Thanks a lot for this video, this gives me a good amount of information and reference points for working on my RB-414. I don't need a Rickenbacker sound, I just like this bass, but it does need some love out of the factory.
This seems like one of those basses that you buy as a modding project. I would probably either fit an active pre-amp to push the pickup output or swap them out for a better set (it could be worth just looking for a more powerful bridge pickup) and use some copper tape to shield the cavities. Seymour Duncan have a type of 'Rickenbacker' pickups available but they sell for more than this bass at retail. As far as wiring goes I think I would go with 'Les Paul' style as I don't need a stereo output.
Thanks for the video, it 90% sounds like a ricki, I bet the body shape and the position of the pickups is the reason why it sounds like a ricky, buying the bass next month (I order a cheap jazz bass so I get my Geddy tone for dirt cheap)
@-64db Threshold Oh, this is going to be a long one, so please switch off at anytime. I have an RB-414. I have to say this is a really good review/pull apart of this guitar. I think you're the first person to actually get down and take this thing apart. From what I understand Ric have aggressively chased down every (post lawsuit) manufacturer to ensure their look remains their look, which is curious they allow this Thomannbacker to take the design cues they so fiercely defend. True that it's headstock is a mirror image without the swoop TR cover, and true that the upper horn is a lot less pronounced, but when you see this guitar in the Thomann catalogue, you're going to think Ric. I have a suspicion that as Thomann are such a large box shifter in the EU and sell so many Rics there may be a little symbiosis as long as they don't copy? Caveat - only my thoughts. So, I know you're a PB man and Rics don't do it for you but we're all different. I have PB's JB's Tele basses and all sorts of others, but the Ric was the defining bass when I was growing up in the early 70's and it's looks was what made me want to first play bass. Something about it's 50's look with all the chrome I s'pose. I've never owned one because I can't afford one and I've heard they're a cow with higher maintenance than Paris Hilton but yeah, it still looks beautiful to me today. Back to the RB. I think if you buy this and think it's going to sound like a Ric you'll be disappointed. I think HB have deliberately set out with the look and not the sound as they're aware of not sailing too close to the wind. Many reviewers think this guitar more - Gibsonesque - in sound and certainly the wiring under the hood reflects that with the switch in both pups either volume will kill both. Now that said, after I took this £200 guitar, ripped out the electrics, replaced everything with CTS, Switchcraft, and Orange Drops (gutted when you went for the cheaper caps) and a good shielding job, I loved how it sounded. I put Schaller tuners on and bough the Hipshot Ric bridge which cost almost the same as the guitar, but it gets rid of that hideous bridge and its problems in one swoop. I got a Retrovibe 8k bridge pup to replace the stock, because of the volume difference but the neck HB I've kept..so far but now I'm in two minds after what you're saying🤔. One thing I'm really really thinking about after watching this is going in and doing a rewire. I've 250k's all around but your wiring diagram shows 500k and 250k's. But Ric shows 500k for tone and 330k's for volume on the 4001. I'd like to do this not to try to emulate a Ric sound, but more to have a guitar that has V/T V/T and select any pup or both that wont kill the signal if you turn the inactive pup volume down. Anyway, sorry for this essay, I really like how you play, I love your attention to detail and glad I stumbled on this. Cheers mate.
Thanks for the insightful reply! 100% on the looks. I think RBs are best looking basses of all time. I love how they sound too. I just don’t have the means or need to own one…..yet….. 😂.
I bought mine new for just about $239 but I bought a badass Ric bridge for about &160 which I hope will solve all the issues with the action height adjustment. The original HB bridge can’t be lowered far enough.
I have that bass and hate those saddles held in by string tension....I play pretty hard and knock the string off the saddle sending the saddle flying! Not fun!
I've seen lots of 'cheap Ricky' bass videos on UA-cam, and they all have the same poor quality bridges fitted. On one review of a Chinese model the action was badly off, causing lots of fret buzzing. After much fiddling the reviewer found that the A and D strings were mounted flat, and not set to match the radius of curvature of the fingerboard (I think it worked out at 12"). By raising the A and D string mounts about 1/16" with shims, the action was improved dramatically, and the buzzing disappeared. I suppose the problem with fitting a really good bridge to an instrument like this is that it'd cost more than the guitar. 🤭
LOL. Agreed. I think it’s more attractive than the 3001. Probably even a better bass (I dunno, never played a 3001). It’s good cheap fun. Nothing is better looking than a 4001. Definitely not a Ric - but it does have subtle Ric elements and is totally unique.
Incredibly interesting. I’ve been struggling with pots and pickups and wiring etc. Thank you.
Thanks a lot for this video, this gives me a good amount of information and reference points for working on my RB-414. I don't need a Rickenbacker sound, I just like this bass, but it does need some love out of the factory.
Thanks for watching! It’s a fun, cheap bass. I’ll get some use from it for sure.
Thanks for the deep dive, I dont know if I can afford a Rickerbacker but this looks like a fun purchase!
This seems like one of those basses that you buy as a modding project. I would probably either fit an active pre-amp to push the pickup output or swap them out for a better set (it could be worth just looking for a more powerful bridge pickup) and use some copper tape to shield the cavities. Seymour Duncan have a type of 'Rickenbacker' pickups available but they sell for more than this bass at retail. As far as wiring goes I think I would go with 'Les Paul' style as I don't need a stereo output.
Thanks for the video, it 90% sounds like a ricki, I bet the body shape and the position of the pickups is the reason why it sounds like a ricky, buying the bass next month (I order a cheap jazz bass so I get my Geddy tone for dirt cheap)
Idk man, spotted bass fight even harder than smallmouth in my experience
I’d probably contact Thomann about that missing height adjustment hex screw
LOL. I’d bet they would charge me $50 to ship a 2 cent screw.
@@6dbthreshold haha probably, but it doesn’t hurt to try
Great video Mike! It's obvious you know your shtuff. 🎸
Rock on!
@-64db Threshold Oh, this is going to be a long one, so please switch off at anytime.
I have an RB-414. I have to say this is a really good review/pull apart of this guitar. I think you're the first person to actually get down and take this thing apart.
From what I understand Ric have aggressively chased down every (post lawsuit) manufacturer to ensure their look remains their look, which is curious they allow this Thomannbacker to take the design cues they so fiercely defend. True that it's headstock is a mirror image without the swoop TR cover, and true that the upper horn is a lot less pronounced, but when you see this guitar in the Thomann catalogue, you're going to think Ric. I have a suspicion that as Thomann are such a large box shifter in the EU and sell so many Rics there may be a little symbiosis as long as they don't copy? Caveat - only my thoughts.
So, I know you're a PB man and Rics don't do it for you but we're all different. I have PB's JB's Tele basses and all sorts of others, but the Ric was the defining bass when I was growing up in the early 70's and it's looks was what made me want to first play bass. Something about it's 50's look with all the chrome I s'pose. I've never owned one because I can't afford one and I've heard they're a cow with higher maintenance than Paris Hilton but yeah, it still looks beautiful to me today.
Back to the RB. I think if you buy this and think it's going to sound like a Ric you'll be disappointed. I think HB have deliberately set out with the look and not the sound as they're aware of not sailing too close to the wind. Many reviewers think this guitar more - Gibsonesque - in sound and certainly the wiring under the hood reflects that with the switch in both pups either volume will kill both.
Now that said, after I took this £200 guitar, ripped out the electrics, replaced everything with CTS, Switchcraft, and Orange Drops (gutted when you went for the cheaper caps) and a good shielding job, I loved how it sounded. I put Schaller tuners on and bough the Hipshot Ric bridge which cost almost the same as the guitar, but it gets rid of that hideous bridge and its problems in one swoop. I got a Retrovibe 8k bridge pup to replace the stock, because of the volume difference but the neck HB I've kept..so far but now I'm in two minds after what you're saying🤔.
One thing I'm really really thinking about after watching this is going in and doing a rewire. I've 250k's all around but your wiring diagram shows 500k and 250k's. But Ric shows 500k for tone and 330k's for volume on the 4001. I'd like to do this not to try to emulate a Ric sound, but more to have a guitar that has V/T V/T and select any pup or both that wont kill the signal if you turn the inactive pup volume down.
Anyway, sorry for this essay, I really like how you play, I love your attention to detail and glad I stumbled on this. Cheers mate.
Thanks for the insightful reply!
100% on the looks. I think RBs are best looking basses of all time.
I love how they sound too. I just don’t have the means or need to own one…..yet….. 😂.
I bought mine new for just about $239 but I bought a badass Ric bridge for about &160 which I hope will solve all the issues with the action height adjustment. The original HB bridge can’t be lowered far enough.
That's a cool looking bass.
Thanks for sharing :-)
very interesting :-)
Thanks for watching
Thanks for the interesting content.
I have that bass and hate those saddles held in by string tension....I play pretty hard and knock the string off the saddle sending the saddle flying! Not fun!
The bridge was made so that it could be replaced by the Hipshot replacement for Rickenbackers.
Thank you!
Holy shit, the Aerodyne sounds so amazing.
If I wanted to install Real Rickenbacker pickups on this bass could I?
I would think so, but I really don’t know.
You could, but you'd need a Rickenbacker-style wiring harness, otherwise it'd sound worse.
What tuner are you using?
Peterson Strobostomp
I've seen lots of 'cheap Ricky' bass videos on UA-cam, and they all have the same poor quality bridges fitted. On one review of a Chinese model the action was badly off, causing lots of fret buzzing. After much fiddling the reviewer found that the A and D strings were mounted flat, and not set to match the radius of curvature of the fingerboard (I think it worked out at 12").
By raising the A and D string mounts about 1/16" with shims, the action was improved dramatically, and the buzzing disappeared.
I suppose the problem with fitting a really good bridge to an instrument like this is that it'd cost more than the guitar. 🤭
Not saying, you can’t get some cool sounds out of that bass, but that sounds Nothing like a 4001/3
Definitely not a Ric. But maybe in the far vacinity? 😜
I like Perch more than Bass 😂 cleaner taste in the lick
😂 👍
At first I hated the look of this thing, and I still hate the heardstock, buuuut this thing kind of looks like a bound rickenbacker 3001
LOL. Agreed. I think it’s more attractive than the 3001. Probably even a better bass (I dunno, never played a 3001). It’s good cheap fun. Nothing is better looking than a 4001. Definitely not a Ric - but it does have subtle Ric elements and is totally unique.
I know now why you got this so cheap... what am I supposed to do? I don't know no electronics