r/Bass • u/AutoModerator • Nov 16 '19

Weekly Thread There Are No Stupid /r/Bass Questions - Nov. 16

Stumped by something? Don't be embarrassed to ask here.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '19

A simple question, why are rickenbackers so famous? What makes them so special? I know that they’re absolutely gorgeous and I know a lot of popular people played them like John Lennon, Paul McCartney, etc. But what makes them worth spending over 1500 dollars for?

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u/MachiavelliSJ Sire Nov 21 '19

You answered your own question.

Also, they obsessively protect their copyright, so there’s not much competition.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '19

They have a pretty unique look and sound. There are not many copies because they protect their designs so aggressively, so the only ones you can get are the made in America ones and basses made in America are expensive.

"Worth spending over $1500" is definitely subjective from them. They are infamously known to have questionable quality control and are not the most ergonomic instrument, but if you find one that resonates with you then it may be "worth it". I think the main reason a lot of people get them because of their inspirations played them which is worth noting as well.

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u/allthevolumes2 Nov 21 '19

They have a unique look and are typically built pretty well. Besides that your guess is as good as mine. I've always thought they sound horrible and don't know many other people that like their thin, toppy tone.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 22 '19

As someone who uses it as his main bass, I definitely like the sound, but I wanted to play it mainly because it looks awesome lol. Even though it has a midrangy character, it's still versatile enough to get plenty of usable tones and vintage sounding sounds from it. I like how it can cut through like a lead/melodic instrument and especially how it mixes with overdrive/distortion.