Entwistle with 4001S

simonmole · Post by **simonmole** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 6:28 am

Hi Pekka - yes the 4005 was from sotheby's auction after John's passing - if the house burns down, that's the one I rush in for (my wife had better grab the others on the way out...!!!!!) the 4004 8 string conversion turned out far better than it had any right to and now gets played the most out of all my 8 strings - the original bass was dented and bashed horribly and was initially due a respray, but I read a tip on a Warwick (ie natural wood finish) website - dents with no wood lost can be literally hot ironed out (steam from a wet teacloth lifts out the dents) this has worked a treat and now I've just linseed oiled the bass and its great (er, wish I'd taken more care filling old tuner holes now - sorry folks!!). back on topic, John talks about Rickenbackers in detail in the Rittor Japanese book from the 1990s - but you will need a translator!!!

wints · Post by **wints** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 7:04 am

He was one of the first Roto users, so no surprise there that the neck warped. His was probably the first I'd imagine.
What's surprising is that so many followed, from various reasons including Waters and Quaife, although his was due to temperature.
In comparison to his later 4005's and 4001/8 which probably still wore rounds and were still under a lot of tension, they just couldn't hold up.
Here's a fireglo from 64 similar in that very dark shade.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 7:07 am

My Generation was recorded with a Fender Jazz strung with La Bella flats.

yep ... that's why it sucked ... I like the later live versions ...

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 7:30 am

"yep ... that's why it sucked ... I like the later live versions ..."

gulp... lost for words.... maybe one or two of the live versions were a 'bit' better, but the original sucked...? Jeff, you are having a laugh, right...?

bobcat · Post by **bobcat** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 7:41 am

It's not that "My Generation" sucked so much as that the live versions were infinitely better, thereby making the original look bad in comparison. On all the live versions, I believe he plays his p-bass with the gain turned all the way up so it sounds like a guitar. I wish he would've stuck with Rics . . . didn't they make low-tension rounds at that point?

kpj · Post by **kpj** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 7:46 am

Must be cool, Simon, to watch "The Kids Are Alright" and see your bass in the clip for "Tommy Can You Hear Me?"

pekka · Post by **pekka** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 7:53 am

"On all the live versions, I believe he plays his p-bass with the gain turned all the way up so it sounds like a guitar. I wish he would've stuck with Rics . . . didn't they make low-tension rounds at that point?"

Live At Leeds version was played with a Precision but there are numerous others featuring his Thunderbirds, Fenderbirds, Alembics and Buzzard. He used a two channell system from very early on and in the seventies his Sunn amps and cabs were almost like a PA on its own!

Rotosounds must have been the only roundwound strings at the time Entwistle played with his 4001S. He invented them with Rotosound.

Did he ever use the 4001S on record? Couldn't find the info from this great site, 'though it seems it has all the info you could need regarding his gear.
http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/equipment/bass/equip-entwistlegear.html

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 7:56 am

"My Generation is a cool song ... but the original recording is not good quality ... the technology back then was limiting ... listen to Live at Leeds ... now there is a bass sound ...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:01 am

check out this page on Entwistle's gear ...

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/equipment/bass/equip-entwistlegear.html

simonmole · Post by **simonmole** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:11 am

Early Who classic I can't explain was the 4001s, as were the High Numbers single tracks Zoot Suit and I'm The Face (the High Numbers was an early name change for the Who!!). And yes Kevin - that whole sequence is around on DVD if you hunt - its a German "Beat Club" special on Tommy from 69 - great GROOVY camera tricks going on too on some tracks! As a kid I knew a 4001, but hadn't a clue about a 4005, so to own the first one I ever saw on the cinema screen is a dream come true.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:12 am

Simon, stunning collection! I especially like the "Skyblue" 4001V63 and the Azureglo 4005!

ken_swearingen · Post by **ken_swearingen** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:17 am

Simon,that is an absolutely amazing collection.

simonmole · Post by **simonmole** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:21 am

Thanks John - Its a real privilege to own and play that lot after collecting for 25 years!!! the Skyblue is obviously a refin ("bluer" than the recent Blueboy finish, done because the mapleglo had "burned" badly from a dreaded plastic stand - I played that one at ex Who/Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones' wedding! Pretty cool to launch into My Generation and have that fellah on the drumstool!!!!) and all the Azureglos...well, to my ears they just sound the best!!!!!!!!!!

pekka · Post by **pekka** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:25 am

"Kids Are Alright" was the first time I ever saw a 4005 too, about 15 years ago. I remember thinking that John had put a 4001 neck into a Rickenbacker guitar body!

simonmole · Post by **simonmole** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:26 am

and thanks Ken! I must confess I'm knocked out to look around here and see the fantastic rare and vintage basses on show - I've been very lucky to find some rare stuff, but most of my collection is built around the basses that knocked me sideways as a kid - late 70's 4001's... and luckily its a vintage that has avoided some of the sharp price rises of the 60's Rickenbackers, or - and this I don't get I'm afraid! - 70's fenders...