'75 4001 buying help

mifune · Post by **mifune** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:08 pm

Thanks for all the nice welcomes

Feels like coming home...

Going to pick up the guitar tomorrow! Can´t wait!

@Bert
No, it's not the same. It is from the same seller though. The other one was way too nice for me, wouldn't dare play it... This one has some wear, so I won't have to be as careful

mifune · Post by **mifune** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:10 pm

@Sergio
But you won't see those, right? And why would anyone turn that thing around, anyway? :S

berth · Post by **berth** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:23 pm

Edwin, I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures after tommorow!! Was this bass in an earlier MPNL auction? Somehow the red background looks familiar. I don't think you'll regret this. My '99 4003 doesnt get played anymore since I have a '73 Rick.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:11 pm

Right. Why would anyone turn the surround around? I don't know, really.

mifune · Post by **mifune** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:32 pm

Well, I've bought it! Wooow!
It's in a little rougher shape than I thought, but that's ok.
And there's nothing wrong with the pickups! Just a little loose wire...

Now, any tips on cleaning and set-up?

lars · Post by **lars** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:51 pm

Nice! Congratulations Edwin!!!

ram · Post by **ram** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:07 am

Hi Edwin, Welcome to the forum and nice score! There have been a couple of good threads in the forum discussing cleaning - do the search of archives for that. As for the setup - the usual - new strings, adjust the neck to flat, intonation and pickup heights (if necessary). When you are doing that other stuff it might be a good time to rotate the surround too. Then play away. Congrats again on the new bass!!!

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 2:53 pm

Congrats Edwin, nice bass!

When you adjust the rods, with the 4001, you need to move the neck where you want it to be, hold, and tighten the truss nuts. The rod/nuts are not strong enough to move the neck on their own and you could (would) pop the fretboard loose. Not to scare, just to inform.

bassbob · Post by **bassbob** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:53 am

Check out Joey V's website and download a manual from Rickenbacker.com. Congrats on the buy

mifune · Post by **mifune** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:11 am

So, played two straight 4h rehearsals with my new baby. Fabulous bass, but... I found some dead spots. What can be done about that?
Tomorrow the guitar will be professionally set-up and checked. I will also let him do the .0047 mod. Anything else I can have him do?
What's the 'standard' height of the pickup, btw?

Thanks again!

green_us90 · Post by **green_us90** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:51 am

Do what I did to my 1975 4001, see this thread:

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rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:42 am

Edwin congrats on that bass. A distance of 5/32" from the tops of the polepieces of the pickups to the bottoms of the strings is usually the norm, however depending on your playing style and your preference of tone, you can deviate from that height. I usually raise the pickups to a height just before I get unwanted distortion, weird sounding notes and clicking noises.

mifune · Post by **mifune** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 7:06 am

My 4001 has only minor bridgelift. Would it benefit from that mod?
I'm more worried about the dead spots...

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 12:22 pm

Edwin, I hope that you are going to have your bass professionally setup by someone who really knows how to setup a 4001. After the setup is done properly with a new set of strings, you might find that the dead spots may be gone or have at least gotten better. Dead spots are possible with any stringed instrument.
If your tail lift is only very minor there is no urgent reason to do that mod.