The Rickenbacker Club Part Twelve

Yes,i think the white plastic pg is not the best look with the walnut. I would even go for gold plastic,instead of black,but keep the chrome hardware.

 

I modded (sort of quasi-restored, that is) my '75 4001 with a push/pull .0047 cap finally. I went ahead and overhauled all the electronics while I was in there (I'll save the original pots and caps for posterity...).

I'm not sure how often I will actually use the bass-bled bridge setting. Probably just to show folks the difference when they ask, lol! It might work in a recording, I suppose, but for live use I just love the bridge pickup's huge sound! (I think I may have a particularly big sounding bridge pup, I haven't heard another Ric bass with so much bottom in the bridge yet.)

I guess if you were to run stereo with the bridge going to a guitar amp & the neck going to a bass amp, then it would be useful. Less pummeling the guitar amp front-end. I may have to try that soon!

 

Just got my 4004ci!!!!!!


holy wow it is amazing! The E string was sounding a little weak (changing pickup heights didnt help, nor new strings) so i tightened each truss rod a little which has seemed to help, but in the morning ill see how it is and go from there! (the turns of the rods have made the 15th+ frets buzz a bit. any advice people?


such an amazing bass otherwise

 

Mikael, tightening the rods likely induced a bit of back bow. The idea is to get the neck flat. To do this, use the E and G strings as a guide by fretting at the 1st and last fret. By the way, has my harness showed up yet?

 

Dane! Yes it has I was meant to message you, it looks terrific. Haven't had a chance to put it in the bass yet, once its all done and dusted ill post some picks.

Cheers

 

I just did the 1st and last fret trick on the bass, there is a bit of a gap around the 9th/10th fret on both E and G strings, about a 1/6th of an inch. What should my next move be?

 

Can't really join the club, as I no longer have it - But my Rick was purchased new in 1975 - mapleglo with a special mahogany pick guard I had made. Used it except for one song on the first record we did at A&M studios in Hollywood with producer Ken Scott. I am a wood guy and I just couldn't stand seeing that cheap white plastic taking away from the look of that beautiful maple. I bought it at Washington Music Center - and at the time they had over a dozen new ones in stock. Spent an entire day and picked out the thinnest widest neck they had. At the time, I was amazed how different the necks were on most of them.

Replaced it with PRS #7, and then PRS #11, which were my first medium scalers. Going from the 33 1/4" scale down to the 32.5" scale on the PRS was a huge difference - so for me - it was no contest - the PRS was like finally coming home. Played the PRS exclusively for 22 years. Here is blurry photo of me playing my mapleglo Rick at a show at the Cellar Door in D.C.



Always loved that bass though, and wish I would have hung onto it.

Also played a fireglo for a short time which I borrowed from my vocalist. That is what convinced me to get my own.



BassHappy
www.innertainment.net

 

For Paul Boyer......I saw this on ebay...the serial number has it as a 79.....all the correct mess for a 4003 of early vintage..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-String-So...s-/131212718388?pt=Guitar&hash=item1e8ce33134
I have no affiliation, just thought it was interesting...

 

Could that possibly be one of the first 4003's? Or a very good copy with a valid jack plate?

 

I had one that was March 1980 so it is possible

 

I don't ever recall seeing a copy of a split guard 4003.
Or for that matter, a split guard 4003 withot the 7 screw tail, but the tailpiece could have been replaced.

 

That is absolutely a 4003 and not a 4001

 

Anyone else notice the TRC says "Model 4003"? I thought the 4003s just said Made in USA???

 

Wire it VVT and then you can blend the pickups and hit the sweet spot where the E string will sound better.

 

I noticed ... it is a 4003.

 

How about something fun???
My latest acquisition

 

Congrats, Jaymi!

 

that that makes three here at the moment...

 

Great merciful GRUNT!!!!

Cool vid!
Playing Ricks always give me that feeling.
A Rick bass and a preamp pushed hard is what I like best.

 

Hey thanks for the heads up, Jaymi. As we have discovered here, RIC start/stop dates are what I call "soft." It's generally believed that the 4003 was initiated in 1980, and since RIC sales materials and price sheets usually follow sometime after a "new" model or feature, we can better date the arrival of the 4003 as being as early as October 1979 (at least, for now)! I may have to go through the RRF registry and see what the earliest production date is in there.