Yes. However, if you choose the right strings, this will be a one time event.
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THE RETURN OF THE RICKENBACKER 4005
- Thread starter GodsLove66
- Start date
Great photos. It's like you are a Pro or something!
Those are the crushed pearl inlays I'm trying to emulate, looks like the old school laquer yelowed quite a bit, I wonder if that will happen on thew new UV laquer? To anyone who owns one of the brand new 4005 variants with crushed MOP, doesit look to you like actual MOP flakes, submerged in some kind of resin, or more like "Abalam", which is MOP flakes pressed into a sheet, and then submerged. It seems like Ric used both methods at various times. If anybody happens to know what resin they used to submerge the inlays, I'd love to know it. In that era, I'm guessing it was some kind of very hard curing polyester, which is something I'd rather not mess with short of a full PPE setup.
Alex - The inlays question (original & new) is answered in the video.Great photos. It's like you are a Pro or something!
The inlay material that Rickenbacker used on the 4005XC and uses on the 4005V models is crushed mica, not crushed "pearl" as some retail stores are claiming (Rickenbacker refers to this as "Triangle Pearlescent" in the 4005V specs.)
Here is crushed mica:
Close up of the current material on a 4005 model:
Per an old interview with John Hall, what was called "crushed pearl" was actually ground up acrylic flooring material mixed with resin:
Mica! And all along I thought it was crushed MOP. Most sources refer to it as "Crushed Pearl Inlay". I posed this question on Rickresource once, and was directed to a material that was something like $200 for an 8.5 x 11 sheet, which I couldn't justify for one or two basses. That's what people have been using for restoration jobs. I think I can get a 3x5 sheet for $50, which also seems outrageous. Mica is cheap, and I already have the crushed genuine MOP, I'll try some experiments and see which one looks better. The kicker is still finding the most bulletproof epoxy or polyester resin available, something that cures very hard and clear. Otherwise rounds would just scratch it up, and I'm not seeing much evidence of that on older Rics with sparkle inlay. it seems like they have used different material in different eras, including the flooring material, when they ran out of it, they switched to something else. If anyone recalls John Hall talking about the resin they used, please hook me up! (long shot, I know).
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I chose TI Flats, which I use on all but one of my Rics, but for some reason the E string is somewhat duller in tone than the other three. I don't know if I damaged it or if that's inherent to the 4005V. I wish I'd paid more attention to the overall sound with the rounds, but I couldn't wait to replace them. I'm going to order a single TI .100 E string and try to finagle into the slot without removing the tailpiece.Yes. However, if you choose the right strings, this will be a one time event.
+1 on the TI flats.I chose TI Flats, which I use on all but one of my Rics, but for some reason the E string is somewhat duller in tone than the other three. I don't know if I damaged it or if that's inherent to the 4005V. I wish I'd paid more attention to the overall sound with the rounds, but I couldn't wait to replace them. I'm going to order a single TI .100 E string and try to finagle into the slot without removing the tailpiece.
Let us know how the single re-string goes!
I chose TI Flats, which I use on all but one of my Rics, but for some reason the E string is somewhat duller in tone than the other three. I don't know if I damaged it or if that's inherent to the 4005V. I wish I'd paid more attention to the overall sound with the rounds, but I couldn't wait to replace them. I'm going to order a single TI .100 E string and try to finagle into the slot without removing the tailpiece.
Contact TI, and let them know you got a duff E string.
Any company worth their salt will issue a replacement free of charge.
In the past (pre internet shopping) I've had a Roto that was dull out of the pack, and it was simply a case of going back to the shop, and swapping for a new single string.
I recently had a new set of D'Addarios with a lifeless A string, and contacted their online customer support. They not only sent me a new single A string, but also a complete new set of strings, all free of charge.
That's how you do right by customers, retain them, and turn them into evangelists.
Anyway, in the meantime, try installing the E string on a different bass with more conventional pickups, to see if the issue is the string, or size of the pickups magnetic field.
And, just like that, production ceased.
@Mosthigh - The beginning of this video clarifies RIC's plans for the 4005V going forward. To clarify, we'll only see new 4005V basses as one-off "Factory Special" offerings, or maybe on the off-chance that a dealer orders a special run.
Long & McQuade chain in Canada currently has a Jetglo and Mapleglo 4005V listed for sale, probably unsold stock. I was hoping for a fireglo, but now that they've announced that new 4005XC-type bass without the all the bling, I'm holding out for one of those, hopefully at a lower price than the V and XC models.
