How many of us are 4004 owners?

robj · Post by **robj** » Tue May 06, 2003 6:49 am

All the posts in the 4004C-ii thread have made me curious to know how many of us Rickenbacker Forum dwellers own 4004 models?

I have a 4004C and a 4004C-ii both great basses which alternate as my main 4 string.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue May 06, 2003 9:20 am

I Recently bought a 4004L on E-bay ... still waiting for UPS to deliver ...

I'm not sure how I will take to it ... I am a 5 string single coil player ...

It would be easy to put Ric high gains into a 4004 ... which is what I may do ... also it would be easy to turn into a five stringer ... I already have a bridge and I can get a machine head tuner, and I can make a nut ...

or I could sting it B E A D ... gee what will I do with my new Rickenbacker ... life if full of choices

I love the fact that the 4004's don't have the stupid mute or stereo jack ...

blueflamerick · Post by **blueflamerick** » Tue May 06, 2003 9:24 am

I ordered and paid for one, but when I'll actually have it in my hands is anybody's guess.

eddied · Post by **eddied** » Tue May 06, 2003 10:45 am

I have a Cheyenne 4004. I love how it looks, but it doesn't sound enough like a 4001 or 4003 to really be classified as an authentic Rick, to me anyway. I tend to just let it sit in the case for months at a time and use my other 4001's on the gig.

robj · Post by **robj** » Tue May 06, 2003 11:21 am

Someone here once said it has its "own thing going"and I agree the 4004 has its own sound.

I have a 4001CS, a 4001 and a 4003 which spend way too much time in their cases. To each his own I suppose, but I find the 4004s sound better for what I play. When people hear it on CD they aren't sure what it is until I tell them it's a Rick then they go "oh yeah, I can hear it now". I do think the bass would be even more flexible with switches for HB/single coil and maybe phase.

So far we have four 4004 owners and one, (Erik) nearly an owner, still waiting to get his. How long have you been waiting?

spamegg · Post by **spamegg** » Tue May 06, 2003 11:50 am

I've got a '00 green CII. I've had it two years and it's been my main axe the whole time (it took the place of a fretless jazz bass that is now second string).
I concure with Robert's comments on the tone. The Rick growl is still there, but the tone is much rounder on the whole.
Also, I've asked this question a few times and haven't got any response yet: Does anyone know how many Cii's they make per year?

ricnvolved · Post by **ricnvolved** » Tue May 06, 2003 11:59 am

A proud 4004 Cheyenne owner here. Mine is the original walnut & maple style, and I love this bass.

philco · Post by **philco** » Tue May 06, 2003 1:03 pm

The amount of 4004 basses that RIC makes in a year is approximately.............not enough.

Since it is less expensive to produce than a 4003 (no bindings, inlays, pickup cover, etc.), and RIC has priced it higher than a 4003, I expect it will become the main revenue producer in basses for RIC. Expect production to ramp up soon.

I don't think that most 4004 owners wanted a bass that sounded just like a 4001 or 4003. What would be the point? There are plenty of those on the used market. Most other people just say my 4004L sounds great, and they also say it looks great.

That it do. It rates better in sound, looks, workmanship, and ergonomics than the all-maple Fender P-bass I once owned. It should.......quite a difference in price.

robj · Post by **robj** » Tue May 06, 2003 1:44 pm

I believe John Hall has stated more or less that RIC was shooting for a more modern and more flexible sounding bass with the 4004 series, and not another flavor of "traditional" RIC bass.

John Hall would likely have to answer the how many question, I suspect the production numbers aren't meant for public knowledge. You may be right about future 4004 sales though, I know I will purchase the 5 string version when it becomes available.

dave4004 · Post by **dave4004** » Tue May 06, 2003 2:24 pm

I have a '93 4004 Cheyenne, the original walnut and maple style. And I think I was the one who said it has its own thing going, but to me it definitely has plenty of RIC character...just not the same as a 4001/4003.

The 4004 certainly has the potential to become a big seller, but since there's continued high demand for the 4003, I don't expect RIC to promote the 4004 if it would impact 4003 production.

robj · Post by **robj** » Tue May 06, 2003 3:15 pm

Yeah Dave I believe it was you who said that, very appropriate comment I thought.

Just a note about the differences in sound between the original 4004C and the 4004C-ii, the C-ii sounds much brighter to me with more bite. I think it's for three reasons; pickup placement, construction (more maple) and finish. You gotta love the maple top and back on the C-ii. Simply beautiful.

Good point about cutting into 4003 sales, I'm sure it's a real balancing act to push a new product which will essentially compete with another of your own products. Assuming you want to keep both product lines, I think you market them differently which I think can be done easily.

I think the 4004 could bring in buyers that wouldn't likely buy the 4003 because they aren't after the traditional RIC sound but love the RIC look and,to a lesser extent, feel. This is why I think it was a good idea for RIC to introduce a bass (with its own voice) that could bridge the gap between tradition and current bass design, if they wanted to grow their business in the bass market. With the 4003 and 4004 RIC is in a position to offer both traditional and modern basses which puts them in an enviable position I think.

With a few tweaks to the electronics I think the 4004 could really take off. But as it is now it's a great bass in my opinion.

keith_mcjunkin · Post by **keith_mcjunkin** » Tue May 06, 2003 3:41 pm

I have a Cheyenne. It was actually my first Ric. I suppose most start with the 4001 or 4003 then venture into the 4004. I only recently got a 4003. The 4003 is definitely more gritty and raw sounding which I like. Have almost been considering doing away with the Cheyenne but I don't think I'd be able to part with it. It is a BEAUTY!!!!! and it sounds great. I like the smooth unfinished body and neck, definitely much faster.

philco · Post by **philco** » Wed May 07, 2003 2:36 pm

I have an extremely early 4004L, and it is entirely maple in construction. I took off the control cover and truss rod cover to confirm it. RIC just says it is "hardwood" in the advertising literature, which leaves them the option of putting the less beautiful wood, whether maple or walnut, in the 4004L and thus saving on wood costs. I would look inside a 4004L before buying if maple or walnut were a preference on the body wings. I don't think it makes much difference in tone there, but some think otherwise.

robj · Post by **robj** » Wed May 07, 2003 3:08 pm

So far we have 8 owners of 4004 models (9 basses total) and 2 who are waiting for theirs to arrive.

It's looking like we are somewhat of an elite group. <g> Well I feel like I'm in good company for sure.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed May 07, 2003 3:35 pm

I got my 4004L today ... black .. maple fret board ... 1993 model ... nice tone fairly bright ... not as bright as my 4001 but a little brighter than my 4003s5 ...

The weird thing is the electronics ... 2 dials and 1 toggle switch ... it seems to have no tone control and 2 volumes ... the volumes seem to be wired in tandem ... if I turn either of them completely off then no volume unless I flip the toggle switch ...

Is this normal for a 4004? has it been rewired?