The debate on what bass(es) John used on "Tommy":
Even though John recalls using a P-bass (weither it was his trusty "Frankenstein" or what, I don't know), I swear that "Tommy, Can You Hear Me", "Sally Simpson" and "We Not Gonna Take It/See Me, Feel Me" sound like the 4005 with the toggle switch in the bridge posistion.
My thinking is that the truss rod system (and John's bass tech) got better by the time he picked up the MG 4005 in 1968, and it could handle the Rotosound strings John was endorsing at the time. John probably was more cautious and aware of the string gauges he was using, too.
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 3:56 pm
by sloop_john_b
JakeK wrote:Even though John recalls using a P-bass (weither it was his trusty "Frankenstein" or what, I don't know), I swear that "Tommy, Can You Hear Me", "Sally Simpson" and "We Not Gonna Take It/See Me, Feel Me" sound like the 4005 with the toggle switch in the bridge posistion.
Not at all! I've always compared the bridge pickup of a 4005 to making the bass sound almost like a baritone guitar - the tone on those songs does not sound like a 4005 to me at all, in any pickup position.
If that's not a palm-muted Precision with Rotosounds, i'll eat my hat.
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:08 pm
by JakeK
Too bad he's gone so we can't simply ask him these questions.
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:12 pm
by sloop_john_b
JakeK wrote:Too bad he's gone so we can't simply ask him these questions.
Keef is still alive, have you asked him about the Rick 12 on "Mother's Little Helper" yet?
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 5:14 pm
by berth
I borrowed ChrisP's 4005 for some months and still know how surprised I was at the tone of the instrument. I made an mp3 with all my Ricks and the 4005 after eachother playing the same bars of ehhh music and put a Poll on our Dutch Bassplayer forum to see if anyone could recognise the 4005 parts out of this mp3.
Is there any interest in me running this poll over here also?
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 5:16 pm
by sloop_john_b
berth wrote:I borrowed ChrisP's 4005 for some months and still know how surprised I was at the tone of the instrument. I made an mp3 with all my Ricks and the 4005 after eachother playing the same bars of ehhh music and put a Poll on our Dutch Bassplayer forum to see if anyone could recognise the 4005 parts out of this mp3.
Is there any interest in me running this poll over here also?
Sure.
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 5:23 pm
by JakeK
Go for it
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 3:58 am
by rickinroma
bassduke49 wrote:Can we assume that F-hole 4005s would be RM 3261? Were all F-holes bound? Hmm.
Paul, I know a person who bought an f-hole one back in 69...he is in Florence, Italy...the same as Gary Clauson's one...and it is still mint conditions
AFAIK, the 4005 with f-hole was never known as 3261, in Italy
somewhere out there may be lurking a smothers brothers show video of steppenwolf,featuring nick st nicholas playing a 4005...it was the first time i ever saw one. did the 4005 have the same bass-diminishing electronics as the 4001? when i had one years ago,i remember thinking the rear pickup was much lower in output than the neck pickup....
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 1:09 pm
by sloop_john_b
woodyng wrote:did the 4005 have the same bass-diminishing electronics as the 4001? when i had one years ago,i remember thinking the rear pickup was much lower in output than the neck pickup....
Bridge pickup definitely has the cap, and is placed in a pretty horrible position anyway. I always found it pretty useless. Luckily, the sound of the neck pickup more than makes up for it.
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:24 am
by jps
Mine lacks the cap so I can get some nice tones from the bridge toaster, almost Jaco-like with the tone control rolled off some.
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:44 pm
by libratune
Late to the party again:
1965 4005 MG
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:31 pm
by nov_1981
Bridge pickup definitely has the cap, and is placed in a pretty horrible position anyway. I always found it pretty useless. Luckily, the sound of the neck pickup more than makes up for it. [/quote]
John I agree, by itself the bridge pickup sounds too hollow
but IMHO the 4005 sounds best with the neck and bridge pickup's combined
Although my 4005 has high gains
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:57 pm
by berth
libratune wrote:Late to the party again:
MStrap0014.JPG
Untill recently I didnt even know 4005's of my birthyear ('65) excisted...... I read in more than one place that '66 was the first year.
Re: Model of the Week Four: The 4005 family
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 10:40 pm
by bassduke49
According to my "research," 1965 was the first year for the 4005. Most I've come across were '67s, though. Then another batch with newer high-gains from the late '70s as I recall. By comparison to the contemporary 4001, the 4005 was pretty rare.
