Free US / Domestic Shipping On Orders Over $145!

What Is Rick-O-Sound? And what do you need?

What Is Rick-O-Sound? And what do you need?

What is the Rickenbacker® Rick-o-Sound (Ricko sound)?

On the Deluxe Rickenbacker® models, they introduced the Rick-O-Sound circuit in their instruments. The Rick-O-Sound separates the two pick-ups (bridge and neck) into separate, independent lines that require a TRS (aka Balanced or Stereo) cable. You can then use these individual lines and send them to specific amps, pedal setups, etc., via our TRS to Dual Mono Splitter. This split signal handling is managed via a separate output jack but is not required to be used.

What is the benefit of using the Rick-O-Sound?

By separating your pick-ups, you can experiment with a variety of tones. For example, you could route the neck pick-up to a bass amp with the lows on bass, and the bridge signal could be routed to a guitar amp. Going with the middle position, you would blend the two amps and split them. Similarly, you could send the bridge pick-up to an effect (distortion, fuzz, etc.), and the result is only "on" when you select the bridge pick-up. Routing options to mixing console or front-of-house board could be interesting as well.

Why do Rickenbackers® have 2 outputs?

This question is asked often, and this feature is underused but is a fantastic option for these instruments. The two output jacks included a "Standard" and "Rick-O-Sound." The Standard output is a typical mono output, and when in use, the pick-up configuration is as you would expect. Both pick-up signals are routed through a single line. The "Rick-O-Sound" output jack requires a TRS/Balanced/Stereo instrument cable to work properly, where the TIP is the neck pick-up, and the RING is the bridge pick-up. You will hear the neck pick-up only if a standard mono/unbalanced cable is used.

Who uses Rick-O-Sound?

Some of the most notable users of the Rick-O-Sound would be Geddy Lee of Rush and Chris Squire of Yes!

What gear do I need to use the Rick-O-Sound?

For the most flexibility, we recommend using a splitter to manage the signals. We offer a TRS to Dual Mono Splitter, which many Rickenbacker® users are using. The benefit of using a splitter vs. a TRS Y-Cable is options. You can adjust your TRS cable lengths and mono cables with a splitter. You’re not locked in as with Y-cables. The TRS to Dual Mono Splitter will separate the Tip and Ring signals into two mono signals that can be routed to a pedalboard with patch cables or amps with long-run instrument cables.

TRS to Dual Mono Splitter for Rickenbacker® Rick-O-Sound functionality

Of course, you will need a quality TRS cable going from the Rickenbacker® to the TRS to Dual Mono Splitter, and that should be it!

My personal experience

So, I wanted to learn about this personally. I reached out to a good friend Chris Knutson who owns a Rickenbacker® 4001 that dates back to March 1992. Chris used this bass in the killer band International Playboys so this bass has some miles on it.

I used our TRS to Dual Mono Splitter and TRS cable and split the neck and bass pick-ups to 2 separate channels on my Matchless HC30 head where the neck goes into Channel 1, and the Bridge goes to Channel 2. To create some variety, I adjusted Channel 1 to have a clean, rich tone, and it sounded great for a standard bass setup. Channel 2, I increased the treble and raised channel volume, so it was getting a great gravely/medium-grit tone for the bridge.

Switching between the two via pick-up selector was great, but the combination (middle position) sounded amazing. This setup clears the lows and adds top-end break-up. I loved it.

Rickenbacker® 4001 What is a rick-o-sound

The Most Detailed Rick-O-Sound Walkthrough You'll Find

If you’ve ever wanted a clear explanation of how Rick-O-Sound works, this is the video to watch. We break down everything you need to know, from what the stereo output on your Rickenbacker is actually doing, to how to set up your rig with our splitter cable for true dual-amp operation.

This is one of the most in-depth resources available on the topic. Whether you're just exploring the feature or looking to dial in a serious stereo setup, the walkthrough below will guide you through every step.

Watch video on YouTube

Related Products mentioned in this article...

Standard Rattlesnake Cable

Standard Rattlesnake Cable

Previous Article
What is the perfect guitar cable length?

View All Articles

Next Article
How to measure custom patch cables for your pedalboard

Below is a listing of our Recent Articles

Your Rick-O-Sound Not Working?

Your Rick-O-Sound Not Working?

Here at Rattlesnake Cable Company, we field many calls and emails about the Rickenbacker® Rick-O-Sound feature. Usually, these calls are all related to the Rick-O-Sound (or Ric-O-Sound) functionality not behaving as expected. Over the years, I started to notice a trend in relation to these calls, and wanted to basically create a checklist of reasons why your Rick-O-Sound is not working correctly. Some are obvious, but I'm adding them since I do get calls for this. So here are seven reasons...

Custom Stage Cable Looms

Custom Stage Cable Looms

What exactly is a cable loom? What is a Cable Loom? First, we need to address the fact that cable looms are sometimes mentioned with different terminologies. A cable loom is when you have multiple signals wires/cables wrapped in a single weave or 'loom'. Sometimes cable looms are referred to as Cable Snakes, Pedalboard Snake, or Pedalboard Cable Snake. Typically, these are used for Pedalboard Cable Management, from board to amp, but can refer to many other applications, such as IEM, XLR,...

TRS cables vs. TS Cables. What's the difference?

TRS cables vs. TS Cables. What's the difference?

A question this often asked is, “What is the difference between a TRS and a TS cable?” This is a frequent question and has a lot of information associated with it. We wanted to provide some answers to some of the most common questions surrounding this simple yet complex topic. We thought the best approach was to break down the various questions we get since there are several angles to the answer. TRS Cables vs TS Cables The first fundamental to understand is that the underlying cables are...

What is the perfect guitar cable length?

What is the perfect guitar cable length?

What is the perfect guitar cable length? At Rattlesnake Cable Company, we often get asked, "what is the perfect guitar cable length?" That is a difficult question to answer without knowing some of the critical variables and applications for the musician. But before we get started, let's start with some of the common questions. Are long guitar cables bad? Yes and no. Typically, extremely long guitar cables can be a problem due to cable capacitance. The longer the run, the more capacitance can be...

How to measure custom patch cables for your pedalboard

How to measure custom patch cables for your pedalboard

I have wanted to write this article for some time. We often get asked, "what is the best way to measure custom patch cables on the pedalboard or pedal line?" We must be both on the same page in regards to measurement points! This article will go into measurement techniques and details about patch cables and plug options. Do patch cables matter? Before we start talking about measuring, let's ask the age-old question, "Do patch cables matter?" I've personally used the cheapest cables on the planet...

Reviews on Google

Alan Henager

Alan Henager
6/21/2022
I was honestly a skeptic, and figured since I only use 10' cables for recording, cable quality would make little difference. I always used cheap cables until I got tired of them failing on me and bought a 10' Rattlesnake cable and a couple of jumper patch cables for my effects loop. I was surprised... Read

Nick Lopez

Nick Lopez
2/19/2021
Rattlesnake cables are simply the best. I don’t use any others!

ed reuter

ed reuter
3/26/2021
I purchased 2 guitar cables from a local music store a few weeks back. The clerk said that t"these cables would last a lifetime" OK i figured. They are from a well known manufacturer. They look good. They feel sturdy. go ahead. Only after getting them home and plugging in do I see their made in... Read

Alan Henager

Alan Henager
6/21/2022
I was honestly a skeptic, and figured since I only use 10' cables for recording, cable quality would make little difference. I always used cheap cables until I got tired of them failing on me and bought a 10' Rattlesnake cable and a couple of jumper patch cables for my effects loop. I was surprised to find that apparently my instrument cables had apparently been a significant noise source. The Rattlesnake cable was completely silent even with guitars I just thought had noisier pickups. In addition, the jumper cable I was using on my board apparently was draining quite a lot of high-end off, which I learned after swapping in one of the Rattlesnake jumpers. I ended up with a second order to replace all the patch and jumper cables in my setup, and a spare 10' cable. My new setup clearly retains more top end and is more quiet than I thought was possible. I didn't play a lot of high gain before and just accepted the noise when I did, but even high gain is no problem now. I'm sold!

Nick Lopez

Nick Lopez
2/19/2021
Rattlesnake cables are simply the best. I don’t use any others!

ed reuter

ed reuter
3/26/2021
I purchased 2 guitar cables from a local music store a few weeks back. The clerk said that t"these cables would last a lifetime" OK i figured. They are from a well known manufacturer. They look good. They feel sturdy. go ahead. Only after getting them home and plugging in do I see their made in china. Then come the buzz. not the amp hum, but a buzz that won't go away. Now I start looking for American made Guitar cables. and I find Rattlesnake cables in Missoula Montana. A small, local (to Montana), business. I placed my order on Friday afternoon and for a response within the hour that the order was received. then Cables being assembled, then shipped ! I had 3 cables in hand the following Monday (p.s. I'm in North Jersey). They look better, feel better and best of all NO BUZZ. I will not hesitate next time I need to replace a cable. Hank & his crew at Rattlesnake and a pleasure to do business with. Prices are fair and competitive to other manufacturers. Best of all an AMERICAN MANUFACTURER! Need a cable? BUY AMERICAN BUY LOCAL BUY RATTLESNAKE CABLES Regards, Ed

Fomo

Kit in Woodland Hills CA just made a purchase!
about 18 hours ago

Fomo

Nelson in Hebron CT just made a purchase!
about 9 minutes ago

Fomo

Anthony in San Francisco CA just submitted a custom loom request!
about 43 minutes ago

Fomo

Nelson in Guilford CT just submitted a custom loom request!
about 5 hours ago

Fomo

Matt in California MD just made a purchase!
about 2 hours ago

Fomo

Daniel in Hermitage TN just made a purchase!
about 1 hour ago

Fomo

Wesley in Bartlett IL just made a purchase!
about 18 hours ago

Fomo

Anthony in Woodbury TN just made a purchase!
about 3 hours ago

Fomo

Keith in Seattle WA just made a purchase!
about 12 hours ago

Fomo

Robert in Petaluma CA just made a purchase!
about 7 hours ago

Enter Code