I think the bass sounds great with the upgrades, and you're right: it matters what YOU the player wants and needs. That said, I prefer the stock pickups, but the thing is a beast either way!
Rick purists are weird. A lot of famous Rick users modded theirs… But I got banned from a Facebook group for posting about my project to fit a pre amp to allow me to boost the bass a bit on a 4001 (sounds huge now, and the stock sounds still there with the eq set flat).
Not a purist at all here but in many regards i preferred the original. I also used to think pickups needed to be close to the strings but no, to my ears the original Rick-ups were to hot and could easily warrant a little lowering without losing sound. BUT I'm glad you are happy about the switch 😊
I'm not a "purist" and I'm not offended. But one of the best things about the Ric is it's pickups. I don't get why someone would change them. Now changing the bridge I would understand. That's actually a design flaw on the Ric, imo.
I prefered the coloration of the stock pickups. Not worth the mod in my opinion, but you doing this for the bass community is very valuable. I do think there's a lot of value in splitting signal chains either like you did with dual outputs or with something like a Switchblade pedal.
Good video Chris , the pickup swap to EMGs sounds really good, I have 2 Rickenbacker 4003 basses one is a 2015 Jetglo & a 2020 Mapleglo which came stock with the updated bridge, both basses have the push/pull pot with the vintage tone. Other than the neck pick-up sounding a bit weak, I don't mind the stock pick-ups. I will either use a Samsamp VT Bass DI or Sansamp YYZ Shape-Shifter pedal, which gives you that Schmegilka as Geddy would say. Speaking of Geddy, I read an interview about when he bought his first Rickenbacker 4001 in 1974 he so badly wanted to sound like Chris Squire and when he got home and plugged it in he sounded nothing like Chris Squire, mind you both of these guys have very different playing styles etc. & Chris used a pick. Anyway, Geddy ended up getting a fantastic bass tone dialed in using the Rick-O-Sound feature through 2 amps & would go on to inspire many. Geddy also swapped out the stock 4001 bridge for a BASSASS bridge. The first thing I did when I got my 4003 basses was to remove the treble pick up cover and install a chrome treble bezel cover to fill in the hole around the treble pick up and it also has a thump rest, I bought them on either Reverb or Ebay I can't remember.
I put a Jazz pickup in my Ricky for a few years on the road and it's a cool interesting tone. The stock Neck PU IMO gives it that classic "clank" we all know and love. So happy you tried a Rick! Welcome to the club bro.
Hey TBC! Been watching you guys for a while, love the content. Great variety and quality. Josh has grown to be one inspiring bassist for me, his abilities and skills are incredible. Keep it up, small words from a young bassist! P.S. Make a bass cover of the PanterA 1992 live show of cemetery gates, the video is quite popular and in high quality ;-)
As a proud Ricky owner and Ric-o-sound user I can fully endorse distortion on the bridge and octave on the neck. Awesome 3D sound when you get the voicings right :) Also the true cork sniffers among us will hear differences between the EMGs and stock, but honestly the Ric vibe is still there. I bet most wouldn't pick the EMGs if you didn't tell them. EXPERIMENT SUCCESS.
Ergonomically Rickenbacker basses are a nightmare to play with your fingers. They look cool but you could not give me one. There are just too many design shortcomings that Rickenbacker doesn't bother to fix. Also as has been mentioned the quality control is terrible. For the $2000 plus price it just unacceptable.
@@Cap683 Look at used ones. They're usually cheaper, though not by much. If you find a good one as far as fit & finish are concerned, and you can test it to make sure nothing's wrong, grab it. One of those design shortcomings, that being the bridge, was changed in 2020, and the new 2023's have slimmer necks due to one dual-action truss rod replacing two rods. Just depends on how much you're willing to pay for a bass. If $2,000-ish is too much and by a wide margin, well... they're never going to make a cheap import line. Rickenbacker will always operate like pre-CBS Fender. That's not ever changing, at least for the foreseeable future.
Remove the pickup cover and playing fingerstyle won’t be a problem. Geddy did it just fine. The cost *is* a little prohibitive - and that’s why I wanted but didn’t buy one for decades - but then I discovered financing/leasing it. I now have a 2023 mapleglo; it’s more than half payed-for, the monthly payments are very reasonable, and I’ve been loving it for 14 months now. “Affirm” is the company which partners with music stores, enabling you to walk out with a Rick with no money down.
I have a stock Ric... and during most of the video I preferred the Ric pickups... but there were some awesome moments with the EMG pickups. Thanks for sharing, keep having fun with it! (looking forward to Lemme style!)
I can tell you what the original Bridges were like,… but I don’t think UA-cam would allow my colorful review of it You did the right thing with the Hipshot
the tone is in the pickup placement and its output (and those values are around rick values) so no major tone shift would happen. Bigger tone shift happens in the preamp/amp and speakers/box it goes out of.
after watching the entire video i gotta say,original pickups sounded better and way more like a rick to me. more clang,more of that rick goodness. EMG just sounds more sterile.
Not saying it in a bad way, as per disclaimer. It's very bright and punchy for what I'd want in a bass personally BUT for those Cliff Burton fans out there, this is is great for those high end growls and fuzz wah use. Perfect for his solos. Perhaps even for those Geddy Lee fans too. Great experiment and video, thank you for your contribution to the bass community ❤️
If you can get your hands on a 2023, do it! They are the best Rickenbackers have ever been! I have an 1985 4003 and have a 2023 4003s, the S is unbelievable. The ‘85 is killer in its own right though
You wanted a Geddy/Squire tone from your Rick - like me and many Rick owners - and you achieved it with either set of PUPS. There’s little tone difference after your switch to EMGs, but your wiring for the EMGs eliminated a lot of options you previously had with the stock pickups. (A selector switch which does nothing? No Ric-o-sound capability?) But if you’re happy, you do you. All said, Geddy played “Roundabout” when Yes was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he got an awesome Chris Squire Rick tone from just a Fender Jazz and his signature sansamp. Makes me think having an actual Rick (and Rick pickups) doesn’t matter; the classic Rick tone is achievable with EQ’ing and effects.
I have a 2023 Rick and the bridge is a huge improvement from the older models. They didn’t mount the screws directly below the strings this time which makes it easier to intonate. Great bass 👍
How is the quality control on the 2023 models? I heard good things about design changes and improvements, though every now and then I hear a few QC complaints, mainly on fit, finish, and setup.
So far i haven’t noticed any red flags and I play it it every day. The older models had some bad binding here and there and mine seems to be ok. The frets are properly leveled and they don’t stick out. I don’t love the case it comes with however. The guitar slides back and forth while inside. It’s only slight but I feel they could mold the inside to fit the Rick shape a little better. My ibanez RG comes with a much nicer case for only half the price.
Excellent comparison and discussion! Your stereo tones are killer, so keep having fun with that. Its really inspiring. One minor suggestion: the alignment of the bass and drum tracks is "too" on time. Scoot the bass a tiny bit later to land slightly behind the beat for a more natural feeling groove. I often have to do this when mixing songs I played bass on.
Great video. However, I would expect that bass to sound different from Geddy's since Rick stopped using the .0047 capacitor around the early 1990s, well before the push-pull versions which add the cap back for the "vintage" tone mode.
This is nice, for years I been meaning to pick up a Rick. The only reason why I didn't is because some of the reviews I would find them such a over heating etc. I play a lot of R&B but also keep in mind Rick James used a Rickenbacker from time to time. Some of the greatest bass players who I dig used a Ric. Until I came a cross Johnny Lee Longs channel, (Giving credit where, credit is due) He's one of the first players I came across that really demonstrated slap on a Rick that I saw. He had a black one with EMG's and reverse P, pickups that I regret until this I did buy :(
Sounds nice with EMGs, just sounds about 40% less like a Ric with them. If someone loves the playing feel of a Ric but wants it more "under control" and contained sounding, the swap would make sense. But that doesn't seem like the most common case.
He said it sounds like a blankets been lifted, so I’m guessing this might just be a very dark Rick acoustically.. Or the Hipshot bridge really darkens the tone or something (if it’s the brass version it would definitely give a more mid scooped tone compared to ricks relatively light zinc/aluminium bridge).
@@Jonathan_Doe_Sounds like the opposite in the demos though. It went from classic rick clank to a more muted tone. The emgs made it sound like it had flatwounds.
The only thing that matters is the personal taste of the musician! EMG are Amazing pickups, but to me they don’t get the essence of the Rick’s sound. Really good video and comparison as always :)
I LOVE this! I'm a Luthier, and built my own 4001 S. I used stock Rick pickups. I like the sound, but the noise is unbearable in some venues- even with extensive shielding. What I want to know is WHERE you got that EMG M80 passive set! EMG doesn't list them on their website. Can you please provide a link? Nice work on the bass, and this video, by the way!
I own a 1980 4001and I had gotten me a job to buy it in 1990. Later I added a small hidden switch in bridge pickup cavity so I can bypass .047 cap when I wanted to. This cap filters out some low mid frequencies from the bridge pickup and combined with fat round neck pickup tone you hear a very unique sound. Two voices of the bridge pickup are different like night and day. I believe you should find a 4001 preferably. or 4003 with a push-pull circuit and give it a try. Many of my bass player heroes were playing 4001 (or 4000s) in 70s and early 80s, and I have cultivated an ear for that bass sound, hi-mids mixed with rumbling bass freqs and seasoned with various amount of distortion occasionally. This sound might not be so attractive with today's bass player, but it is what it is. Music is one subject where personal tastes rule. For example, I genuinely loath Darkglass kind of distortion; for me basses thru Darkglass kind pedals sound like some synth with a harsh filter and lacking personality. Of course, this is my personal opinion,; but also I won't get a fanfret six-string bass slap some Ric toaster pickups on it and try to play Heart of the Sunrise with it. I have my Ric for this.
It sounds to me like those pickups are ceramic magnets, to me the only saving grace tone wise of the rick basses is the sparkling part of their signature "bark", so maybe going for alnico V magnets might get that top end a little brighter. This pickup set, to my ears, sounds like the thoman harley benton rickenclone, and i cant really fathom spending so much money on an instrument to get it on par with one of $200.
Are the EMG mini humbuckers discontinued? They don't appear on the website, and Google could only find archived pages for the M-50, 60 & 80 with no "add to cart" option.
My Rick didn’t sound like Geddy or Chris Squires Ricks until I got my VT Bass, turning the “character” knob a quarter way to the right from noon and the drive a quarter way to the left from noon got me there quick enough
Omg 🤩 Is there ANY way to get these passive versions or is active the only way for a regular customer to get his Ric EMGfied ? 😁 (I don’t mind going active but I fear the pickup’s internal preamps won’t properly do the job as they are initially tuned for guitars.. With passives this « problem » doesn’t even exist. Ahah)
I had a black fretless Rick with EMGs in it. I bought it in the early 90s. I was shunned from the community. I eventually sold it for a lot less than I should have. I greatly regret it today!!!!!!!
Your Ric seems to be wired differently than a stock Ric, First you don't use both outputs for Ric-o just the one labeled Ric-o-sound, but you use a different type of jack, it's a stereo jack with TRS that then has 2 mono jacks at the other end.. The other is your volume & tone knobs are not the same, Ric put the 2 volumes on the bottom and the tones closer to the strings.
Ricks have a beautiful tone, but the neck feels like a diving board compared to a Jazz. Your mods really brought out the clarity and some treble punch. dUg Pinnick vibes. Thanks for sharing.
I’m a ric purist here I got a great laugh out of the start of the video but these picks ups have peaked my interest being there passive, I’ve never liked active emgs so I’m curious to give these ago in my next ric project (btw getting the geddy tone I’ve always had great luck with both 4001s and 4003s running the Ric-O-sound set up, expensive yes have to have 2 amps but it gets pretty much spot on the geddy tone, not squires his is because of the old horseshoe pickups the rm1999 4001s had
I turned out good , it still sounds very much the same. I have found that changing pickups is not always better.😊 I like EMG pickups i have them on many basses but i really dont like any of their jazz bass pickups
The Jackson Concert CBXNT DX sounds more traditionally Rick than many actual Ricks even though it's a P/J config and scale. It's down to the pickup placement and output and maybe the bridge. The Jackson is also around 700 Euros and comes in a 5 STRING MODEL for around 800 Euros!
Well, that's quite a fact about the Jackson X Series Concert Bass CBXNT DX IV/V. In fact, that bass would've been a blend between the Rickenbacker 4001/4003 bass guitar and the EMG pickups (such as the P/J configuration), too, if it weren't for its design.
I'd love to hear this with the EMG80HZ in Bridge position & something like an EMG Geezer P in the Neck position... also would be sick to hear the Bridge go through a distorted Guitar Amp (ie cranked orange) and the neck with the tone rolled off through a phat bass amp (215 cab ish thing), to get the most massive rock tone out of the bass one possibly could love that you DID mod the rick, looking back, Cliff Burtons Rick was everything but a stock Rickenbacker, same story for Lemmys first few Rickenbackers, the list goes on with Earthless who just tossed a single P pickup in there... we all know we're suckers for the Rick because of the looks, and not REALLY because of the sounds, let's be honest haha
they sound so similar. i would not even consider the emgs an "upgrade" its a nearly faithful representation. just noiseless and probably a cleaner sound for gigging.
I always wanted a Ric and am definitely not scared about the pickup change. I seem to remember someone doing this like a decade ago. Plus he was... brace for it... slapping!😮
I LOVE owning my RIC... but also a few other basses, for a variety of sounds. If you want the feel of a Ric, with an alternate sound, that's what you have there.
I modded my 4003s with a pair of Nordstrand Nordenbocker pups. Massive output, clank and grind for days and a simple drop in fit. The flush poles also mean no "click" if, like me, you are pretty hard hitting on the strings!
@@HarveyPeckar I used the same (neck) pickup in neck and bridge. The fixing bolts under the Nordstrand align perfectly with the Rickenbacker bridge pickup mounting plate. Was an easy fit.
I've used a Gemini Wave Rider pickup in the neck on a couple Ric 4003 basses. It keeps the Ric sound but just more of it. Stock Ric bass pickups are a little under powered. I don't really know why they're called "High Gain" by the factory.
I made the mistake of adding a hipshot bridge to one of my RIC's and it changed the sound dramatically. Try going with a stock bridge and a fresh set of string and after you install the original pickups back, you will come close to obtaining the Geddy sound. And, don't forget to add the bleeder capacitor in line with the treble pickup to roll off some bottom end from that pickup.
i put that style output jack on all the basses. series-parallel switching and TBX tone pots round out the.. put on everything category. try a double jazz s-p in bridge with a P bass S-P.. does something great in parallel with the TBX tone all the way forward
Interestingly enough, I found that changing pickups and preamp do not change too much the character of a bass (I did on a Thumb), so nothing sacrilege here. What is sacrilege is the random level of QC of Rickenbacker nowadays. My first 4003-> twisted neck; my 4003AC needed to be re-fretted and the binding of the neck redone right out of the factory... You are actually lucky to own an 20 years old rick in good shape, it means that it most likely wont give you bad surprises
I just bought a brand new Mapleglo in June, some of the seams where the body wings and neck are glued together are definitely noticeable on your hand but no other issues. Maybe that's a deal breaker for some people but I think it's hilarious. But I'm also that guy that leaves the pickup cover on because I think it looks cool even if it makes it a way bigger pain to play (not a pick player at all).
The Original bridge is fantastic! It takes a good amount of time and patience, including filing down the bridge saddles, takes a little know how, but once it's set up, it's good forever.
I like the sound of the EMGs better, but still sounds "tubby" to me. I have a love/hate relationship with Rickenbacker basses. I love the look, love the feel, love the playability, love the build quality. But... the sound just leaves me cold for the most part. I do have a Ric and play it, but honestly I'm always underwhelmed by the sound. I play my P-bass and J-bass way more often (or Stingray). I had a Ric (black w/maple body) a few years ago and got rid of it because I just got tired of the sound. I recently bought the 4003SW version (walnut body) thinking it might make a difference in sound. If it does, it isn't by much. I love playing the bass. Absolutely LOVE the look. It's way lighter than my Fenders. I always get compliments on the looks. But again, that sound... it's not horrible, but it always leaves me reaching for my Fenders at some point. I REALLY wish a company made replacement pickups that truly sound vastly different from the stock Ric pickups. I love the Ric copy (by Spector) that Kip Winger plays. It looks Rickenbacker cool, but sounds more like a "standard" rock/metal bass tone (his has a PJ setup). For now, I just live with the sound because I do play it quite often. But I'm always hoping some pickup company will do a "non-Ric sounding" Rickenbacker pickup. All the ones I know of shoot for getting that same tone.
Geddy Lee gets mentioned a lot for his use of Rickenbacker basses. It is my understanding that during his Rick period, he did tour with Rickerbackers in the studio he used Fender basses. Also over the lifespan of Rush Geddy played all kinds of basses other than Rickenbackers finally settling on a Fender Jazz Bass.
You're mostly right. Geddy used Ricks almost exclusively live and in studio during the 70's (with a few exceptions like his Fender Precision for the 1st album). In the 80's, Geddy broadened his bass arsenal to include his Fender Jazz (which he eventually favored) and a few others like his Steinberg and Wal.
Rickenbacker pick ups give a Rickenbacker sound if you use the right combination of petals preamp DI whatever they are so monster and in your face Lemmy motorhead style you’d have an unstable sound if you want a mellow amount EMG put a Bartolini and fall asleep
if you wanted the Geddy sound you should have just added a pre-amp like the excellent Sans Amp. Jobb done, you could have left the pickups as they were.
The thing I found tremendously interesting is that everyone who played it with both pickups immediately preferred the EMGs. When you’re in the room, playing it through the amp, the EMGs respond so much better. But when you listen back to the recordings, they sound pretty similar with the stock possibly even sounding a little better in some examples. But playing in the moment, the stocks feel dull, dark, and uninspiring.
@@iamgribs It’s difficult to describe. There is a little more smoothness in the dynamics but the way the treble responds in the hands is a vast improvement. Not icepicky, just clear.
@@ChrisCaccamiseMusic I had a similar experience with Yamaha. The stock humbuckers sounded good on record but even then were blurry on the top end. EMG PX did the same thing, oh my god, it is a weapon now.
Had the same thing happen to me. Spent the big bucks to get one and was kind of upset I couldn't achieve some of those tones my heros did. Now the Aria Pro II SB-1000... yeah, that things a monster and it's awesome. But I got rid of the Rick. Some people love them. I just couldn't ever really get what I wanted out of it. Knowing me though, I'll own another one someday lol
The bridge hi gain is so hot you can lower it enough that the string hitting the poles isn’t an issue without losing any bass or clarity.. Or just bust out some nail varnish.
Interesting, but for me the stock p’ups are far and away much nicer sounding. That’s was a surprise, I thought the EMGs would boost the tone but it seems like they lost something. IMO
The stock pickups add more high-end and a certain jangly-ness to it and there was a certain fatness to the bottom. The EMG pickups had better clarity but at the expense of attenuation of the high-end and the fat bottom end. my Ric doesn't have stock pickups anymore either
It isn't about changing pickups for a Geddy like tone , it is the preamp you use, there are plenty of choices and dual preamp routes you can go, changing the pickups makes no difference, the popping you talk about is down to technique, The point of using a Ric is for the Ric sound if you change the pickups you loose that, think in lateral terms, you will find the tone.
Hey, do you think you can invent a Gibson SG Bass with a PJ pickup configuration (something from EMG) in the next video? Because I'm sure it'll be a fine tribute to the infamous Gene Simmons from KISS! 😉
There is other equipment you can also use to make that bass sound like Simmons' tone, including Medium Scale Bass Boomer strings from GHS, an Ampeg SVT-CL (with a SVT-810E cabinet), an Empress Bass Compressor pedal, a Strymon El Capistan V2 Tape Delay pedal, and a Tech 21 SansAmp VT Bass DI distortion pedal.
Rics modern hi gains are no where near what they were when they were introduced, my 81's high gains read out at 7.6k which is perfect yhe modern ones read out 10k which in my opinion is too much, I started watching as a long time ric lover like what the fuck did he do but after I hear it I was like yeah that's way closer to the older style tone. Which is absolutely a good thing. Nice job man!
Funny thing is, that sooner or later every of these pro players droped their Ricki to another brand / type. I thing majorly they started to play a 4000 series is because the mean sharkfish inlays. Back in the in the time this look the most “metal”.
why did paul go BACK to his rick during wings? He pretty much only stopped using it when playing live because it's heavy, especially for someone his age touring all the time.
I think the bass sounds great with the upgrades, and you're right: it matters what YOU the player wants and needs. That said, I prefer the stock pickups, but the thing is a beast either way!
Rick purists are weird. A lot of famous Rick users modded theirs… But I got banned from a Facebook group for posting about my project to fit a pre amp to allow me to boost the bass a bit on a 4001 (sounds huge now, and the stock sounds still there with the eq set flat).
if this gets EMG to make ric style replacement pickups, then this would be a massive win. Please EMG
Not a purist at all here but in many regards i preferred the original. I also used to think pickups needed to be close to the strings but no, to my ears the original Rick-ups were to hot and could easily warrant a little lowering without losing sound. BUT I'm glad you are happy about the switch 😊
Already a thumb for the disclaimer😂
One for him - and one for you...
@@lewis7515one for the vid, one for that guy, and one for you for giving one to him
Wish the disclaimers ended well TOUGH!
I don't wanna sound crazy or anything, but I like the sound of the stock pickups more... Good on ya, Ric
I'm not a "purist" and I'm not offended. But one of the best things about the Ric is it's pickups. I don't get why someone would change them. Now changing the bridge I would understand. That's actually a design flaw on the Ric, imo.
that rick o sound with guitar amp in the bridge, sounds massive bro.. love it !
I prefered the coloration of the stock pickups. Not worth the mod in my opinion, but you doing this for the bass community is very valuable. I do think there's a lot of value in splitting signal chains either like you did with dual outputs or with something like a Switchblade pedal.
I tried closing my eyes to judge with my ears. There were some instances where the stock pickups shined and sounded better than the emg ones
Good video Chris , the pickup swap to EMGs sounds really good, I have 2 Rickenbacker 4003 basses one is a 2015 Jetglo & a 2020 Mapleglo which came stock with the updated bridge, both basses have the push/pull pot with the vintage tone.
Other than the neck pick-up sounding a bit weak, I don't mind the stock pick-ups.
I will either use a Samsamp VT Bass DI or Sansamp YYZ Shape-Shifter pedal, which gives you that Schmegilka as Geddy would say.
Speaking of Geddy, I read an interview about when he bought his first Rickenbacker 4001 in 1974 he so badly wanted to sound like Chris Squire and when he got home and plugged it in he sounded nothing like Chris Squire, mind you both of these guys have very different playing styles etc. & Chris used a pick. Anyway, Geddy ended up getting a fantastic bass tone dialed in using the Rick-O-Sound feature through 2 amps & would go on to inspire many.
Geddy also swapped out the stock 4001 bridge for a BASSASS bridge.
The first thing I did when I got my 4003 basses was to remove the treble pick up cover and install a chrome treble bezel cover to fill in the hole around the treble pick up and it also has a thump rest, I bought them on either Reverb or Ebay I can't remember.
The Rickenbacker booth at NAMM is the biggest waste of space there.
"I Macgyvered this a little bit"... HHAHAHAH GOLD!
I put a Jazz pickup in my Ricky for a few years on the road and it's a cool interesting tone. The stock Neck PU IMO gives it that classic "clank" we all know and love. So happy you tried a Rick! Welcome to the club bro.
Hey TBC! Been watching you guys for a while, love the content. Great variety and quality. Josh has grown to be one inspiring bassist for me, his abilities and skills are incredible. Keep it up, small words from a young bassist!
P.S. Make a bass cover of the PanterA 1992 live show of cemetery gates, the video is quite popular and in high quality ;-)
As a proud Ricky owner and Ric-o-sound user I can fully endorse distortion on the bridge and octave on the neck. Awesome 3D sound when you get the voicings right :)
Also the true cork sniffers among us will hear differences between the EMGs and stock, but honestly the Ric vibe is still there. I bet most wouldn't pick the EMGs if you didn't tell them. EXPERIMENT SUCCESS.
Ricks are beautiful basses. I’ve tried to play one a few times, but they seem to be designed more for pick players.
Ergonomically Rickenbacker basses are a nightmare to play with your fingers. They look cool but you could not give me one. There are just too many design shortcomings that Rickenbacker doesn't bother to fix. Also as has been mentioned the quality control is terrible. For the $2000 plus price it just unacceptable.
@@Cap683 Look at used ones. They're usually cheaper, though not by much. If you find a good one as far as fit & finish are concerned, and you can test it to make sure nothing's wrong, grab it. One of those design shortcomings, that being the bridge, was changed in 2020, and the new 2023's have slimmer necks due to one dual-action truss rod replacing two rods. Just depends on how much you're willing to pay for a bass. If $2,000-ish is too much and by a wide margin, well... they're never going to make a cheap import line. Rickenbacker will always operate like pre-CBS Fender. That's not ever changing, at least for the foreseeable future.
sounds like you wanted a 4004 bass
@@Cap683
Fingers is the way to play them, but have to remove the pickup cover.
Remove the pickup cover and playing fingerstyle won’t be a problem. Geddy did it just fine. The cost *is* a little prohibitive - and that’s why I wanted but didn’t buy one for decades - but then I discovered financing/leasing it. I now have a 2023 mapleglo; it’s more than half payed-for, the monthly payments are very reasonable, and I’ve been loving it for 14 months now. “Affirm” is the company which partners with music stores, enabling you to walk out with a Rick with no money down.
I have a stock Ric... and during most of the video I preferred the Ric pickups... but there were some awesome moments with the EMG pickups. Thanks for sharing, keep having fun with it! (looking forward to Lemme style!)
I can tell you what the original Bridges were like,… but I don’t think UA-cam would allow my colorful review of it
You did the right thing with the Hipshot
the tone is in the pickup placement and its output (and those values are around rick values) so no major tone shift would happen. Bigger tone shift happens in the preamp/amp and speakers/box it goes out of.
after watching the entire video i gotta say,original pickups sounded better and way more like a rick to me. more clang,more of that rick goodness. EMG just sounds more sterile.
@@JunacCROso much for “no major tone shift” then.
its nothing groundbreaking, and things i mentioned played a much larger shift in the tone. @@AdventuresOfGravox
Not saying it in a bad way, as per disclaimer. It's very bright and punchy for what I'd want in a bass personally BUT for those Cliff Burton fans out there, this is is great for those high end growls and fuzz wah use. Perfect for his solos. Perhaps even for those Geddy Lee fans too.
Great experiment and video, thank you for your contribution to the bass community ❤️
If you can get your hands on a 2023, do it! They are the best Rickenbackers have ever been! I have an 1985 4003 and have a 2023 4003s, the S is unbelievable. The ‘85 is killer in its own right though
You wanted a Geddy/Squire tone from your Rick - like me and many Rick owners - and you achieved it with either set of PUPS. There’s little tone difference after your switch to EMGs, but your wiring for the EMGs eliminated a lot of options you previously had with the stock pickups. (A selector switch which does nothing? No Ric-o-sound capability?) But if you’re happy, you do you.
All said, Geddy played “Roundabout” when Yes was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he got an awesome Chris Squire Rick tone from just a Fender Jazz and his signature sansamp. Makes me think having an actual Rick (and Rick pickups) doesn’t matter; the classic Rick tone is achievable with EQ’ing and effects.
I have a 2023 Rick and the bridge is a huge improvement from the older models. They didn’t mount the screws directly below the strings this time which makes it easier to intonate. Great bass 👍
I have one too and agree. I'm glad I waited to buy one until now.
How is the quality control on the 2023 models? I heard good things about design changes and improvements, though every now and then I hear a few QC complaints, mainly on fit, finish, and setup.
So far i haven’t noticed any red flags and I play it it every day. The older models had some bad binding here and there and mine seems to be ok. The frets are properly leveled and they don’t stick out. I don’t love the case it comes with however. The guitar slides back and forth while inside. It’s only slight but I feel they could mold the inside to fit the Rick shape a little better. My ibanez RG comes with a much nicer case for only half the price.
Excellent comparison and discussion! Your stereo tones are killer, so keep having fun with that. Its really inspiring.
One minor suggestion: the alignment of the bass and drum tracks is "too" on time. Scoot the bass a tiny bit later to land slightly behind the beat for a more natural feeling groove. I often have to do this when mixing songs I played bass on.
Sounds better with the stereo set up. I really like the bridge pickup in the new set up. Stingray in bridge and TB in neck 😂
Great video. However, I would expect that bass to sound different from Geddy's since Rick stopped using the .0047 capacitor around the early 1990s, well before the push-pull versions which add the cap back for the "vintage" tone mode.
Thank you for playing some absolute monster bass lines most people wouldn’t look to first🙏
This is nice, for years I been meaning to pick up a Rick. The only reason why I didn't is because some of the reviews I would find them such a over heating etc. I play a lot of R&B but also keep in mind Rick James used a Rickenbacker from time to time. Some of the greatest bass players who I dig used a Ric. Until I came a cross Johnny Lee Longs channel, (Giving credit where, credit is due) He's
one of the first players I came across
that really demonstrated slap on a Rick that I saw. He had a black one with EMG's and reverse P, pickups that I regret until this I did buy :(
Your disclaimer was hilarious....prob warranted, but hilarious. Nice vid!
I can tell you love my favorite Rush bassline too: Distant Early Warning
Barts rickenbacker replacement pickups are the best sounding in my humble opinion. I love them.👍
Sounds nice with EMGs, just sounds about 40% less like a Ric with them. If someone loves the playing feel of a Ric but wants it more "under control" and contained sounding, the swap would make sense. But that doesn't seem like the most common case.
He said it sounds like a blankets been lifted, so I’m guessing this might just be a very dark Rick acoustically.. Or the Hipshot bridge really darkens the tone or something (if it’s the brass version it would definitely give a more mid scooped tone compared to ricks relatively light zinc/aluminium bridge).
@@Jonathan_Doe_Sounds like the opposite in the demos though. It went from classic rick clank to a more muted tone. The emgs made it sound like it had flatwounds.
What a fantastic video have a wonderful day ❤😊
I was in a metal concert live yesterday, the bass guy had a Ricky and a Fender PJ. The Ricky looked so cool but when used, low end went missing
Sounds like an EQ issue, my 2023 4003 has far superior low end to my 2004 American P bass, which is wild but it's true.
The only thing that matters is the personal taste of the musician! EMG are Amazing pickups, but to me they don’t get the essence of the Rick’s sound. Really good video and comparison as always :)
I have a 1991 4003 and I was able to have my friend add the push/pull tone pot. Definitely a mod worth doing
I LOVE this! I'm a Luthier, and built my own 4001 S. I used stock Rick pickups. I like the sound, but the noise is unbearable in some venues- even with extensive shielding. What I want to know is WHERE you got that EMG M80 passive set!
EMG doesn't list them on their website. Can you please provide a link?
Nice work on the bass, and this video, by the way!
This was a custom one-off set but I’m sure if you send them an email and ask nicely, they’ll probably have no problem making you a set.
@@TheBassChannel I have had many dealings with Alison. She'll likely be open to this. Thanks.
I own a 1980 4001and I had gotten me a job to buy it in 1990. Later I added a small hidden switch in bridge pickup cavity so I can bypass .047 cap when I wanted to. This cap filters out some low mid frequencies from the bridge pickup and combined with fat round neck pickup tone you hear a very unique sound. Two voices of the bridge pickup are different like night and day. I believe you should find a 4001 preferably. or 4003 with a push-pull circuit and give it a try. Many of my bass player heroes were playing 4001 (or 4000s) in 70s and early 80s, and I have cultivated an ear for that bass sound, hi-mids mixed with rumbling bass freqs and seasoned with various amount of distortion occasionally. This sound might not be so attractive with today's bass player, but it is what it is. Music is one subject where personal tastes rule. For example, I genuinely loath Darkglass kind of distortion; for me basses thru Darkglass kind pedals sound like some synth with a harsh filter and lacking personality. Of course, this is my personal opinion,; but also I won't get a fanfret six-string bass slap some Ric toaster pickups on it and try to play Heart of the Sunrise with it. I have my Ric for this.
It sounds to me like those pickups are ceramic magnets, to me the only saving grace tone wise of the rick basses is the sparkling part of their signature "bark", so maybe going for alnico V magnets might get that top end a little brighter. This pickup set, to my ears, sounds like the thoman harley benton rickenclone, and i cant really fathom spending so much money on an instrument to get it on par with one of $200.
Both sounds are good. Preference is everything so you did the right thing.
Are the EMG mini humbuckers discontinued? They don't appear on the website, and Google could only find archived pages for the M-50, 60 & 80 with no "add to cart" option.
He says it’s a one-of-a-kind custom made around 2:00
Make it wiiiideer!!
SVT suite with the Fortin sounds better than I expected
My Rick didn’t sound like Geddy or Chris Squires Ricks until I got my VT Bass, turning the “character” knob a quarter way to the right from noon and the drive a quarter way to the left from noon got me there quick enough
Omg 🤩
Is there ANY way to get these passive versions or is active the only way for a regular customer to get his Ric EMGfied ? 😁
(I don’t mind going active but I fear the pickup’s internal preamps won’t properly do the job as they are initially tuned for guitars.. With passives this « problem » doesn’t even exist. Ahah)
I had a black fretless Rick with EMGs in it. I bought it in the early 90s. I was shunned from the community. I eventually sold it for a lot less than I should have. I greatly regret it today!!!!!!!
Your Ric seems to be wired differently than a stock Ric, First you don't use both outputs for Ric-o just the one labeled Ric-o-sound, but you use a different type of jack, it's a stereo jack with TRS that then has 2 mono jacks at the other end.. The other is your volume & tone knobs are not the same, Ric put the 2 volumes on the bottom and the tones closer to the strings.
Ricks have a beautiful tone, but the neck feels like a diving board compared to a Jazz.
Your mods really brought out the clarity and some treble punch. dUg Pinnick vibes.
Thanks for sharing.
I’m a ric purist here I got a great laugh out of the start of the video but these picks ups have peaked my interest being there passive, I’ve never liked active emgs so I’m curious to give these ago in my next ric project (btw getting the geddy tone I’ve always had great luck with both 4001s and 4003s running the Ric-O-sound set up, expensive yes have to have 2 amps but it gets pretty much spot on the geddy tone, not squires his is because of the old horseshoe pickups the rm1999 4001s had
Reminds me of the time I put the Zakk Wylde EMG set and a Kahler tremolo on my Gretsch duo jet
I turned out good , it still sounds very much the same. I have found that changing pickups is not always better.😊
I like EMG pickups i have them on many basses but i really dont like any of their jazz bass pickups
The Jackson Concert CBXNT DX sounds more traditionally Rick than many actual Ricks even though it's a P/J config and scale. It's down to the pickup placement and output and maybe the bridge. The Jackson is also around 700 Euros and comes in a 5 STRING MODEL for around 800 Euros!
Well, that's quite a fact about the Jackson X Series Concert Bass CBXNT DX IV/V. In fact, that bass would've been a blend between the Rickenbacker 4001/4003 bass guitar and the EMG pickups (such as the P/J configuration), too, if it weren't for its design.
Loved the intro I did.
I'd love to hear this with the EMG80HZ in Bridge position & something like an EMG Geezer P in the Neck position... also would be sick to hear the Bridge go through a distorted Guitar Amp (ie cranked orange) and the neck with the tone rolled off through a phat bass amp (215 cab ish thing), to get the most massive rock tone out of the bass one possibly could
love that you DID mod the rick, looking back, Cliff Burtons Rick was everything but a stock Rickenbacker, same story for Lemmys first few Rickenbackers, the list goes on with Earthless who just tossed a single P pickup in there... we all know we're suckers for the Rick because of the looks, and not REALLY because of the sounds, let's be honest haha
they sound so similar. i would not even consider the emgs an "upgrade" its a nearly faithful representation. just noiseless and probably a cleaner sound for gigging.
I always wanted a Ric and am definitely not scared about the pickup change. I seem to remember someone doing this like a decade ago. Plus he was... brace for it... slapping!😮
Hope the other pickup configuration videos are on the way!! MM pup sounds very interesting in a rick.
Looks and sounds amazing
The EMGs sound really good and all, but the Ric pickups actually sound better to my ears.
That thing sounds GREAT!
I LOVE owning my RIC... but also a few other basses, for a variety of sounds. If you want the feel of a Ric, with an alternate sound, that's what you have there.
Hi. Whats the year of your bass ? Thanks
I modded my 4003s with a pair of Nordstrand Nordenbocker pups. Massive output, clank and grind for days and a simple drop in fit.
The flush poles also mean no "click" if, like me, you are pretty hard hitting on the strings!
Hi! Which one did you use for the bridge? I see that Nordenbocker only has a neck Rick replacement. Which style of playing? Thaaanks!
@@HarveyPeckar I used the same (neck) pickup in neck and bridge. The fixing bolts under the Nordstrand align perfectly with the Rickenbacker bridge pickup mounting plate. Was an easy fit.
super cool video bro
I've used a Gemini Wave Rider pickup in the neck on a couple Ric 4003 basses. It keeps the Ric sound but just more of it. Stock Ric bass pickups are a little under powered. I don't really know why they're called "High Gain" by the factory.
I made the mistake of adding a hipshot bridge to one of my RIC's and it changed the sound dramatically. Try going with a stock bridge and a fresh set of string and after you install the original pickups back, you will come close to obtaining the Geddy sound. And, don't forget to add the bleeder capacitor in line with the treble pickup to roll off some bottom end from that pickup.
i put that style output jack on all the basses. series-parallel switching and TBX tone pots round out the.. put on everything category. try a double jazz s-p in bridge with a P bass S-P.. does something great in parallel with the TBX tone all the way forward
Did you change the strings when switching the pick ups?
the lee sklar switch.
Interestingly enough, I found that changing pickups and preamp do not change too much the character of a bass (I did on a Thumb), so nothing sacrilege here.
What is sacrilege is the random level of QC of Rickenbacker nowadays. My first 4003-> twisted neck; my 4003AC needed to be re-fretted and the binding of the neck redone right out of the factory...
You are actually lucky to own an 20 years old rick in good shape, it means that it most likely wont give you bad surprises
I just bought a brand new Mapleglo in June, some of the seams where the body wings and neck are glued together are definitely noticeable on your hand but no other issues. Maybe that's a deal breaker for some people but I think it's hilarious. But I'm also that guy that leaves the pickup cover on because I think it looks cool even if it makes it a way bigger pain to play (not a pick player at all).
Nothing crazy about the pickup cover ,it makes a good thumb rest, at least for me. Actually, I kept the two covers of the 4003AC as well.
I love mods and videos like this
The Original bridge is fantastic! It takes a good amount of time and patience, including filing down the bridge saddles, takes a little know how, but once it's set up, it's good forever.
I like the sound of the EMGs better, but still sounds "tubby" to me. I have a love/hate relationship with Rickenbacker basses. I love the look, love the feel, love the playability, love the build quality. But... the sound just leaves me cold for the most part. I do have a Ric and play it, but honestly I'm always underwhelmed by the sound. I play my P-bass and J-bass way more often (or Stingray). I had a Ric (black w/maple body) a few years ago and got rid of it because I just got tired of the sound. I recently bought the 4003SW version (walnut body) thinking it might make a difference in sound. If it does, it isn't by much. I love playing the bass. Absolutely LOVE the look. It's way lighter than my Fenders. I always get compliments on the looks. But again, that sound... it's not horrible, but it always leaves me reaching for my Fenders at some point. I REALLY wish a company made replacement pickups that truly sound vastly different from the stock Ric pickups. I love the Ric copy (by Spector) that Kip Winger plays. It looks Rickenbacker cool, but sounds more like a "standard" rock/metal bass tone (his has a PJ setup). For now, I just live with the sound because I do play it quite often. But I'm always hoping some pickup company will do a "non-Ric sounding" Rickenbacker pickup. All the ones I know of shoot for getting that same tone.
I love the cure 9:14
A Forest ❤
Geddy Lee gets mentioned a lot for his use of Rickenbacker basses. It is my understanding that during his Rick period, he did tour with Rickerbackers in the studio he used Fender basses. Also over the lifespan of Rush Geddy played all kinds of basses other than Rickenbackers finally settling on a Fender Jazz Bass.
You're mostly right. Geddy used Ricks almost exclusively live and in studio during the 70's (with a few exceptions like his Fender Precision for the 1st album). In the 80's, Geddy broadened his bass arsenal to include his Fender Jazz (which he eventually favored) and a few others like his Steinberg and Wal.
Mines a 77 and I’ve been very happy with my sound with the stock pups! Yep! You have committed a sin!
Rickenbacker pick ups give a Rickenbacker sound if you use the right combination of petals preamp DI whatever they are so monster and in your face Lemmy motorhead style you’d have an unstable sound if you want a mellow amount EMG put a Bartolini and fall asleep
if you wanted the Geddy sound you should have just added a pre-amp like the excellent Sans Amp. Jobb done, you could have left the pickups as they were.
I don't think it sounds better, just different - but both are nice. You gotta love how EMG can make the highs and mids sparkle.
The thing I found tremendously interesting is that everyone who played it with both pickups immediately preferred the EMGs. When you’re in the room, playing it through the amp, the EMGs respond so much better. But when you listen back to the recordings, they sound pretty similar with the stock possibly even sounding a little better in some examples. But playing in the moment, the stocks feel dull, dark, and uninspiring.
@@ChrisCaccamiseMusic Do you find the EMGs push wind differently?
Is it a compression thing?
@@ChrisCaccamiseMusic or is it a feel thing?
@@iamgribs It’s difficult to describe. There is a little more smoothness in the dynamics but the way the treble responds in the hands is a vast improvement. Not icepicky, just clear.
@@ChrisCaccamiseMusic I had a similar experience with Yamaha. The stock humbuckers sounded good on record but even then were blurry on the top end. EMG PX did the same thing, oh my god, it is a weapon now.
Hello, where can i find those pickups ?
Had the same thing happen to me. Spent the big bucks to get one and was kind of upset I couldn't achieve some of those tones my heros did. Now the Aria Pro II SB-1000... yeah, that things a monster and it's awesome. But I got rid of the Rick. Some people love them. I just couldn't ever really get what I wanted out of it. Knowing me though, I'll own another one someday lol
The bridge hi gain is so hot you can lower it enough that the string hitting the poles isn’t an issue without losing any bass or clarity.. Or just bust out some nail varnish.
Interesting, but for me the stock p’ups are far and away much nicer sounding. That’s was a surprise, I thought the EMGs would boost the tone but it seems like they lost something. IMO
Coolest looking bass with the blandest tone ever. Had a turquoise one, and couldn't use it for anything.
I had that click probably too with the pole piece. You just need electrical tape over the pickups.
Throw a Gibson mudbucker in the bridge position with your current pickup in the neck position. I think you'll really dig it.
I'm considering it. Love your cab Its, by the way!
The stock pickups add more high-end and a certain jangly-ness to it and there was a certain fatness to the bottom. The EMG pickups had better clarity but at the expense of attenuation of the high-end and the fat bottom end. my Ric doesn't have stock pickups anymore either
as far as I know, Geddy Lee used a Jazz bass even in the old records alongside de Rick. Then switch to Jazz bass in concert
The ole Ricky sounds damn good.....
It isn't about changing pickups for a Geddy like tone , it is the preamp you use, there are plenty of choices and dual preamp routes you can go, changing the pickups makes no difference, the popping you talk about is down to technique, The point of using a Ric is for the Ric sound if you change the pickups you loose that, think in lateral terms, you will find the tone.
Hey, do you think you can invent a Gibson SG Bass with a PJ pickup configuration (something from EMG) in the next video? Because I'm sure it'll be a fine tribute to the infamous Gene Simmons from KISS! 😉
There is other equipment you can also use to make that bass sound like Simmons' tone, including Medium Scale Bass Boomer strings from GHS, an Ampeg SVT-CL (with a
SVT-810E cabinet), an Empress Bass Compressor pedal, a Strymon El Capistan V2 Tape Delay pedal, and a Tech 21 SansAmp VT Bass DI distortion pedal.
One thing is a lot of those players that you mentioned played on the 4001 Ric not a 4003, that could also make a difference in sound and tone....
Great disclaimer lol
Rics modern hi gains are no where near what they were when they were introduced, my 81's high gains read out at 7.6k which is perfect yhe modern ones read out 10k which in my opinion is too much, I started watching as a long time ric lover like what the fuck did he do but after I hear it I was like yeah that's way closer to the older style tone. Which is absolutely a good thing. Nice job man!
which emgs are these im looking for a set
Love the bugs bunny construction tune 👍👍👍
Funny thing is, that sooner or later every of these pro players droped their Ricki to another brand / type.
I thing majorly they started to play a 4000 series is because the mean sharkfish inlays. Back in the in the time this look the most “metal”.
Lemmy didn't drop his. Not ever. Just modded them instead, because he wasn't such an easy quitter.
@@Apprentice_of_the_Leonine
1-he’s the only out of number others
2-Lemmy not only played Ricks, but 4000 series made by independant luthiers as well.
Chris Squire used his Ric very consistently throughout the years
why did paul go BACK to his rick during wings? He pretty much only stopped using it when playing live because it's heavy, especially for someone his age touring all the time.
Please an Dubois remasterd off Rust in Peace album from Megadeth!!! I would sell my soul for it, period!
мне нравится позвякивающий звук баса. Да и Рикенбэкер мне нравится.
LOL awesome 👍😎
In the same way as I don't tell people how to enjoy their whisky, I don't tell them how they should bass.