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THE RETURN OF THE RICKENBACKER 4005
- Thread starter GodsLove66
- Start date
One pickup at the end of the fret board, one right at the bridge. Couldn't be weirder. Not a sweet spot anywhere. A tonal monstrosity. Pretty cool if your in a Partridge family or Peter, Paul & Mary tribute band.
Very cool! Yours looks like the earlier Japanese made version, judging from the Höfner-style pickups and different hardware from mine. Mine's made in Italy by Eko, there's a pic here.Here's my poor abused Shaftesbury.
Ohhh! It's "high quality"!
My Italia Rimini actually was a well made, Korean factory take on the 4005 design.
But, I only kept it about as long as I kept my real 4005 back in the '80s. (6 months).
The ergos just don't work for me.
They made the announcement yesterday afternoon on Instagram and Facebook.
Ben Hall (son of John) took the reins at RIC a few years ago and has made several positive improvements and changes to address quality as far as I'm aware. According to owners here on TB and insiders at the factory, their shallow necks are back and better than ever. Their finishes are gorgeous, and personally, I'm a sucker for the checkerboard binding.
I suggest checking out some of the videos on YouTube to get a sense of the tone. These will really shine when strung with flats.
They are standard Rickenbacker long scale - not short scale like the 4005XC (although the XC is also strung with long scale strings.)
Nice job of it, complete with the CB and "sparkle" crushed MOP inlays, they did it right. At $5k, I suspect the majority of these will be case/collector queens, unfortunately. Better be quick, for those with the disposable cash, these are going to sell out quick. Is this a limited run, or part of the full production lineup now?
Wow, thats a comittment, a lot more fussy handwork doing the CB and MOP inlays, hence the $5k price, I guess. I'll give Ben Hall props for taking a chance on what will probably be a limited market. I guess once you have the CNC and tooling set up, it's easy to scale production up or down to meet demand. They could just keep it low numbers and sell every one they make.
D
They had to be long scale, right!? I will become really jealous when people start buying them and I am unable to.
Should I sell my beloved number one to fund buying a 4005. A 2002 COY Burgundy 4003 that fits me perfectly, has been on memorable gigs. That Bass is "home" for me playing, and by how it looks. I play better and differently with it. I'm doubtful ill sell it.
But, I mean its a new 4005!! Been my dream since 1992 when I stupidly passed on buying one for $900.00.
Should I sell my beloved number one to fund buying a 4005. A 2002 COY Burgundy 4003 that fits me perfectly, has been on memorable gigs. That Bass is "home" for me playing, and by how it looks. I play better and differently with it. I'm doubtful ill sell it.
But, I mean its a new 4005!! Been my dream since 1992 when I stupidly passed on buying one for $900.00.
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It will be part of their "V" series, so I imagine the production would be limited. How long or number of units, I have no idea.
D
Yours is a fine example and is fully intact.
Mine came from a touring band in Australia and had no tailpiece so I found a cheap Ovation Typhoon tailpiece and crudely adapted it.
The headstock was cut so it would fit into an old hardshell guitar case and one of the tuners is slightly overhanging the butchered end of the headstock.
I meant to refinish it as the black paint is badly applied with a brush. The body seems to have a walnut top.
A lot of basses have pu's set apart like that. I love the mine sounds, wired stereo of course.
If my facts are right, Stone Roses guitarist John Squire (not Squier) is the artist.Who's your favorite refinisher?
Not buying one of these, just suggesting an answer to a question.
Hofners aren't my favorite, and a pickup this close to the bridge isn't my favorite, and mixing pickups hasn't usually been my favorite either, and this Hofner's "staple" pickups are humbuckers (the Ric pickups are almost certainly clearer), but a close listen to this video, comparing neck pickup only to both pickups - "in the mix" later in the video, with headphones - reveals a sublime little sparkle with both pickups, contributed by that bridge pickup (the signal from the bridge pickup is a lot smaller). This is a good example of a flavor of contribution that can be made by a pickup in that location.
If I ever give my Hofner Ignition Club another chance I will try to capture that sparkle, and this 4005 probably has it.
Yes, sacrilege to compare the 4005 to a Hofner, I know.
I'm sure you already know this, but a single coil with low resistance/inductance/impedance (like a Ric toaster or an older Ric Hi-Gain (or even a new one)) in that location isn't muddy. My Ric neck pickup gives the clearest lows of all.
I've never heard a 4005 in person, but here is my try at answering you:
Hofners aren't my favorite, and a pickup this close to the bridge isn't my favorite, and mixing pickups hasn't usually been my favorite either, and this Hofner's "staple" pickups are humbuckers (the Ric pickups are almost certainly clearer), but a close listen to this video, comparing neck pickup only to both pickups - "in the mix" later in the video, with headphones - reveals a sublime little sparkle with both pickups, contributed by that bridge pickup (the signal from the bridge pickup is a lot smaller). This is a good example of a flavor of contribution that can be made by a pickup in that location.
If I ever give my Hofner Ignition Club another chance I will try to capture that sparkle, and this 4005 probably has it.
Yes, sacrilege to compare the 4005 to a Hofner, I know.
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D
Thanks!
Höfners are actually one of very few basses where I like blending the pickups, but I only use Höfners with the "Cavern" pickup configuration, which is obviously something else entirely.
A little off topic, sorry, but I'm talkin' to S.F.Sorrow.
Although it was after I had put away my Hofner, these videos clarified for me that I like the regular spacing and both pickups on!
And it might be the only reason I'm in this thread!
I'm glad you mention that, as it gives me an opening to continue: The same producer of the above very nice video did exactly the same thing with a Cavern (but in a comment said that the Cavern had rounds, while the "Deluxe" in the previous video was Pyramid Gold Flats).
Although it was after I had put away my Hofner, these videos clarified for me that I like the regular spacing and both pickups on!
And it might be the only reason I'm in this thread!
Thanks for that! It's easy to see and hear the appeal the Hofner violin bass has for McCartney. What a sound. The guy in video has amazing technique with a pick.
