Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

That really is a dazzling bass. It really grabs you. Very nice!

The serial # dates it as '02.

If you have the RIC catalog poster, or the "care and maintanence" manual,, look real hard at the "hook" pattern in the grain just above the control knobs.

It is my bass.

I have always speculated that it indeed was the one used in the photo shoot,, so I sent some detailed larger pics to Paul Boyer, and he agreed. Take a look.








The flame is real hard to capture, very complex, I've never been able to take a good picture. The upper horn is sort of "spalted" looking. The back is just as figured as the front, but easier to capture.





Actually, Im thinking of selling her. Simply because I prefer the sound of 4003's. I would appreciate any thoughts as to where to price her. I also like interesting trades.

I would consider her.

It does have the concentric pot mod.

I have the original "harness" (pots, switch), intact.

I'm a 4001/4003 guy myself, Scott, but I love the way the 4004's look - especially yours! Oh well.

Yeah, If I could make it sound like my 4003's, I wouldnt even entertain the idea. But that kind of defeats the purpose.

And then there are the memories of what one used to have. Here's a trio of shots that were unearthed from the family photo archives this afternoon, it was a rainy day here in Central Wisconsin, that I thought I would share of my first Rickenbacker, a FG 4005 purchased in December 1971 for about $725.00, New with case, band photos circa 1972 somewhere in Northern Illinois, Rock Falls/Sterling IRRC:







And just for perspective, 34 years later:


Still Pickin' on Rickenbackers.

You look to be digging in behind the pup in both pics!!! All I can say about both basses is WOW. Very nice!!!!

Thanks Dave,
Ahead of, behind, pick or fingers, it just depends on the song. But we all know there are many voices inside each and every one of our beloved Rickenbacker's.
In the "for what it's worth" department the 4005 was strung up with Rotosound Swing 66's, we did a lot of Deep Purple and Yes back then, and the C64S is strung with Pyramid Flats, go figure eh?

Steve: I never would have thought those pics were of the same person. You looked more like a north woods lumberjack back in the 70's.

"You looked more like a north woods lumberjack back in the 70's."

LOL! We did live on a farm as a band back then and used a woodstove for heating so there were many a "lumberjack moments" all those years ago.

So what happened to the 4005, Steve?

John,

Traded in on a pair of 4001's, one Jet-Glo and one Maple-Glo, both of which arrived with toasters but only the Maple-Glo had the Horseshoe, the Jet-Glo had the new Hi-Gain version ('72/'73 time frame IIRC). As I said we were doing "A Lot" of Deep Purple and Yes material back then so the JG was the DP bass and the MG was the Yes bass.
This was back in the days of no bass in the FOH mix so one had to have an amp set up that carried outdoors and indoors LOUD volumes.
Having a pair of Acoustic 360 18" cabs for the bass pup and a Marshall 100 watt head with a 4x12 for the treble pup made the 4005 very prone to feedback so I thought I was making the right move, and it did cure the feedback issue.

For a short time I had one of the first year issues of the SVT with a pair of 8x10 cabs, usually only used one for the treble pup, but on one occasion we played an huge outdoor all day fest type gig and I got together with one of the other local bassists and we combined our Acoustic cabs to make it 4x18 (361 (IIRC) powered bottoms) with my Marshall cab hooked up as the "extension - near field on stage monitor from one of the Acoustic cabs" for the bass pickup and the double cab SVT for the treble pup. The other bass player was using a Gibson Les Paul (the first year issue with the low imp. output and adaptor cable) so he only used the four Acoustic cabs. 4x18's, 4x12's, 16x10's, "Oh Lawdy" that was a loud set up!

"Oh Lawdy" that was a loud set up!

Huh, ..... what??? Great stories.

Great pics Steve and same goes for the Basses.
What happened to the 2 4001's you traded for the 4005?