I have a 4001FL and I usually play with round wound strings. I been using the DM Fretmaster strings which sound pretty good. I broke the A string the other day and I was wondering which strings I should try next. I want something thats really twangy but doesnt chew up my fret board too too much. I want to try out rotosound solo bass strings but I have to have those custom order those. All comments are welcome.
Mike
Another String Question
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
really twangy but not a roundwound string is kinda hard to achieve....i know daddario make half rounds, but i have never tried them
The email address shown is down, you can email me at [email protected]
I have a 4001 FL, 4003 FL and a couple of others and I use La Bella Deep Talking Bass flats on all of them except my CS. Yes, they are flats, but they still give you the true Ric growl. I would not use ant roundwounds on my fretless Rics. I would also stay away from the Rotosounds on a 4001. They are too high tension for the single truss rod of the 4001. They are OK for 4003, but they are not too instrument friendly. I know that a lot of big names use Rotosounds, but those guys can afford to have their basses worked on all the time. I am not one of them. Go La Bella flats.
I am good with my fingers and I can do it all night !
this has been talked about to death, but rotosounds are slightly less tension than other stainless roundwounds (ernie ball, daddario) and both the 4001 and 4003 have 2 truss rods
The email address shown is down, you can email me at [email protected]
John Hall says that neck-strengthening design changes in the 4001 basses were made in late 1972 and again in mid-1973 that made the triangular-inlaid neck significantly stiffer and thus more able to tolerate higher-tension strings 
It is somewhat an irony that changes were also made to the tailpiece in later years that made it more likely to lift under higher string tension
All Rick 4001 and 4003, since the first one, have had dual truss rods. But some of these basses can tolerate higher string tension than others. What is important is the year that it was made, and if anything has been done to the neck to make it weaker, i.e sanding or planing/shaving the neck in its lifetime.
I know that for the 4001 basses I love, all made with full-width sparkley inlays prior to mid-72, I always have to use the lightest gauge 45s on them to protect the necks. Never been a problem for me. I have used Rotos too with never a neck or tailpiece problem (eats the frets though!), on every bass I own - from the original 1963 one (which has the stronger dot neck and not the weaker triangular-inlay one), to the 1968 4001, and all the 1970-1972 ones too. But, the necks have to be adjusted just right with very low action, and the truss rods must be in good shape and positioned properly in the routed slots within the neck itself.
It is somewhat an irony that changes were also made to the tailpiece in later years that made it more likely to lift under higher string tension
All Rick 4001 and 4003, since the first one, have had dual truss rods. But some of these basses can tolerate higher string tension than others. What is important is the year that it was made, and if anything has been done to the neck to make it weaker, i.e sanding or planing/shaving the neck in its lifetime.
I know that for the 4001 basses I love, all made with full-width sparkley inlays prior to mid-72, I always have to use the lightest gauge 45s on them to protect the necks. Never been a problem for me. I have used Rotos too with never a neck or tailpiece problem (eats the frets though!), on every bass I own - from the original 1963 one (which has the stronger dot neck and not the weaker triangular-inlay one), to the 1968 4001, and all the 1970-1972 ones too. But, the necks have to be adjusted just right with very low action, and the truss rods must be in good shape and positioned properly in the routed slots within the neck itself.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and sit in with the band whenever you can, to keep your chops up!