They have had a nice 25 (thereabouts) year run, too bad most folks were not interested in these. I have owned four of them (I still have two) and played a great many others over the years.
R.I.P. 4004
R.I.P. 4004
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R.I.P. 4004 Series basses
- Thread starter Jeff Scott
- Start date
I never saw anyone play a 4004 in the clubs.
I have, from dives to big festivals.
Here's some.
Photograph Copyright © SAW 2004 All rights reserved.
Photograph Copyright © SAW 2012 All rights reserved.
Photograph Copyright © SAW 2014 All rights reserved.
Here's some.
Photograph Copyright © SAW 2004 All rights reserved.
Photograph Copyright © SAW 2012 All rights reserved.
Photograph Copyright © SAW 2014 All rights reserved.
Me either.
In a world where it's Sting Rays, Precisions, EB- whatever, some hollow-bodies, and the occasional 4001/3, just not enough room for them, plus they cost more than a 4003.
They were never really promoted either. You either knew about them or you didn't.
Well, I'm sorry 4004's have been dropped, but, honestly? I have never, ever seen one (other than a picture); nobody I've ever talked to has ever seen one; the Rick dealer here has never seen or ordered one, either. As for leftys? Somebody posted a picture of a blue one on the RRF, years ago, just to torment me. AFAIC, there's no empirical evidence that they ever existed in the first place...
Me too. Never saw one in person - being played or at a store. I didnt know they existed until after I bought my 4003.
Yeah 30 year bass player here that has done tons of festivals, worked in a store, and has been into hundreds of music stores.
I have yet to see one in person.
I have yet to see one in person.
Well, that's me done with Rickenbacker, can't stand the 4003.
Paul Weller's bass player, Andy Lewis, plays one.
The 4004 is the model that corrected all the dopey spoilers on the 4003, from bad bridge to finger-gouge pit.
But as with Fender's attempts to improve the product, the consumers don't want it. They like their Coke classic, and big fins on their Caddy.
The 4004 is the model that corrected all the dopey spoilers on the 4003, from bad bridge to finger-gouge pit.
But as with Fender's attempts to improve the product, the consumers don't want it. They like their Coke classic, and big fins on their Caddy.
I have seen one, but only in the store. It was blue and it felt very comfortable. The neck pickup had a lot of thunder to it, pretty different from a 4001/4003.
So, Jeff Scott had in his possession, at one time or another, 99.9753% of them...?
The only somewhat cool looking Rick. If it had the Sharkfin inlays, I'd own at least 1 or 2.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,019
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- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Like KBD, tried the 4003. We didnt get along. Too many knobs, switches etc, but i really liked the neck. Got a 4004 and liked it alot. Sold it ‘cause I just had too much stuff and it was somewhat redundant in my stable.
Qaulity was excellent...
This.
I played one when these first came out and my initial reaction was "wow this is nice", never crossed my mind to compare it to 4001/4003, felt like a completely different instrument altogether.
It took literally over a decade for me to see the next one. Strangely enough, right now there's a couple of used ones for sale in the surrounding areas, so some folks somewhere did actually buy these new at some point in time...
Not too surprising that so few have ever seen a 4004, considering the countless posts I have seen on Harmony Central, etc. over the years with curious players harboring the same complaint about the 4003. In fact, were the 4003 much more accessible, it wouldn't enjoy nearly the reputation it does. The mystique is due to a relatively Garboesque presence in the retail space.
My current batch. I may have to look for more now!
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