Truly rare Ric Bass

gregson1 · Post by **gregson1** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 6:07 am

A little over a year ago, I bought an '82 4001S off ebay with the intention of using it as my main bass. The hope was that it would save some wear and tear on my collectable Rickenbacker instruments. Unfortunately, the bass received was a 'set neck' model and while it was in very original condition, there were some problems to contend with before it was ready for use. Grover tuners for one...intonation for another...I went with a setup that used Elixir Nanoweb Regulars and the bass intonated fine. I had five Rickenbacker 4-string basses at the time, including the 4001S. Also present were an '88 4003 Blackstar, '97 4003, '99 4001CS, and a '77 4002. All the basses used the same Elixir strings, except the 4001CS, which I left with stock Rickenbacker strings. As far as tonal variations go amongst Rickenbackers, I think I had a pretty wide variety for comparison. The 4001S was the only set neck bass. Taking away another variable, I didn't amplify for for comparison. I used both pick and fingerstyle. Now, all my observations are just ridiculously subjective, so take it for what it's worth--but what I found is that each bass truly had its own natuaral tone (voice). Contruction materials probably account for much of this. The 4002 uses an ebony fretboard, the 4001CS uses vermillion, the 4003 Blackstar uses maple and the 4001S and '97 4003 both use some kind of rosewood (or paduak--whatever). Fret wire varies, as well. All used the stock bridge, which by the way, varies in its casting quite a bit, too. The results of my comparisons were not too surprising, with sustain being the main variance. The 4001S is 'thuddy' and 'round' in tone and I found that the attack of pick and finger strokes decayed rather rapidly. Amplified, the 4001S set neck was bass was rather 'harsh', 'thin' and 'trebly' when played with a pick, but was very nice when used fingerstyle for Blues or Jazz. That was it's niche for me--until I traded it for a 330 Model Rick Guitar.

A change of pickups probably would have helped it out. I have a 4004 Rickenbacker humbucker that I was going to mount in the bridge position, and a newer hi-gain in the neck, but never got around to it. The main thing I didn't like physically about the 4001S is that it just didn't feel sturdy. With the average weight of a Rickenbacker bass coming in at around 10 lbs, the 4001S was also lighter than the others by about half a pound.

There are probably very good reasons why Rickenbacker doesn't make set neck basses anymore.

Greg

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 9:31 am

Greg, I think most of those basses (4001-S models) were sort of an afterthought, for lack of a better term....One of the guys that played in "Beatlemania" still has his 1977 lefty 4001-S in Fireglo, with the paperwork from Rickenbacker referring to the bass as a 4000/1 LH "s", meaning that most of them (at least the ones made for the Beatlemania production) were needed in a hurry and started life in the factory as 4000 one-pickup basses, most of which were set-neck versions (there are neck-thru 4000's that exist too...) So they probably needed the "look" of Paul McCartney's original, and voila---the 4001-S is re-born....just rout the body for the neck pickup and rock on....

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Mon Jan 06, 2003 11:59 am

John, I concur that the '70s 4001S guitars were modified 4000 models; my 1975 white 4001S (set neck) still has the Model 4000 truss rod cover on it! This bass has been shown in a couple of threads, one of which is here:

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jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 12:10 pm

Here's another 4002 that somebody got a good deal on because the seller didn't know what he had ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=936195408

It was gone with buy it now in less then 2 hours ...

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 1:58 pm

Hm... The seller either didn't know diddly squat about Rickenbacker basses or merely feigned ignorance - did you notice the non-original bridge and pickups on the 4002? Yeah, I agree it was a good deal anyhow, but...

gregson1 · Post by **gregson1** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 8:45 am

The pickups are impossible to find and are totally unlike the 4004 pickup. They have two descrete windings. When installed in the bridge position, the 2nd set of windings are connected to the XLR output jack via the bridge tone control.

Stock, it's a very unique instrument. This ebay example, though somewhat modified, was in my opion a very good deal. The Walnut finish is tough to find. Had I seen it, I would have snapped it up. I could always use a 2nd 4002 as a backup.

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 7:40 pm

If any of you want to see the $575 4002, take a look over at the Dudepit: http://pub41.ezboard.com/fthedudepitfrm56.showMessage?topicID=2831.topic

Sweet, eh?

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Tue Jan 14, 2003 8:39 am

Wow! It is incredibly beautiful! I hate those replacement pickups & bridge, though. To me they are totally out of step with the rest of the instrument and make it look CHEAP! Yes, you heard it! I'd install an original bridge, and since 4002 pickups no longer can be obtained, I'd get two original Rick pickup casings and put in two of my a**kicking specials. Boy, that baby would both look and sound sexy! I urge its current owner to think about it!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Jan 14, 2003 12:06 pm

I bet you could put in high gain or toaster pickups without chopping up the wood and plastic .. or even 4004 pickups

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Tue Jan 14, 2003 12:38 pm

I definitely would not mess with the wood on that baby. I'd bear that in mind if I were to design a couple of pickups therefor.

Original 4002 p.u.'s? They're not available. Toasters or high-gains on a 4002? No way. 4004 p.u.'s? Maybe.

I'd go for custom-made units. And an original bridge, please.

dminer · Post by **dminer** » Tue Jan 14, 2003 2:52 pm

That really is a good looking bass, dings and all. I don't think I've ever seen BLACK checkerboard binding! If the seller had posted pics like that in the auction with no BIN I think he could have gotten a lot more for it. Does anybody know if any luthier supply house makes a checkerboard binding these days? If not, it would seem that some enterprising person could sell it all day long on ebay and at the classified adds on Rick/Beatles websites.

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 8:39 am

Additional rarity: Jon Camp of Renaissance playing the elusive Les Precisionbacker.
http://www.nlightsweb.com/lib/gallery/edincamp1.jpg

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 1:51 pm

I'm pretty sure that's a Dick Knight custom bass he's playing. Supposedly, Dick could graft an actual Ric 4001 to custom 6 string, but the guitar Jon's playing doesn't look like it has any real 4001 to it.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Sat Jan 18, 2003 12:12 pm

On page 10 of the April '98 issue of 'Bassist' magazine, in connection with an article on the NAMM 1998 show, there is pictured Rickenbacker's 1970 Music Man (!) prototype. I did not know about such prototype at all. Can anyone tell me more about it? If any of you has said issue of 'Bassist', check the picture at the bottom of page 10.

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Sat Jan 18, 2003 1:14 pm

Sergio,
I happen to have the Winter 2002 "Bass Gear" issue published by "Bass Player" Magazine, in which there's a 3-page "Inside Rickenbacker" article with lots of color photographs. There's also a 1"X3" picture of the Music Man thing in fireglo whose body is kind of like a 400 series guitar, with one toaster pickup "right in the middle" of the body. 4001/4003 style bridge without the damper part. And a headstock very much like that of a Music Man. Beside the photo:"Forrest Whites unusual prototype was rejected by Rickenbacker, but it became an early idea for Music Man."

In the article:"...an unusaul-looking, single-pickup 4-string with three tuning keys on the bass side and one on the treble side. (John) Hall explains:"Forrest White, who was Fender's production manager, came to RIC around 1970 and built two prototypes. But when my father and his collegues saw that 3+1 headstock, they said, 'That's no Rickenbacker.' Instead, it became one of the prototypes for Music Man, which White later co-founded."

Sergio, you've seen the picture already. I personnaly don't like the look of it.