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I briefly had a 4004 but it developed a warp in the neck, so I moved on from it. However I found my 4003s was lacking in sound, too thin. So, I borrowed from the 4004 and put HB1’s into my 4003s. This thing rocks now, is just what the Dr ordered! View attachment 4677592
Lovely! Always loved The turquoise one, looks equally great with chrome or gold hardware.I can't say that I've seen more than two lefty 4004s. One in person and another in photos. They were both early 4004Cii models, and both are shown in the book. I owned five of them for a time:View attachment 4678168
ah yes ... but warped necks can be fixed ... and the 4004 does not have the god awful tailpiece
Might as well update the zomby thread with a collection photo
Oh, right (or, is that left?)!I don’t think yours are LH….

And I keep thinking "If a company thinks so little of people like me, why should I condone that attitude by giving them my business - and my money - for a wrong handed instrument?" I've managed to acquire a roomful of left handed instruments without having to settle for "flipping one over and playing just fine". Since I have a left handed 4003 and a 4001 - and a left handed 330 guitar as well - I think I can muddle through what little is left of my life without a lefty 4004 - or just settling for flipping one over...Oh, right (or, is that left?)!
I keep thinking about John Simmons and how he can flip a bass or guitar over and play them just fine.![]()

John has a few lefty Ricks and a couple of lefty Wals, too. In some respects he seems ambidextrous, but lefty is his nature and I don't recall him ever commenting on it one way or the other.And I keep thinking "If a company thinks so little of people like me, why should I condone that attitude by giving them my business - and my money - for a wrong handed instrument?" I've managed to acquire a roomful of left handed instruments without having to settle for "flipping one over and playing just fine". Since I have a left handed 4003 and a 4001 - and a left handed 330 guitar as well - I think I can muddle through what little is left of my life without a lefty 4004 - or just settling for flipping one over...![]()
My 4003 does not have the Ric tailpiece, that was gone day one, lol.
Since I haven't found a proper comparison video, I made it myself, so here is 4004 vs. 4003 shootout:
The 4004’s pickups come from the factory with unused tap leads (extra wires) already there. I soldered those leads to push-pull pots to activate the coil split. This cuts out one coil from each humbucker, giving you a much brighter single-coil-like tone
HB-1s come from the factory as a humbucker with the coils in series. Can you substantiate that there are "extra" leads on the pickups as new from the factory?The 4004’s pickups come from the factory with unused tap leads (extra wires) already there. I soldered those leads to push-pull pots to activate the coil split. This cuts out one coil from each humbucker, giving you a much brighter single-coil-like tone
Years ago (before this thread even startedHB-1s come from the factory as a humbucker with the coils in series. Can you substantiate that there are "extra" leads on the pickups as new from the factory?