Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

They are underground plotting....... j/k

I too have wondered how Ted was getting along. Jeff has stopped in sporadically, but not lately.

Kevin, if and when I pop the hood on the CS, I will note what pots are in there. I don't like to mess with that one any more than necessary!

Funny you should ask about Jeff, since he now owns my former V63..... Chicago is fine now that we all got our power turned back on!

Two v63's, (1993 & 1996), vey nice, sold both.

Two CS's, loud & proud, kept # 30, built in 1991.

The CS seems loud and angry played back to back with a v63.

These two basses, built within months of each other were very different in sound and feel. The CS has a slightly thinner body, and much thinner neck.

When I compared the CS (year unknown, but a later version) that Brian Crisman had briefly to my '98 V63 I thought they felt virtually identical.

Alex, there was no cap in either of my basses (although I have tried one before now). Regardless, it's not just more nasal plugged in, it's more nasal acoustically too. I could use various words to describe the sound of my CSs, but you'd have to hear it to know what I mean.

Guys,
I have a 99 V63 and my 1990 CS and I have had lots of playing experience with the three RM1999s I have owned.
Construction wise the three types are very similar as you would expect.The RMs had varying colours and types of rosewood fretboards aswell as fairly consistently thin necks.The V63 I have has a very chunky neck although I find it comfortable to play and if I rehearse songs that are difficult on it I then find it a doddle to play them on the CS afterwards.
The sound of the V63 is a lot harsher via the treble HS pick-up when compared with the CS horse shoe.I think the HS on my CS is very close to the original 60s ones in shape and sound and thats where the big difference in sound balance between the two pick ups and hence the difference in overall sound of the V63 and (early at any rate)4001CS basses seems to be.
The neck pick-up on the V63 is very rich in bottom end and would be great for those Beatle/Wings sounds.I used the V63 on Yours Is No Disgrace as a change for the encore the other night using the HS with the tone rolled back halfway to take the harsh edge off it and then flicked to the neck pick up for the walking bass/vocal part.It sounded mean!
The choice of wood (African Vermilion)for the fretboard and headstock wings plus the limited edition numbers and one off colour make the CS a collectible so the re-sale price reflects that.
When bought from new the CS was only a fraction dearer than the V63 if that.
My only criticisms at the time of the CS range were that it would have been "NO Disgrace" to copy Chris's stereo mods and also supply an extra scratchplate made as a copy of the original (which has some damage) either as stock or as an order only option.
In fairness to Mr.Hall though it is a shot in the dark to bring out a Ltd Edition bass or guitar with no track record (no pun intended) into a busy market bearing in mind that both Chris Squire and
Roger McGuinn were no longer in their respective heydays chart wise.
The charts notwithstanding these guitars did sell and I still tip my hat to John Hall for having the foresight in bringing these instruments to us.I hope this has been of some help in answering the question.
Jim, Ive been up to my neck with gigs and work but expect mail later this week.
Cheers guys catch you later.

When I bought my first CS it was actually cheaper than a V63; the CS was £999 from Coda music and I think think the V63 was about £1100 or thereabouts. I'd nearly bought a V63 the week before I made my order (at £1300+ at Music Ground) so was ecstatic that I could get a CS, which is what I really wanted, for less. My second one cost me half as much again without cert, case or horseshoe (although I managed to replace the 'shoe) and somewhat "mojo-d".

Sorry, but what are RM1999s?

Cheers, Pete, been meaning to email you as well.

Hello Jim,how's your bass project coming along.

Philip, they're the UK import '60s version of the 4001, as played by Chris Squire and Paul McCartney. In other words, the originals.

"Sorry, but what are RM1999s?"

That's the European version of the 4001S that was made for Rose Morris in the early 60's.

I'm sure others here can give more specific info.

...they're the UK import '60s version of the 4001, as played by Chris Squire and Paul McCartney.

Actually, Paul's is a 4001S, as he got his here in the US, not through Rose-Morris.

As far as I can tell, the 4001S and the RM1999 are identical; the determining factor is who it was shipped to. The shipments to Rose-Morris were incorporated into their stock number system. The "special" (hence the "S") bass got the RM1999, other guitars got the model numbers 1995 through 1998. The 4005 bass when eventually imported by Rose-Morris, became the model RM3261.

"The 4005 bass when eventually imported by Rose-Morris, became the model RM3261."

There's something I didn't know. I wonder where their numbering system came from?