Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Korladis wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 5:45 pm

teeder wrote: Mon Mar 03, 2025 9:46 am

Korladis wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 10:21 pm
Exactly. Rickenbacker addressed every issue and complaint I've seen bassists make about the 4001/4003 when they made the 4004. No big pickup cover people complain about, no single coil hum, a much more standard bridge with no mute, no binding that some people say hurts their arm, simplified controls... and yet, it never sold as well as the 4003.

I wanted to like them, but every one I played had a monster of a neck. Plus I would have been even more interested if the pu's were closer to JB locations.

I thought in the later years they switched to using the same necks as the 4003. I never got to try one.

They did, but I don't gig anymore, so have almost exclusively switched away from Bass.

If this is the future, do you think the Horseshoe will be phased out?

teeder wrote: Mon Mar 03, 2025 9:46 am

Korladis wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 10:21 pm

henry5 wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2025 9:35 am

It never ceases to amuse me how many discussions I’ve been involved in where people criticise Rics for the features, comfort etc, and I’ve pointed out that the 4004 solves pretty much all these ‘problems’, and the reaction has been tumbleweed.

Weirdly I actually find the 4001/4003 more comfortable than the 4004…

Exactly. Rickenbacker addressed every issue and complaint I've seen bassists make about the 4001/4003 when they made the 4004. No big pickup cover people complain about, no single coil hum, a much more standard bridge with no mute, no binding that some people say hurts their arm, simplified controls... and yet, it never sold as well as the 4003.

I wanted to like them, but every one I played had a monster of a neck. Plus I would have been even more interested if the pu's were closer to JB locations.

This thread got very 4004 oriented fast!
I tried to take up the sluggish 4004 sales by purchasing 7 of them between 2007-2020. I never missed having the 4003 2v2t toggle setup, but definitely the 1v1t minitoggle harness was very limiting, along with the low spec pots that weren’t a great match for the HB1 pickups.
The necks were better (for me at least) on the earlier one-piece versions, but they varied greatly. Some were indeed chunky, but I found several that had the shallow flat shape I prefer.
RIC has flirted with the J bass pickup positions on a number of one-offs (and the limited edition AC). I never found the 4002 pickguard shape very appealing, and the AC’s double chrome faux horsies even less so.
A 4004 with skunk stripe, surface mounted pickups in the J positions, and a nice Hipshot A (or equivalent) bridge would be fabulous. And with the current neck shape, which I’ve yet to experience in person.

My 4003 is from 1990, and I'd love to try one of these surrounds. Anyone know from experience how far off the screw holes will be?

The RIC website has the understandable disclaimer that one will need to drill holes to fit the new part.

woodyng wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 8:53 am This thread got very 4004 oriented fast!
I tried to take up the sluggish 4004 sales by purchasing 7 of them between 2007-2020.

Sadly , I am way behind you with having acquired only four 4004 basses, between '04 and '15.

jps wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:01 am

woodyng wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 8:53 am This thread got very 4004 oriented fast!
I tried to take up the sluggish 4004 sales by purchasing 7 of them between 2007-2020.

Sadly , I am way behind you with having acquired only four 4004 basses, between '04 and '15.

I have only one. It's just not my favorite bass. Probably the most beautiful, though.

Isaac wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 1:14 pm

jps wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 11:01 am

woodyng wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 8:53 am This thread got very 4004 oriented fast!
I tried to take up the sluggish 4004 sales by purchasing 7 of them between 2007-2020.

Sadly , I am way behind you with having acquired only four 4004 basses, between '04 and '15.

I have only one. It's just not my favorite bass. Probably the most beautiful, though.

What is it about your 4004 that's not up to snuff for you?

Isaac wrote: Mon Mar 10, 2025 2:57 pm

jps wrote: Thu Mar 06, 2025 4:08 am

bluewhale wrote: Wed Mar 05, 2025 11:22 pm
But the 4004 also sounds very different from a 4001/4003 in my opinion. If RIC had kept the electronics the same as the 4003, the outcome might have been different.

And to me, that's a great sound!

And that's fine, but it's not the sound most people are looking for when they're looking at a Ric.

It can get really close.
https://youtu.be/7USubfgcl0w?si=Hsq24NTy__cQnfS4

woodyng wrote: Thu Sep 11, 2025 4:35 am

Isaac wrote: Mon Mar 10, 2025 2:57 pm

jps wrote: Thu Mar 06, 2025 4:08 am

And to me, that's a great sound!

And that's fine, but it's not the sound most people are looking for when they're looking at a Ric.

It can get really close.
https://youtu.be/7USubfgcl0w?si=Hsq24NTy__cQnfS4

Especially so when toasters are installed.

jps wrote: Thu Sep 11, 2025 1:44 pm

woodyng wrote: Thu Sep 11, 2025 4:35 am

Isaac wrote: Mon Mar 10, 2025 2:57 pm

And that's fine, but it's not the sound most people are looking for when they're looking at a Ric.

It can get really close.
https://youtu.be/7USubfgcl0w?si=Hsq24NTy__cQnfS4

Especially so when toasters are installed.

But the one in the video had hb1s, sort of my point in posting it.

woodyng wrote: Fri Sep 12, 2025 11:36 am

jps wrote: Thu Sep 11, 2025 1:44 pm

woodyng wrote: Thu Sep 11, 2025 4:35 am
It can get really close.
https://youtu.be/7USubfgcl0w?si=Hsq24NTy__cQnfS4

Especially so when toasters are installed.

But the one in the video had hb1s, sort of my point in posting it.

Yeah, but it's even morer Ricker with toasters.

jps wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:57 pm

Isaac wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 1:14 pm I have only one. It's just not my favorite bass. Probably the most beautiful, though.

What is it about your 4004 that's not up to snuff for you?

The neck, mainly. It just feels fat to me. But it is beautiful. Transgreen, so I break it out for St Patrick's Day gigs.

Isaac wrote: Sat Sep 13, 2025 6:53 pm

jps wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:57 pm

Isaac wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 1:14 pm I have only one. It's just not my favorite bass. Probably the most beautiful, though.

What is it about your 4004 that's not up to snuff for you?

The neck, mainly. It just feels fat to me. But it is beautiful. Transgreen, so I break it out for St Patrick's Day gigs.

Don't you play it a X-mas Mass?

The neck on the '04 Cii was on the plump side, the other three are much nice.

jps wrote: Sun Sep 14, 2025 9:34 am

Isaac wrote: Sat Sep 13, 2025 6:53 pm

jps wrote: Wed Sep 10, 2025 2:57 pm

What is it about your 4004 that's not up to snuff for you?

The neck, mainly. It just feels fat to me. But it is beautiful. Transgreen, so I break it out for St Patrick's Day gigs.

Don't you play it a X-mas Mass?

The neck on the '04 Cii was on the plump side, the other three are much nice.

Well, I might, but I'm not a churchy kind of guy. Christmas party, maybe. Along with my transred Ibanez!

teeder wrote: Mon Mar 03, 2025 9:46 am

Korladis wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 10:21 pm

henry5 wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2025 9:35 am

It never ceases to amuse me how many discussions I’ve been involved in where people criticise Rics for the features, comfort etc, and I’ve pointed out that the 4004 solves pretty much all these ‘problems’, and the reaction has been tumbleweed.

Weirdly I actually find the 4001/4003 more comfortable than the 4004…

Exactly. Rickenbacker addressed every issue and complaint I've seen bassists make about the 4001/4003 when they made the 4004. No big pickup cover people complain about, no single coil hum, a much more standard bridge with no mute, no binding that some people say hurts their arm, simplified controls... and yet, it never sold as well as the 4003.

I wanted to like them, but every one I played had a monster of a neck. Plus I would have been even more interested if the pu's were closer to JB locations.

Eh, in my opinion the pickup positions on Rickenbackers are the key to getting the tones you can with them. One of the things I love about Rickenbacker pickup spacing is that the bridge pickup is far enough from the bridge to have enough low end and volume on its own in almost every situation. I can do different things with my Rickenbackers than with a Fender J or a T-bird, whose bridge pickups are comparatively thinner sounding.

The 4004s moved to the same thin neck profile as the 4003 in later years. Unfortunately I never got to try one.