Harley Benton RB-414 "Thomannbacker"- Can this budget Rickenbacker clone rock?- LowEndLobster Review

[@kevbob]

John Hall, Rickenbacker CEO enters the chat: "I will have to confiscate that headstock plate!" 😹

[@LowEndLobster]

LOL!

[@DMSProduktions]

Every1 else:GTFO John you prawn!

[@DXPunx74]

Lol. Sounds about right.

[@meespeeters826]

Yesss, I was waiting for this. Harley Benton is great!(because I don't have money)

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Mees :)

[@joshuataft5541]

Me too .I could buy a more expensive rig but it wouldn't make sense for me ..I am not in a band and jst okay for fun at home .so for now. Cheap is good. Plus cheap guitars have come along way in the last few years

[@your_austrian_weeb]

Relatable

[@skaman125]

The issue with the volume being killed with one pickup rolled to zero seems pretty normal for a three way toggle switch. Usually guitarist will use that "feature" as a killswitch.

[@LowEndLobster]

Interesting! Thanks for the info

[@borismatesin]

They wired it the volume pots as "50s" wiring instead of the standard. Lindy Fralin has a good writeup here: www.fralinpickups.com/2020/03/01/50s-wiring-vs-modern-wiring/ In any case, it's an easy thing to resolder. The "volume darkening the tone" issue caused by standard wiring can be solved with a treble-bleed circuit on each volume pot, see here: drkevguitar.com/2016/11/24/treble-bleed-mod-roundup/

[@ricardojmestre]

This bassist also use it a killswitch 👍🏼

[@TomiSimatupang]

Yepp... not a cheap instrument issue.

[@WildWildWeasel]

Thomannbacker sounds heavy, but Harleybacker sounds alittle more fitting haha.

[@LowEndLobster]

Haha I dig it!

[@keithpasculli7465]

That sounds like something you whack someone with, 'he finished the fight with a wicked Harleybacker to the head!"

[@WildWildWeasel]

@@keithpasculli7465 Or a wrestling move/kick xD

[@autumnetcetera]

harley benton is a great brand, both their copys of p and j basses and rickenbackers and their more unique basses are great value for what they are

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Ryddex :)

[@piedpeter1]

My new favorite bass. I just got one in cherry sunburst and great original growly tone, the mini-humbucker is awesome when it is used in conjunction with bridge pick-up. Handles distortion very well. I use a touch of dark glass distortion and sounds great that my 2 Ibanez's are in the closet. Played great right out the box with zero fret buzz.

[@OhioScot]

Going to get one of these and set it up like Cliff Burton's Rick from when he first started playing with Metallica.

[@LowEndLobster]

Nice!

[@OhioScot]

@@LowEndLobster with his he used and neck pick up from a Gibson SG bass and a Jazz bass bridge pick up along with other modifications.

[@LowEndLobster]

@@OhioScot Yup! You can totally route the neck pickup out for a fat mudbucker, and a J bass pickup should be easy to install at the bridge :)

[@grizelda4526]

Swapping the electronics sounds like an awesome project. Can’t wait to see/ hear it. Thanks for another great video!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Grizelda!

[@tigerscott2966]

The music business has changed forever. CD's are not selling, concerts are not popular like the past either, so selling $1,500 to $3,000 basses is a tough sell. Harley Benton is the future. Fender and Rickenbaucker are the past. Thanks.

[@markhenley5131]

Looks cool you can't go wrong for that kind of price . You couldn't make it yourself for that super cheap price

[@LowEndLobster]

Indeed! Thank you :)

[@boomerbassmeme]

Doesn't quite sound like a Ric, but has a decent tone of its own. I can't wait to see you mod it! Woohoo! Nice Yes and Rush licks! Get it Lobster! :) P.S. Bought an SR655, it was on sale for $500 and couldn't resist it! LOL

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! Congrats on the new bass! :)

[@oskarus3]

As an hobbyist sound and light engineer, I always try to keep my lights, PA and backline on separate phases. But in some venues it may be impossible to achieve if the building is old or built poorly,

[@LowEndLobster]

My current office space has VERY limited outlets and are on a single circuit. We're hoping to remodel at some point and get more installed to help reduce this in the future.

[@rasmillion]

Edit- you got me hooked on jojo The piller men theme is so good

[@LowEndLobster]

You thought you were getting bass, but it was ME! DIO!

[@ConstantineIsslamow]

Freewill Intro. Love it. Thanks for sharing your review with us.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks for watching :)

[@caseypayne5138]

I had one of these for a few weeks...I liked it. Build quality was great, it looked really nice, and sounded pretty rad but I just couldn't bond with it or find a reason to play it over something else. Ended up selling it to someone who I believe will do more with it than I was. If I ever felt the need to I'd get one again though

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Casey! Yeah I feel you. I feel that this is a niche of a niche instrument. Rics in general are kind of niche, and the niche within the niche is the ric copies. I think they're trying to pull some business from folks hunting for lawsuit Ric copies, the niche inside the niche ;P.

[@caseypayne5138]

@@LowEndLobster Almost like a sort of...niche-ception? WE NEED TO GO DEEPER BWAAAAAAM BWAAAAAAM

[@peter2712771]

Once my life gets back to normal I wanted to order one and switch out the electronics. Can't wait to see the video when you upgrade the electronics.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Peter! I'm very excited to see how this will sound as well!

[@Basszillajay]

I’m all in, about to order my 2nd Benton ty for the review

[@LowEndLobster]

Awesome :), glad you liked the video!

[@OzlinLikesVideos]

I'm very interested in seeing how it handles the modifications. I've been interested in this as a potential project platform for a while.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Josh! I'm curious as well! We will see soon :)

[@driverbass1554]

Thank you for the awesome review!I got a Thunderbird for graduation many, many years ago before the internet. Took a while to find it, one of the shops had a Ric. I couldn't believe the sound coming out of that thing. But I really wanted a Thunderbird. Can't help but wonder what might have been. Definitely going to get one of these and tinker around. Can't wait for the update!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you :)! Great comment!

[@hudsond3181]

Nice slapping the bass lobster, Great video!!👑🦞👍

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Hudson!

[@chuckwn]

Bought one of these a couple of months ago. Very beautiful and well constructed. One major issue, however was high frets all over the place. The action had to be incredibly high in order to get it to play without fret buzz. I don’t know if others have had this issue or they just completely neglected to level the frets on the bass I received. Sold it on craigslist after only five days. Spent big bucks on a real Rickenbacker. Happy now.

[@elflakeador09]

Ordered one and it arrived on christmas eve. I'm delighted with it. I've always been massive Motorhead fan and Ric style bases. Slight bit of neck dive with it. I find the sound pretty decent. You could spend €220 on a lot worse.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks and congrats! I just ordered one too, should come today. Going to revisit the bass and give the mods another go (this time with a video on the process!)

[@elflakeador09]

@@LowEndLobster Ah nice one, looking forward to it!

[@kevmac1230]

From the research I've done the pups are from Artec,like $30 or so on eBay.I have one on its way and if it passes muster an upgrade in pickups will be in order.There were a slew of Ric copies in the late 80s-90s by Aria,Univox and others and some were damn good but I guess they dried up from lawsuits.Even the diy kits disappeared.Thomann and Harley Benton should sell tons of these.I had to wait over 3 months on pre-order for one that's just shipped finally.Hope it's worth the wait.Good demo.Subbed!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Kev! Yeah big wait on these right now, let me know what you think of yours!

[@sillyioussodus6373]

It would have been nice to hear it being played with a plectrum to gauge the Paul McCartney factor of a Ric clone , a growler tone of the pickups combined with a plectrum stroke is a most pleasant groiney sound for a bassist to experience onstage

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks for the great suggestion! I've started to play with a pick in my reviews and will definitely try to revisit this particular model in the future :)

[@keithpasculli7465]

I did my first gig with this bass and I had experienced musician friends, some of who are very accomplished bassists, compliment the tone. It killed through my GK rig with a touch of overdrive.

[@chrisb48907]

did you do any mods?...

[@keithpasculli7465]

@Chris Beaton No, I was planning on modding it but it sounded good enough that I changed my mind. If anything I would upgrade the bridge

[@chrisb48907]

@@keithpasculli7465 thanks for the reply..300 canadian..might grab one ! cheers!

[@michaelkeefer4293]

Nice review! I'm not really a fan of Rickenbacker basses, although I love Chris Squire, Geddy Lee and Paul McCartney (like most bass players do) and I love what they do with their Ricks, I've just never connected with them myself. I am still looking forward to the mod project though, should prove to be very interesting. 👍

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Michael! I know what you mean, that's how I felt with my first Ric. My modded 4003SW has all the Ric with none of the annoyances (besides the dual truss rod ;P).

[@victorchinchillvas]

Great review Lobster. I like the roundaboutesque ode to Chris Squire that starts roundabout 2:56 🤣👍🏼. Keep up the great work man!🤘🤘🤘

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Victor! I'm glad you liked it :)

[@nikolacvetkovic2276]

Quite good tone, especially considering it has old style wiring. I would probably get slightly higher action to get less fret buzz

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Nikola!

[@Bass.Player]

Personally I always thought a Rickenbacker was very ugly. However I have a Harley Benton neckthrough fretless that is surprisingly good. It does have single coil pups and therefore hums somewhat...

[@LowEndLobster]

HB has some really cool stuff! They seem like solid mod platforms. I'll have others coming in later.

[@richardrichard5409]

Fugly as can be, can't see the attraction

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

The bass uses the standard Gibson wiring schematic which is why the volume dies when you turn the volume down on one pickup when it’s in the middle position

[@keithpasculli7465]

Great review as usual and I lusted for a Ric when I was in high school because I was into the players that used them like Chris Squire and Geddy Lee and Paul McCartney but I couldn’t afford one. By the time I could afford one my bass needs were a bit more practical and Fender and Musicman style basses were better for the music that I was playing. I like the sound of this bass; it really reminds me of a Ric in how there is a depth and character to the tone and I could hear some of that. Looking forward to the mods; I think that will improve the sound. I plan on getting one of these and swapping out the bridge pickup for a humbucker as well as replacing the wiring harness.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Keith! Geddy was the inspiration for me, and Squire moreso now as well. This is definitely a great option for a mod project for those who don't want to drop Ric money for something that may not be used as much a a more practical instrument. I did measure the pickup cavity on the pickguard, it's wide enough to fit a rick pickup and a little bit taller (so there may be a small gap... but custom pickguard?). Good luck!

[@keithpasculli7465]

@@LowEndLobster I actually owned a Ric that was modded with Bartolini pickups but I flipped it because it didn't sound like a Ric to my ears, In fact I think that this HB sounds more like an actual Ric than the bass I owned.

[@cpguitars1]

I ordered one of these over the weekend because I ordered a PRS guitar copy from HB and really love it. I needed a bass to replace one that I gave to my grandson.

[@LowEndLobster]

Awesome! I just saw that they were back in stock, good snag!

[@cpguitars1]

@@LowEndLobster received notification that my bass is on the way

[@rubenriverarojas7910]

Nice!, i've never played a Rick, but that model looks like it feels really comfortable.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Ruben! It is much more like a "typical" bass with some Ric traits as opposed to a straight up Ric copy. More frets, longer neck, etc.

[@conanhayle]

I am still growing up at 73 years old and have just ordered one of these . I had a real one in 1975 and it was shit . swapped it for a fender jazz base at my local shop. the shop owner was shocked after I waited 8 weeks for the Rick to arrive from USA.. I played it at gigs over the weekend through 2 amps (sterio) yeah right? the fender was jazz was the dogs bollocks through a 100 Marshall cab

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks for sharing, Conan! Congrats on your bass, enjoy :)

[@9999plato]

They may not have shielded the cavities. I would check. Paint is available to fix that.

[@LowEndLobster]

No shielding, just like a real Ric! ;P

[@RazorChrist]

I actually just got my HB Rickenbacker clone this week. I have to talk to customer service tomorrow though, because it shipped with a bridge saddle mounting screw that's stripped, and one of the bridge adjustment screws on the bottom corner missing completely, not to mention a bowed neck. So I have to get those things sorted out, then give it a proper setup, but otherwise, I'm pretty happy with. I may end up removing the bridge pickup plate cover cus it gets in the way of pick strumming. But it's perfectly fine when fingerpicking.

[@LowEndLobster]

Oof! That's a bummer Razell. Definitely get that replaced.

[@RazorChrist]

@@LowEndLobster I just talked to them this morning and the replacement parts are in the mail. Hopefully this is the last issue I have with it, but we'll see.

[@guy5359]

Another good video LowEndLobster... I will choose freewill!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks you guy! You chose a path that's clear :)

[@enhabeer]

Thanks for those great videos ! I think it would be interesting for a bass like this one to hear it played with a pick.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Rom! I've been trying to use a pick on some of my more recent videos. This bass definitely deserves a revisit, I'll snag another during my next Harley Benton order. Thank you for the suggestion! :)

[@jamesmarkham7489]

I was waiting for runaround. And i was not disapointed. Jojo!

[@LowEndLobster]

:)

[@GreatHouseAtreides]

Little rush and yes...I digs it!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Rob!

[@ptrgreeny]

The volume issue may be because of he wiring used...not the pots. Gibson 50's wiring on LP's, 335, etc...when you have both pickups selected and lower the bridge pickup volume to zero, no sound. It's wired that way because it keeps the tone & volume controls from making the tone too dark as you lower the levels. That might be the reason here.

[@LowEndLobster]

Interesting, thank you for the info Bumnote!

[@trufflefunk]

I've been watching sporadically and this video finally got me to click the subscribe button. Really enjoy you videos and your style :) bet the electronic mods on this bass will beef it right up!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Liam! I just got the harness in the other day. Very excited to mess with this :)

[@louie8604]

This is a great review, just one thing, could you maybe show how basses sound with picks as I feel like some people would need that. I also never realised how similar your pickup style was to Geddy Lee's style, it sounds great.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Louie! I'm not a pick player... I'm terrible with picks... like really bad. Embarrassingly bad. Otherwise, I would! Thank you! Geddy is one of my biggest influences and I picked up that "picking" fingerstyle technique from him.

[@bassimprovjams3772]

Not bad, I agree I wish this was out growing up!! Well said lobster, well said

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks :)

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

*John Hall enters conversation* I’m going to take the cat responsible for this to court!

[@lexdecs8294]

Great review. I agree with your rating. I’m thinking about getting one of these in the future. Harley Benton has some killer stuff!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Lex! They really do!

[@AllbeeHivezChristianAllbee]

Sounds just enough like a Ric to satisfy me. I’ve been wanting to get one of these, as the price and mixed reviews on the real Rics have made me edgy about getting it. I’m getting closer to making a decision.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Christian! I love Rics, and they're really dumb hahahaha. The air of mysticism surrounding them as some sort of holy grail is so far from the truth. I LOVE my Ric, but it's a super flawed instrument and hardly a jack of all trades. It does its thing though and does it well. If you do want to get a Ric, be sure to always ask "what's your best price?". The advertised prices for new rics are often 'misrepresented'.

[@suds16234]

If harley benton can get away with making a rickenbacker-looking bass, then I honestly don't get why other companies don't make them too. It's such a cool look. Great review once again, Mr. Lobster

[@louie8604]

I think it's because rickenbacker hunt for copies and will do anything they can to get them removed from selling, I think this will happen to this bass soon so get one while you can

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! I think they're skating the line. Different construction, very different headstock, different shape slightly. We'll see how long this thing stays available!

[@irvan36mm]

LowEndLobster If anything, the pickguard might attract some attention from Rickenbacker. So, yeah- get one of these while you can.

[@porkwilliam]

Great video, very informative; I’m gonna pick one of these up for sure. God bless all lobsters!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Pork! Glad to see these are back in stock too!

[@briandickinson4699]

I already have a Rickenbacker 4001 but I would love to pick one up and beef it up with better pickups and a heavier bridge.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Brian! Yeah these are fun little ric-like cheapies, too bad they're backordered up the wazoo right now! C'mon Thomann!

[@jhonathanvillamizar2262]

I'll be waiting for that new video with the rickenbacker pickups on this thing! 😊 I recently bought it and I'm planning to do the same.

[@LowEndLobster]

Heyo! So here's that video- kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYWpeX2dotaVbtk . That being said these are both rather old relative to what I've been doing lately. I messed up on the mod and had the pickups out of phase. I'll be revisiting this bass soon and be doing a much more in depth mod video showing the actual process (just like what I do now). So glad you enjoyed the video!

[@jhonathanvillamizar2262]

@@LowEndLobster Oh very nice. Watching it right now! many thanks

[@jhonathanvillamizar2262]

@@LowEndLobster Very useful vid! Many thanks again

[@scottkeeler2306]

It’s just a matter of the pots they choose for the volume control. Simple fix. Just change from taper to audio. For some reason that’s how many Korean and Chinese basses are wired

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks for the info Scott!

[@kenvorland]

Awesome video I have one too I did rewire it and put on a brass nut now it kills

[@LowEndLobster]

Great to hear! Thanks for sharing, Ken

[@kenvorland]

@@LowEndLobster Stay safe rock on cheers

[@RumblinMan]

“I blame one of the cats” hahaha!

[@LowEndLobster]

;)

[@Romans12-1]

I just stumbled on to your channel today. SO GLAD I DID!

[@LowEndLobster]

Welcome aboard my friend :)

[@zachhaywood1564]

I thought about getting one of those Chinese copies from AliExpress purely for aesthetic reasons as a beginner bass, but the sound on this is unreal for what it's trying to be.

[@paul2525]

Awesome review as always Lobster! more Harley Benton basses please!! any Warwick basses to review? 3 claws out of 5 is amazing for 300 dollars!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Paul! There will definitely be more :). No warwicks currently, but that may change in the future. Yes! For the price, this is a great instrument. The combination of price, build, and finish makes this a solid value at that price for sure. This bass is definitely worthy of that rating.

[@paul2525]

@@LowEndLobster I also have a Harley Benton P bass short scale 30" and when I got it it was 90 dollars and I must say for the price the bass sounded great. The electronics were a let down but got that fixed pretty quick.

[@christophersheckler4950]

He knows some Rush! good going! Thanks for the review!

[@nikolacvetkovic2276]

That with volumes killing both magnets is the same as on original Les Paul. Wire it like modern Les Paul and the issue is gone along with a little bit of top end

[@LowEndLobster]

Interesting, thanks for the info!

[@mikenicholson7465]

This guy is one strange cat. I like him. I subscribed.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Mike :) Welcome aboard!

[@JustK009]

Free will out the gate..the lobster gets my vote!!!🦞 🦞🦞

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks K!

[@lawrencebyrdsong7570]

Great slap tone almost fender jazz like

[@LowEndLobster]

Yeah this thing had some fat slap tone! Thanks :)

[@bobt5778]

Sounds OK! Funny that sometimes a bass thrown together from cheap materials in order to fill a market gap comes together well with its own unique tone/feel.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Bob! Yeah, Harley Benton is VERY good at that. Every sub $200 HB that I've tried thus far has been absolutely stellar for the price. Will be checking out other models :)

[@hetul784]

Man that bass sounds kinda weird but I can see why it has a market for people, Harley Benton is pretty decent for the price they are

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks man! I think they're trying to pull some business away from the "lawsuit ric" market.

[@stratslinger54]

I had a '69 Fender Jazz Bass for over 30yrs, but dumb-ass me lost it to the pawn shop 😢. Got a '77 FJB to replace it... bass Heaven, again!❣️🎸So, I got me the Glarry 5-String Iby copy, plays great, single-coil pups, though. Not a complaint, just stating the pup configuration, sounds kinda Jazzy. So, I had to get their 5-String Jazz copy. Also great playability, only the single-coil pups ain't quite as powerful as the Fender pups on my authentic Fender Jazz Bass. But for no more than what Glarry is asking for the Ric copy... l just might have to add one to my arsenal, lol!😊

[@MasonMorris_RadioSaladStudios]

Harley Benton does one thing well. They build aesthetically pleasing instruments. What they don't do is build instruments that sound great. I'd urge them to develop good hardware and get volume and tone hardware that creates their own signature sound. It would be cheaper, as they have the technology to build their own identity, not someone elses. I looked at the BeatBass (always wanted a Hofner). Like the RB, it's dreadfully disappointing once you hear it. They're like supermodels. Pretty, just don't have them talk.

[@LowEndLobster]

LOL Well said! That last line got me XD

[@dantesinfernopurgatory7826]

You get what you pay for. To expect a $300 bass to sound like a $2500 bass is absurd on its face.

[@nikolacvetkovic2276]

Looks nice, sounds good, only I would like to hear it with flats

[@LowEndLobster]

That's a great idea! This bass is gone but I should snag another at some point to revisit

[@aswinvandongen5944]

Thnx lobster! Got one of these myself, swapped electronics, shielded it and I put some other knobs on it. It didn’t cancel the hum, not at home anyway😢 but it sounds more like a p/j/ hollowbody on steroids now. Nevertheless it’s a nice practice bass but wouldn’t do gigs with it. Wondering how your mods turn out!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Aswin and thanks for sharing :). I'm excited to hear how the Ric guts sound in this as well!

[@pilummurialis6490]

Would love to see your review on the Chowny Vantage Pro, it's like a Rick and a Jazz Bass had a baby, they come with Music Man pickups too

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Space Emo! Me too, hard to get my hands on one of those in the US though. I've seen em come up every now and then, but have always slipped through my claws

[@pilummurialis6490]

@@LowEndLobster I feel you on that, I let a rare 4004Cii rick slip through my hands, but I got a 4003, I am sure Chowny would be able to ship one if you get in contact with them

[@kevmac1230]

They (Chowny)are really nice.If I were younger or didn't already own 19 basses I buy one.

[@paulvanwal4875]

Looking Cool , tone Okay for this price . A very good Review , thanks...

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you!

[@TheArpomni2]

Like the way you play Roundabout,

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Chris!

[@off711]

you got some great tones out of it. how's the neck? is it thin/flat?

[@demetricmariner9902]

Even tho it’s not the best bass. You make it sound great

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you :) I appreciate that

[@iggyb63]

I think I saw that guy In RASH play one of those. How bout doing a lobster upgrade you know, a LobstaBocker to see if you can capture that Ric sound.

[@iggyb63]

wrote that before the end. My psychic senses were tingling.

[@LowEndLobster]

This is the way. Thanks Iggy!... GET OUT OF MY HEAD ;P

[@thecruisersbassist]

I scrolled down a little and I saw “Product in current video: Rickenbacker 4003”

[@kirtfulcher6288]

I skulk around the HB forum thread on TB and several guys said they had very noisy neck pups. they had to have the pickup wax-potted because it was microphonic as stock. Apparently this is an "authentic" RB thing...

[@LowEndLobster]

LOL. I mean, they're emulating a Ric right? ;P. I don't know why anyone would drop any money into the stock pickups ahaha. Leave it to TB!

[@kirtfulcher6288]

@@LowEndLobster it was like $15 bucks for him to get wax potted so it saves the headache of hunting down a replacement that fits correctly.

[@LowEndLobster]

@@kirtfulcher6288 Oh, didn't realize it was that cheap. Noice!

[@DougFM]

I was just about to make a comment about the headstock then you explained it.

[@LowEndLobster]

;P

[@teleespantoso]

I'm sorry for asking too many questions lol. * neck dive? Yes or no? * possible to set low action? And: black or burst? What's more cool?

[@LowEndLobster]

It's pretty well balanced. YMMV on the action. The stock bridge SUCKS. Check out my more recent revisit of this bass- kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnLUf2NtmceKl7c

[@teleespantoso]

@@LowEndLobster thanks buddy!!

[@keithpasculli7465]

Just ordered one of these basses

[@LowEndLobster]

Sickkkk! Mines on my bench right now about to get Ric guts swapped later this morning.

[@keithpasculli7465]

@@LowEndLobster I am really looking forward to seeing how those mods improve the bass.

[@kieranflemingify]

pretty sure les pauls do the volume thing with two volume pots, just the nature of the wiring

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks for the info!

[@Abbynorml1979]

Looks like it was wired wrong? The guitar doctor just did a video today 10/25/2020, showing something that looks like this volume problem

[@LowEndLobster]

Yep! Out of phase. The wires coming from the Ric pickup were black and black, so it was a 50/50 shot ;P.

[@marcoesposito8753]

It doesn't sound like a ric IMO but it sounds great.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Marco!

[@jimmyhowe7883]

Looks great too!

[@TheJaysimus]

For the money (£159 in the UK), I can probably justify getting more accurate electronics thrown in That said, it has a slick tone of it's own...not Ricko, not jazzy, not P, not MM...I'm super into it Not much of a bass player anymore, though...I found myself more at home on one of those wee fae guitars 😅😂😂

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks James! Glad you dig it :)

[@wireworks4252]

Hey Vsauce, Michael here... oh wait wrong channel

[@LowEndLobster]

LOL I get that a lot ;P

[@abyuriy]

Well, those "cheap bass issues" (when volume knob kills all the sound in middle position) is a common feature of GIbson guitars, for example. This is happening because volume knobs shorts instrument output to the ground (unlike modern Fender Jazz basses, for example, where volume knob shorts pickup output to the ground instead). That is actually why they have this pickup selector paired with individual volume knobs. Generally speaking - that is about how wiring scheme can alter instrument tone in different knobs positions. This behaviour can actually be changed by swapping wires on volume pots. I actually used to have '81 Ibanez Roadster bass with same wiring scheme, and it had same issues (or should I say features) as well.

[@LowEndLobster]

Interesting! Thank you for the info Yuri!

[@JonathanHerrera_Bass]

"The best tone capacitor." Explain, please.

[@LowEndLobster]

They're using a generic, low quality .068uF tone cap (given the price of this), this combined with the low quality pots makes for not the best experience electronics wise.... one thing I found is that with a little tinkering, you can retrofit actual Ric electronics in this bass... more coming soon!

[@Mr.Steve-O]

@@LowEndLobster now that's an interesting proposition, did you end up doing this ?

[@kiivje]

Great video! Think I'm getting one soon! Just subbed your channel.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you :)

[@adamrassi3516]

That lobster claw glove is too much :D insta-sub!

[@LowEndLobster]

Welcome aboard :)

[@adamrassi3516]

@@LowEndLobster Thank you so much! I found your website because I am a long-time guitar player that wants to transition into being a bass player. Not sure if I want to play a short-scale or not; 5-string or not. What should I be spending to get a comfortable instrument that sounds good without any major mods and all those fun questions when getting into an instrument. I'm sure your content will help with this and beyond. Glad to have found ya :)

[@dezthescentlessapprentice]

Great mod platform, honestly

[@LowEndLobster]

Yeah it's really not bad, especially for the price. Fit and finish was top notch for what I was paying.

[@ramshaar2597]

Cool bass love it .will we ever get the right too hear your cat sing !? 😻😉👍i think you are great

[@MrArudark]

I'm subscribing to watch the follow up with mods!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! The original follow up with the mods was kinda meh. I have a newer video with new mods coming very soon :)

[@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur]

Sounds great

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you!

[@revlewisrees9880]

Hi Lobster, it’s your friendly Welsh stalker again!! I’m glad you reviewed this bass, which I’ve really been considering buying. What’s the score with the volume of the neck pickup disappearing when you rolled the tone off? Do you reckon the electronics quirks could be sorted easily by someone that knows what they’re doing?

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! I'd replace the harness entirely. Either wire it yourself or buy a pre-wired one. You could probably fix some of the issues, but I don't know if some of the problems are related to poor quality components in terms of the pots/switch. I'd personally start with a clean slate vs trying to fix something like that.

[@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur]

Beautiful bass. Great to play and to mod.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! Indeed, and so funny how some of the stock Ric mount points line right up

[@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur]

@@LowEndLobster so your rick pickups are allready in? Enjoy.

[@LowEndLobster]

@@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur Oh yes, this project was from sometime last year.

[@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur]

Do you know what value pots are in the rickenbacker?

[@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur]

@@LowEndLobster 250k & 500k for Ricks. But what was used in the thomann rickenfaker?

[@paulonunes3099]

Hi, I'd like to see a review of Rocktile Pro RB-400, is it possible ?

[@LowEndLobster]

LMAO you made me look it up. 2/2 boots, well played ;P

[@kellymccartney659]

waiting for a lefty version of the sunburst one

[@LowEndLobster]

Nice!

[@kevmac1230]

Did you order it ? Because I'm fairly sure they make lefties.Ordered one over three months ago and it finally shipped yesterday.They're selling like hot cakes from what I see.

[@GeorgeVrachliotis]

Thanks for the review, cool bass! Any plans for mods?

[@LowEndLobster]

Swapped out the electronics for actual Ric guts. It's done and a video is coming soon!

[@lorcanfitzpatrick6019]

Hey lobster what bass has thin necks great review I would love a thin neck in oppose to my other bass with a thick neck

[@LowEndLobster]

Hey! Jazz basses, Ibanez Soundgears, and the Sterling SUB4 are all great examples of basses with thin necks. I hope that helps :)

[@victorcohen6746]

This is a very interesting video!

[@LowEndLobster]

Glad you enjoyed it, Victor :)

[@ribaluigi]

Thanks for the review. It seems to me they've got rid of some of the quirks of true Ricks like double trussrod, weird bridge and flat top. Am I right? I'm really interested in hearing this bass with the rick electronic.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks for watching, Luigi! Yes, this is much less "quirky" compared to a regular Ric, though the bridge design is very reminiscent of the old Ric bridge (without the mute). Honestly, as a mod platform, popping the hipshot Ric bridge might not be a bad idea.... Hrm... I might do that ;P. The top is still flat similar to a Ric though, no contour.