Why does Geddy dislike his Rick?

[test4eggroll]

Other than on one tune for the last tour, he hasnt played it live in over 25 years. Whats up with that? I love its tone.

[Mr. Krinkle]

He gets a better over-all sound from his Feder Jazz Bass and the Rick sounds waaayyy better when run in stereo and that would require him to be running two amps.

[InvisibleAirwaves13]

I think tone was the issue...with the DI boxes the Jazz has a more versatile sound. I thought I remembered Geddy talking about the Rick being heavy but the Rick weighs in at 9 pounds and the Jass is between 9 - 10 pounds. I may be remembering him talk about the double neck he used. I know that would be a heavy beast!

 

[Test4Eggo]

In an interview I've seen, he says the jazz is more versatile and has a better bottom end, which he likes.

 

Jazz- middle/bassy

 

Ric- middle/trebly

 

According to him.

[Cowtothesky]

Also, his style of playing has changed through the years. He now does a lot more strumming type bass. Back in the day, he was a bad mo fo who fingered every note. The jazz probably suits his current style of playing a little better. Plus, it is a little easier to play. I have played both and the Rick is a little tougher to play, but it could have just been the action of the Rick I was playing on.

[Mr. Not]

QUOTE (Cowtothesky @ Aug 7 2010, 07:23 PM)

Also, his style of playing has changed through the years. He now does a lot more strumming type bass. Back in the day, he was a bad mo fo who fingered every note. The jazz probably suits his current style of playing a little better. Plus, it is a little easier to play. I have played both and the Rick is a little tougher to play, but it could have just been the action of the Rick I was playing on.

I don't play bass so I'm having trouble picturing the difference between finger picking and strumming. geddy doesn't use a pick, does he?

[BL2112]

no, but watch a few videos of geddy lee from the moving pictures era, then watch Rio,r30 and such which is the "modern" geddy lee style. What how his right hand attacks the strings.

[MCM]

I've heard him say in an some interview that it was heavier.

[Slaine mac Roth]

I think, when it comes down to it, its just a matter of personal preference.

 

At the moment, I own a Jazz but, having had one on extended loan a few years ago, I would take a Rick anytime - but that's just my own preference. i know a few bassists who don't like Ricks same as I know a few who don't like Jazz's. A friend of mine hates playing anything other his Precision.

 

Most of it boils down to what you feel most comfortable with and, at the moment, I would say Ged feels most comfortable with the Jazz. Other considerations may come into it but, that is generally the bootom line.

 

As for the weight issues, I think that is a reference to his double-necks

[Gilbertk]

He said in an interview with Jeff Woods that he tried using it for the Moving Pictures songs, but it just wasn't working out for him.

[AlainC]

I own a Rick 4003 and two different Fender Jazz, one being the Geddy Lee model and I also have a Precision bass. I tend to use a jazz 99 % of the time even if the Rick was my dream bass when I was younger. I could not see why to use another bass then. It's a different story now. I see using the Rick like taking a Mercedes to go in the woods.

 

The Rick is a very beautiful instrument with an interesting sound but the jazz can have nearly the same sound if played agressively (it works for me at least) and it's also more comfortable to play.

 

Most people who dream about Geddy bringing out the Rick are probably ignoring that the bridge pickup assembly has very sharp metallic edges and playing around it with the flamenco-like strumming Geddy uses these days would be a threat to his fingers.

 

I certainly don't question his choice of the fender Jazz for it's a beautiful instrument and it gives him the sound he wants.

 

 

 

 

[Merely Space]

I've always understood that the Rick was a much heavier bass, but I can't find any quick info on its' weight.

[GeminiRising79]

I'm disappointed with Geddy. The Rick tone is synonymous with him and to substitute it with a jazz bass is sinful, imo. Really It all comes down to politics/cash....business as usual.

[Mr. Krinkle]

QUOTE (GeminiRising79 @ Aug 8 2010, 01:51 PM)

I'm disappointed with Geddy. The Rick tone is synonymous with him and to substitute it with a jazz bass is sinful, imo. Really It all comes down to politics/cash....business as usual.

No, it all comes down to the fact that when Geddy used to use his Rickenbacker, he ran it in stereo. Through two amps. His Fender Jazz is wired in mono and therefore, he uses one amp essentially, limiting the tone possibilities.

 

He said that the Rick wasn't working out for him with the MP tracks this year in rehersals. Well, duh, no shit. He isn't going to get that same tone that he got when he toured the MP album back in 1981 or any other tour from 1983 and back because he was running the bass in stereo with two BGW power amps and two Ashley preamps. The Rick in mono is OK, but when it's in stereo it's a whole other beast. The Jazz can be wired for stereo if he wants and then he could use both basses. The Rick can have tons of low end like his Jazz if he wants, but he is comfortable with his Jazz Bass and has been since 1993 (when they started working on Counterparts).

 

He used that old trusty Rick for "A Passage to Bangkok" on the S&A tour but it was run using the mono output. The pickups were sent to the same amp as his Jazz Bass and when you do that you have limited tone control because the pickups are both running to just one amp, and I really wonder if any tone adjustments were made on the fly to compensate for the difference in the two basses.

Geddy's old Rick sound was so great because he used to run it in stereo.

Plain and simple.

Let's just put it this way. He wants to keep it simple.

But keeping it simple means that he is ignoring the fact that he could use both the Jazz Bass AND the Rickenbacker IN STEREO if he were to just have his Jazz Bass re-wired to stereo just like the Rick. It's his choice, if it was ever presented to him by his bass tech. Probably wasn't even discussed is my guess.

Too bad.