Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I bought my 4001CS from a local music store in 2000, it had been hanging there for over a year. That's the only Ric I've ever purchased new from a store. Mars had a few when they were around but most of the "bevis & butthead" kids in the bass section were beating on Ibeenhads.

I went to a couple of small music stores, actually the pawn/music store that has become the norm in small town America, and even the cheap imports are not selling well judging by the dust they are gathering. Even a Peavey Strat copy made in the USA and priced at $299 looked to have as much dust as paint covering it. You want to find a bass in one of these shops? They have a cheap import or two, usually patterned after a Fender, if you are lucky. Every bass player is basically FORCED to go to a larger dealer in a larger town, or a bass specialist in a major city. My 4004L was bought on eBay, from an established music store in the Denver area, with plenty of other Fender basses for sale. If Rickenbackers sell as soon as they get them in as some have stated here, it would have never sold on eBay at well under half of MSRP including shipping cost. It looked like it had spent the last 9 years (it is the earliest '93 model with neck pickup smack up against the neck) locked in its case judging by the almost flawless finish. Everthing was loose on it as the wood had shrunken back in the high arid air of Colorado and the owner never played it. Some are not so enamored of Rickenbackers as the people that post here. Look at U2's latest video of their 2001 Elevation Tour. On track 6 you get to see Dave "The Edge" Evans throw down his 360/12, then he angrily turns around and goes back to kick it across the stage. Shades of Pete Townshend!!! Maybe he is mad he didn't get a signature version named after him like Pete did, or maybe it is just one of those occasional "Irish things". The song he played on it was "Gone", and that is one gone Rickenbacker. He never picks up a Rick for the rest of the video, and he has NEVER done such a thing to one of his nice Fenders, Gibsons, Gretsches, or Taylors. Adam Clayton is reputed to own a 4001 bass, but I have never seen him play it on stage. He definitely prefers his numerous Fender basses. Paul McCartney is back to slinging his Hofner bass, but he is getting old and the Hofner is very light.

I suspect Fred Gretsch found out that resurrecting the family business in the present economic/business climate was a bit more daunting than he initially figured it would be, and Fender is managing the distribution and sales for a while before they decide to totally take it over and possibly end up with a "ball and chain" brand. It is a "courtship before marriage" type of arrangement. Gretsch may get jilted before it's all over.

Jackson is a real winner of a guitar brand that could stand the marketing clout that Fender can give it. They come with locking nuts as standard equipment, among other modern design features. Fender needed to get away from selling the same old Tele and Strat models forever, and Jackson is the way to do this without offending any of the Fender traditionalists. Nobody will have to wait until they are "blue in the face" for a Jackson with active electronics, or many other modern features. I can buy a Jackson bass as soon as I finish this post and not have to wait over a year for delivery. It would be a good brand to buy while a person is waiting for delivery of their Rickenbacker bass. Like Rickenbacker, Jackson has a unique quality in their product. Jackson is one of the very few mass produced brands besides Rickenbacker that Ed Roman gives his highest recommendation to. They differ in that they have decided to get much more popular with musicians by more aggressive marketing of their well designed and built product. I am looking hard at a Jackson for my next purchase.

Rickenbacker has a great niche market ... they sell stuff as fast or faster than they make it. They don't need to advertise or have high priced regional sales reps ... the reputation precedes them ...

I own and play lots of basses the Rics are the best ... hands down ...

I would agree that Rickenbacker has a great reputation, as do all the other well respected makes, you dont have to advertise Fender do you?

My first bass was a horrible Squier. Why did i get that? Because its a Precision bass, and P basses are legendry. Think of the hundreds, no, thousands of known players who used fenders. They must be good, or no one would buy them.

I next got a MIM Precision (which is suprisingly fantastic), before getting my 91' white 4003. I wanted a Rickenbacker because they are just amazing instruments in every way, i knew that, everyone knows it, so they dont need to advertise.

A guitar shop with no major lines on the rack? Why would anyone WANT to go there? It's a self defeating strategy. You simply can't sell from an empty wagon.

No matter what you think about them, it's a fact that Guitar Center just recently became the first company in the music industry to rack up one billion dollars in annual sales. While the actual SKU selection might be small, you can't find an empty spot on the floors or walls of any of their stores I've visited.

It's not a coincidence.

>>>>A guitar shop with no major lines on the rack? Why would anyone WANT to go there?

Maybe they give good lessons?

I was a bit aggravated when I went over to Ft. Smith expecting to see a Rickenbacker or two, then being told by the "authorized dealer" per the RIC website that he hadn't sold one in years, and had none on order. I think a "stocking dealer list" is in order in light of the situation. Ed Roman stocks a lot of Ricks, but the 4004 series is out of stock there and practically everywhere else I looked.

If I had not found the 4004L as quickly as I did on the secondhand market, I was going to get a used MIM Fender J-bass for around $250. My 4004L is a fine instrument, but I am not paying $200+ down and waiting a year to have a new Rickenbacker bass delivered. I was practically forced to buy my 4004L used over the internet sight unseen (but from a reputable dealer), except for a photo, because of the supply situation. It had one small nick in the paint by the jackplate, and that was it. Not a dent in the wood anywhere. The fret ends needed filing, but that is true of practically all unbound maple fretboards after the wood seasons and shrinks back (rosewood seems less affected). I did it myself in 15 minutes. The neck has a bit too much bow at the 12th fret when the neck is straight from there to the nut (further truss rod tightening creates a backbow situation and buzzing on the low frets), but since I was going to set the action high anyway, that is not really a big problem as it saves me from raising the strings at the bridge and having to raise the pickups a lot to compensate. It can be corrected later with a jig setup and a heat lamp. Maple necks can be corrected if you know what you are doing, as that is a special property of maple wood: it is heat sensitive and will take a set when hot and remain that way after cooling. The Rickenbacker automotive paint finish will withstand the high heat necessary, but I would be leery of the nitrocellulose lacquer finish found on Gibsons and such. My P-bass had exactly the same neck problem, and I would rather correct the situation than hunt forever for the "perfect neck". You mold a maple neck to suit yourself, and since basses are especially prone to neck problems (unless it is a synthetic neck) from my personal experience, it is better to learn how to correct them yourself. I do not know how bubinga responds to heat treatment, so a new 4004L might not be the best for me. The maple/black colored neck of the old 4004L looks better anyway. I've had to mess with the neck of every guitar I have ever owned, but my Tacoma Chief the least of all (they use wood from their own lumber company, and it is simply fabulous wood). I read where John Entwistle busted about a dozen basses because of frustrations with the necks, so I guess I am not alone. It's just that I don't bust them like he did; I bend them back into shape if possible.

Too bad I didn't like the 4003 series, as those are available all the time and Ed Roman always carries several in stock. However, I got a good bass with good tone without much waiting and for a bit less than the cheapest new USA Fender J-bass would have cost me. I'll consider myself lucky.

John Hall said that guitar center became the first billion dollar retailer ... don't they also own www.musiciansfriend.com ... that web site sells lots of Rics .... The salesmen at guitar center wish they would get more ric basses ... because they sell quickly ... I have seen good used ones sell in just a few days ...

I own lots of basses ... I am always in search of the perfect neck ... My midnight blue 4003s5 has a truly marvelous neck .. nice feel low action ... my 68 4001 has an awesome neck as well ...

I own several bolt on fender type basses ... these seem to be more problematic than rics ... they have more problems with seasonal change ...

I picked up one of the 4004L basses ... maple neck variety ... can't wait to try it when it gets here ...

Mr. Hall wrote. . .
"A guitar shop with no major lines on the rack? Why would anyone WANT to go there? It's a self defeating strategy. You simply can't sell from an empty wagon."

I can think of a few reasons. . . .
1) New players and kids who want a guitar but need a clue. I would guess that is a large market.

2) No GC's or the equivalent in the area. I stalk any shoppe that sells used equipment looking for a deal. Granted, that usually means a quick exit within 20 seconds, but at least the opportunity was there.

Most shops around here sell fenders buy the zillion, in addition to any two of the following: epi, Ibanez, peavey, ______________ korean brand. Looking for higher end stuff to actually try it before buying means several hours in the car and sitting in a mega-store. Yum.

"Automotive paint finish" on a Rickenbacker? I don't THINK so . . .! Conversion varnish would be pretty lousy on a car but I'm told it's great for caskets.

Well, automotive paint works just fine for caskets as well, if I ever decide to get buried in my F-150.

Phil, atleast your casket won't turn brown where your arm touches it if you use automotive paint.

So I wonder what is the longest someone has waited for their bass. We all know the high quality of these basses – that’s why we’re here and that’s why I’ll wait – but let’s be reasonable.

414 days since my 4004Cii Natural has been ordered

Ah that's nothing! I ordered my 4004LK January 29, 2001. Let's see, that's about 820 days.

I, too, had a bit of drama in acquiring my 4004CII. I first saw one on the RIC website in late 2000. I'd been considering getting a new Rick (I've had a couple 4001s in the past but had been rickless for about six years) and thought the CIIs were absolutely beautiful.
I live in So. Cal. and contacted the Rickenbacker facility in Santa Ana to see if I could test play a 4004 or if they could direct me to a retailer that might have one in stock. I spoke and exchanged emails with a customer service rep. named 'Henry' who was not helpful in the least. In fact his conduct could almost be described as rude. He told me that the public was not allowed in the facility and that RIC didn't keep records of who they sold their basses to. (I found this a little odd and asked Henry how can they be sure they're collecting all the payments for their guitars if they don't know who they sell them to. He didn't answer this question.)
(On a side note that you might find interesting; I got my first 4001 at the age of 16 in 1977 (brand new Azurglo). The following year I wanted to give it a tune up so my mom drove me to the Rick factory in Santa Ana to drop it off. While I was there, either John Hall (or perhaps his father, I not sure as it was a long time ago) came out and greeted me and gave me a quicky tour of the outer offices. He showed me the first frying pan steel housed in a glass display case and a brand new 4002 which I thought looked real cool with the checkerboard binding.)
Anyway... I went to Guitar Center and was told that I could order one, but it would take 9 months to a year to get it. I called every authorized RIC dealer in CA and no one had a 4004 and everyone told me nine months to a year.
Finally, I just searched the web and found a green CII at Elderly Music in Michigan. I made a leap of faith and bought it immediately (the sales guy plugged it in and played it over the phone). It arrived in Apr. '01 and has been my main axe ever since. Probably the best bass I've ever owned/played.
On a side note, I've asked this question on several strings and have never gotten an answer: Does anyone know what a typical yearly production quantity for CIIs is? I only ask because mine is the only one I've ever seen and the only one every player I know has ever seen (including the tech who services it). I seems like production must be *very* limited. I've seen Mr. Hall comment on this string and just wondered if he was willing to divulge this info. Just curious I guess.