Forget to say, dont you ever stop this channel! We love you more, than you ever thought, in northern part of Finland. And your sense of great humour while adjusting the guitars. Dave's world of fun stuff!!!!!! Ohhhhh yeah, everything's bigger in Texas!!!!!! All the people in Finland know this since 1963! Please, don't tell us, you live in Oklahoma! If you do or not, it's forgiven!!!!!!!!!! Dave's forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
32 years later you just reminded me about the strings diving off of the side of the neck!!! Thank you Dave for deterring me from buying another... Love your stuff!
I've had my 4003 for about 4 years now and it's never caused me any problems. Truly a wonderful bass guitar. I'm sorry you've had nothing but nightmares with em lol
He go ahead of himself at the end.. He hates the Rick-o-Sound box so much he forgot what he was thinking. I like the Rick-o-Sound tone.. I would wire my Schecter like a Rick for the sound tone. I had a Rickenbacker back in the late 70s and it sounded great once tuned and set up correctly. The pickup cover if I remember correctly was metal back in the day? When I removed it, I had to readjust my pickups because those screws loosen the pickup cover and then I noticed I got a little static from the treble pickup whenever I was really close to any kind of lighting or electronics.
Everyone to their opinions about Rickys, i love them personally and always will. The issue that Dave is talking about with the tailpiece assembly is not because it's lifting at the end, it's the way the tailpiece is cast. I've played and inspected dozens of 4001/4003s and all are the same, even new ones.
started playing bass in the early 70's and used to lust over Rickenbacker basses. at one point I came across a good deal on a mid 70's jazz bass and bought it, still lusting for that ricky. I was in a working band and saved up my nickels and dimes and finally bought my dream bass, a late 70's white 4001. It didn't take me long to realize the jazz blew the Rickenbacker away in every way possible. i was hung up on the looks of the damn rickenbacker and didn't take everything else into consideration. the guy's in the band asked me to switch back to the fender, which i gladly did. through the years I've come across many players that switched from ric to fender, but nobody that switched from fender to ric. there are reasons fender (and fender clones) dominate the world of electric bass.
But hey Dave, you have to admit, that these ones looks most prettiest and sound anything like other basses. :P That happiness after finishing the video is priceless. :D
I owned a Rickenbacker 4001 many years ago… Eventually let go of it , I had no end of trouble with the neck. Maybe it was just mine , I don’t know . Got a solid fender , which served me well for years .
@@EbonyPope Well on the rick I owned ( mid 80’s model ) I found the neck would bow constantly . And the truss rods needed constant adjustment . Maybe this is because I live in a very humid and hot climate who knows .
I’ve been lucky with them. Had a 77 that I sold to thin the herd. Have a 73 now that has stayed within playable parameters. It’s really fun to play and beautiful but my Lakland Jazz clone is my main bass for work.
My understanding is that the ric-o-sound jack is a stereo jack vs the bass jack being a mono jack. Both pickups come through both jacks, but the r-o-s jack carries the pickups on separate wires to the box which then splits them into individual mono jacks to feed into 2 different amps. So Dave, I think maybe you are testing incorrectly. From the r-o-s box, each jack should only feed a single pickup.
Your supposed to be running two seperate amps so the treble pup is one channel and the neck pup is the other.2 seperate leads 1 on each side of the box.The 3 way selector becomes your both channels together or left to right balance.
Dave, I was the shit,,when I bought one,,,,I was 17,,turning 50 next year,,every time I went to play the strings were sitting on the neck,,and buzzin like a fridge!
I measure from the fingerboard in all cases, and at the 12th fret my final action tends to be 3 mm for the E and 2-2.5 mm for the G, decreasing from E to G. If the neck angle is good the 20th fret will be nearly identical, but possibly a little larger (up to 3.5 mm from 3, up to 2.5 mm from 2). If it is smaller, that can be a bad sign. After measuring the fingerboard, if there are frets, you can check them too for consistency. If they are in need of dressing you will notice inconsistencies with the fingerboard pattern. In one unique case (my 4001FL) you can shave 1 mm off all the values I listed above. It has very, very low action.
@@joesasser4421 he means the rick o sound output, dave is labelling them wrong by accident. neck pickup is bass pickup, bridge pickup is treble pickup.
I have played a 71 Ricky Bass for years. Bridge is set up that way not pulling off. It is the ultimate bass for a full sound, especially with the Seymour Duncan pickups.
I have a 2020 Ric 4003; truss rods work, new style bridge with significant improvements, and.....DEAD spots all over the neck (including the low "E" open) and nothing but harmonics sustaining on almost all of the "C" notes above the open "G" no matter where on the neck. I wrote to Rickenbacker and got zero response. It's under warranty after all. Then a friend told me about the spaces behind the position markers and attempts over the years to fill them to correct these dead spots. Almost $2K to have to be messed with this much is unacceptable - it's for sale now, as has been every Rickenbacker I've ever owned after saying "Hey, I'll try THIS one" !! Too bad, huh? Love ya, Dave; keep entertaining and educating us !!
You are correct, not sure what Dave is thinking of but I'm sure if he thought about it after he realized he had it backwards. As with any bass, the front pickup gives a fuller bass tone and the rear is more treble oriented, thinner if you like.
Treble is right, remember they used to have those goof-ball caps in that pickup that sucked out all the bass! Also I was reading that Rick used to void the warranty if you used the wrong strings because they were made for lower tension flat wounds and the thicker round wounds people wanted to use is what was causing the necks to warp like bananas. PRE GOOCHED. Supposedly they fixed it in the 80s by giving the 4003 a ball-bat neck.
JimSpinner yes I'm British too and now very scared in case we've all slated Dave on his Gooch pickup position ..but maybe Rickenfunker had a special pickup and wiring that swapped the bass and treble round ? OK just trying to ease Davies Pain ..bless him .🙉
Really? Because Geddy Lee sounded pretty outstanding at the R&R hall of fame induction when he performed with Yes. He was playing a Fender P-Bass. To the point I was expecting to see him playing one of his dusty old Ricks.
@@AnsticePalo I"m a massive Geddy fan, he played it well, of course, his bass did NOT sound great...like a Ric would he sounded like he was playing a Jazz bass.....b/c he was. His playing in the Rush concerts sounds great, just not as good as his Ric playing days did.
Dave...are tuners on a 74 ish 4001 supposed to tighten clockwise or counter.....top row and treble row ??? for thirty bux a guy made me a stereo input/two mono out box with the switch capable of sending a signal to a tuner
I have a Ric. They are way overrated. I replaced the bridge with a Hipshot, because I couldn't get the action low enough with the stock bridge - Hipshot bridge fixed that, worth the price to replace the stock bridge - easier to intonate, too. I have to fiddle with the truss rods more often than I do with any of the my Fenders. Also, there's uneven output from the Ric pickups. But, I will say this for Rics - they sound great in the studio.
ThunderBassist Jay I,m really a strat man ,but can honestly say one of the best guitars I have owned was an Ibanez musician mc 500 ! a true les paul killer,I have a les paul and would swap it in a flash for my old Ibanez
you mentioned bridge peeling at the beggining of this video... on mine (jetglo) the paint has flaked away showing a fireglo paint beneath it... if thats the case what can i do about it ? changing that #$%^# bridge with a hipshot replacement will it make any change ?
Dave, quick question. Let's say because I don't know the dimensions of a Rick 4003? if the scale is the same length as let's say a p bass... could we not set it up to that spec being there's no Rick-book??(edit) personally I set up both of my basses to "feel right". I play 99% with my fingers cuz I'm not good with a pick and I'm sure playing style matters in set up. My schecter and my squier p bass are both low as hell with a Flat neck. This works for me but I'm sure there's a book out there saying I have it all wrong.
chuck thomas scale length is different from Fender, as is the radius. Ric specs say to adjust the truss rods until the neck is dead flat, which is bullshit and has never worked for me unless you have very, very soft attack.
MuscleDad420 I get the radius difference. But string height on a bass with similar number of frets, similar scale, could be the same in my mind. If they're apples and Rickenbackers then it is what it is. I personally don't have radius gages or even stew mac card to measure string height. I eyeball it all, match radius as best I can, set pick up height kinda by ear/eye. I was just looking for whatever I could find as far as brain matter goes. Thank you sir. you've been a great help.
seriously i saw that and lost all faith in anything this dude was saying....you cant even tell which pickup is which, but youre a gear expert? plus every guitar needs a good setup, just because rics are difficult doesnt mean theyre bad, my rick is a fucking tank learn your shit before you start making videos....jesus how fucking pathetic
@@Miusersname OK first of all calm down, second, it was probably just a slip up anyway. He is not wrong tho, rics have many flaws but some people get good rics, such as myself, but a lot of rics were very faulty, and they were very famous for that. I think you need to learn your stuff before you make a comment like that. And if you lose all faith in someone who most likely slipped up on the types of pickups, then your bar for tolerance is very low and that is a you problem.
@@Yourd4d oh yes master ill just stfu and think differently cuz you say so. how foolish of me to speak out on a comment section. and yes my bar for tolerating airheaded work on a $2000 bass is pretty low....shocking
@@Yourd4d (addendum) if you defend super dave on enough videos does he blow you or what? theres gotta be a reason for you to just be cruising shitty youtube videos getting mad at other peoples opinions.
@@Miusersname lmao, you get mad pretty easily huh? Especially at FACTS, but ok, stay mad. Jeez, you've used a lot of interchangeable comebacks as well. Since you're asking if Dave blows me, I can easily ask if rickenbacker staff are blowing you. 🤷♂️ you make it to easy for other people to take your setups. But since you ignored the facts, I'll repeat them again, rickenbackers are well known for having bad batches, especially pre 90s. If you really don't want to accept that, then we know that you don't want to accept the facts. (Also of you're gonna use insults comebacks, you may as well search some up since your improvised ones are pretty poor) Also it's super hypocritical of you saying that I cruise "shitty" videos getting mad at other people's opinions when you've done exactly that 😂😂😂 you're clueless m8.
I think things like string height is matter of opinion so having it in a manual is rather pointless. But the newer models have been provided with good tips for stopping the neck twisting so that's a plus. Good video as always, useful tips
That Ric-O-Sound box is rare. They don’t make it anymore. I bought a stereo to 1/4” Y cable for my 2016 4003. But if I push the stereo plug in all the way - no sound. I have to pull it out about 1/8”
I don't understand why anyone would want their bass worked on by this guy. Imagine watching the video of him fixing your bass and just bad mouthing it the entire time. I have a 4003, American P Bass, Hofner, and a 61 Jazz Bass. All great basses but I treat my Ric like the hope diamond. Love the thing.
Having watched many of Dave's videos... He finds working solutions to many ridiculously difficult problems, prior tampering and design flaws. Problems that many other techs would refuse to attempt to tackle. Who cares if someone "bad mouths" the instrument? Big deal, opinions don't change what something actually is. I curse when I'm working on my gear too, it's just part of the real world process. I love my Rics, but they are a pain to work on. Cheers.
Dave we're all very grateful you bought your Stickinthebacker many years ago. Without all that maintenance practice it gave you there would be no Dave's World of Fun Stuff today and you might otherwise be a retired investor sipping Gin Fizzes on a Mexican beach instead of guzzling Canadian beer in a Canadian basement. See how much Ricky's done for ya! p.s. We love Canadian beer and basements.
Hipshot makes a Great adjustable bridge replacement for the Ric. It’s not as pretty as the stock but it gives you all the adjustment and ease of intonation that’s needed. FYI
I just did my first RIC (76 4001) 3 weeks ago and it was a bit of a challenge. Set up and all new electronics. Quite the novelty item, imo. I put the neck flat because that is part of the Ric sound, lol.
I don’t get your problem with RICs. I’ve had my 4003s since I ordered it new through my local dealer in 84, and have had absolutely no issues with it. Only this year after 35 years, the mutes have gone, and need replacing. I use T-I flats, and raise the mutes for the Revolver through Wings At The Speed Of Sound sounds. Sounds and records great, plus the fireglow finish looks great. If you played it hard & rough, that’s on you. You said you were 18, maybe you weren’t fully cooked yet? I don’t know, wasn’t there. Have used mine in bars for 10 years without issue, everything still in place, pickups sound great, not weak at all. It’s never broken down on me either live or in the studio. Chris Squire was still using his original till the day he died. McCartney says that about every bass & guitar, because he’s given 99% of them. He owns, several RIC basses, but because of his vanity, only performs with the Höfner. In fact, gonna replace the dull bridge from my Fender Telecaster Bass, with a RIC, I love their system so much, and don’t have to worry about losing or carrying extra foam.
Joe Sasser I’ve get my mutes but never use them because they’re too awkward to get up and down. If Ric added a lever/quick release type system to the mutes, I’d use them all the time! Muted Rics sound great!!
I'm agree with you. I've never had any kind of troubles with the my Rick of 2013. It's always perfect in tune, smooth neck and frerboard and I always setup from myself
Always played Ricks from 1972 till today. I loved them because I don't think I knew any better. I had owned other basses like Ibanez SoundGear and Washburn Vultures but not much else. 3 Years ago, I bought my first Fender American standard Jazz bass. It's fair to say that I play the Jazz 90% of the time now.
It took me a while to perfect the setup on mine including nut filing, but it's my go-to bass. I can get tone's out of the 4003 that my Fenders can't even imagine, "and yes I love fender's too", although I've heavily modified my wiring, yes the electronic components are crap. Luckily I live in a much more stable environment for weather "as far as setup is concerned", but I still won't take it to outside gigs and I only use flat-wounds, I'm trying to avoid fret-wear as much as possible. I finally settled on D'Addario Chrome flats. Also for some reason, the muscles in my fretting arm had to adjust to the neck width difference from my Jazz Bass.
Most flats are higher tension, with the exception of Thomastik's, but they won't chew up the frets (which are of questionable hardness depending on the year of manufacture.)
I simply replaced the bridge (which is the real issue with Rics in my opinion) and I play it just fine and My two Rics play wonderfully. One of them is a '76 4001 Mapleglo and they are awesoime.
has to be a stereo jack in the ric o sound output jack thats why the bass pickup was louder than the bridge or treble pickup, and thats why you only had one pickup output !!! when you switched output to the stereo socket .
If Rickenbacker doesn't publish the specs of their basses so a tech can make repairs, what is a Ric owner supposed to do, return it to Rickenbacker for adjustments?
i too walked in to a music store & bought a lefty rick that somebody had ordered & didnt pay for ..i walked out with a rick 4001 for 475 in 1977,..sadly i do not have it anymore, but will get another one soon....
The old Peavey T-40 could sound like a Ric, and were strong enough to drive railroad spikes with. I wish they still made them. Built and sounded great, but a little weighty.
One is standard mono out like on most basses and guitars. The second jack is stereo out that sends each pickup to it's own output. The stereo jack requires a stereo to dual mono Y cable, or the RIC-o-sound box as shown in this video. End result is each pickup can be sent to it's own amp or amp channels.
Always loved my 4003 & 4008 at the time for rock and pop. For Jazz, Thump or Fusion I had to have a Jazz or P/J Bass. Used GHS Boomers 40 - 100 on my 83 4003. Fret Buzz is all part of the charm.
I adore the look sound and feel of ricks... But at over 2k you can get a rogue for less than 200 that'll be 2x at reliable and versatile. 2500 for a lefty 4003, they can go get bent.
I just finished adjusting my truss rods on my 2018 4003s.. I use the long handled 1/4 nut driver..... made by Xcelite.. Amazon has them.. works eally good
dual truss rods are useful on a good bass so's you can get different relief under treble & bass side strings. biggest problem with the 400x basses is the massive rout under the neck p/u which results in the neck collapsing upwards under tension. the truss rods won't help that. :-/
Went to a Jam, gig at the at the Marquee, I think. Saw Bruce Foxton, playing his 4001. Thought shoot got to get me one of those, like Dave I had a few bob. Went to a well known west end music shop said to the old guy (he must have been 35 at least) I want a Rickenbacker, 4001 bass, your man said that will be umpteen hundred quid shoot. Man said you'd be better off with a P bass you'll get some change back. So I bought a sun burst P bass, wish I still had it, I now own a P bass in blizzard pearl. Punch line, the next time I saw the Jam, on TOGWT Bruce Foxton, was playing a P bass. ;-)
Frank Azack - Thanks Frank! I actually went to the Hipshot site and checked it out a little while ago. I'm going to make the change-over for my 4003 which is a y2000 model. I still have my old '72 4001 that I over-used when I was young and is just a piece of shit now, so I'm just gonna let it die a natural death.
The dual truss rods are a great idea, to ward off the menace of a neck twisting. But then they make it impossible to actually adjust them, by putting them so close together with those giant bolts sticking out! It would've made far more sense to adjust the truss rods via hex sockets, like on a modern Fender guitar.
For the longest time, the factory bridges did suck for a lot of reasons. That's why I had a Badass bridge mod done to mine (complete with ¼" rout and counter-sink) just like Geddy's, but starting with the 2019 Al Cisneros signature model and continuing with standard models from 2020 onward, Rick basses now have a re-engineered bridge with easily adjustable individual saddles like a Fender bridge.
usual Ric bass issues terrible construction at factory and I play these things i ripped all the guts out and replaced the lot all the wiring with my own so no stereo and no vintage circuit, now zero issues.
bcrich581 extra strength and adjustable to the bass side and treble side. gives two chances to twist the poop out of the neck. Like if you wanted to go ham and run a .120 as an E string tuned down to C with the rest of the guitar tuned to Eb or D you can compensate for the difference in tension.
It is insane on a four string. Two channels have to be routed out in a small area; think about that one. Also means a lot of material has to be excavated from the headstock/fretboard junction.
I understand the theory behind it, but I don't see how the neck being a single piece could flex sufficiently to really provide that much variation with two truss rods that are basically right next to each other. I can't see that there really would be any significant difference that could be dialed in with two truss rods versus one.
I guess I'm just interested in a testimonial from someone that has gotten the results that Rickenbacker had intended, I've seen people explain it in detail, but I've never heard anyone say that "the Ricks that I play have an extra millimeter on the treble side that I'm able to dial in by adding...etc, etc." That's what I'd like to have someone post with specificity as to how to make this work practically that they use regularly.
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff Also, if you accidentally unscrew the mute adjustments until they dis-engage, you must remove the entire bridge assembly to fix it. This includes EACH of the saddles' screws, as they are passing through a separate block under the cover. FYI. I have taken photos of all of this in case you'd like to see it, including the truss rods with a nut driver on them....or , just delete my comments or kick me out if you wish !
I'm convinced that many who go with the Tricky Ricky do so solely as a means of being different from those who go with the big F. How anyone could prefer the ergonomics or "toaster meets washing machine" aesthetics is beyond me. The wonky engineering just seals the deal.
Oh and if you completely remove the mute adjustment screws, the bridge won't be grounded. Another special feature....now this is all on a BRAND NEW 4003; so these are probably all changes recently made.
this video is the pure essence of watching Dave. His complaining and grumpiness is the secret sauce vs other setup videos.
For some reason I want to go buy six of these and send them to Dave for set up. I enjoy his rants. Not sure what that says about me...
lol
Take whiz on them, pour a beer... throw a B.C. Rich beast in there for the bonus round.
If you are gonna buy six, then can I have one? I'll play YYZ for a day for it
@@TKOthunder so you're willing to lose a hand?
@@isetta4083 For a 1.6k bass guitar that almost all of my heroes played? Yep.
Forget to say, dont you ever stop this channel! We love you more, than you ever thought, in northern part of Finland. And your sense of great humour while adjusting the guitars. Dave's world of fun stuff!!!!!! Ohhhhh yeah, everything's bigger in Texas!!!!!! All the people in Finland know this since 1963! Please, don't tell us, you live in Oklahoma! If you do or not, it's forgiven!!!!!!!!!!
Dave's forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
32 years later you just reminded me about the strings diving off of the side of the neck!!! Thank you Dave for deterring me from buying another... Love your stuff!
I've had my 4003 for about 4 years now and it's never caused me any problems. Truly a wonderful bass guitar. I'm sorry you've had nothing but nightmares with em lol
Why would the neck pickup be the treble one? surely the bridge has more treble. It seems labeled correctly to me
He go ahead of himself at the end.. He hates the Rick-o-Sound box so much he forgot what he was thinking. I like the Rick-o-Sound tone.. I would wire my Schecter like a Rick for the sound tone. I had a Rickenbacker back in the late 70s and it sounded great once tuned and set up correctly. The pickup cover if I remember correctly was metal back in the day? When I removed it, I had to readjust my pickups because those screws loosen the pickup cover and then I noticed I got a little static from the treble pickup whenever I was really close to any kind of lighting or electronics.
You can almost hear Dave's blood pressure rising the longer he handles this guitar.
Everyone to their opinions about Rickys, i love them personally and always will. The issue that Dave is talking about with the tailpiece assembly is not because it's lifting at the end, it's the way the tailpiece is cast. I've played and inspected dozens of 4001/4003s and all are the same, even new ones.
started playing bass in the early 70's and used to lust over Rickenbacker basses. at one point I came across a good deal on a mid 70's jazz bass and bought it, still lusting for that ricky. I was in a working band and saved up my nickels and dimes and finally bought my dream bass, a late 70's white 4001. It didn't take me long to realize the jazz blew the Rickenbacker away in every way possible. i was hung up on the looks of the damn rickenbacker and didn't take everything else into consideration. the guy's in the band asked me to switch back to the fender, which i gladly did. through the years I've come across many players that switched from ric to fender, but nobody that switched from fender to ric. there are reasons fender (and fender clones) dominate the world of electric bass.
Always fun watching you wrestle with those Rickeys Dave.
Dave, the treble pickup is the bridge position bud... it gives you less thunder than the bass pickup nearer the neck!
DAve, I had a Ric for years, played many gigs with it and never had a problem
But hey Dave, you have to admit, that these ones looks most prettiest and sound anything like other basses. :P That happiness after finishing the video is priceless. :D
I owned a Rickenbacker 4001 many years ago… Eventually let go of it , I had no end of trouble with the neck. Maybe it was just mine , I don’t know . Got a solid fender , which served me well for years .
What kind of trouble? What was wrong with its neck?
@@EbonyPope Well on the rick I owned ( mid 80’s model ) I found the neck would bow constantly . And the truss rods needed constant adjustment . Maybe this is because I live in a very humid and hot climate who knows .
I’ve been lucky with them. Had a 77 that I sold to thin the herd. Have a 73 now that has stayed within playable parameters. It’s really fun to play and beautiful but my Lakland Jazz clone is my main bass for work.
I don’t know if you’re aware of this Dave, but soundwise you and a Ric are a perfect match.
Dave, you are top number one!!!!! We love you in Finland! Keep goin strong!!!!!!!!
My understanding is that the ric-o-sound jack is a stereo jack vs the bass jack being a mono jack. Both pickups come through both jacks, but the r-o-s jack carries the pickups on separate wires to the box which then splits them into individual mono jacks to feed into 2 different amps. So Dave, I think maybe you are testing incorrectly. From the r-o-s box, each jack should only feed a single pickup.
Your supposed to be running two seperate amps so the treble pup is one channel and the neck pup is the other.2 seperate leads 1 on each side of the box.The 3 way selector becomes your both channels together or left to right balance.
I learned a HECK OF ALOT of stuff about my Ric today, Thanks to you Dave. I must say, that was Ric-101 School of the Stick-in-yer-backer. Thanks!!!
I could listen to Dave complain about these all day. Genius.
Ditto. Dave hating on Rics makes me feel all warm and gooey...
Dave, I was the shit,,when I bought one,,,,I was 17,,turning 50 next year,,every time I went to play the strings were sitting on the neck,,and buzzin like a fridge!
I measure from the fingerboard in all cases, and at the 12th fret my final action tends to be 3 mm for the E and 2-2.5 mm for the G, decreasing from E to G. If the neck angle is good the 20th fret will be nearly identical, but possibly a little larger (up to 3.5 mm from 3, up
to 2.5 mm from 2). If it is smaller, that can be a bad sign. After measuring the fingerboard, if there are frets, you can check them too for consistency. If they are in need of dressing you will notice inconsistencies with the fingerboard pattern.
In one unique case (my 4001FL) you can shave 1 mm off all the values I listed above. It has very, very low action.
I did shows regularly with my 4001, and the neck never changed. It's still quite stable. my 4003 is fine, too.
Where do you live? CLIMATE all important…
@@MontrealMusiciansExchange in the Midwest of the States. Cold winters, hot summers, and a good deal of variation in humidity throughout the year.
so the contact on the plug I guess gets closed when the longer plug off the box gets plugged in delivering both channels.
The Neck is Bass and the Bridge is Treble, right ?
and one truss rod tilts the treble side of the neck and the other truss rod the bass side
Neck is neck, and bridge is bridge. Just like on all guitars/basses.
Yes, neck is neck (more low end or bass) and bridge is bridge (more high end or treble)
@@joesasser4421 he means the rick o sound output, dave is labelling them wrong by accident. neck pickup is bass pickup, bridge pickup is treble pickup.
As time progresses, I resonate more and more with Dave.
I have played a 71 Ricky Bass for years. Bridge is set up that way not pulling off. It is the ultimate bass for a full sound, especially with the Seymour Duncan pickups.
I'm sitting and watching this, thinking, "Dang I really want one, but this guy is making it harder and harder to want one"
I have a 2020 Ric 4003; truss rods work, new style bridge with significant improvements, and.....DEAD spots all over the neck (including the low "E" open) and nothing but harmonics sustaining on almost all of the "C" notes above the open "G" no matter where on the neck. I wrote to Rickenbacker and got zero response. It's under warranty after all. Then a friend told me about the spaces behind the position markers and attempts over the years to fill them to correct these dead spots. Almost $2K to have to be messed with this much is unacceptable - it's for sale now, as has been every Rickenbacker I've ever owned after saying "Hey, I'll try THIS one" !! Too bad, huh? Love ya, Dave; keep entertaining and educating us !!
Dave, I would have said the treble pickup is nearest the bridge, so labelled correctly! However I am British ;)
You are correct, not sure what Dave is thinking of but I'm sure if he thought about it after he realized he had it backwards. As with any bass, the front pickup gives a fuller bass tone and the rear is more treble oriented, thinner if you like.
Treble is right, remember they used to have those goof-ball caps in that pickup that sucked out all the bass! Also I was reading that Rick used to void the warranty if you used the wrong strings because they were made for lower tension flat wounds and the thicker round wounds people wanted to use is what was causing the necks to warp like bananas. PRE GOOCHED. Supposedly they fixed it in the 80s by giving the 4003 a ball-bat neck.
Yep, me too
Dave got so Ricked out he made a schoolboy error :) Dave you gooched yourself! Great video though ;)
JimSpinner
yes I'm British too and now very scared in case we've all slated Dave on his Gooch pickup position ..but maybe Rickenfunker had a special pickup and wiring that swapped the bass and treble round ? OK just trying to ease Davies Pain ..bless him .🙉
There's nothing that sounds like a Ric though. You'll never sound right playing old YES songs without one.
Really? Because Geddy Lee sounded pretty outstanding at the R&R hall of fame induction when he performed with Yes. He was playing a Fender P-Bass. To the point I was expecting to see him playing one of his dusty old Ricks.
@@AnsticePalo I"m a massive Geddy fan, he played it well, of course, his bass did NOT sound great...like a Ric would he sounded like he was playing a Jazz bass.....b/c he was. His playing in the Rush concerts sounds great, just not as good as his Ric playing days did.
steeltag I’ve seen him play Rics, Steinbergers, Wals, and I prefer the Jazz bass 🤘🏼😎
Dave...are tuners on a 74 ish 4001 supposed to tighten clockwise or counter.....top row and treble row ??? for thirty bux a guy made me a stereo input/two mono out box with the switch capable of sending a signal to a tuner
Your sense of humour is brilliant
Sorry, but I fcking love ricks. I like Dave, but I love ricks. Where else can you get that sound?
A good mark bass amp and a Tech 21 YYZ pedal for the sterotypical Rick sound?
Or maybe am alembic
@@TKOthunder I never thought I'd say this but a Rick is a wayyy cheaper alternative to an Alembic
I have a Ric. They are way overrated. I replaced the bridge with a Hipshot, because I couldn't get the action low enough with the stock bridge - Hipshot bridge fixed that, worth the price to replace the stock bridge - easier to intonate, too. I have to fiddle with the truss rods more often than I do with any of the my Fenders. Also, there's uneven output from the Ric pickups. But, I will say this for Rics - they sound great in the studio.
Thomas Sekscenski what year rick do you have. The newer ones virtually have no neck issues
The best Rick is a Lawsuit Ibanez copy from the 70's. ;-)
ThunderBassist Jay I,m really a strat man ,but can honestly say one of the best guitars I have owned was an Ibanez musician mc 500 ! a true les paul killer,I have a les paul and would swap it in a flash for my old Ibanez
I know what you mean. My old Ibanez bass, as well as my son's Ibanez guitars are of very good quality.
Dave, I think you have the pickups mixed up.
you mentioned bridge peeling at the beggining of this video... on mine (jetglo) the paint has flaked away showing a fireglo paint beneath it... if thats the case what can i do about it ? changing that #$%^# bridge with a hipshot replacement will it make any change ?
Dave, quick question. Let's say because I don't know the dimensions of a Rick 4003? if the scale is the same length as let's say a p bass... could we not set it up to that spec being there's no Rick-book??(edit) personally I set up both of my basses to "feel right". I play 99% with my fingers cuz I'm not good with a pick and I'm sure playing style matters in set up. My schecter and my squier p bass are both low as hell with a Flat neck. This works for me but I'm sure there's a book out there saying I have it all wrong.
chuck thomas scale length is different from Fender, as is the radius. Ric specs say to adjust the truss rods until the neck is dead flat, which is bullshit and has never worked for me unless you have very, very soft attack.
MuscleDad420 I get the radius difference. But string height on a bass with similar number of frets, similar scale, could be the same in my mind. If they're apples and Rickenbackers then it is what it is. I personally don't have radius gages or even stew mac card to measure string height. I eyeball it all, match radius as best I can, set pick up height kinda by ear/eye. I was just looking for whatever I could find as far as brain matter goes. Thank you sir. you've been a great help.
intonation adj, can you use a chapman set with the small extension?
You crack me up Brother!!! I still want one.
Dave, you're mixing up the bass and the treble pickup lol
seriously i saw that and lost all faith in anything this dude was saying....you cant even tell which pickup is which, but youre a gear expert? plus every guitar needs a good setup, just because rics are difficult doesnt mean theyre bad, my rick is a fucking tank
learn your shit before you start making videos....jesus how fucking pathetic
@@Miusersname OK first of all calm down, second, it was probably just a slip up anyway. He is not wrong tho, rics have many flaws but some people get good rics, such as myself, but a lot of rics were very faulty, and they were very famous for that. I think you need to learn your stuff before you make a comment like that. And if you lose all faith in someone who most likely slipped up on the types of pickups, then your bar for tolerance is very low and that is a you problem.
@@Yourd4d oh yes master ill just stfu and think differently cuz you say so. how foolish of me to speak out on a comment section. and yes my bar for tolerating airheaded work on a $2000 bass is pretty low....shocking
@@Yourd4d (addendum) if you defend super dave on enough videos does he blow you or what? theres gotta be a reason for you to just be cruising shitty youtube videos getting mad at other peoples opinions.
@@Miusersname lmao, you get mad pretty easily huh? Especially at FACTS, but ok, stay mad.
Jeez, you've used a lot of interchangeable comebacks as well.
Since you're asking if Dave blows me, I can easily ask if rickenbacker staff are blowing you. 🤷♂️ you make it to easy for other people to take your setups.
But since you ignored the facts, I'll repeat them again, rickenbackers are well known for having bad batches, especially pre 90s. If you really don't want to accept that, then we know that you don't want to accept the facts.
(Also of you're gonna use insults comebacks, you may as well search some up since your improvised ones are pretty poor)
Also it's super hypocritical of you saying that I cruise "shitty" videos getting mad at other people's opinions when you've done exactly that 😂😂😂 you're clueless m8.
I tried one of these some years ago but when I picked it up, it felt so fragile that I left it alone. But I still love the look of 'em.
Great video Dave. Fricken Rickenbacker, they do sound so good though.
I think things like string height is matter of opinion so having it in a manual is rather pointless. But the newer models have been provided with good tips for stopping the neck twisting so that's a plus. Good video as always, useful tips
That Ric-O-Sound box is rare. They don’t make it anymore. I bought a stereo to 1/4” Y cable for my 2016 4003. But if I push the stereo plug in all the way - no sound. I have to pull it out about 1/8”
I don't understand why anyone would want their bass worked on by this guy. Imagine watching the video of him fixing your bass and just bad mouthing it the entire time. I have a 4003, American P Bass, Hofner, and a 61 Jazz Bass. All great basses but I treat my Ric like the hope diamond. Love the thing.
And a simple fix for the bridge peeling up is to buy a hipshot. It works wonders.
Having watched many of Dave's videos... He finds working solutions to many ridiculously difficult problems, prior tampering and design flaws. Problems that many other techs would refuse to attempt to tackle. Who cares if someone "bad mouths" the instrument? Big deal, opinions don't change what something actually is. I curse when I'm working on my gear too, it's just part of the real world process. I love my Rics, but they are a pain to work on. Cheers.
A really nice example of a Goochenbacker bass.
Dave we're all very grateful you bought your Stickinthebacker many years ago. Without all that maintenance practice it gave you there would be no Dave's World of Fun Stuff today and you might otherwise be a retired investor sipping Gin Fizzes on a Mexican beach instead of guzzling Canadian beer in a Canadian basement. See how much Ricky's done for ya!
p.s. We love Canadian beer and basements.
Dave played Rics all my life, never a problem.
Hipshot makes a Great adjustable bridge replacement for the Ric. It’s not as pretty as the stock but it gives you all the adjustment and ease of intonation that’s needed. FYI
I just did my first RIC (76 4001) 3 weeks ago and it was a bit of a challenge. Set up and all new electronics. Quite the novelty item, imo. I put the neck flat because that is part of the Ric sound, lol.
Dave has definitely hated him some Rickenbacker. Taking notes over here...
He's raged against the Rickie-gooch in other episodes, but this time he was more specific.
+SW627 BC Rich - "Careful, it'll poke yer eye out...Leo Fender is spinning in his grave..."
LMAO!!!
As you can see from my profile pic, I do have a sense of humor. :)
i always thought i would like a rick but now i know i keeping my fender !!! thank you !!!
randy atwood Leo did it right
Always a pretty beautiful bass guitar!
They actually fixed the bridge now
took them long enough
I don’t get your problem with RICs. I’ve had my 4003s since I ordered it new through my local dealer in 84, and have had absolutely no issues with it. Only this year after 35 years, the mutes have gone, and need replacing. I use T-I flats, and raise the mutes for the Revolver through Wings At The Speed Of Sound sounds. Sounds and records great, plus the fireglow finish looks great.
If you played it hard & rough, that’s on you. You said you were 18, maybe you weren’t fully cooked yet? I don’t know, wasn’t there. Have used mine in bars for 10 years without issue, everything still in place, pickups sound great, not weak at all. It’s never broken down on me either live or in the studio.
Chris Squire was still using his original till the day he died. McCartney says that about every bass & guitar, because he’s given 99% of them. He owns, several RIC basses, but because of his vanity, only performs with the Höfner.
In fact, gonna replace the dull bridge from my Fender Telecaster Bass, with a RIC, I love their system so much, and don’t have to worry about losing or carrying extra foam.
Joe Sasser I’ve get my mutes but never use them because they’re too awkward to get up and down.
If Ric added a lever/quick release type system to the mutes, I’d use them all the time! Muted Rics sound great!!
I'm agree with you. I've never had any kind of troubles with the my Rick of 2013. It's always perfect in tune, smooth neck and frerboard and I always setup from myself
Dave you are a star!
WOW ! THAT'S JACKED UP.
Where is your shop located sir?
Always played Ricks from 1972 till today. I loved them because I don't think I knew any better. I had owned other basses like Ibanez SoundGear and Washburn Vultures but not much else. 3 Years ago, I bought my first Fender American standard Jazz bass. It's fair to say that I play the Jazz 90% of the time now.
Dave, have you ever worked on a Chibson?
Gibson. They actually produce very craps basses....I hated. I've sold a Thunderbird for a Rick 4003, and I never go back.
It took me a while to perfect the setup on mine including nut filing, but it's my go-to bass. I can get tone's out of the 4003 that my Fenders can't even imagine, "and yes I love fender's too", although I've heavily modified my wiring, yes the electronic components are crap. Luckily I live in a much more stable environment for weather "as far as setup is concerned", but I still won't take it to outside gigs and I only use flat-wounds, I'm trying to avoid fret-wear as much as possible. I finally settled on D'Addario Chrome flats. Also for some reason, the muscles in my fretting arm had to adjust to the neck width difference from my Jazz Bass.
I thought flat-wound strings had higher tensions. Judging from your comments and others in this post, this isn't the case. Interesting.
Really not sure, but the Ric has a shorter scale, and that may make a difference.
Most flats are higher tension, with the exception of Thomastik's, but they won't chew up the frets (which are of questionable hardness depending on the year of manufacture.)
I simply replaced the bridge (which is the real issue with Rics in my opinion) and I play it just fine and My two Rics play wonderfully.
One of them is a '76 4001 Mapleglo and they are awesoime.
has to be a stereo jack in the ric o sound output jack thats why the bass pickup was louder than the bridge or treble pickup, and thats why you only had one pickup output !!! when you switched output to the stereo socket .
If Rickenbacker doesn't publish the specs of their basses so a tech can make repairs, what is a Ric owner supposed to do, return it to Rickenbacker for adjustments?
i too walked in to a music store & bought a lefty rick that somebody had ordered & didnt pay for ..i walked out with a rick 4001 for 475 in 1977,..sadly i do not have it anymore, but will get another one soon....
The old Peavey T-40 could sound like a Ric, and were strong enough to drive railroad spikes with. I wish they still made them. Built and sounded great, but a little weighty.
Yes, my PV T40 mocks my Ricky 4001.
Why are there two jack slots?
One is standard mono out like on most basses and guitars. The second jack is stereo out that sends each pickup to it's own output. The stereo jack requires a stereo to dual mono Y cable, or the RIC-o-sound box as shown in this video. End result is each pickup can be sent to it's own amp or amp channels.
Batteries? Landfills? You're saying that there is no such as a battery recycling in Canada, Dave?
Dave just crushed the dreams of cork sniffers across the interwebs.
Always loved my 4003 & 4008 at the time for rock and pop. For Jazz, Thump or Fusion I had to have a Jazz or P/J Bass. Used GHS Boomers 40 - 100 on my 83 4003. Fret Buzz is all part of the charm.
I adore the look sound and feel of ricks... But at over 2k you can get a rogue for less than 200 that'll be 2x at reliable and versatile. 2500 for a lefty 4003, they can go get bent.
does a Rickenbacker come with a truss rod wrench when you buy it new?
I'd imagine yeah.
No they don't.. you can buy a long handled 1/4 " driver at Amazon for about $15
no
I just finished adjusting my truss rods on my 2018 4003s.. I use the long handled 1/4 nut driver..... made by Xcelite.. Amazon has them.. works eally good
I got a feeling this was went to be posted 12 days ago lol.
Back when I had mine, the tail piece turned into a Badass bridge real quick! Then I sold the original online for even more $$$.
dual truss rods are useful on a good bass so's you can get different relief under treble & bass side strings. biggest problem with the 400x basses is the massive rout under the neck p/u which results in the neck collapsing upwards under tension. the truss rods won't help that. :-/
Went to a Jam, gig at the at the Marquee, I think. Saw Bruce Foxton, playing his 4001. Thought shoot got to get me one of those, like Dave I had a few bob. Went to a well known west end music shop said to the old guy (he must have been 35 at least) I want a Rickenbacker, 4001 bass, your man said that will be umpteen hundred quid shoot. Man said you'd be better off with a P bass you'll get some change back. So I bought a sun burst P bass, wish I still had it, I now own a P bass in blizzard pearl. Punch line, the next time I saw the Jam, on TOGWT Bruce Foxton, was playing a P bass. ;-)
Was thinking about buying one,but after your views on the Rickster,no thanks!!!! What a hassle!!!
I put a Hipshot bridge on mine.. way easier to setup.. no more of that dopey foam thingy that nobody ever uses
Frank Azack Was that a hard install?
Franks, was it a hassle to put on, or was it easy? I've got a 4003 that I wouldn't mind sticking one on.
Simple.... uses the same holes that the original bridge uses + it looks cleaner & easier to fine tune
Not at all.. uses the existing holes.. very simple
Frank Azack - Thanks Frank! I actually went to the Hipshot site and checked it out a little while ago. I'm going to make the change-over for my 4003 which is a y2000 model. I still have my old '72 4001 that I over-used when I was young and is just a piece of shit now, so I'm just gonna let it die a natural death.
The dual truss rods are a great idea, to ward off the menace of a neck twisting. But then they make it impossible to actually adjust them, by putting them so close together with those giant bolts sticking out!
It would've made far more sense to adjust the truss rods via hex sockets, like on a modern Fender guitar.
Dude this is hilarious
Getty Lee played a Rickenbacker! There for I must play a Rickenbacker. It's that simple.....Regardless of what Dave says.
Lol thats the reason why I bought mine too.
Oh, he never said don't *play* them.
Hey Dave, how about this repair policy: Oh, you have a Rickenbacker bass that needs setup. It'll cost you double. :-)
Bless you Brother. smiling all the way through. Ricks can be adjusted.. if you have the right tools anyway and the right geezer. ; )
For the longest time, the factory bridges did suck for a lot of reasons. That's why I had a Badass bridge mod done to mine (complete with ¼" rout and counter-sink) just like Geddy's, but starting with the 2019 Al Cisneros signature model and continuing with standard models from 2020 onward, Rick basses now have a re-engineered bridge with easily adjustable individual saddles like a Fender bridge.
the things with Rick's is the SOUND. Something that no other manufacturer has figured out is how to sound like a Rickenbacker.
kyle saloka thats really the only good thing about a Rickenbacker. Everything else is just hope that the bass last years with no issue
you can get it with a jazz bass mate
No... you can't!!!
jazz bass bridge pickup at full neck pickup off tone at max picked or slapped sounds just like a rick.
Yeah, Geddy never managed it … right?
The coolest looking bass guitar bar none.
usual Ric bass issues terrible construction at factory and I play these things i ripped all the guts out and replaced the lot all the wiring with my own so no stereo and no vintage circuit, now zero issues.
That's what I did to my 75, 4001, and the margin of Love/Hate with it was dramatically reduced!
Every time I want a Rick, I come here to save money...
The Beatles and Ric's hand in hand "So They Say" ?
When asked by media why Paul McCartney played a Rickenbacker, Paul replied "They gave it to me."
Problem is I think the only way I'm gonna get myself some mile high action is by buying a Rickenbacker. ;)
Please explain this insane dual truss rod design that Rickenbacker persists in using. That seems completely nonsensical to me.
EXXXTRA STRENGTH
bcrich581 extra strength and adjustable to the bass side and treble side. gives two chances to twist the poop out of the neck. Like if you wanted to go ham and run a .120 as an E string tuned down to C with the rest of the guitar tuned to Eb or D you can compensate for the difference in tension.
It is insane on a four string. Two channels have to be routed out in a small area; think about that one. Also means a lot of material has to be excavated from the headstock/fretboard junction.
I understand the theory behind it, but I don't see how the neck being a single piece could flex sufficiently to really provide that much variation with two truss rods that are basically right next to each other. I can't see that there really would be any significant difference that could be dialed in with two truss rods versus one.
I guess I'm just interested in a testimonial from someone that has gotten the results that Rickenbacker had intended, I've seen people explain it in detail, but I've never heard anyone say that "the Ricks that I play have an extra millimeter on the treble side that I'm able to dial in by adding...etc, etc." That's what I'd like to have someone post with specificity as to how to make this work practically that they use regularly.
C'mon SuperDave...Improvise, Overcome You da man.....That is all.
PPS: A long 1/4" nut driver will turn the truss rods nicely... like a screwdriver only with a 1/4" socket on the end..
won't fit in cavity..yer wrong
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff If I had a way to post a photo; I'd show ya ! Anyway, doesn't change the "pain in the ass factor" much !
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff Perhaps the cavity has been enlarged on the new model.
The bridge is practically a Hip Shot with a mute in front as well !
@@DavesWorldofFunStuff Also, if you accidentally unscrew the mute adjustments until they dis-engage, you must remove the entire bridge assembly to fix it. This includes EACH of the saddles' screws, as they are passing through a separate block under the cover. FYI. I have taken photos of all of this in case you'd like to see it, including the truss rods with a nut driver on them....or , just delete my comments or kick me out if you wish !
I'll shut up now.
Stick-in-yer-back-er eh Dave? ( ;
Cheers!
I'm convinced that many who go with the Tricky Ricky do so solely as a means of being different from those who go with the big F. How anyone could prefer the ergonomics or "toaster meets washing machine" aesthetics is beyond me. The wonky engineering just seals the deal.
PS: All I wanted was a "Neck-thru" design with a stereo output. Time to chnge the jack on my T Bird !!
My dislike for Dave makes me want to go out and buy a Rickenbacker 😂😂
Oh and if you completely remove the mute adjustment screws, the bridge won't be grounded. Another special feature....now this is all on a BRAND NEW 4003; so these are probably all changes recently made.