Roger Waters’ Switch from Rickenbacker 4001 to Fender Precision Bass – The Album That Changed His Low End

Waters played a Rickenbacker 4001 on Pink Floyd’s early records through Meddle – a bright, trebly sound that cut through but lacked bottom. For The Dark Side of the Moon he switched to a Fender Precision Bass, and suddenly the low end was thick, centered, and punchy. That change is why the bass on “Money” hits with that round, walking groove instead of a clank, and why “Time” has that deep, pulsing foundation that anchors the whole track.

The Precision’s split-coil pickup gave Waters a more consistent, mid‑focused tone that sat perfectly in the modern quadraphonic mix engineered by Alan Parsons. He paired it with an Ampeg SVT amp, which pushed the lows further without distortion. It wasn’t just a gear swap – it redefined the band’s rhythm section and became Waters’ signature sound for the rest of his Pink Floyd career.