Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Another fine 425 conversion! How does it play and sound now as a 5er Jeff?

it is a most excellent bass ... I used a 5 string Carvin nut and the spacing was perfect ... the strings are spaced 2 3/8" at the bridge ... the pickup string coverage is perfect and the strings are not too close to the edge of the fretboard ... it has a warmth in its sound that is beautiful ... real woody ... and the series humbuckers growl nice with distortion ... it has a nice frequency response throughout the spectrum ... and it is a looker ... it is almost mint ... it can play many styles ... it is voiced a little different than the Laredo ... I've not played the new 4004's with the different pickup locations and bubinga fretboard ...

this one is a keeper ...

It is a nice addition to my 4003-5 and 2030-5 and 2020-5 basses ...

Sweeeet conversion, Jeff! That is one fine lookin'
early 4004!!

Here is one I made for myself a couple years ago after my 1973 4001 fell apart. I think it turned out pretty well, and it sure plays and sounds nice. Any opinions on it are welcome.

Cool ... I assume it is stained and oil finished

I think we have someone who out modded Jeff Rath!

It's still missing a string!

yep ... that would make a good 5 string bass ... unless it is a 70's model ...

I have a cool 5 string project that I was just working on a few minutes ago ... I'll post some pics when I get it done ...

Cool bass, Greg mate!

Guys, thanks for the nice comments...

I made it from scratch, so its not a modded Rick per se. It just has clear nitrocellulose on it, about 10 coats or so, and I sanded and buffed the **** out of it to get it shiny. The neck is a 1 piece, quartersawn maple, and I made the neck shape a bit less flat on the back than a standard Rick. The fingerboard is bubinga and the dots are pearl. The wings are walnut, and I put a walnut veneeer on the headstock too. I used a Stew-Mac dual truss rod instead of the Rick truss rod. Its also about 1/8" thinner than the Rick overall on the body. I had a toaster in the neck, but like the 4003 pickup there better. I'm working on another one that I have about halfway done. This one will be all maple with binding on the top and bottom of the body and on the neck. It will have the horseshoe pickup and be a green sunburst like that one Rick guitar.
Jeff, I don't see how you could make a 5 string out of it, the neck isn't wide enough!

greg ,could you make us the first demo v68 with checkerboard and all....

classy, very classy!

Greg ... that is one pretty bass ...

here's a 4003s5 that I bought from a forum member ... it started out as a 1990 4003s5 mapleglo with black trim ... then it got striped and oil finished and turned into a v63 bass ... I stained the headwings walnut to complete the process ...





the I decided to restore it back to a black trim 4003s5 ... and I also refinished it with a new coat of oil finish and while I was at it I rounded the edges a little more ...

Thanks for the nice comments Jeff. That one of yours looks really good too! I still don't see how you can fit 5 strings on those narrow necks! Is the oil finish more work to take care of?

I wouldn't ever make any basses for anyone else unless they are a different design entirely. I made this one for myself to replace the poor '73 I had that was falling apart. I'm making the other one so I can have one bass with rounds and the other with flats. They are fun basses to make and not too difficult either. This one I'm doing now will be the last as in the future I'll come up with my own design and do that. Further, if I ever sell these, I'll be clear that I made them, AND the RIC nameplate will come off and not go with the bass. So sorry Kenneth...you're outta luck

Greg ... make one like this ...