How much did you pay for your first Ric?

gstuadams · Post by **gstuadams** » Fri May 16, 2003 11:37 am

Interesting thread for a neophyte such as myself. I bought my first Ric, a '78 MG 4001 about 4 months ago on ebay. Paid $640. The pickguard was cracked, the neck pickup nearly dead and the setup a joke -- the neck looked twisted and it wasn't just my poor skills making those frets buzz. This forum enabled me to straighten the neck (thank you all very much indeed!) Boy do I love this bass, so the days of having it unstrung and unplayable allowed my new found Ric lust to have me perusing the web for a 4004 to complement it (I was getting a lot buzz and mistook it for a single coil problem so the humbuckers were sounding real good to me -- turned out it was the dying high gain and the new toaster subsequently made the buzz go away). Yet another thread on this forum focused on folks complaining about how long it takes to order a new Ric and some sensible soul pointed out that waiting 9 months for a handmade guitar isn't really so bad. So - finally back on track here, $150 down began the long wait for a red Cheyenne II which will end up costing $1150 including the upgraded case. A lot of money but I have 9 months or so to save up the rest of it. Given what I see people paying on ebay I feel very good about that price. Could of had the Laredo for $1025 but I just couldn't pass up that translucent red. The vendor is Ed Roman Guitars -- I hadn't read the thread of complaints about Ed's shop but I am hoping that my experience will be better. Blabber mouth that I am I'll keep you posted.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Fri May 16, 2003 4:58 pm

Banta said:"Yeah, I still have the store receipt for my '78 4001 although I no longer have the bass. It was $277, a good deal for sure (I worked at the store".)

That was a great deal buddy, I remember December of '76, Manny's Music in Manhattan for $312, I didn't have enough money, I wound up settling for what you call...........a Fender Pee Bass!
I finally got my "81 4001 new for $479 at Sam Ash

bottom4 · Post by **bottom4** » Sat May 17, 2003 4:03 am

I purchased my fist Rick in 76. It was a used 4001 with a toaster - very clean. I paid $250 for it. I remember the cost because it took so long to pay off my father - I was only 14 at the time. Unfortunately, that bass is since gone. I bought my 4001V63 in 85 (still have this one) from Sam Ash or Manny's (i forgett which one) in Manhattan for $850.

And Gordon, I too have a 4004Cii on order. Just about the same price. I'm hoping to get it sooooon!

432 days - just to keep track

gstuadams · Post by **gstuadams** » Sat May 17, 2003 11:07 am

432 days! Ouch. I hope that they do these in runs and that mine comes in at the same time as your Andy.

bottom4 · Post by **bottom4** » Sat May 17, 2003 11:25 am

Gordon, I do to for your sake - it’s been sheer agony. Its like waiting for Christmas morning and it never comes!

Andy

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat May 17, 2003 12:56 pm

Hey, how do these Ric basses sound with the humbuckers in them? Are these basses similiar in playability as the 4003's? Same scale, neck radius, etc.?

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat May 17, 2003 1:31 pm

The 4004 is a little different than the 4003 and 4001 ...

The headstock is pretty much the same as a 4003. The nut width is the same. The width where the neck meets the body is about 1/4" wider. The body is more contoured and sleek. It feels nice. The pickups are a little hotter. They are dual rail humbuckers. They sound pretty good for humbuckers, but single coils have more bite and attack. The fret radius seems to be the same.

And my favorite part ... no stereo jack and no mute pad.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat May 17, 2003 2:21 pm

Ha ha, believe it not, I actually use the mute once in a while, I read somewhere that McCartney used it often with a pick for much of the later Beatles stuff. Same for the stereo output. On the 4001's you can get the bridge pickup (I think) without the cap for a fuller sound if you run stereo, I used to run stereo with an SVT, one pickup to each channel then mix them, I got a good sound this way.
I've never really liked humbuckers, I also like the bite of single coils, I owned one bass with a humbucking pickup in it, an EB-2, my drummer loved it, the big boom.
I like the idea of the wider string width (old P player) that must translate to the bridge I would imagine. I want one now after reading the threads on them.

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat May 17, 2003 3:46 pm

$175.00 for a '67 4005WB!

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Mon May 19, 2003 7:25 am

What year was that Jeffrey?

jmporter · Post by **jmporter** » Mon May 19, 2003 12:55 pm

$225 for a '73 4001. Bought it used in late '74 and have been using it weekends ever since. Looking for a set of Grover "boxcar" tuners for it, by the way. If anybody knows where to find them I'd be much obliged.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Mon May 19, 2003 3:09 pm

Once in a while they come up on Ebay, I bought a complete set last year for $300.00! Although not from Ebay, from a music store on the net, If I had had patience I could have waited and gotten them cheaper, but I didn't feel like waiting, they are pretty hard to find though.

wwittman · Post by **wwittman** » Wed May 21, 2003 7:32 pm

$330 for a double bound 365 (in 1968)

walrus · Post by **walrus** » Thu May 22, 2003 6:41 pm

$250 for a 1976 4001 Walnut in 1998.

jps · Post by **jps** » Fri May 23, 2003 6:07 pm

Bobampeg,

I bought that in 1973.