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Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:05 am
by bassduke49
Still on our trip in the Waybak machine, it's now 1991, and the folks at RIC add a bass to its line of "Limited Edition" instruments (which started in 1988 with the Hoffs, McGuinn, and Kay guitars). The Chris Squire bass is similar to the contemporary 4001V63, but has an "African Vermillion" fretboard and head wings, the printed Chris Squire signature on the pickguard, and the special "cream" finish. There may have been other items that differ slightly from the V63, but I am not sure about that, and not sure if all were consistent through the production run. Supposedly there were 1,000 certified in the run, but there was some mention a while back that there was a block of 100 in the sequence that was skipped(?). At least a few lefties were included in the run. Looks like production of the CS went from 1991 to around 2000.

So let's post pix and discuss the creamy Chris Squire edition!

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:33 am
by woodyng
i like to think that what chris was going for when he had his rm painted that color was something that resembled an "antiqued" white,like an older jazz bass. my "white" 74 4000 is pretty similar looking,including the darker color fretboard. i love the vermillion fretboard and matching headstock wings on these,especially when they have the correct longer headstock. it seems that there is a general opinion that the vermillion has a definite effect on the tone.

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:42 pm
by gareth
woodyng wrote:i like to think that what chris was going for when he had his rm painted that color was something that resembled an "antiqued" white,like an older jazz bass. my "white" 74 4000 is pretty similar looking,including the darker color fretboard. i love the vermillion fretboard and matching headstock wings on these,especially when they have the correct longer headstock. it seems that there is a general opinion that the vermillion has a definite effect on the tone.

My CS is very similar in tone to my 4001S. The fretboard has a sort of a purplish tint to me, and is very fast.

The only issue with this bass is the same one that I have with the 4001S, in that it's a little hard to see the dot markers under low lighting.

Other than that, I think it's a great bass.

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:58 pm
by woodyng
hey gareth,is your 4001s a neck-throo or set-neck?

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:00 pm
by robj
I have #86x, don't recall the last digit, of 1000 which I bought new, and have kept it in original mint condition. It's never been gigged and only played a few times. Soundwise it's very different from my other Rickenbackers, it has a more aggressive sound I think, but it does sound great. The neck is a bit more substantial than my 4001 and 4003 which surprised me when I first played it. I've never played a 4001V63 so I can't say how the two compare. My others are '72 4001, '86 4003, '98 4004C, '00 4004C-ii.

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:06 pm
by seyesbass
I may have mentioned this before but going back to the mid 80s when I tried an early V63 at the Ric office in Bury, I passed on the V63 for the time being and subsequently wrote to Mr.Hall with my suggestion that it would be a great idea to bring out a Chris Squire 4001 bass. I had bought a Roger McGuinn 12 string and there was a fine selection of guitars coming into the Signature series but as yet no bass guitar.
I am not saying that Rickenbacker built the CS on my say so by the way but rather the guys at Rick must have had more than a few requests for a signature 4001!
Yes had enough profile back in the late 80s to merit some sales whereas today Yes are not so high profile and I doubt we would have a CS if Rickenbacker had not produced the bass when they did.
I got my wish when I collected my CS H3 6407 early in 1991 and I have played it to death ever since.

Access to the higher frets is unlimited as you can see from the photo!!

Thank you once again Mr Hall.

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:31 pm
by JakeK
I have often wondered why people paid an arm and a leg for this bass. I thought it was bass-(pun intended)-ically a 4001V63 in a cream finish...guess people want that African Vermillion!

Great pics guys, I was wondering when this was going to be Model of the Week!

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:36 pm
by sloop_john_b
JakeK wrote:I have often wondered why people paid an arm and a leg for this bass. I thought it was bass-(pun intended)-ically a 4001V63 in a cream finish...guess people want that African Vermillion!

Great pics guys, I was wondering when this was going to be Model of the Week!
Why do you suppose people pay an arm and a leg for PT's?

Paul's going in chronological order with the models.

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:08 pm
by Becky
woodyng wrote:i like to think that what chris was going for when he had his rm painted that color was something that resembled an "antiqued" white,like an older jazz bass. . .
In an interview with Bassist magazine in January 1997 (heralding the Keys to Ascension albums), Chris said of his bass:
Mine was originally [Fireglo] and that's one of the reasons why it ended up sounding the way it did, because when I was in The Syn, I put this flowery contact stuff all over it. When all that finished I went to see Sam Lee, a famous guitar repairer and he peeled that off and rubbed the wood down to get it nice again, but the Fireglo had gone, so he painted it cream. Then I stuck silver paper all over it, and a rubber edge round it - went through that period - then took it to Sam again. By now the bass guitar was only three-quarters of the weight it was when it started off. That was prior to me using it on "Roundabout", so maybe that's why it sounded so different from every other Rickenbacker bass, because it had been messed about, then planed down and revarnished so many times.
It also sounds as though the signature model was never simply an adaptation of a V63 model, given the lengths they went to:
Nothing ever sounds like that one, even though Rickenbacker made a "Chris Squire signature" version, where they weighed my bass, used the same wood, made it the same colour...everything about it was identical. The pickup parameters came from measuring the electronic output...absolutely everything. And it's nothing like the original. I've got a couple of them - even a special one that's got humbucking pickups, which is pretty good because you lose that traditional Rickenbacker buzz, but it still has a different sound, and I don't know why. We did absolutely everything to guarantee that it was going to be the same.

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:26 pm
by ajish4
Ah, Thank you Paul!

The jewel in my RIC collection.

Sorry for the rotten pictures, it's raining outside so I tried with and without flash to try get the natural color to show through.

I also have a '88 V63 which is much more, forgive the term, ballsy & nasty compared to the refined PIANO LIKE sound of my CS.

The CS sustains FOREVER, ESPECIALLY NOW that it's had if FIRST setup since new in 1995. She's number #568/1000. Still looks new. It was gigged three times a week for the first 5 years I had her...now, it's only used on Holidays.

Specail thanks to Joey Vasco who polished and cleaned her when he did the setup a few weeks ago. It now plays like it should, the action is nice and low so it probably will see some more action now that it is setup properly.

Laugh if you all will, but I've turned down 10K for this bass years ago, and to this day, I have no regrets. Say what you will about it, but it is my "hat tip" to the man who IS the reason I play today. It TRULY sounds different than ALL of my other RICS....

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:41 pm
by gearhed289
Ah YES! The golden child of my collection. Mine's #425 from June of '92. What a gem. I'm pretty sure the bodies on these basses are a good 1/16'' thinner than a standard Ric. And the neck is substantially skinnier than any Ric I've ever played. Has THE Ric tone, hands down. Mine was refinished at the factory under warranty about a year after I bought it, so I like to think of it as being even more like Squier's. :roll: :lol:

She's pretty much mint. I've gigged with it maybe three times, just for fun, and never for a whole set.

Someone mentioned paying an arm and a leg for these... I got mine new with tax for under a grand. :D

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:21 pm
by rickfan60
I think the color was officially called Colorglo. Or was that how they refer to the finishes collectively?

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 5:22 pm
by just_bassics
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

(Okay, maybe I'm a little jealous!)

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 5:22 pm
by weemac
My first Rickenbacker was a CS, It sounded great but had some serious neck issues. I did not have it long (It went back to where I got it!) The neck also felt sort of "unresolved" compared to other Rickenbackers that I later had.
Gee it looked good though!
Eden.

Re: Model of the week 18: Chris Squire Limited Edition

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:13 pm
by ajish4
just_bassics wrote::mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

(Okay, maybe I'm a little jealous!)
Jim,

She'll be here just waiting for your next visit.

Wait til you play her now!

BIG DIFFERENCE.

LoL, YOU ARE JEALOUS :lol: , Don't EVEN THINK OF GOING THERE! :!: