NBD! Rickenbacker 4001v63 MapleGlo (Pic heavy)

[Deleted member 264575]

Back story:
The Rickenbacker 4001v63 is my favorite bass ever. I wasn't sure if I liked them back in 1992 when I got my 4001CS, because it didn't play or sound as good as I hoped. It has issues.... I was going to try to get it fixed Chris Squire signature Rickenbacker. To restore, or not to restore? thread, but then I decided to get the 2001 4001v63 FireGlo NBD! Rickenbacker 4001v63 FireGlo (Pic heavy) thread. WOW! That's a totally different bass to my 4001CS. Incredibly flat neck, super low action, incredible sound, incredible finish. The thing is, I wanted a backup bass for it (I don't like all my apples in one basket). So, I sold a bunch of basses I will never ever play, in order to get the 4001CS restored (again). Just when I was about to pull the restore trigger, this 1999 MapleGlo shows up. Yikes! So, I drove out to play it, hoping it would be a bit different than my FireGlo and YES, it plays and sounds very different than the FireGlo. The FireGlo has a fat, chunky neck (front to back) and the MapleGlo has a much thinner neck. The MapleGlo is lighter by maybe half a pound, or so. It feels like a very different bass. It sounds quite a bit different, too (although it's not dialed in, yet). The MG neck is super fast and light and the sound is much nastier, a bit thinner in dynamic range. The MG sounds more like the song Astral Traveller (by Yes) - gritty and grindy. The FG sound is more thick and lush with a wider dynamic range and has a lot of 'after buzzes' - a distinct Rickenbacker 'buzz', seconds after a note is played. I'm retiring the 4001CS and I'll have 2 perfect v63s to play any time I want! Yay! BTW, I believe the only 2 colors you could get for a 4001 (RM1999) in 1963 were: FireGlo and MapleGlo. I feel like the luckiest boy on he planet! Spoiled Ricken!!

First thing I did on the MapleGlo was install Ric-O-Sound (which I use exclusively). So I installed a vintage reproduction wiring harness I got from @Aceonbass, with New-Old-Stock Ajax .047 Blue caps and 60's a Switchcraft pickup switch and a push/pull volume switch = mono/stereo out). It sounds and works fantastic.

Brothers in Arms.

 

[twocargar]

Sweet! Did you end up selling the Logical double neck?

 

[mapleglo]

My favorite bass of all time. Love it!

 

[Deleted member 264575]

Sweet! Did you end up selling the Logical double neck?

A guy is driving out from Montreal (6 hours) to pick it up right now, actually!

 

[woodyng2]

Congrats,Neal!
I have to agree,from an esthetic viewpoint the V63 is my favorite looking Rick bass ever.
It really seems much more the classic than the deluxe models.

 

[DigitalMan]

That's a keeper. Congrats.

 

[PWRL]

Absolutely gorgeous. I've always admired those. Congratulations!

 

[Deleted member 264575]

Chris and his MapleGlo (21 fret):



Chris and his FireGlo:



Neither of mine came with a cape. I'm a little disappointed....

 

[Gilmourisgod]

There may be a cape and thigh-high boots in your future if you don't lay off this Ric business. You have been warned!

Awesome bass, BTW.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I gotta getta white nut!

 

[Deleted member 264575]

I gotta getta white nut!

I gotta file mine down. They're pretty high.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Bone or synthetic?

 

[Deleted member 264575]

Bone or synthetic?

I replaced the 4001CS with a bone nut (that's cut to the right height). I'm not sure if bone or synthetic makes a difference. When I replaced mine with bone, it was what my tech had on hand. I'm not really sure the correct nut height makes much of a difference, either. I'll probably rock what I got.

4001CS - Bone.

The FG and MG are synthetic.

The MG slots are high on all strings.

The FG is high on the G string only.

 

[Deleted member 264575]

Sweet! Did you end up selling the Logical double neck?

Yeah, that bass just left. It's going to a Genesis tribute band in Montreal. That's what I was hoping to do with it, but plans changed. The guy who bought it is gonna need a WIDE LOAD sticker and a flatbed to get that fat baby home . Now I got my spare room back!

 

[Coolhandjjl]

What's the rule of thumb- the nuts top surface should come up to about half the strings thickness or something like that? My 2009 4003 has its strings buried in the nut, but plays fine, no buzzing, etc.

 

[Deleted member 264575]

What's the rule of thumb- the nuts top surface should come up to about half the strings thickness or something like that? My 2009 4003 has its strings buried in the nut, but plays fine, no buzzing, etc.

I think you got it. 50/50. I'll have some tweeking to do on the MG this week. I ordered this for my setups. I'm hoping it helps with frets-on adjustments. I'm dialing in 1/32" up and down until I get just the right amount of buzzzzzzz-zzz (for me).

Rickenbacker Bass Notched Straight Edge

 

[Spidey2112]

Looks great, Neal! I think the third pic down captures it perfectly!

 

[bobyoung53]

I had both of those basses, bought new from GC when they were DC/ed, really good sounding basses but could never play them properly with the stupid horse shoes in the way. I tried taking them off but the sound got a little thinner and the bass became a little noisier, wish I still had them though. My Fireglo sounded different than my mapleglo also, smoother sounding, it was the bass I usually played.

 

[kcole4001]

I replaced the 4001CS with a bone nut (that's cut to the right height). I'm not sure if bone or synthetic makes a difference. When I replaced mine with bone, it was what my tech had on hand. I'm not really sure the correct nut height makes much of a difference, either.....]

Don't know how much difference the material makes, but the height certainly does.
There's no hard and fast rule, just what you prefer as the player.
I like mine lowwwwww!

Of course, the higher nut can mask some imperfection in fret height.
Mine's still a hair low on the 3rd and 4th frets.
Doesn't come through the amp or PA but you hear it like crazy unplugged.

 

[Deleted member 264575]

Don't know how much difference the material makes, but the height certainly does.
There's no hard and fast rule, just what you prefer as the player.
I like mine lowwwwww!

Of course, the higher nut can mask some imperfection in fret height.
Mine's still a hair low on the 3rd and 4th frets.
Doesn't come through the amp or PA but you hear it like crazy unplugged.

I'm just learnnig how to do my own setups. I used a tech for setup until now, but I don't trust anyone touching these.
I like my action lowwww, too. I've been tweeking the bridge and truss rod on the FG. I'm a little hesitant to file the nut, as you can't pit the material back (easily), if you go too low. I'm getting a set of feeler gauges this week (along with that straight edge) and will check the nut properly then. The FG is down to 1/16th at the 12th fret E string now, so I doubt I'll want it any lower. The buzz level is right where I want it, so I probably won't touch that nut. The MG action is low, but I think I can get it lower. It's not as buzzy, but man, it's really a nasty sounding bass. If I dig in, it get real distorted (in a good way). It still retains that delicate woody-ness over the toaster, though. Fantastic! The MG has a really fast neck, too. Super thin. I've never heard such bang-on accurate intonation, all the way up the neck. Another weird thing about he MG: The A and D strings around the 12th to 18th fret have a kind of Wha sound. I've never heard a Ric do this before. It sounds AMAZING! I'm planning on playing them unplugged, too. Late at night, while watching Movies, just practicing my string-drumrolls and song parts I'm having trouble with. They sound way different un-plugged.
Back to practice!