The Rickenmodder Club

[J Hud]

Rickenmodder = An individual who has taken it upon himself to make modifications, both great & small, to a Rickenbacker instrument in his/her possession.

The motivation for making the aforementioned modifications may vary from person to person but the desire & courage required to take what is a widely heralded yet debatably “perfect” instrument and mold it to more effectively fit his or her specific requirements is what bonds those who dare to accept the moniker of “Rickenmodder”.

The Rickenmodder Club was founded on 9-2-10 by TB’er J Hud. It was he, who after suffering the slings and arrows of those opposed to such an endeavor, took it upon himself to rally all like-minded bassists amongst the TB ranks to form this brotherhood. These valiant few are bound by blood and a courageous approach to dealing with less than ideal aspects of an instrument they (through legal right of ownership) are entitled to do with as they will. In taking this leap, the members of the Rickenmodder Club have chosen to raise the chalice of the bold moder and toast to their respective “reinventions” of any given Rickenbacker.

Rickenmodders rejoice! Your time is at hand! No longer shall you be forced to dwell in the shadows of the TB community for fear of retribution directed at you for your choice to mod. Rejoice I say!

………I digress..

Anyway, if you’re interested in joining Rickenmodders, post some pics of your personal 4-stringed expression of freedom and hit me up for a member #.

(Disclaimer – Club membership will more than likely put you in the uncomfortable receiving position of a host of negative feedback directed at you, your bass, your judgment, your right of ownership, etc, etc, etc.. Thusly, you should consider this a ‘join at your own risk” situation).

Members thus far -

1 - J Hud
2 - Ric5
3 - Chopper
4 - Engine 207

To kick this off, here's my controversial mod'd 1989 4003s





For the backstory on the above bass, feel free to kill a few hours reading this -
My Rickenbacker Modification Project

[RickenBoogie]

Count me in, I love the membership in all kinds of clubs, (many) especially reguarding anything Rickenbacker. In my avatar is a 4004Cii, whose only mod was filing the nut to string it BEAD, (or DGCF as it is now), and below is my 4003, which has had a pup change, and a few upgrades to the pickguard and knobs.

[J Hud]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

Count me in, I love the membership in all kinds of clubs, (many) especially reguarding anything Rickenbacker. In my avatar is a 4004Cii, whose only mod was filing the nut to string it BEAD, (or DGCF as it is now), and below is my 4003, which has had a pup change, and a few upgrades to the pickguard and knobs.

Welcome #5!

[Engine207]

From the motherthread:

I'm not a clubber, but...#4



And before that...

[Beej]

Not a Rick owner myself right now, but I do have a keen interest in spelling and grammar, and not to be a wang, but according to the rules of English, it should be "Rickenmodder" not "Rickenmoder". The latter would be pronounced "Rick-en-MOWD-er"...

[J Hud]

Originally Posted by Beej

Not a Rick owner myself right now, but I do have a keen interest in spelling and grammar, and not to be a wang, but according to the rules of English, it should be "Rickenmodder" not "Rickenmoder". The latter would be pronounced "Rick-en-MOWD-er"...

lol, thanks! Your wang-ish insight has been duly noted and could quite possibly change the face of this club in the hours to come!

*edit*.....or minutes...

[Peer75RI]

I have only one bass in tha house that has not been modded: my 4001 BurgundyGlo.

But I sure have a hard time to resist this:


Must resist, must resist, must....

[J Hud]

Originally Posted by Peer75RI

I have only one bass in tha house that has not been modded: my 4001 BurgundyGlo.

But I sure have a hard time to resist this:


Must resist, must resist, must....

Do it man! Do it!!

[kcole4001]

Count me in.
Here's my mod, a 1977 4001 that was pretty hacked up when I got it, I added SD pups, but didn't find the tone appealing, or Rick like at all, really.
Got the neck pup rewound to 1970s specs, found a bridge pup on ebay, eventually decided to " '75" it.
IE: change the neck pup spacing from 1" to 1/2", make a new 'guard based on the earlier pattern, and arrange the controls in the earlier patter as well.
Some wood has to be removed to accomodate these slight changes.

Later, I added the Hipshot bridge.
This was always going to be a player, not a collector, so I really had few qualms about altering the bass.
I wanted the aesthetic and slightly bassier tone of an earlier period bass.

Before (with the SD neck pup and the bridge pup from my 4000):


Currently, after all changes:

[Andysalina5]

I completely support this thread although I don't own one. when the **** hits the fan, I'll be here to fight off the flamers

[Sartori]

What do you mean about the controls?

[kcole4001]

Originally Posted by Sartori

What do you mean about the controls?

1976 (approximately, I believe) the control layout changed from a parallel arrangement, to a slightly diverging line for the two volume pots, or rather the neck volume was brought slightly in toward the neck tone control.

I prefer the look of the parallel arrangement, though I had to carve out a small amount of wood from the control cavity to allow clearance for the moved pot after I installed a RIC 4003 wiring harness.

It was wired with mini pots when I got it, so I wasn't aware that there would be a clearance issue, but didn't want to go back to the non-parallel arrangement.

Besides, the original 'guard had the usual crack at the neck pup height adjustment screw, so I made a backpainted plexi 'gaurd in the early pattern.

[Sartori]

Oh I see.

[J Hud]

Originally Posted by Andysalina5

I completely support this thread although I don't own one. when the **** hits the fan, I'll be here to fight off the flamers

Thanks brother!!

[Tarrbot]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

Count me in, I love the membership in all kinds of clubs, (many) especially reguarding anything Rickenbacker. In my avatar is a 4004Cii, whose only mod was filing the nut to string it BEAD, (or DGCF as it is now), and below is my 4003, which has had a pup change, and a few upgrades to the pickguard and knobs.

I fully endorse the pearloid pickguards. I have a black pearloid that I need to find my camera to get better pics of.

A camera on a phone just doesn't do it justice.

[Ric5]

Hi my name is Jeff and and I modify my Rickenbackers.

I like Rics and I only play 5 string basses. Rickenbacker quit making 5 string basses.


Here's a Van Halen style 2020 5 string bass.

[Tarrbot]

Found my camera finally...



I need to find a black 5 string tailpiece I'm thinking.

Forgive the dust. I play mine a bit.

[s4001]

My '68 4000 that's been modded to S.



Oh, I put a ferrule in it. Probably shouldn't have...

[Engine207]

Originally Posted by Ric5

Hi my name is Jeff and and I modify my Rickenbackers.

I like Rics and I only play 5 string basses. Rickenbacker quit making 5 string basses.


Here's a Van Halen style 2020 5 string bass.

I told ya this guy was gonna bring it. My guess is he's pacing himself and ain't done yet. Look for some more photos on the glass coffee table...

[Gizmot]

I've got a beautiful '78 4001 and I'm willing to play the mod game (a little bit anyway). I put a Seymour Duncan in the neck position ~ 15 years ago. I liked it when I first put it in, but it's way too boomy and doesn't have the definition I like. I'm putting the stock pickup back in this weekend and I'm also putting in the 4003 tone control mod (maybe it isn't a mod because it's a factory-designed change?).
Based on how I like the sound, I may do other things.