String options for a 4005

josef · Post by **josef** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:55 am

OK, now I think I can answer my own question. My serial number is SE 2454. By a scale I have just found, this would mean my bass is a 1979 which was built in May. Does that sound right?

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:00 am

Are you sure that is AZ? Could it be perhaps A2? AZ does not fit any of the numbering schemes that I have seen. When two letters are used ('61-'86) The first letter is the year (A=1961) and the second is the month (A=January). After that it gets confusing. For a short time they switched to another series where the month came first followed by a number. The number is the number of years past '87. So A2 is January 1989. There was then one more short-lived scheme before they settled on the current scheme of using the last two digits of the year.

EDIT

Yes, SE is May of '79. That is more like it!

leighthal · Post by **leighthal** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:03 am

I think they stopped making them in 1984.

josef · Post by **josef** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:07 am

When I wrote AZ, I was referring to the color. It seems to be black, but upon closer inspection, it is a very dark blue. That is an Azureglow, right? Anyhow, I think that it's an AZ, because it looks just like the one I saw in the photo by that fellow who put together that incredible price guide of all Ricks.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:08 am

Ted, I think he meant it's Azureglo! (AZ)

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:16 am

Probably right around the time JH took the helm, I am guessing. He has never been a big fan of that model.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:18 am

Oh! That explains it. :\

jps · Post by **jps** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:07 am

Kenny,

I got great Squirish tones on mine with XLs.

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:20 am

Jeff, that's a great picture you posted.

kennyhowes · Post by **kennyhowes** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 9:03 am

Cool JPS, I will mess around with that. Maybe even so with RIC 95511 strings?

AzureGlo would be AG, according to the '70s color chart.

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:55 pm

Luckily for you Kenny, you have many options available to you, in case of trouble. I have also used the long discontinued D'Addario XL Reds, which were pretty interesting strings with their copper coating/windings, I don't remember which. They sounded very good, but were a tad 'dry' sounding.

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:40 am

Lets face it guys, it’s impossible to get a string that works well on a 4005. Just so your weekend isn’t spoilt, being in a very generous mood, I will offer up to 1000 USD on these old basses and that will get you a decent 4003.

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:04 am

Ha ha, very funny. Not even April!

But having said that, I will also duplicate Bob's generous offer.

kennyhowes · Post by **kennyhowes** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:01 pm

Me too!

I mean...umm...