Simon Mole

crazypink · Post by **crazypink** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:17 pm

oops mean 4004/8, getting a bit carried away, thats the love of 4004's thats doing that!

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 5:30 pm

Sir Simon,

Does this help your memory? Remember a weak dollar means you Brits should be buying more American products. Helps the trade deficit you know

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:55 am

Hi Simon

Thanks for the offer. If I'm ever down your way I'd love to take you up on that. I'm actually up North, Blackpool way. Haven't managed to get on Paul's website yet, although a friend of mine who's a huge Paul Gray fan keeps badgering me about it (and to be honest keeps me supplied with most of the more interesting stories). Most of my spare time seems to be spent on here! So much interesting stuff, so little time....

I've also had an azureglo 76 (it was my 2nd Rick) which now belongs to a friend of mine, who refuses to sell it back to me

. Actually it was a good Rick, but I've had (and have still got) better; I'd still like another though. I just hope one day I find a pre 73 azure, assuming it was a decent bass I'd sooner have one of those than any other Rick I can think of. In fact that's probably the only bass left I would absolutely fall over myself to buy. Good work on finding yours! If you ever get chance to post a close up I'd love to see it. I'll hopefully soon be posting some pictures myself....no blue though, unfortunately.

As for prices, I got my 1st (new in 1980, stolen around 86)for £295, my 76 azure cost around £325 used in, ooh, probably around '89, my all-time favourite, which I still have (Feb 72 fireglo 4001, check binding, full width MOP, walnut wings & no skunk stripe) cost me £490 in '93. It had been up for £680 for a year and they couldn't sell it! The most I've paid was for my 8 string approx 3 or so years ago. Cost me more than either of my CSs, about twice what you paid for your first 8 string (only got one now and the 8 string is gone; went to fund my Alembic). But like you I remember in the 80s when you could pick up 4001s for £200-£250 quid; wish I'd had a job then, the collection would be somewhat bigger....though probably not as big as yours!

Anyway, all the best and welcome!

Shaun

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:57 am

Oh and like Warren can't wait to see the 4004/8 in my favourite colour....

simonmole · Post by **simonmole** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:51 pm

Yes Brian that's the one! Probably has a chrome treble pickup cover now but otherwise its as it left you! and Shaun, I'll get on that 4004 8 string when we have some OK warm weather down here ...Some craftsmen here will cringe (!!) but I admit I'm all enthusiasm and luck (no talent) when it comes to guitar work, so it'll be Halfords blue car spray, plenty of wet and dry and loud music for a fortnight in my garage. As I said somewhere here earlier, I PROMISE the 4004 had been dented bashed and scratched by its previous owner (hence it was cheap) - even I was a bit disappointed when I opened the case, and I knew what to expect. Hopefully it'll be presentable by the time I figure out how to post photos here (as I also said earlier, me and 21st century technology DO NOT hit it off)

wints · Post by **wints** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:38 pm

I bought my 64's in 81 for 300 and 275 pounds respectively. That was quite a lot of money for the time. In contrast I found the 73 fretless for 600 quid in Loot just 18 month's ago. There just aren't that many Rics in the U.K. and they are hard to find.
Thankfully, now with the web you can find basses all over the world to buy...It's just nice when one pops up in your back yard

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 6:01 pm

Simon Mole!...king of all Riccollectors!!...welcome to the forum man!

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 9:18 am

Andrew, I think I need smelling salts.....you bought 2 64s in 81 for a similar price each to what I paid for my new 80????? Good grief.....

Oh and Simon, if it makes you feel better I'm about as good with technology as you...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:56 am

Hey Simon ... Have you ever owned a 2000 or 3000 series bass?

wints · Post by **wints** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:29 am

Shaun, that was the going rate at the time for old Rics. I had read about the old ones were better...I remember looking at a brand new J/G in Canterbury and it was about 350 pounds, but held out for an old one to come up. The white RM came up just after xmas 80 and when I saw it the guy knew he had a sale. Of course over the years I'm happy with that choice too!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:47 am

I bought my 1968 4001 for $150 in 1973 ...

simonmole · Post by **simonmole** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 11:12 am

Hi Jeff - no never had the chance... for me I suppose its always been the 4000 series that fired my imagination. I have a few Rick 6 and 12 strings to bash out the chords on, but I sound, well - a bassist playing guitar, if you know what i mean...!!! I'd be interested to hear opinions on the 2000/3000 basses by those who've tried them - how do they compare to 4001's? are the necks a similar profile, just shorter scale?? what's the balance like???

ken_swearingen · Post by **ken_swearingen** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:06 pm

Simon ,when you get a chance post some pic's of your collection over here,under [picture's of your Ric] thread

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:10 pm

The 2030 80's version sounds similar to a 4001/4003 it has single coil pickups toggle 2 vol 2 tone ... it has a slimmer neck than the 4001/4003 it is more like a jazz bass ... it is the same scale as a 4000 series bass ... the body is thicker and heavier than a 4000 series ... it is well balanced ... the heavy body means no neck dive ever ... and it is a bolt on but the heavier body gives it good sustain ... the 90's 2030 basses have very hot humbuckers ... the same as the 4004CII5 basses ... the 2020 has a neck profile identical to the 4004 and the bridge is the same as a 4004 as well and the electronics are again identical to the 4004 ... so a 2020 is a cross between a 2030 and a 4004 ...

The 2000 series are real players ... they just aren't as pretty as the 4000 series ... and they make damn fine five string 4 to 5 basses ...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:18 pm

Simon ... all those rics and no 5 string basses ... you are missing something ... pretty much all of my basses are 5 stringers ...