Anatomy Of A Rickenbacker Bass Part 1

[cassius987]

Finally read through it. I have nothing to add except perhaps a discussion of ebony would also be nice (it was used on 4002s as mentioned above). I can't think of any other exotic woods supposedly on Rics, but perhaps painted maple fingerboards are also something to discuss (personally the idea of them really weirds me out!).

Again, GREAT thread.

[leftybass]

IIRC about the year, I had an opportunity to purchase a 1980 4003, the first version with the 2-piece neck...left-handed, in Burgundyglo. So IMHO I'd say they were making them side-by-side for sure.

[rickfan60]

OK, so what about the fingerboard and headstock wings of the 4001CS? Good question! They are listed as being Vermilion which is a name normally associated with pau ferro (iron wood) or padauk. John Hall says neither is what was used on the 4001CS. Apparently it is closer to zebrawood. Unfortunately, zebrawood is used to describe a few dozen unrelated species that feature bands of alternating color. I still have no idea what it is.

This is GREAT stuff Ted, THANK YOU for taking the time to give us a detailed run down....and, by the way, you read my mind....I was going to ask you about the CS.

My CS sounds DIFFERENT than all the other RIC's I've owned or own. It has a bell like tone that sustains forever. I've used the term "piano like" to describe the tone. It is very different than my V63 so I've always attributed it to the Vermilion fingerboard.

ALSO, can you give us a bit of info on EBONY as a neck wood? Wasn't ebony used on the 4002? I've had a number of Alembic basses and loved the way it looks & sounds. I've been dreaming of having a FRETLESS ebony neck for one of my RICS...Any thoughts on that? I love a warm sound with lots of sustain, would that be possible on a fretless 4003 with an ebony neck?

****! I forgot ebony! I'll add something later today.

[jogi68]

The 1985 Rickenbacker bass catalog features both the 4001 and 4003, by the way...

[rickfan60]

Great thread, Ted!
Any idea why many of the '60's fretboards were darker?

I suspect there were other types of rosewood used back then, possibly South American varieties that cannot be had in quantity today.

[cheyenne]

The 1985 Rickenbacker bass catalog features both the 4001 and 4003, by the way...

Yeah, and the website stil has the C64, C64S and the 4004-5 string listed as well.

[cheyenne]

I stand corrected. The website has them listed as "discontinued items".

Carry-on! Nothing to see here!

[rickfan60]

The 1985 Rickenbacker bass catalog features both the 4001 and 4003, by the way...

There was much lingering inventory back then. Of course RIC does not operate that way anymore. Even if there was not a backlog JH would probably keep the inventory low. He has said that he likes to keep things as close to JIT as he can. For the same reasons, the 4002 was on the price list for years after the last one was made.

[rickfan60]

Ted, the gallery has a 4001 dated March 1983 with the Shedua strip while none of the 4003 basses has it, so there´s no way to dress up a 4003 as a 4001 from the ´70s/early ´80s...

I´ve noticed already that some features old and new appeared side by side for a period of time, like the change from checkerboard to plain binding or wavy Grovers vs. Schallers. But that´s a different story to be told in another thread, right?

Transitions are seldom abrupt. There is always some overlap in features and dates. The '73 basses are a good example of that.

[rickenbrother]

Another great Ted-Thread!

[rickfan60]

Thanks for the kind words guys. I really appreciate it.


As it turns out, I forgot to include ebony in the original text - and I own a 4002 (have for nearly 30 years) doh!

The 4002 was designed as an upscale bass to compete with the likes of Alembic, Carvin, and the other early “boutique” builders. Rickenbacker knew well that upscale basses need upscale woods. They also knew that when it comes to wood, there is little more upscale than ebony. After trying different combinations including the standard triangle inlays, the designers of the 4002 settled on a lovely dark ebony fingerboard with pearly dot markers. I am glad they did. Here is a shot of my fingerboard - dirty and dry as it is. I really need to oil it.

Ebony increases sustain and produces a deep, warm, and very defined tone. There are plenty of lows without being muddy. Because it can dry and crack, it is best to keep it oiled. This is the only truly unfinished Rickenbacker fingerboard. Ebony is a very heavy and dense wood that is native to India and other parts of central Asia. There are some unrelated African species that are called ebony because of their dark color but are not true ebonies. Ebony is often very close to black in color but can be streaked with brown or even white. In contrast, the sapwood can be quite light in color ranging from tan to nearly white. Fun Fact: Ebony is so dense it will not float in water.

[rickfan60]

IIRC about the year, I had an opportunity to purchase a 1980 4003, the first version with the 2-piece neck...left-handed, in Burgundyglo. So IMHO I'd say they were making them side-by-side for sure.

I have an '80 4003 too and have wondered about the timing. There could have been some overlap as the 4001 production moved through the system. JH says one ended and the other began.

[johnallg]

Ted, excellent idea, excellent writing. This will be a fun and educational thread indeed.

[winston]

Great thread Ted. I look forward to reading the series with interest.

[weemac]

I love the Technical stuff!
A foot note would be that many of the 60s basses are lighter than the later ones, some of that is due to the lack of wood in the necks but the timber seems to sound lighter and airer too.. (Is arier a real word?)
Eden.