Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Thanks, color is Fiesta red. I really could have done better I think, their paint is top notch Nitrocellulouse lacquer. But since it is my first project, that's how you learn I guess.

When complete, next project is to refinish my '51 P RI into Olympic white.

OK ... I finished my p-bass with the 4004CII5 pickups ... it has a maple quilted top like the Cheyenne ... and the CII5 pickups ... it is an interesting bass ... it is brighter than I expected ... I should have put the neck pickup closer to the neck ...

http://www.3dentourage.com/425/c5pbass.htm

That bass is very nice, great job Jeff. Have fun with it.

it sounds and looks a little like this bass ...

Now that IS beautiful !!

They are both great Jeff- HOw do the HB2's sound?

Not a real surprise those two sound similar Jeff...

Either one is a beauty. You are right about that PU spacing being pretty bright...I practiced a couple hours yesterday with my Laredo and J Bass, and got a good display for the tonal differences between the two. Certainly the RW on the Laredo contribute to the brightness, but there was plenty of Rick clank. At least for my tastes.

Just hope I never bust a truss rod...

That P Bass looks really nice. Did you re-finish an actual P body, or is it all parts?

Wow, fraternal (not identical) twins! Very nice!
Maybe the solution to the Cii5 pup problem would have been to narrow the neck & bridge to accommodate the pickups. I
t wouldn't have taken much of a difference, & a lot of players stay away from 5 strings because of the neck width, so it would solve 2 problems in one go.
But, I'm sure that was already considered by JH et al., so there must be other reasons why it wouldn't be feasible.

the hb2 pickups sound a lot like the hb1 pickups ... I may try 250k ohm pots ...

one of the reasons Ric discontinued the 4003s5 was that some players complained about the string spacing at the bridge which was 2 1/8" ... the 2 4-2-5 basses pictured above both have 2 3/8" string spacing at the bridge ... both the hb1 and hb2 pickups have 2 1/4" steel rails ... this limits the string spacing ... Ric could produce a 4004 bass like the one pictured above it would be half way between the s5 and the cii5 ... the 4004cii5 is an excellent bass the use of the hb2 pickups was the only problem it had ... when the new pickups are installed then they will have an excellent 5 string bass ... but they could also produce a slimmer neck version using the 4 string model and just changing 2 parts and adding one additional part ... no re-engineering needed and the manufactering costs would be pretty much identical ... then they could have a fat necked 5 string and a slim necked 5 string ... and even the slim necked version would still be wider than the 4003s5 bass ...

that p-bass body is a one off made by a guy in Utah ... it has some cosmetic flaws in that a couple of knots show on the edge of the bass ... the body came unfinished and I sanded it down and oil finished it ...