Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The 4002 is most definitely an important part of Ric history. Not enough is known first hand for many about the inner working of the electronics that you shared.

Thanks Dave.

The other thing is - That Exploiter doesn't really fit into your collection. there is something i can do to help. Please ship to me at :marcneedsanalembic.com.

Thanks again :>)

So how does it now sound?

These are my first gut impressions only (for right or wrong).

When I first thought of posting this thread, (and before I plugged in the 4002 with its’ new pickups for the first time), I was concerned as to how I was going to explain the small nuances and the differences of the sound of the bass.

That is not a problem, as the bass’s sound has changed in a big way. It is now a totally different bass.

Looking back at the bass now with the HB-1’s in it, it was a dumb-ed down version of a 4002. It had a very rounded, smooth sound to it. It sounded like a cross between a Ric CII and a Jazz bass.

It sounds nothing like that now. The bass has a new persona.

First the mono output.

All equalization was set flat on the amplification, so there is no coloring of tone.

When I plugged her in, I thought that some of the connections have come loose. It is so quiet I thought it was broken. The pickups are very hot and lively, but yet so quiet and sensitive. Trying to play the bass now has become more difficult. It is very unforgiving, as it sounds so clean. Any slide or slight misplacement of a finger on the fret board is pronounced. Any false strikes or finger resting on the strings with the right hand also is highly audible.

To make a general analogy, a high dollar video digital camera, in the motion picture world, is very accurate when recording and playing back images. Having had said that, most people are used to viewing film, which is inaccurate but warm a lush looking. In today’s world the “film” look is always the standard in the movies that we see.
(Disclaimer; all of you film and camera people out there; please refrain from making fun of my generic amateur comparison above).

The 4002 has now become a digital camera. When I play it now, it is like I am a cockroach and someone just turned on the kitchen lights on my bass playing. It is so clean that I really must concentrate as to what I am playing. I can not use the bass on gigs, and be in autopilot mode.

Overall it does now have more of a Ric tone to it, rather then a Jazz Bass.

Not that I would condone it, but I can see why people have changed the pickups out. The bass it totally unique sounding, and could be called inflexible.


The low “Z” output has pretty much the same description as above, but yet quieter.

Do not get me wrong, I am not criticizing the original pickups at all. I am just surprised how the bass retained almost none of the sound qualities from before.

In conclusion, the bass is unique sounding upon itself. It is truly its’ own blood line in Ric’s history. I know over the years, I have seen Ted and Gary comment about some of the cues that I have mentioned above, but hearings it for yourself, is another issue. This is my first impression of the bass for playing it only for only a few hours. I think that I must throw away all of my preconceived notions of this bass and start over.

Dave, great post. I can't wait to hear your reborn 4002 at some point

Good stuff Dave.

What a STUNNING beauty.

I'd be happy just looking at it, let alone playing it.

THAT's what I wish RIC would release again, the color and wood types, I mean.

Dave, I can remember really digging it at MARF I with the HB-1s in it, so now I'm gonna have to come up and give it a whirl with the new p/ups as well. I'll bring my Wal up again and we can run that one on low-Z as well and comapare them..

Fantastic stuff, Dave!
Everything we all wanted to know about the 4002.

Sad that so many of those pickups have been lost.

And another big 'WOW' for that masterful refinish work!

Any plans to play out with it in the near future?

>>>in 1978 a little known band called Rush, came out with an album called “Hemispheres”. To my knowledge, it is the only recording to promptly feature the 4002<<<

Where did he use the 4002 on Hemispheres? I'd heard that he used it on Losing It from Signals, but never heard about any other recordings with the 4002.

Jdog, my last job for a while was last Saturday night, where I took out Trotty’s 68 “P” bass for a spin. I am off till September, where I may give her a go then.

However there is a certain job in November that it will make an appearance for sure.

I need to play with the EQ's a bit more before I take it out. Now I need to see how the ROS plays out in all this.

Tom to be honest I am not sure what songs he played it on. However I did see a 1978 interview with Geddy that linked the bass to that time. I could be wrong.

"I use two Rickenbacker 4001 basses, one Rickenbacker 4002 bass, one custom-modified Fender Precision, one custom Rickenbacker double-neck, incorporating a 4001 bass and a twelve-string. All my basses are fitted with Badass bridges and Roto-Sound strings, and a Roland Chorus is used on the guitar."

Great thread Dave! I remember playing Gary's at the 75th and being blown away by the tone.

Now, if only I can pry away Jdog's...

John, we need to find the right pickups first...

Sure, i'll just wait for the next set of NOS ones to pop up!