The Rickenbacker Club Part Five

[cassius987]

I'm curious if they've ever done one without the lacquer?

The 4001C64S and 4004 models have unfinished bubinga fingerboards. They sound similar enough to the lacquered version honestly. Maybe if they were fretless it would matter more.

 

[Substandard]

It's unknown if Ric had an unfinished option for the fretboard. More likely, it is a replacement, unless you are the original owner and know for sure!

Now I'm not the original owner. But I sincerely doubt this is a replacement.

It is a neck through. the finish is stock. Everything on here is 100% rickenbacker. I'm just curious if my unfinished fretboard is a rarity or something.

 

[kcole4001]

May have had a refret at some time, I've never heard of a 4003 without CV on the 'board.

 

[Ric5]

Question for you all.
Did the 4003 ALWAYS have a finished fretboard?

I'm curious if they've ever done one without the lacquer?

My July, 1988 4003 has an unfinished fretboard and I'm wondering if that's rare.

On a 1988 that is probably a modification.

Here's a 1998 4004ci ... it is all oil finished.

 

[superdick2112]

Question for you all.
Did the 4003 ALWAYS have a finished fretboard?

I'm curious if they've ever done one without the lacquer?

My July, 1988 4003 has an unfinished fretboard and I'm wondering if that's rare.

The only 4001/4003 basses I've ever seen with unfinished fingerboards have been ones that had been re-fretted by luthiers. There could be exceptions, but I've never heard of one coming from the factory with an unfinished fingerboard...

 

[Substandard]

It is possible that it has been refretted. If that is the case it's an amazing job.

 

[Nick901]

On a 1988 that is probably a modification.

Here's a 1998 4004ci ... it is all oil finished.

This is a killer bass if I've ever seen one.

 

[NOISE!]

Hello!
Not really looking to join the club yet but I have a question and thought this might be the place to ask.

What are the differences in sound between the three neck pickups ric makes: Toaster, 4003 and 4004.

Thankz.

 

[Jools4001]

A toaster is a single coil pickup that IMHO is pretty much a guitar pickup (it has six pole pieces under the cover). My take is that it has less output than either of the other pups but has a bit more sparkle on the highs. They tend to have the normal single coil hum when soloed

4003 uses a single coil hi-gain pup (4 pole pieces) that as it's name implies is a hotter pup than a toaster, but to my ears is a touch darker. They aslo have the single coil hum

4004 is a humbucking pup that sounds darker than the other two (depends on whether it's wired serial or parallel though) and has no hum

If you're really keen you can read this link Invalid Link Removed

 

[David A. Davis]

Just picked up a new mapleglo 4003 today, and it's a killer! Sounds & plays great - here are some photos, including one with my other four Rics.

That's a sweet collection you got going on there.

 

[fretno]

On a 1988 that is probably a modification.

Here's a 1998 4004ci ... it is all oil finished.

Beauty !

 

[NOISE!]

A toaster is a single coil pickup that IMHO is pretty much a guitar pickup (it has six pole pieces under the cover). My take is that it has less output than either of the other pups but has a bit more sparkle on the highs. They tend to have the normal single coil hum when soloed

4003 uses a single coil hi-gain pup (4 pole pieces) that as it's name implies is a hotter pup than a toaster, but to my ears is a touch darker. They aslo have the single coil hum

4004 is a humbucking pup that sounds darker than the other two (depends on whether it's wired serial or parallel though) and has no hum

If you're really keen you can read this link Invalid Link Removed

Thank you very much!

 

[Ric5]

A toaster is a single coil pickup that IMHO is pretty much a guitar pickup

The truth is ALL Rickenbacker pickups are GUITAR pickups. The only difference between the bass and guitar versions of the high gain is the number of pole pieces.

That is why the 4004cii5 was such a disaster. It was a 5 string bass with 2 3/4" string spacing and it had dual rail guitar pickups that had 2 1/4" rails.

The other side of the coin the pickups are part of the Rickenbacker tone.

 

[cassius987]

There's no such thing as a guitar pickup or bass pickup--they're all just electromagnetic pickups, and obviously if they don't cover all the strings you're in trouble.

 

[BlueTalon]

Was this bass a 5-string from the factory? Or is it a modified 4-string?

The reason I ask is that someone else in this thread has a converted 4-string, and the tuners had that same arrangement. So I was wondering if the factory 5-string tuner arrangement was the same or different.

 

[VictorW126]

Was this bass a 5-string from the factory? Or is it a modified 4-string?

Modified: converted from 4 to 5 strings.

 

[Ric5]

Modified: converted from 4 to 5 strings.

what he said ...


That was one of the Ricks I sold off as the economy got bad. That Rick was one of the last 4004ci they made before they switched to the cii. I converted it to a 5 string bass. It has a nice mid growl.

 

[Jaymi]

I just posted something in the FS that is VERY hard to come by...check it out when you have time..

 

[Nick901]

I just posted something in the FS that is VERY hard to come by...check it out when you have time..

What is the FS?

 

[Jaymi]

For Sale