Thoughts on the 'new look' 4001

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 8:41 am

I thought I might pen some of my memories of when I bought my first serious bass back in 1974.

My love affair with Rickenbacker started back in ’72. I was at school, playing in the 2nd 11 band, I was 15 years old & the 1st 11 band were all about 18. The bass player in the ‘top’ band was an American called Mark Rattigan, and he brought back to the UK his stunning new bass, it was a 4005 FG !!!!

Just looking at this dream machine in its case made my pulse race, he let me play it too, which to be honest was a bit of a disappointment as I was used to a short scale bass and this thing was just too big for my hands, but still I was smitten.

I started working any part time jobs that I could to get together enough money to buy my own 4005 FG. After just over two years later I made a trip to London to buy my own Rickenbacker. By this time I had really fallen for the look, and size, of the 4001. My hero Chris Squire had one and that was good enough for me.

The think I was most pleased about, and this is the main point of this ramble, is that the bass had recently been visually breathed upon, and the results to my 17 year old eyes were a wholesale improvement.

Gone were those rather sparkly inlays on the fingerboard. I felt the full width ones hade the bass a little neck prominent visually. Gone was the ‘fancy’ binding, replaced by a sleek, understated plain one. To my eyes this was like the transition from Art Nouveau to Art Deco. The neck pickup was now at a more balanced position the scratch plate, before it always seem far too close to the neck. The head stock was still thankfully short. Gone were those rather flimsy looking Grover machines, replaced by a much more purposeful & masculine model. To me the recent improvements were very positive, and certainly worth the waiting.

Sadly money was short in the early 80’s and I had to sell my baby. I have recently acquired two new Ricks. One is a 1980 4001 Azureglo, and the other is my V63 prototype in MG. My band who I think are a reasonably visually tasteful bunch think the 4001 is by far the prettiest bass and can’t quite understand my slightly greater affection for the V63. On hearing the V63 they can see why I feel this way, but to them, aesthetically the 4001 is the clear winner, no contest.

I was recently thinking I would like to get a ’72 or ’73 with all the original features but then had a reality check. I’m not a collector, I’m a player. I can only justify taking two basses to a gig. I really love my two Ricks, in fact my other four basses are being sold off. I f I got say a ’73 what would happen to the other two? Which would get left under the bed? So I’m happily sticking at two. OK, OK, there is just one more I would like. I am now ready for that ’72 4005 FG.

Bob

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 8:55 am

I got down to 7 ric basses ... I am trying not to buy any more ...

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:10 am

I used to think that I only "needed" one. Then I got two and they were both necessary. Now I added an 8 string which certainly isn't "needed" but it sounds so darn nice and is quite the looker so now I find that I "need" all three at gigs. If you'd like the '72/'73 then you should get it. Nothing looks better than a Ric in your hands and a few waiting on stands

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:46 am

31 years after the change, I still can't get used to the 1" spacing. It looks wrong to me. And there's something wrong with the new pickguard's lower contour, it's wider now right under the neck pickup volume knob, different from what it used to be from the 60's till the 90's. When the knobs were rearranged to form a parallelogram again, the contour was slightly changed (The pic in the Rickenbacker website, model 4003 page, is still with the "old" 80's-90's pickguard). Other than that, the bass is a work of art.

wints · Post by **wints** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 11:22 am

The root of all suffering is attachment....

As a self confessed minimalist my "needs" have always come before my "wants" so I,m still wondering how I have ended up with 7 basses.
Rickenbackers are about the only thing I have ever collected in my life and really that has only come about in the last three years where cool basses became available at prices that were too good to ignore.

There are other Ric basses which appeal, such as the 4005/4002, an Alembic fretless, but only if it's the right bass at the right price or I'm not tempted. I,m certainly not going to lose sleep over not having this bass or that bass.

There is nothing wrong with wanting and choice is a wonderful thing to have. If you truly want a 72/73 and are capable then you should do it. Playing and owning basses are one of the few things in my life that are truly a passion and that's why they are the principal material exception...

jaymi · Post by **jaymi** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 11:52 am

I started out with so many Rics and I am now down to two and soon to be one. After all the things I have had, my needs outweighed having a room ful of Rics anymore. My midnight blue 91 is about to go on the block. The union Jack is the only one staying.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 11:53 am

Go for a '73! I play mine at gigs all the time, well, not as often now that I have that wonderful V63 I got from Chris. But i do play all my RICs at one time or another at gigs. It is tough sometimes deciding which to take, but they all get played out.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 12:14 pm

If push came to shove ... I could get by fine with just a 5 string p-bass or a 5 string ric ... oh hell I have G.A.S. ... I gotta have many basses ...

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 1:25 pm

If you like the sound of the V63 better than the 73 get a new 4003, they look like the 4001's to all but Ric fanatics and sound as good if not better (IMHO) than the V63's. Very powerful full sound that shrinks at no other.

vinylrec · Post by **vinylrec** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 1:56 pm

I'm with Ilan...I just can't get use to the 1" spacing

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 3:10 pm

That can be fixed!

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 10:22 pm

Thanks for the moral support to buy a new bass guys!

I guess the reason for the original posting was to say that back in '74 a lot of people, including 17 year old me, thought that the new look of the 4001 was an improvement.

I just wonder if there are any who feel the same today?

As for me, I NOW prefer the old check bound, half inch space etc: but why should that be?