy]

Yowser -  This post is somewhat non site related, but the Sunn))) forum ain't a bad place to ask it.

Given the sonic girth of a Rickenbacker 4001 or 4003, why is it such a lousy sounding solo instrument?  They play great and are superb for grooving, but when I try to whip it out on a Ric, it's all clatter and splatz.

On the other hand, my Fender Hotrod Precision Bass (P/J pickup configuration) sounds fine for grooving, but not as good as the Rickenbacker.  But for soloing, it's as good as they get.  Warm and wooden sounding with instant articulation.

There must be some underlying significance.  After all these years I still have no clue.  Won't you please help?

Ric

[tj]

I think a lot of it depends on how you play. Do you use a pick or fingers? Do you play back by the bridge or up closer to the neck? Also, how is the Ric set up? If the action is too low, it will be very buzzy, clanky, and noisy.
Ripping it up on a Rickenbacker and having it sound good is possible, just listen to Geddy Lee on any old Rush recordings. He played with his fingers directly over the bridge pickup, and he used more of a nasally, midrangy tone which helped with high-speed clarity. On the other hand, Chris Squire from Yes played his Ric with a pick and used a verrrry bottomy tone with lots of "clank" up top; but he was more of a groove player, not a soloy player like Geddy. I think it's all in the tone settings and techniques.

[Engine207]

Hi All!

I found this post when I did a search for settings for my new (old) Sunn.  I have a 78 Ric and an early 80s Coliseum 300 running an SPL215 cab.  I really like the up-front sound that Geddy and Chris Squire got back when I first started digging bass guitar.  I've played with the settings for the past month or so I've had it, and I can't quite get it right.

Can anybody help me with by sharing your "secret combination" for this unique signature sound?  Any suggestions will are appreciated and will be diligently tried.

Thanks, 207

[Isaac]

I've read elsewhere that a lot of what people think of as the "Rickenbacker sound" is due to studio effects and processing. Makes sense to me. Rickenbackers are great bass guitars, but they're just bass guitars. With similar eq, the Ric bridge pickup sounds almost exactly like a Precision. Without the noise canceling effect, unfortunately.

[EdBass]

Yeah, but what about this quote from the Rickenbacker website?
"The Classic Rickenbacker bass - famous for its ringing sustain, treble punch and solid underlying bass."
I have a 4003, and I've never sounded like Chris Squire either. When I run it stereo with fresh Rotosound Swing Bass 66's, really scoop the overall EQ and play with a pick it kind of gets that Roger Glover "Machine Head" tone, and I think he used a Ric for most of those tracks.
Mine is stock, and I've heard of ways to quite them down but compared to a P it's one noisy bass guitar, even with both p'ups on.

[Isaac]

That's one reason my favorite Ric has Bartolini pickups.

[Humbuzz]

The typical Rik sound is very broad. with a lot of lows and  highs, but a big scoop in the midrange.  The closest you're to get to mids is that "clank: you get from the pick or aggressive fingerpicking.  Turn this combination up for a solo and you get a muddy cacaphony. Soloing generally requires a a clear, responsive midrange, no boom, clank or tizz. Paul McCartny used flatwounds on his Rics; that may emphasize the "voice "characteristics for a solo.  My Precision has  a mid range forward sound that works well for solos  but has to be readjusted to blend back to carry the groove.  I use an eq pedal.

Riks basically have a great sound. They have neck-through construction for great sustain.  However they do come alive with compression, distorion and jusiciouseq.  and of course, a good pLAYER'S touch.

[Sunnmon]

Oh wot the Fook,
 The Ric 4001 is a unique beast, I got sick of mine and traded it for Sunn equipment. Sir, are you using it in stereo?? If I solo'd it'd be in stereo. You are using rotosound LD66? Dump the mids totally. Neck pick up into let's say my Sunn concert bass amp into a sunn 215S with K-140 and bridge pick up into my Model T ontop of 2 SWR Goliath III. So lows into 2 15" JBL K-140, Solid state amp. clean. Highs into 8 10", Vacuum tube amp, dirty. Nice seperation. Chris Squire used Marshall earlier and 12" speakers. The reason so many sound Engineers like the Fender Precision: split coil humbucking pickup. My jazz does not have them stock. The P is clean into a mixing board. SCN on a jazz will solve the hum but not period correct. My Ric was noisy too compared to my 1967 P. Dude experiment. Go clean low and try a little distortion on the top end. Sounds like yer close but no cigar. We'll help ya get that CIGAR, don't despair. Kick over someone's Carvin Stack! No but seriously ric's are more Nit-picky so ya got ta "speriment" a little heah.
PEACE AND HAPPINESS TO ALL, EVEN THE MISGUIDED SOULS WHO BOUGHT CARVIN STUFF.