Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

brain,i mean brian-love your blackstar look...i think i like the gold bling on most every other color,esp. the red one, and the two-tone walnut/maple laredo,but will wait to see how it looks in person on the maple-don't much like it in the pix. i definitely will post pix once i get it,hopefully later this week.so,tony,what DID you do?

Congrats Woody!

D Silbag!

Woody, I think you mean the two-tone walnut/maple Cheyenne, as Laredo's are all maple. The original Cheyenne (1992-3 to about 2000) had walnut body and head wings. Early 4004Cii had the same structure with a laminated figured maple top. Don't know how long that method was used, but eventually it morphed into the current maple/walnut/maple sandwich.

All Cheyennes originally came with gold hardware, all Laredos with chrome. Some owners have swapped these or gone with aftermarket black hardware.

yessir,bassduke,you are right.i did mean the cheyenne model. i do find it difficult to keep some of the models/features separated,both because of aftermarket changes made by owners,and for example,if you look on the ric website right now,it shows the 4004 series with the deleted pickup spacing...just part of the mystery,and i do love the fact that these are still handmade instruments. and speaking of aftermarket hardware,which is the bridge type that is a direct replacement? A or B?

Hipshot A

thanks,incubus! have you used these on any of your basses?

Yes....you can see it on the pic of my JG Laredo on the 2nd page. I also had one on my TG Cii that I sold. They give a little more height adjustment and the string loading slots are a nice feature as well.

Brain,

Have you had any problems with the necks on the 4004's?

I read on Harmony Central that most of the 4004Cii owners that posted had some kind of problems with action and up bows starting at the 12th fret. I haven't heard anything about this before, although I must admit, I haven't been paying TOO much attention to the 4004 threads.....I know, my bad...

Woody, I haven't nailed ALL the details down yet, as soon as I do, I'll let you know....but it is a 4004Cii I'm looking at....

Tony, having seen pictures of a Blueburst 4004Cii, I have to say go for one of those! I'm sure you can still find one on order somewhere, unclaimed.

Nope, all five of the 4004's I've had for any length of time have all had rock solid necks. Maybe a tweak or two while they were new-ish but I've had the same experience with the 4003 models I've owned from new as well. Nothing to be concerned about IMO.

I hope Lindsay won't mind me posting this pic:

(gene wilder,pop-eyed,spitting water) "NICE GROUPING!".....LOL...love that blue 4004...that and the white one have the purtiest headstocks...

I don't get why anyone would change that factory bridge on a 4004. Both of mine have plenty of adjustment upward, although I have the action quite low. The E and G saddles are a little over an inch off the bridge plate. I've found top loading bridges to be a pain as the string will pop out while I'm wrapping the string around the tuner.

I like the slot loading for the frequent thorough cleanings my JG requires to keep looking cool.

On my JG Laredo the bridge was adjusted flat and the action was still too high. With the Hipshot the action is now plenty low with more adjustment left if needed. It just goes lower than the ABM. On my LK and Red Laredo both the E/G saddles are bottomed......the action is good so there is no issue but I have no range to drop them lower if need be so the Hipshot would be a good solution. YMMV.

Has the neck angle gotten shallower on your 4004's Brian? If I dropped my E and G saddles down all the way, the strings would be sitting on the fretboard.