Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Sorry about the thread hi-jack...but , you know....

Here is the 4004LK photo with three pickups. Is the number of pickups optional?

Highly carved Walnut body, Maple neck and Rosewood fingerboard, gold hardware, three humbucking pickups, black and white checked binding, oil finish, standard case. . .

Perhaps the NAMM photo from above was a prototype

Peter, the 2 pup version was the original prototype form what i have seen/heard.

That NAMM picture was a prototype.

I have to agree with John that this is a nice looking bass. I suspect that the carving, however it is accomplished must take the lion's share of the time on this instrument and might complicate the finish as well. I hope that John Hall will be able to comment on the work that goes into one of these basses.

The star fret markers are also a nice touch. Could the bass experts here comment on the different tonality between two versus three humbuckers. Based on the two knobs and one switch are the neck and middle pickups wired together?

The story that I've heard is that the carver who did the first batch of 4004LK's left RIC, which created a production delay as RIC looked for someone to carve the remainder of the series. I believe John Hall said that the fellow who did some of the work on the infamous dumpster bass is also carving the 4004LK's.
I've had a 4004LK on order since January 2001. Yes, delivery is going to end up being a lot longer than I originally anticipated, but I'm pretty even-keeled and have been able to ride out the wait, (although at one point I did get in touch with RIC for some reassurance that the bass would actually be produced). JH has said himself that the series would be complete by the summer of 2005. Just a few more months!

those of you waiting will someday recieve a bass that is worth 2 or 3 times what you paid for it ...

I have to think there were more than 50 Shadows made. They have been surfacing way too frequently to be so rare. Maybe there were 50 or so made for GC but I am thinking that there were more made beyond that. Chris had 4 of them at one time. The forum alone accounts for what, like 19 of them?

When I posted in the other thread about the Lemmy being ugly I meant Lemmy's own personal bass, with the 4001/3 treble cover stuck in the middle of it like a wart. That being said I'm not real crazy about them anyway although I think the 2 pickup prototype is much better looking than the three pickup bass. I also prefer single coil pickups over humbuckers. I think maybe a small core of Lemmy lovers really wants this bass and the rest want them because they will be worth a lot of money probably. I also don't like the carving on it, very dark. I would like a three pickup bass though, would be nice to have a middy pickup to balance between the bass and trebles but I would want separate volume controls for each pickup. That is also one of the reasons I haven't rushed out to buy a regular 4004, I think separate volumes are a must for multiple pickups. Lemmy's played high gains for years, he probably misses the growl and cut of a high gain, I know I would, most humbuckers are just too clean for me. As far as rarity I think they will be more available than 4005's and those are discussed around here a lot.

Bob: What is it about the 4004LK that you think will eventually surpass other bass rarities such as the 4005 Lightshow for example? I guess this begs the question, at least in part, what is it that makes a bass desireable as a collectors item to begin with? Rarity, its age, the model played by a famous artist, or an appealing design and tonality?

I like the LK model just based on the walnut, the oak leaf carvings, and the checkerboard binding. I think it's a nice looking, very original bass just on its own merits. I think it looks great. I'd be interested in how it sounds and plays, too.

Here's a thought/question - What if Rickenbacker had marketed the bass as simply the Oak Leaf Carved Walnut Bass (or some other name)? I think they could have sold out a limited run of 50 or 60. Maybe not as fast as having the Lemmy signature, but I think it could have happened. What do you guys think? I might have been interested in one at somewhere near list price, but I know that that will not happen anytime soon with this particular model. BTW - I like a couple of Motorhead songs but am not a die hard fan. Lemmy's cool, though.

I thinks its more of "The guys in H_ll all want a glass of ice water", we all want what we can't have...

Before this bass, I've never even heard of Motorhead & Lemmy!

Now THAT'S seclusion...

^wow.

get familiar! www.imotorhead.com !

Dean.....good question about what if the Lemmy name wasn't attached. I know that now that it has grown on me the signature aspect is less important (but I am a Motorhead fan and it is cool that it is a Lemmy model).....I just think it is a fantastic looking bass. I likely would not have ordered one as early without the Lemmy connection and by the time it grew on me I may have been too late (or maybe there would still be some available 4 years later.....who knows). I am by no means a Chris Squire fan but find myself drawn to the CS model......probably the main reason I haven't pursued one is because it is a "CS" model. No offense meant to Yes/CS fans but it is just not the type of music that interests me. So if the LK was actually a Kathy Lee Gifford Signature Model I'm not sure if I could look past the ghastly namesake to see the beauty of the bass itself. Hmmmm !

Brian - I totally understand your take on the CS model.

I love that cream colored finish, especially on the non-bound S-type body. I even like Chris Squire, as my collection of Yes albums will attest. However... I didn't like the signature on the pickguard.

I still shoulda bought one of those, though. I saw two of them sitting in guitar stands in the GC in Arlington Heights, IL, several years ago. If nothing else, that was a huge wasted investment opportunity!

Anyways, I always wanted a light-colored (ie. yellow or white) bass. I ended up getting a Mapleglo 4003, and it is awesome, so at least there's a happy ending.

But yeah... there is a rock star influence to some extent....