RUSH-Geddy Lee Rickenbacker 4080/12

[boomtisk]

Just a couple of old shots of Geddy with Rush and his Rickenbacker 4080/12 doubleneck.....................

Anyone else think he resembles a zombie wearing a blonde wig in this picture?

Also, oh man, the bodies of those things look huge!

 

[RexNFX79]

That's a lot of instrument.

 

[Basshappi]

I'd seen many of these pics over the years but a few are new to me. They are all awesome!

I've seen Rush 4 times beginning with the Power Windows tour, no doublenecks but plenty of AWESOME!!

 

[GianGian]

I don't care what anyone says, that Rick still looks like one heavy mothertrucker! It's probably still in his closet at home. It's pretty awesome-looking, though!

I read somewhere that he doesn't have them anymore...he gave away some Wals to his nephew I think and probably sold or gave to someone else his doublenecks.
He did keep at least one of his 4001s as we have seen in the last tour.

 

[I<34080]

There's a 4080 hiding in the back

Looks like Mapleglo, might be his white one that turned creamy and is lit badly.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

You'd think Rick would do signature models (it seems to be the thing these days) - - Geddy, Chris Squire... And didn't Lemmy play a Rick?

 

[Basshappi]

Ric does do sig models McCartney, Squire, Lennon, Petty

 

[I<34080]

Ric does do sig models McCartney, Squire, Lennon, Petty

and Lemmy

and a few other guitars of artists I don't really know

 

[the_hook]

There's a 4080 hiding in the back

Looks like Mapleglo, might be his white one that turned creamy and is lit badly.

Is that a pic of Geddy at his home studio? I've read both he and Alex have studios in their homes. Wish I could visit, I'm probably 20 minutes away from them....

 

[BassBandit]

I would love to join this club if you'll have me as a member, here's me with my 1982 4080 Double Neck

, I've also got a 79 Jet Glo, and am just finishing up a total restore of a 98 Blue Glo

 

[Duke21]

Does anybody knows what kind of Rick Mike Rutherford used in his youth?
He Also used a double neck Rick, but he had the bass neck down, the guitar neck up.

 

[Duke21]

Ric does do sig models McCartney, Squire, Lennon, Petty

But the Squire sig model is all sold out, only a 1000 been made.
I've a Geddy Jazz, would love to have the 4001 Squire sig, and.... Rutherfords Shergold.

 

[Ondskan56]

Amazing!

 

[bassplayer8953]

You'd think Rick would do signature models (it seems to be the thing these days) - - Geddy, Chris Squire... And didn't Lemmy play a Rick?

Might be due to the fact that Getty is all about Fenders these days. And has his own signature model with Fender.

...even though Rush made some of their best music with Getty wailing away on those Ric's...IMO.

 

[Engine207]

The 38 shows that I've seen since 1981 have had a huge impact on me too!

Cash wise.......But worth every penny!

That number blows away my 33, but I'll add another in June. The first was 4/4/80 at the International Amphitheater on South Halsted St.

I can't begin to add up the cabbage I've parted with following Rush tour America. The deuce definitely appeared in Xanadu during both the PW and MP tours that passed through Chicago.

 

[melodic bass]

Got to see him use the double neck in the 70's when I was a kid......

Coolest thing I ever saw.....

However...

I'm here in hopes to find out "HOW" he ran both the bass and guitar....AND HOW it should be wired..
From the pics I can only see one cable...

Because I love the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass I own and use, I'm having a Fender double neck made to mirror that bass....
Basically it will be the Geddy Lee Jazz with Alex's Strat...

Yeah, Yeah...I know....It should be a Ric, but after several years of looking worldwide for one?
I give up

So if there is ANYONE who can help with how he ran that double neck and the best way to wire it?
I would be very greatful!!!!!

 

[FretlessMainly]

The doublenecks run on one cable into either the stereo or mono jack input of the instrument (I believe that these are stereo or mono; not positive, but either way, one cable does it). This website should give you an idea of some of the basic specs for both a 4001 bass and a 481 guitar:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

On the doublenecks, I believe that the toggle down near the vol/tone controls is the standard 4001/4003 toggle between neck and bridge pickups or for guitar pickups and the toggle near the lower horn is the toggle between guitar and bass functions.

Not sure how these doublenecks are wired - perhaps it's just a standard 4001 wiring and a 481 wiring with the lower horn control choosing whether the vol/tone pots control the guitar PUs or the bass PUs.

The linked site should get you close, however.

 

[Spectrum]

Just a couple of old shots of Geddy with Rush and his Rickenbacker 4080/12 doubleneck.....................

I realize this is an old thread, but if the OP is still around here, did you take this shot? It's black and white printed in lith developer, and it's got to be the most awesome Geddy photo I've ever seen!

Sadly I've seen Rush four times since the 80s, but I've never seen Geddy use any of his doublenecks. How I'd love to have a time machine.

 

[Engine207]

I realize this is an old thread, but if the OP is still around here, did you take this shot?

Looks like a Ross Halfin watermark in the top left corner. He's a pretty well known music photographer. Regardless, I agree that it's pretty much the win of Geddy photos.

 

[kcole4001]

The doublenecks run on one cable into either the stereo or mono jack input of the instrument (I believe that these are stereo or mono; not positive, but either way, one cable does it). This website should give you an idea of some of the basic specs for both a 4001 bass and a 481 guitar:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

On the doublenecks, I believe that the toggle down near the vol/tone controls is the standard 4001/4003 toggle between neck and bridge pickups or for guitar pickups and the toggle near the lower horn is the toggle between guitar and bass functions.

Not sure how these doublenecks are wired - perhaps it's just a standard 4001 wiring and a 481 wiring with the lower horn control choosing whether the vol/tone pots control the guitar PUs or the bass PUs.

The linked site should get you close, however.

Technically it's a combination of a 4001 and a 480 guitar, but close enough.
The main controls are all standard as seen on RIC guitars which include two pickups (Vol/Vol/Tone/Tone) and the 5th control, which is a volume blend control which acts as a secondary volume control for the neck pickup.

The switch near the neck pup is a two position neck selector, and selects only one neck at a time. Up is bass, down is guitar.

The outputs are the usual mono and stereo (Ric-O-Sound, or ROS for short) jacks. The ROS splits each pickup's signal to it's own independant path at a splitter box or cable, which you can then rout to separate amps, or whatever.

Mike Rutherford's doubleneck was built for him from a 4001 and a 620 guitar, I've read, with the guitar neck on top, which I think would be a better ergonomic compromise than the more aesthetically (IMO) appealing bass neck on top version that RIC built, but that's just speculation.
I do find the guitar more awkward to play way down there, and the bass neck a bit too high, but such are the compromises of such an instrument.

Weight is usually around 14-15 lbs. Not really that bad considering. I haven't weighed mine.
The maple body is thinner than the usual Rick body, which is much thinner than a Fender to begin with.