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Rickenbacker actually made a 5 string bass

#42
Aceonbass said:
4003S5's actually had a wider nut than 4003's, so the spacing at the nut on this C64 conversion will be a bit tighter. The current 4003 is not any wider than it's ever been so this bass won't score any points in the easy-to-play-for-people-with-fat-fingers club. 4004's with the older,wider neck are an excellent candidate for 4-2-5 conversions.
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Ya the 4003s5 basses were maybe 1/16" wider. The older 4004s had the good neck for a 5 string because you can get a bridge spacing of 2 1/2"
 
#44
bobcruz said:
Orange peel paint finish on the bridge too:

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Orange-Peel-vs-Smooth.jpg
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That is powder coating ... NOT PAINT... paint would chip off very quickly ...
 
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#47
Ric5 said:
It has been over 10 years since the ill fated 4004cii5 fiasco, and it has been since about 2001 when Rickenbacker stopped making the 4003s5 basses.

Well they did a one off ...
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The form of the Rickenbacker is iconic...somehow the inverted headstock makes it look like a Rickenfaker or perhaps a Fakenbacker. Not that it looks bad, it just doesn't look right.
 
#51
I'm gonna put that one on my EBay Watch List just to see how high it goes. Hand me the popcorn. I bet a few Ric employees have already been assigned to that task. Of course it's possible that this was made for a Ric employee who then turned around and listed it on EBay, you'd think Ric would frown on that.
 
#52
DiabolusInMusic said:
There was a Ric thread recently where somebody showed a shot of a stack of Rics at the factory, I remember somebody pointing out the 5-string in the back and people speculating what it was for. This was definitely it, I remember the colour.
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Exactly what I was about to post.

Having played a 4003 5 string conversion that retained the stock 4 pole Hi-Gain, the dropoff on the A string isn't TOO bad. But it was noticeable enough for me to subsequently get a Classic Amps replacement made (with the correct pole alignment).
 
#53
Gilmourisgod said:
I'm gonna put that one on my EBay Watch List just to see how high it goes. Hand me the popcorn. I bet a few Ric employees have already been assigned to that task. Of course it's possible that this was made for a Ric employee who then turned around and listed it on EBay, you'd think Ric would frown on that.
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Rickenbacker does not really have a custom shop, but they do have a history of making unusual one off basses ...

They sometimes produce a custom color, or other unusual basses.
 
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#58
That bass was built for a record exec at Capitol, who didn't feel like he should have to pay for it once RIC was ready to ship it. John Hall wasn't lettin' it go till he got the check. Priceless! Unfortunately, the instrument probably adorns the wall in said execs office never to be played.
 

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