NBD! Ricky 4005V

[jmjbassplayer]

4005V. Plays awesome, sweet tone. Very Ric, but different and way more hollowbody character profile than I expected with a big center block and one sound hole.

Anyway, two questions for those familiar with these:

-Considering tapes/flats, but even these stock rounds kinda thunder in a cool way. Who's got one that can help me out with recs on what has worked for them string-wise?

- Is the pickup blend knob/middle position always going to have that big volume dip unless you go all the way over to the neck pickup with it? V different from my Ric guitars in terms of that behavior.

 

[UntitledProject]

That looks like it needs some old dead nickel rounds and a bit of foam tucked between the bridge and pickup. Not quite flats, not quite tapes, not quite rounds.

 

[Riff Ranger]

Played one, but never owned one, so I’ve got nothing, except for well wishes and ogling eyeballs

 

[Janforth]

Paging @nixdad - guessing TI Flats

 

[jmjbassplayer]

That looks like it needs some old dead nickel rounds and a bit of foam tucked between the bridge and pickup. Not quite flats, not quite tapes, not quite rounds.

Yeah man, that's the business. I've got few basses between 40-50 years old still wearing their OG rounds and I dare not change 'em.

 

[UntitledProject]

Yeah man, that's the business. I've got few basses between 40-50 years old still wearing their OG rounds and I dare not change 'em.

Exactly! Too bad you can't buy them that way. For all the people who talk about how quickly new rounds die, they never get truly dead quick enough for me.

 

[bobomatic]

Yeah man, that's the business. I've got few basses between 40-50 years old still wearing their OG rounds and I dare not change 'em.

There’s your answer hahaha! Never take those strings off, in 40 years you’re golden!

BTW I put a set of Sunbeams on a Fender You, they KILL on that bass… but more Rick-relevant I have Pure Blues on my 4003 and they’re speaking that Rick language well. Probably doesn’t help at all, but there you go.

 

[jmjbassplayer]

There’s your answer hahaha! Never take those strings off, in 40 years you’re golden!

BTW I put a set of Sunbeams on a Fender You, they KILL on that bass… but more Rick-relevant I have Pure Blues on my 4003 and they’re speaking that Rick language well. Probably doesn’t help at all, but there you go.

Ooh tell me more about Sunbeams on the JMJ! And then, are the Pure Blues are sort of that tonal zone between nickel and stainless? I was thinking of going full stainless on my 4003, but would love your take on that.

 

[bobomatic]

Ooh tell me more about Sunbeams on the JMJ! And then, are the Pure Blues are sort of that tonal zone between nickel and stainless? I was thinking of going full stainless on my 4003, but would love your take on that.

The best way to describe the ‘Beams on the You is that they do what I tell them to. Roll off the tone and go full JPJ on some Ramble on? You got it. Grab a pick, open the taps and get a little grindy? Yep. They sound amazing with some drive. You’re dead right when you say this bass has a laser focus to its tone… I feel like the Sunbeams being as balanced as they are widen the tonal possibilities even more and make the best working tone control i’ve ever had on a bass even more wide ranging. That bass is a freaking banger man.

As for the Pure Blues, on my Rick (a Walnut so a little warmer/darker to my ears) they growl, hard, maybe not to a Roto extent (what else does) but more in the lower midrange. Think throaty vs. nasal. They sound huge. I have mine in BEAD and all I would ask for is maybe a little more tension on the B, but I wouldn’t call them floppy either…. I can just be a bit of a barbarian sometimes! I’ll say though if I do switch it up after this set I’m gonna probably do Lo-Rider steels more so for the extra tension than anything…. but for what I want that 4003 to do tonally I’m way more than happy with the PB’s.

 

[Tosh]

When I got mine I was a bit disappointed - to me it sounded like a Basso Banjo.

I put on TI flats and now everything is the coolest!

I don't hear a volume dip using the blend knob, myself. I've spent a fair amount of time setting the volume/tone of each pickup to produce "equal" loudness, and when I use the blend knob, I hear a SUBTLE change from neck to bridge with no change in volume. The knob doesn't give you a 100:0/0:100 mix - more like 75:25/25:75

 

[nixdad]

4005V. Plays awesome, sweet tone. Very Ric, but different and way more hollowbody character profile than I expected with a big center block and one sound hole.

Anyway, two questions for those familiar with these:

-Considering tapes/flats, but even these stock rounds kinda thunder in a cool way. Who's got one that can help me out with recs on what has worked for them string-wise?

- Is the pickup blend knob/middle position always going to have that big volume dip unless you go all the way over to the neck pickup with it? V different from my Ric guitars in terms of that behavior.

View attachment 7142575

Hey Justin!
It's Chris from The Bass Centre. Congrats on your new acquisition! Man, you're gonna love the 4005V.

That shallow neck is pretty freakin' awesome, innit? BTW, it's actually a semi-acoustic bass with X-bracing (no center block) which is one of the reasons this bass sounds so good.

I bought mine last July, and it's nothing less than amazing. I also own the 90th Anniversary 4005XC which I purchased used in late 2023.

To answer your questions:
- To me, round wounds don't do these basses justice at all. Their true character really shines with a quality set of flats (especially when played with a pick.) Personally, I've been using TI JF344 flats exclusively since 2014, which are used on all of my Rics. TI flats are amazing, and will likely be the last set of strings you'll ever buy for your bass.

- Two things to remember with the small blend knob: 1) It only works when the pickup selector switch is in the middle position, and 2) It's reverse wired, so rotating it towards the bridge actually blends IN the neck pickup (and vice-versa.)

OK, so there are some key things for owners to know about the 4005. Because there wasn't much info available, I felt compelled to create a video for the benefit of any potential owners a few months ago. These beasties is very different from most other basses, so I thought a video would help so others wouldn't have to struggle. It includes restringing tips, gig bag info, and so much more. The video is has individual chapters in case you want to look up anything specifically:


Anyway, please let me know if you have any specific questions as I'll be happy to help.

Chris

Paging @nixdad - guessing TI Flats

Thanks, @Janforth! You're spot on!

 

[nixdad]

When I got mine I was a bit disappointed - to me it sounded like a Basso Banjo.

I put on TI flats and now everything is the coolest!

I don't hear a volume dip using the blend knob, myself. I've spent a fair amount of time setting the volume/tone of each pickup to produce "equal" loudness, and when I use the blend knob, I hear a SUBTLE change from neck to bridge with no change in volume. The knob doesn't give you a 100:0/0:100 mix - more like 75:25/25:75

View attachment 7142643

TI flats - smart man!

 

[Tosh]

TI flats - smart man!

I watched your video ;-}

 

[nixdad]

I watched your video ;-}

Thank you, @Tosh! I'm glad it helped!

 

[Bulltrout]

I don't know which I like more, the t-shirt or the bass. Hopefully they'll be a video of you playing it sometime. I'm intrigued by what they might sound like.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Congrats on your new bass!

I have yet to try one of the new 4005V models, but I did have a 4005WB from early 1967 for 38 years. It was my first Rickenbacker that I got in 1973. It has worn a variety of rounds for most of the time I had it, then the last few years it was either Chromes (40-55-75-95) or TI Jazz Flats. If I got a new one, I'd go with the TIs again.

Mine did not have the fifth (blend control) knob; in its place was a ROS jack.

When you say "Is the pickup blend knob/middle position always going to have that big volume dip unless you go all the way over to the neck pickup with it?" does this mean you have the fifth knob set to halfway on its rotation?

 

[bassist4dalord]

Congrats on the new bass! I love the look of a Ric but they’re way out of my league.

Not gonna lie, I looked at the pic of you holding the bass and was about to say “has anyone ever told you that you look like Justin Meldal-Johnsen?”, until I saw your username

 

[Wood and Wire]

4005V. Plays awesome, sweet tone. Very Ric, but different and way more hollowbody character profile than I expected with a big center block and one sound hole.

Anyway, two questions for those familiar with these:

-Considering tapes/flats, but even these stock rounds kinda thunder in a cool way. Who's got one that can help me out with recs on what has worked for them string-wise?

- Is the pickup blend knob/middle position always going to have that big volume dip unless you go all the way over to the neck pickup with it? V different from my Ric guitars in terms of that behavior.

View attachment 7142575

No way!

I always kind of wondered why I'd never seen you with one of these (and also kind of surprised I've never seen you with a pre-EB StingRay with flats).

So glad these have been reissued (under Ben's steward ship, the company is finally dropping the clutch, and peeling out - there's even been a 4002 spotted).

Bummed I didn't have the cash for either of the originals I found in about 1998, and 2002-ish (I think they were about £2000 at the time).

The last one I encountered, a couple of years ago, belonged to Mani Mounfield, and was going for £12,000...

Still can't personally justify spending what these new reissues are going for, but it's great they're back, and gives me hope that they'll be available when I do decide to bite the bullet.

Can't wait to see this in action : keep us posted if it winds up on any particular recordings.

 

[logdrum]

4005V. Plays awesome, sweet tone. Very Ric, but different and way more hollowbody character profile than I expected with a big center block and one sound hole.

Anyway, two questions for those familiar with these:

-Considering tapes/flats, but even these stock rounds kinda thunder in a cool way. Who's got one that can help me out with recs on what has worked for them string-wise?

- Is the pickup blend knob/middle position always going to have that big volume dip unless you go all the way over to the neck pickup with it? V different from my Ric guitars in terms of that behavior.

View attachment 7142575

Your synth collection is more interesting to me. Minimoog, is that a Moog One and a Prophet 5? Some sort of Buchla patched up.? No idea on the rest except for the AKAI because it is labelled LOL. . Whoa! I think all of that is in the picture is worth more than what I paid for my house 24 years ago. Thanks for sharing. Nice bass.

 

[jsixties]

Great bass and even better hair!!
Thomastik Flats, no doubt.