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A Five-String for the Rickenbacker Lover?

B

BuckoSama

Jun 30, 2008
83
0
45
Plattsburgh, NY
www.vitriot.dreamhosters.com
#1
I love the feel and the sound of my Rick, and I don't particularly care for the feel of a Fender/Fender clone.

Since five-string Ricks don't have a reputation for being particularly Rick-ey, and are pretty much unattainable anyway, are there any five strings that have a similar character as far as feel that I should seek out and try?

Honestly, I don't know how I'd feel setting the 4003 aside - It's just so perfect! - but there are plenty of times in the middle of a jam that I just wish I had some downward mobility.
 
#2
Check out my web site ... www.3dentourage.com/425 ...

4004-5%20001.jpg
 
#4
Rickenbacker has tried to make 5 string basses 3 different times. The first was the 4005 5 string bass. This was pretty much a prototype that never went into production. The next was the 4003s5. This bass was basically a 4 string bass factory converted to a 5 string bass. This bass sounded great but the string spacing was 2 1/16" at the bridge. This made finger style playing cumbersome. They quit making the 4003s5 about 2001. The next 5 string bass they made was the 4004cii5. This was a real 5 string bass with a string spacing the same as a 5 string musicman. But this bass also had a flaw in that it had pickups that only covered a distance of 2 1/4" even though the strings were 2 3/4". This made the B and G strings kinda useless.

I used to own a lot of Rics. I am down to 3. I have learned how to modify the pickups so they cover a wider spacing and my Rics have a bridge spacing of 2 1/2", 2 5/8", and 2 3/8" respectively. I used to do 4-2-5 string mods for Rics owners. But a lot of them are pissed off at me for saying I prefer Fender style basses to Rics.

To get a Ric sound out of a non-Rickenbacker bass placing the pickups in the Rickenbacker locations the main componet of the sound.
 
#7
Ric5 said:
I used to do 4-2-5 string mods for Rics owners. But a lot of them are pissed off at me for saying I prefer Fender style basses to Rics.
Click to expand...

Really! I can't believe that those nice people (RIC owners at the RR) would feel that way about your personal opinion. I use to be apart of that clan, but I left their little club three years ago and would never go back. They were all too narrow minded and over opinionated for my liking. I see by your comment above, nothing has changed.

TD
 
#8
Bucko,

Sorry for the late reply. I own both a 4003 and 4003s/5. I would suggest that if you can demo the /5 that you give it a try. I find that I have rarely pulled out my 4003 since acquiring the /5 new in 2002. I play finger-style and haven't found the string spacing to be a bother. Might be a "to each his own" moment. Prior to acquiring the 4003 (1986) I had played a Peavey T-40. I can still remember the seemingly "huge" neck and wide string spacing on that hunk-o'-ash. Good luck on your quest!

Rhett
 
#10
Since five-string Ricks don't have a reputation for being particularly Rick-ey,
Click to expand...
I don't follow this statement.

I have a 4003S/5 and while I definitely would have liked it to have wider string spacing, I've gotten used to it. Especially since I only play fingerstyle.

I've only had it for about 4 months but I play it every day and I'm almost afraid to even play a 4 string anymore.

My muscle memory has completely gotten used to it.

IIRC, the last 4003S/5 was in 2005 or 2006, not 2001.
 

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