Huge Lee/Squire fan back in the day, so naturally I had to have a Ric, and have so for nearly 40 years. Owned a 4001, a 4080 and currently own a 4003. Swapped out the bridge for a brass Hipshot bridge (MUCH easier to fiddle with). Had it set up at a local shop, treble pickup took a dump...I bought a Fender Jazz and haven't played the Ric since. As a Ric Snob for all this time, I had to eat a lot of crow. Watching your video 'Rickenbacker gets outed for what it is" basically bitchslapped me and pushed me to the Fender.
Sir Macca played the RIC all through the Wings era and into the 80’s. He returned to the Hofner as the years rolled by because it was so light and much easier on his back.
He ditched his RIC and started playing a Yamaha from late1978/early 1979 to the early 80's, got back into using his RIC around 1984 for a few years and then switched to a Wal 5-string from the late 80's to the early 90's, which is when he reverted to playing his Hofner exclusively.
Yes, we also take the pickup covers off of our Fenders so we can play them effectively. From "hate" to "strong dislike." The curve ends pointing to "Ric Lover." Uncle Dave is gradually coming around.
As a 4003 owner (bought new in 2015), yes, there were issues with the bass (especially the 4001's and 4003's pre CNC), but there's been a lot of re-engineering of the bass in the last 7 years. A new bridge design, switch to a single truss rod and CNC machining seem to have addressed most of the outstanding issues people had with the 4001 and early 4003. For a bit there, they even stopped lacquering the fingerboards, but they are back due to demand. Mine? No problems with either adjusting or with the workmanship. Yes, setting the intonation the first time was a bit of a chore, but I did it once when I bought it and haven't had to touch it since, whether running Roto's or Elixer's. It's far more a pain in the ass having to pull the neck to adjust the truss rod on the bottom of the neck on my Jazz than having to adjust the intonation on the 4003. Truss rods always need adjusting depending on time of year. I did remove the cover over the bridge pickup, though. I'll agree with Dave, it's in the way, but not any more than the old or reissued P-basses with the ashtray and pup covers. I will admit that they aren't for everyone, but I like it a lot. For the record, my 4003 is my number one for rock and punk stuff, but I'll switch between a MIM Geddy Lee Jazz and Music Man Stingray HH 5 string for other styles of music. In the end, ya gotta serve the music.
I believe McCartney still has that Rickenbaker. I saw a short tutorial video he did a couple years ago and he was using it; but I can't remember the song.
Dave, I too bought a Rickenbacker 4001 new, around 1973. That had flats on it. Surprisingly bright for flats, I must say. Only when I was taking them off, after about a year, did I notice how very ‘Slinky’ they were. Quite different from yer regular Rotosound flats of the time.
Thanks again Dave,,Rics,I watch this all time ,,to keep me on track about them,,,,,when I was a lot younger,,I had a 4003,,and saved my backside off to get,,I was 18 then and I'm now 53,and I sold it by 20,,every time I went to play,,,meaning a turn around of a day or two at best,I was young and keen,but the strings were sitting on the frets ,,I was 18 and no idea what to do,{long story short,I'd bought a guitar,I didn't know,had to be serviced basically every,time,,I went too play it},,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,cool looking guitar I couldn't use,,I sold it for a song
Thanks Dave, your videos got me through a bit of a set up on a Harley Benton Rickenbacker bass copy. They cloned the crappie saddle with cheaper metal and although it’s still a bit off it’s much nicer now than it came from the factory. Your videos are very informative about the major concerns, do what you can with what you got and hopefully get a bit of what you’re looking for as allowable by realities 🥶
Thing about McCartney's Ric is that sometime before he used it with Wings is he sent it back to Rickenbacker to have it reworked. One of the reasons was the pickups needed work
I did not know a Ric had a different scale. I just have the Fender-Gibson combos for guitar and bass. Someday I might have to get one if I get a Ric to work on. Do Ric guitars also have a different scale?
I bought my Ric in ‘75 and a few years later started doing the LA/OC night club circuit. I loved my bass but it wasn’t the right tone for a wide array of styles. It was too thin on the thump. I went back to a P bass and always look back. I married a girl and we were building our house l was running low on liquidity so l pawned it for $200. I went to pick it up and found out l was a week late. It’s a bummer but l’m not going to replace it any time soon. The one thing that always cracked me up is the amount of attention it gets from all the musicians in the audience when you whip out your Ricky. A love- hate relationship for sure.
i have a 1987 Rickenbacker 2030. It has a different bridge, bolt on neck, no bridge pickup cover and no body binding. Has dual truss rods. I would like to know Dave's opinion on this bass. In particular, the weight (very heavy) and the unusual circuit board that people mistakenly call semi-active.??? It is an all passive tone filtering board. Only resisters and caps on it. Nothing active at all. Cheers.
I’ve always wanted a Ric. After watching your videos, I backed off and picked up a G&L LB100. A few months later we opened for a band where the bassist has a Ric. It could’ve been all in the EQ but I was so glad I didn’t buy one. Didn’t like the tone at all.
I wish I hadn't. The "tone" all the Rick fanboys are always gushing about is easily replicated. Just put a set of weak, mismatched pickups in your bass and you're half way there.
So Chris Squire modified his original RM1999? That's the first I've ever heard of it apart from the fact that he converted it to stereo from the standard mono - a Rick option anyway - and apparently disconnected the rear pickup. The likelyhood for the latter was probably that it degaussed over time like many of that period.
Rick James is my hero and idol, (2nd only to Stevie Wonder aka THE Good of All Music ), used a Rickenbacker, and a Ernie Ball ( Music Man ) . In any case, that’s why I love them too .
they came out the factory with flats? hmm well that's one thing in their favour I guess. played flats on my fretted basses for years and just bought an ali neck Kramer fretless which I restrung with the exact same strings as in this vid. silly money but I've found once they're on they just get better and you don't need to replace them. interesting to hear you took the flats straight off your new bRick, any chance you could tell us the reasoning? I guess cus everyone was using rounds then? love the channel, best regards from Yorkshire ;)
I share your misgivings about Rickenbackers, especially as regards the maintenance/ownership issues. I do think they look and sound cool but I don't own one because I know trying to adjust or fix it would drive me crazy.
I've always been Fender/FSO guy. I'm also an industrial/product designer. From a practical/functional design standpoint, Rickenbackers, like this one, have always been silly to me. Dual truss rods, that bridge, and all that bridge pickup mounting dreck--no thank you. I'd rather adjust Fender truss rods with the nut at the neck heel than mess with those dual truss rods.
@Don Szymanski Well, he plays a Jazz mostly, but he has technically ALWAYS played a P bass. It's on countless old Rush songs. It was cut into the shape of a teardrop.
Why would you not change out the wonky bridge. First thing that needs to be done to any older Ric is replace the bridge with something that makes sense.
I put a nice Hip Shot bridge on my 4001C64 McCartney Model. Much better intonation & playability than that crappy Rick bridge. I love how it plays. Never broke a string & had to smash the thing.
Great moaning Dave. Highlight of my day. 🤣 They look nice & sound nice but are pigs to tweak. My old mate used to say they were like playing a toffee apple with all that lacquer on the fretboard. 😂🤣
Thanks to your videos, just last night I adjusted the string height on my warwick corvette, right as she HUNG from my shoulder, ..all the strings, all the grub screws, in roughly five minutes! Thanks Dave. It was pure magic, somehow the bass gods knew to put the set-screw openings at the perfect angle for the tiny little hex key to access all of them little baby grub screws... again, as I wore the darn thing. Complete ONE HANDED action, ya know, relieving string tension aside. Talk about design. After about an eight year hiatus the action was a little low for these older fumble fingers. Despite the hiatus, I had been pretty good about keeping up with the season changing truss rod adjustments. I find they are predictable both in timing and in the amount of movement/correction. Btw.. I agree w/ your rickenbacker hate, don't be ashamed. - One time, at this store, I picked one up and right away I was hit with the shock of how cheap and plastic her felt. Before buddy could even return w/ a cord to plug it in, I had already put her right back up on the wall lol
@@RARenfield In Chris' case, the "cover" was part of the magnet of the "horseshoe" pickup; it was not a simple cover that could be removed. McCartney had the "horseshoe" pickup removed at some point and the high gain Rickenbaker pickup installed.
@@kevinbanks7472 Interesting. So Chris adapted his playing to fit within the narrow confines of the bass? That's dedication. By the time I got my Ric in '76 those covers were just fake plastic silliness. Mine came off day one.
The Beatles got a few free Rics from the company, and the company figured it was a fair bargain - guitars for publicity. How times have changed....... Today Paul and John would be getting a minimum of 50 million per year, each, to play Rics.
Everybody talks about, but never actually uses the Rick’O’Sound, the coolest feature of a Rickenbacker! Run that puppy into 2 amps with 2 different pedalboards and it quickly becomes apparent that all that other crap doesn’t even matter.
Love your distaste with RIcks... ya didn't mention your canuck brethren Ged Lee as a player(who now plays a J)? Curious how the flatwounds workout with the Rick scale, hear a decent amount about that being an issue?
I'd like to get ahold of an old Rick and swap the pickups out for something modern like a Lace Alumitone. I think a bass bar might fit in there. Failiing that, I know an old Peavey Super Ferrite pickup would. Those were basically hot single coils with a hum cancelling dummy coil. They came on 80s-90s Peavey basses like the Foundation. If you want a Made in USA Jazz bass that can stand in for a P-bass in a rock band, play a metal show, or quiet right down for some Motown or pop, they were great basses. You can still have them used for less than $500. You have to make sure you get the Super Ferrite pickups though, but its easy to tell since they say Super Ferrite on them and the later VFL pickups were a solid black cover that has the Peavey block letter logo.
I own a Peavey Foundation with Super Ferrites, and I believe you are mistaken about their having a hum cancelling dummy coil beneath the main one. I'm not sure, as they are sealed, but mine function like Fender jazz bass singlecoils, in that they cancel hum when both are at the same volume. They are wound in the opposite polarity as j pickups, however, and use ceramic magnets instead of alnico. They are very bright and detailed, and may be rewired with a parallel/series switch to turn them both into a big humbucker. They are very nice pickups, but they do hum when uneven in volume or solo'd.
Love the musical outro from an old Blues Magoos album. I had two of their early ones and that song was on one of them. It's called oddly enough, 'Intermission'. ua-cam.com/video/j8tT6z_nK0s/v-deo.html
For the record....ric flaws. - too many truss rods - weakened headstock due to wood removal. - worlds worst designed bridge - sharp body edges - unpotted pickups - out of phase pickups - small frets - excess plastic I ll show myself out.😊
Yep! I never got this Ric thing either. Had the VR64 MCartney 4001 bass and the 12 string VR64 Harrison Ric. Not impressed with either!. The chrome work was cheap and nasty, and although I've got small hands, could not get on with the Harrison 12 string either! Guess us (Snob) guitarists just like a NAME!!
Dave: 1.) "strong dislike" vs. "hate": Isn't that like sticking your hand in boiling water vs. putting your hand on a red hot burner? Which would you like to do better? 2.) Geddy played Ricks! Stand with a Canadian, ya hoser! lol!
I just love your videos where you strongly dislike Rickenbackers. In fact, the first video of yours I watched was a strong critique of them, I subscribed right away. That was about a decade ago. Thanks Dave.
Wow all this time I thought those pickups were above and below pickups, or a magnet, or metal something that did some physics. (A piece of plastic!?) Really? I'm disappointed. Thanks Dave for explaining that!
Sort of were on the 4001, models, with the infamous ‘Horseshoe’ bridge pickup, and in the old days the 4003 bridge pickup cover was metal, but costs etc… Ricky’s look cool, but they are the Mercedes of the Bass world, overpriced. Generally, to get the best from them, you have to replace and modify to a great extent, and that shorter scale, doesn’t adapt to low tunings very well.
I strongly dislike not using the word hate about Rickenbacker guitars. Their best model was the WWII bakelite lapsteel. Best lap steel from Doughboy to Dobro!
His was a horseshoe pickup. The magnet was integral to the pickup working properly. It could not be removed without compromising the pickup. Those pickups would degaus but is easily corrected.
honest question: with all those three and a hald thousand layers of lacker gooped over the fingerboard and the frets, WHO goes "oh man it feels GREAT to play that"???
You can't take off the play inhibitor! It perform the vital function of keeping you from playing the bass. It has a purpose!
Ric fans: Lemmy had one!!!
Dave: Yeah it was highly modified.
Dave on a bad day: Yeah, and he's dead now. See what playin a Ric' gets ya?
I saw the video title and had to watch. Always fun listening to Dave grumble about Ricks.
That's exactly why I'm here. First Dave video I saw was him and a Rick.
YES….ALL THE YES!!
Haha,
Me too.
Same 😂
It's a love-strong dislike thing...
Huge Lee/Squire fan back in the day, so naturally I had to have a Ric, and have so for nearly 40 years. Owned a 4001, a 4080 and currently own a 4003. Swapped out the bridge for a brass Hipshot bridge (MUCH easier to fiddle with). Had it set up at a local shop, treble pickup took a dump...I bought a Fender Jazz and haven't played the Ric since. As a Ric Snob for all this time, I had to eat a lot of crow. Watching your video 'Rickenbacker gets outed for what it is" basically bitchslapped me and pushed me to the Fender.
Any time Dave meets a Ric, you know you’re in for a fun video.
Sir Macca played the RIC all through the Wings era and into the 80’s. He returned to the Hofner as the years rolled by because it was so light and much easier on his back.
He ditched his RIC and started playing a Yamaha from late1978/early 1979 to the early 80's, got back into using his RIC around 1984 for a few years and then switched to a Wal 5-string from the late 80's to the early 90's, which is when he reverted to playing his Hofner exclusively.
Yes, we also take the pickup covers off of our Fenders so we can play them effectively.
From "hate" to "strong dislike." The curve ends pointing to "Ric Lover." Uncle Dave is gradually coming around.
I like the covers both for looks and a good place to rest my palm when using a pick, but to each their own
Me too. I'll never take the cover off mine. I also bought a Jazz Bass and had the ashtrays put on. It looks so much better and plays just fine.
Sounds pretty darn good dave
Rickenbacker! Buy one and then get busy with creating a custom wrench! A winning marketing campaign if ever there was one.......
I do like its sound.
WOW! A Rickenbacker bass that didn't drive Dave to madness.
I never would have thought it possible lol.
As a 4003 owner (bought new in 2015), yes, there were issues with the bass (especially the 4001's and 4003's pre CNC), but there's been a lot of re-engineering of the bass in the last 7 years. A new bridge design, switch to a single truss rod and CNC machining seem to have addressed most of the outstanding issues people had with the 4001 and early 4003. For a bit there, they even stopped lacquering the fingerboards, but they are back due to demand.
Mine? No problems with either adjusting or with the workmanship. Yes, setting the intonation the first time was a bit of a chore, but I did it once when I bought it and haven't had to touch it since, whether running Roto's or Elixer's. It's far more a pain in the ass having to pull the neck to adjust the truss rod on the bottom of the neck on my Jazz than having to adjust the intonation on the 4003. Truss rods always need adjusting depending on time of year.
I did remove the cover over the bridge pickup, though. I'll agree with Dave, it's in the way, but not any more than the old or reissued P-basses with the ashtray and pup covers. I will admit that they aren't for everyone, but I like it a lot.
For the record, my 4003 is my number one for rock and punk stuff, but I'll switch between a MIM Geddy Lee Jazz and Music Man Stingray HH 5 string for other styles of music. In the end, ya gotta serve the music.
I love working on my guitars while I watch you work on guitars and bass.
Love it when Dave works on a Ric. Preferably after he’s had a beer or four.
I believe McCartney still has that Rickenbaker. I saw a short tutorial video he did a couple years ago and he was using it; but I can't remember the song.
But but but they sound soo goood....
glad to see you're using the tuner I sent you 🎸
Dave, I too bought a Rickenbacker 4001 new, around 1973.
That had flats on it.
Surprisingly bright for flats, I must say.
Only when I was taking them off, after about a year, did I notice how very ‘Slinky’ they were.
Quite different from yer regular Rotosound flats of the time.
Thomastik Infeld flats are very slinky. They are musical: they go "bawp."
I've found that a screw drive handle, the kind with interchangeable bits (1/4 inch ) fits the truss rod nuts quite nicely - just a tip.
rock on ..I have every tool , but thanks
Thanks again Dave,,Rics,I watch this all time ,,to keep me on track about them,,,,,when I was a lot younger,,I had a 4003,,and saved my backside off to get,,I was 18 then and I'm now 53,and I sold it by 20,,every time I went to play,,,meaning a turn around of a day or two at best,I was young and keen,but the strings were sitting on the frets ,,I was 18 and no idea what to do,{long story short,I'd bought a guitar,I didn't know,had to be serviced basically every,time,,I went too play it},,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,cool looking guitar I couldn't use,,I sold it for a song
Well done Dave. I knew you could do it!
Thanks Dave, your videos got me through a bit of a set up on a Harley Benton Rickenbacker bass copy. They cloned the crappie saddle with cheaper metal and although it’s still a bit off it’s much nicer now than it came from the factory. Your videos are very informative about the major concerns, do what you can with what you got and hopefully get a bit of what you’re looking for as allowable by realities 🥶
I had some set-up problems with mine. Finally got them worked out. Still a great sounding bass. Love this video!
I adversarially enjoy them.
Thing about McCartney's Ric is that sometime before he used it with Wings is he sent it back to Rickenbacker to have it reworked. One of the reasons was the pickups needed work
Some of the newer 4003 basses have a newer bridge with indepenent saddles and single truss rod.
and still play like ASS
Mine plays good but not really worth the cost.
I did not know a Ric had a different scale. I just have the Fender-Gibson combos for guitar and bass. Someday I might have to get one if I get a Ric to work on. Do Ric guitars also have a different scale?
I bought my Ric in ‘75 and a few years later started doing the LA/OC night club circuit. I loved my bass but it wasn’t the right tone for a wide array of styles. It was too thin on the thump. I went back to a P bass and always look back. I married a girl and we were building our house l was running low on liquidity so l pawned it for $200. I went to pick it up and found out l was a week late.
It’s a bummer but l’m not going to replace it any time soon.
The one thing that always cracked me up is the amount of attention it gets from all the musicians in the audience when you whip out your Ricky. A love- hate relationship for sure.
I like that fenders are anonymous. Since everyone plays them, people focus on your playing instead of your gear.
I'd will likely never own a Ric, because I have a perfectly good P-Bass, but goddamn they look so very cool.
Ooh TI flats. Those are the luxury choice.
Accept no substitute!
I heard that Rickenbacker first offered a bass to Bill Wyman and he passed on it and recommended they give to Paul McCartney 😆
They're beautiful looking and sounding basses, but yeah, the functionality could be revised to be more user-friendly.
Rick and Dave is my fav show.
i have a 1987 Rickenbacker 2030. It has a different bridge, bolt on neck, no bridge pickup cover and no body binding. Has dual truss rods. I would like to know Dave's opinion on this bass. In particular, the weight (very heavy) and the unusual circuit board that people mistakenly call semi-active.??? It is an all passive tone filtering board. Only resisters and caps on it. Nothing active at all. Cheers.
Chris Squire and Geddy Lee both went to a Jazz Bass eventually...
YESSS!!! Another Dave vs Rick video! I’ve waited so long for this, thank you!! 😅
I’ve always wanted a Ric. After watching your videos, I backed off and picked up a G&L LB100. A few months later we opened for a band where the bassist has a Ric. It could’ve been all in the EQ but I was so glad I didn’t buy one. Didn’t like the tone at all.
I wish I hadn't.
The "tone" all the Rick fanboys are always gushing about is easily replicated.
Just put a set of weak, mismatched pickups in your bass and you're half way there.
So Chris Squire modified his original RM1999? That's the first I've ever heard of it apart from the fact that he converted it to stereo from the standard mono - a Rick option anyway - and apparently disconnected the rear pickup. The likelyhood for the latter was probably that it degaussed over time like many of that period.
neck was shaved..total custom..just a Ric shaped object..look at what Geddy did and went back to a jazz bass
To be fair Geddy Lee’s best bass tone was on a Rickenbacker. They are weird and finicky, but they are also unique in tone and looks.
Rick James is my hero and idol, (2nd only to Stevie Wonder aka THE Good of All Music ), used a Rickenbacker, and a Ernie Ball ( Music Man ) . In any case, that’s why I love them too .
Nice
Lacquer on the frets, unbelievably shoddy.
Beautiful guitar though
Don't have one anymore - but I gotta say it really tied the room together as wall art...
Ricks are the DeLorean of the bass world...
...they look unique, but apart from that they're complete crap.
Great video.
they came out the factory with flats? hmm well that's one thing in their favour I guess.
played flats on my fretted basses for years and just bought an ali neck Kramer fretless which I restrung with the exact same strings as in this vid. silly money but I've found once they're on they just get better and you don't need to replace them.
interesting to hear you took the flats straight off your new bRick, any chance you could tell us the reasoning? I guess cus everyone was using rounds then?
love the channel, best regards from Yorkshire ;)
i bought one new in 74..it had flats on it
I share your misgivings about Rickenbackers, especially as regards the maintenance/ownership issues. I do think they look and sound cool but I don't own one because I know trying to adjust or fix it would drive me crazy.
Meh, They take about 3 minutes more to set up.. Not worth complaining about
I made the mistake of buying one (a 2018 4003 Jetglo).
It's like owning an old house... Something's always breaking.
What don't you like about them?
Bruce Foxton from The Jam did a good job with Paul weller on his Rickenbacker 330;
I believe Foxton's was an Ibanez copy, at least in the beginning.
"I do not hate Rickenbacker bass guitars."😂😂😂😂😂
I've always been Fender/FSO guy. I'm also an industrial/product designer. From a practical/functional design standpoint, Rickenbackers, like this one, have always been silly to me. Dual truss rods, that bridge, and all that bridge pickup mounting dreck--no thank you. I'd rather adjust Fender truss rods with the nut at the neck heel than mess with those dual truss rods.
Love the story about smashing the one on the dumpster. I will Never forget that story. You could tell that again, it's good and it's been awhile
Yeah - but he voided the warranty...((haha))
Exactly. If Dave hated Rickenbacker guitars he would of set fire to all the broken pieces.
They don't even advertise their price.
Probably because they're charging over 10 times what they're actually worth.
Where do they even advertise? They sell all they can make. Guitar Center emailed me the price immediately.
Dude you forgot your fellow countryman Ged played one as well.
Yes indeed, back when I was 9. I'm now almost 54........
And Geddy now plays a Fender P bass.
@Don Szymanski Well, he plays a Jazz mostly, but he has technically ALWAYS played a P bass. It's on countless old Rush songs. It was cut into the shape of a teardrop.
Billy is your brother I think. Gary from Chatham
Yes he is :)
So Dave is having a "Rickenbacker Holiday!"
Why would you not change out the wonky bridge. First thing that needs to be done to any older Ric is replace the bridge with something that makes sense.
ask the owner and STFU
I put a nice Hip Shot bridge on my 4001C64 McCartney Model. Much better intonation & playability than that crappy Rick bridge.
I love how it plays. Never broke a string & had to smash the thing.
My Rickie 12 sounds great, on the other hand, setting it is à complete arse
You love or hate them.
Hopefully first just to say thank you so much to Dave for all of this education and mean that from the heart sir. Thank you.
I love my Ric !
Get one of the Japanese or Korean copies for peanuts in comparison and put a better bridge on it, that's the way to go!
Great moaning Dave. Highlight of my day. 🤣
They look nice & sound nice but are pigs to tweak. My old mate used to say they were like playing a toffee apple with all that lacquer on the fretboard. 😂🤣
Thanks to your videos, just last night I adjusted the string height on my warwick corvette, right as she HUNG from my shoulder, ..all the strings, all the grub screws, in roughly five minutes! Thanks Dave.
It was pure magic, somehow the bass gods knew to put the set-screw openings at the perfect angle for the tiny little hex key to access all of them little baby grub screws... again, as I wore the darn thing. Complete ONE HANDED action, ya know, relieving string tension aside. Talk about design.
After about an eight year hiatus the action was a little low for these older fumble fingers.
Despite the hiatus, I had been pretty good about keeping up with the season changing truss rod adjustments. I find they are predictable both in timing and in the amount of movement/correction.
Btw.. I agree w/ your rickenbacker hate, don't be ashamed. - One time, at this store, I picked one up and right away I was hit with the shock of how cheap and plastic her felt. Before buddy could even return w/ a cord to plug it in, I had already put her right back up on the wall lol
I think all Chris Squire did to his Rick was sand off the paint. He said it made a big difference...
neck was shaved thinner
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff aha
Yet that dreaded pickup cover remained. Chris played behind it.
@@RARenfield In Chris' case, the "cover" was part of the magnet of the "horseshoe" pickup; it was not a simple cover that could be removed. McCartney had the "horseshoe" pickup removed at some point and the high gain Rickenbaker pickup installed.
@@kevinbanks7472 Interesting. So Chris adapted his playing to fit within the narrow confines of the bass? That's dedication. By the time I got my Ric in '76 those covers were just fake plastic silliness. Mine came off day one.
The Beatles got a few free Rics from the company, and the company figured it was a fair bargain - guitars for publicity. How times have changed.......
Today Paul and John would be getting a minimum of 50 million per year, each, to play Rics.
Plus they would have a team to do the constant set ups required, instead of Mal hunching over and adjusting the knobs.
Everybody talks about, but never actually uses the Rick’O’Sound, the coolest feature of a Rickenbacker! Run that puppy into 2 amps with 2 different pedalboards and it quickly becomes apparent that all that other crap doesn’t even matter.
Love your distaste with RIcks... ya didn't mention your canuck brethren Ged Lee as a player(who now plays a J)? Curious how the flatwounds workout with the Rick scale, hear a decent amount about that being an issue?
I think Geddy Lee and Rickenbacker are Dave's trigger words 😂
Honesty is the best policy!
Dave, have a question about p-bass pickups. Do you set them flat or do you angle them?
Yes, if you are setting up your PBass to the Fender guidelines.
McCartney played his Rickenbacker with Wings.
and never again
Purchased one and played it for a year. It sounds great but felt the opposite of good. Its gotta feel good or no deal. Did not like how the neck felt.
Don't want to hate or even dislike? How about “I find many of their design and manufacturing choices puzzling?”
I'd like to get ahold of an old Rick and swap the pickups out for something modern like a Lace Alumitone. I think a bass bar might fit in there. Failiing that, I know an old Peavey Super Ferrite pickup would. Those were basically hot single coils with a hum cancelling dummy coil. They came on 80s-90s Peavey basses like the Foundation. If you want a Made in USA Jazz bass that can stand in for a P-bass in a rock band, play a metal show, or quiet right down for some Motown or pop, they were great basses. You can still have them used for less than $500. You have to make sure you get the Super Ferrite pickups though, but its easy to tell since they say Super Ferrite on them and the later VFL pickups were a solid black cover that has the Peavey block letter logo.
I own a Peavey Foundation with Super Ferrites, and I believe you are mistaken about their having a hum cancelling dummy coil beneath the main one. I'm not sure, as they are sealed, but mine function like Fender jazz bass singlecoils, in that they cancel hum when both are at the same volume. They are wound in the opposite polarity as j pickups, however, and use ceramic magnets instead of alnico. They are very bright and detailed, and may be rewired with a parallel/series switch to turn them both into a big humbucker. They are very nice pickups, but they do hum when uneven in volume or solo'd.
@@taylordiclemente5163 I was pretty sure they were hum cancelling but it's been a while since I've touched one. You're probably right.
@@DriveCarToBar mine certainly do not cancel hum.
Epitome of form over function.
Ooohhh...these are Dave's most favorite basses EVER! 😑
Well done, only two profanities.
The comments are amazing! 😂
Love the musical outro from an old Blues Magoos album. I had two of their early ones and that song was on one of them. It's called oddly enough, 'Intermission'. ua-cam.com/video/j8tT6z_nK0s/v-deo.html
For the record....ric flaws.
- too many truss rods
- weakened headstock due to wood removal.
- worlds worst designed bridge
- sharp body edges
- unpotted pickups
- out of phase pickups
- small frets
- excess plastic
I ll show myself out.😊
I think people who buy these end up regretting it.
I certainly do.
But they look so cool, though.
If somebody gave me a Rick guitar or bass it would go on ebay the very next day.
My bass teacher (Becky Baldwin) took her Rics on tour when she depped for Mercyful Fate on their US tour last autumn but yes, they are modified too!
What a fantastic video I actually enjoyed the videos to be honest Dave
great video Dave!
Name a better combo than Dave and a Rick
Dave and two Ricks?
Putting flats on a Rickenbacker is like putting eighteen inch rims on a fifteen year old Hyundai, pointless.
Not watch these videos for few years he’s gone grey
Those things are ridiculous. Just toss 'em all into the sea.
Yep! I never got this Ric thing either. Had the VR64 MCartney 4001 bass and the 12 string VR64 Harrison Ric. Not impressed with either!. The chrome work was cheap and nasty, and although I've got small hands, could not get on with the Harrison 12 string either! Guess us (Snob) guitarists just like a NAME!!
Owned. One 1973 new for 6 months and sold it and went back to fender pbass
Dave: 1.) "strong dislike" vs. "hate": Isn't that like sticking your hand in boiling water vs. putting your hand on a red hot burner? Which would you like to do better? 2.) Geddy played Ricks! Stand with a Canadian, ya hoser! lol!
modified and then not at all back to Fender
Remember kids….Geddy fitted his Rics with Badass bridges
I just love your videos where you strongly dislike Rickenbackers. In fact, the first video of yours I watched was a strong critique of them, I subscribed right away. That was about a decade ago. Thanks Dave.
Stick-in-assbacker :D
You should win an award for the best intros. You would voice disdain for the award; but that’s just Dave being Dave. 😉
Wow all this time I thought those pickups were above and below pickups, or a magnet, or metal something that did some physics. (A piece of plastic!?) Really? I'm disappointed. Thanks Dave for explaining that!
Sort of were on the 4001, models, with the infamous ‘Horseshoe’ bridge pickup, and in the old days the 4003 bridge pickup cover was metal, but costs etc… Ricky’s look cool, but they are the Mercedes of the Bass world, overpriced. Generally, to get the best from them, you have to replace and modify to a great extent, and that shorter scale, doesn’t adapt to low tunings very well.
Rickenbackers hates their customers and will make every attempt possible to sell them overpriced junk.
I strongly dislike not using the word hate about Rickenbacker guitars. Their best model was the WWII bakelite lapsteel. Best lap steel from Doughboy to Dobro!
For some reason, it always bothered me that Chris Squire played around that pickup cover. Removing it was the first thing I did with mine.
His was a horseshoe pickup. The magnet was integral to the pickup working properly. It could not be removed without compromising the pickup. Those pickups would degaus but is easily corrected.
honest question: with all those three and a hald thousand layers of lacker gooped over the fingerboard and the frets, WHO goes "oh man it feels GREAT to play that"???
Glad I never bothered with Rics. I did a Geddy Lee and went to Fender Jazz (black with Badass bridge).
"That's right where...you wanna play!" Bwahahaha!