Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

A few aces up John Hall's sleeve ... could that be a 4004 8 string ... or a 4004L5 ... ummmmm ...

"but a 4004 is hardly rare, is it? "

The way the clerks at my local GC and SA react when they see my 4004Cii you would think it was gold pressed Lanthium!

John really knows how to get us stirred up doesnt he? It would be cool if one of the aces turned out to be a 4004 with a lot of features that have been suggested here over the past year or so. We would all have something to be proud of. For that matter, who knows? Maybe he checks in from time to time just for our opinion on the various models. Maybe we're a bigger part of the "customer demand" than we realize.

I love the thought of some more creative thinking and tinkering with the 4004 design. I, for one, have not fallen "in love" with it because I love the 4003 and it is just a little too different. The sound is awesome, however. I think the 5 is a given because it is a market they can't reach right now, and almost every bassist has to think about it because of the added tonal range and the modern music, if they play that style.

If you play top 40 music you need a 5 string, if you play modern country you need a 5 sting, if you play heavy metal you need a 5 string ... if you play blues or jazz it adds dimension and range ... it even helps modernize classic rock ....

how in the world did I ever get by with 4 strings all those years?

Good Morning Jeff...I brought my Cheyenne home last night and measured the space between the tuners. It looks like I would be putting a 1-5/16" tuner in a space that measures 1-3/16"...is that about the same measurement as your Laredo? If so, you must have to do some ceative tuning, eh?

Jeff's bass on the treble side is super tight between tuners. He wanted to put the tuner on the bass side and there wasn't room, and the Shaller tuner BARELY fits between the two on the treble side.

those measurements are just about the same as mine ...

you can always tilt the tuners ...

Thanks Jeff, I hadn't thought about tilting the tuners.

Here's a question to the forum members: I just purchased a 4004 Cheyenne I, would you consider it a future collectable? The reason I'm asking is I'm getting the urge to perform the "Rath conversion", yes or no?

I would consider a Ci to be collectable, as they are no longer produced, and there are very limited numbers available. Whether it will appreciate in value substantially I can't say, but doing an irreversable mod to it essentially destroys it in my eyes.

hey that's cool ... but for me I'm more of a player than a collector ... a 4 string is of little use to me ... so a five string conversion makes the bass more valueable ...

Pretty soon I will convert a 4003 4 string into a 4003 5 string complete with binding and triangular inlays and I will remove the dreaded mute and ric-o-sound ...

Who knows ... maybe someday the Rath conversions will become collectable ... that's a big maybe ...

the reason I do the conversions is because I need 5 string basses for the music I play ...

I'll have to think this out before I drill any holes.

drilling holes in a Ric bass that costs over $1000 and will only go up in value if left alone is a scary thing to do ... I had to work up the courage to do it ... but it's not like putting a leo quan bridge or a p-bass pickup on a 4001 ...

And it is reverseable if you are willing to fill the hole ... I could reverse my 4004L easily because of the Jetglo finish ...

But since I have no plans of selling my modded Rics what difference does it make???

Jeff
That's where I'm at, of all the basses I have this would be the only one I'd do it to. I'm not planning on selling any of the herd soon, if ever. I would like to try the jazz pu in the bridge though, what does it do tone wise? I was lucky, the Cheyenne was only $850.