One pickup Ric?

[line6man]

Ok, please excuse my ridiculous question, because i dont know anything about Ric's.

I ordered some take-out at a little deli, and while i waited for them to make my food, i went walking around the little strip mall that was nearby.

I came across a mom and pop music store that had an interesting Ric in the window. (They were closed, otherwise i would have taken a closer look)

It was a (4001 or 4003 or whatever model) that had only a bridge pickup. There were only 2 knobs, and the pickguard was just blank where the neck pickup should be.
The body (black) did not have any binding either.

Does Rickenbacker make a bass like this? Or did someone do a custom pickguard and take out the pickup?

FWIW, the bass appeared to be brand new, so i dont think its a vintage bass.

 

[GregShadoan]

Model 4000.

 

[James Hart]

yeah they made a single pickup Ric... model was 4000

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if it's new, it might be a mod

 

[line6man]

Ok, so i guess this Ric isnt as crazy as a i thought.
I believe that the price tag read $1650, but i could barely read it from 8 feet away...
Does that sound right?

This Ric looks pretty sexy to me because its so similar to my jazz bass. (i did my jazz bass the same way, with just a bridge pickup, and a pickguard to cover the neck pickup route)

 

[GregShadoan]

Sounds about right. 1650 is a good price for a 4000.

 

[phatbass]

I had one about 15 years ago. It had a dead bridge pickup so I stuck a Jazz pickup in it (couldn't get hold of Ric replacements easily back then).

 

[mrtn400]

Yup, it's a 4000.

I'm still amazed that my dad managed to pick his up for $300.

 

[GregShadoan]

Here is an older one.
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t262/gshadoan/4000-57.jpg
It's a beauty

 

[godofthunder59]

thats a great price ! I had a 4000 in the early '80s Ric was blowing them out, the music store I worked at bought a bunch of them I got mine for like 250 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! best Rick I ever owned, sounded fantastic

 

[line6man]

It looked exactly like the black one in this picture:

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[woodyng]

oh the humanity! greg-that 50's 4000 is in a music store in portland,right? i saw it earlier this year and wanted to just....touch...it. (it was hanging about 10 feet overhead,and it wasn't for sale,or for touchies.....) . i have several ric basses,and still really love my 74 4000.

 

[Tony In Philly]

I once played one in a pawn shop back in the mid-70's; it sounded great. Apparently Chris Squire bought his original one that way and then had it upgraded.

 

[RickenBoogie]

Chris Squires Ric was a model RM1999, or 4001. 2 pick-ups, mono wiring. The customization was that he wired it for stereo.

 

[Relic]

I've seen these before but never had the chance to play one. How do they sound? The treble pup on a 4001/3 is pretty clangy so I'm assuming this one has more depth?

 

[mrtn400]

I've seen these before but never had the chance to play one. How do they sound? The treble pup on a 4001/3 is pretty clangy so I'm assuming this one has more depth?

My dad's still has a lot of high end coming out of it, but I've never had the chance to A/B it with a dual-pickup model.

It probably sounds the same as a 4001-3 with the neck pickup all the way off.