Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Nope ... I visited Phoenix to finish up stuff for my mom's estate. While I was there a forum member showed me his collection of Rics and non Ric basses ...

jwr2 wrote:Nope ... I visited Phoenix to finish up stuff for my mom's estate. While I was there a forum member showed me his collection of Rics and non Ric basses ...

Mike does have a great collection! I haven't seen it other than what Mike brought to the Columbus confluence, like what you were holding there, Jeff. He did tell me about it over dinner last August when Mike was in town for a convention.

While you had the 4005 in your hands did you have thoughts of 4005/5s?

I was telling Mike about the 4005/6 and the 4005/8 and I said I think Ric made some 4005 5 string basses as an experiment ...

But it was my first time playing a 4005 ... it sounded better than I expected with the pickup placement ... it was kind of weak and quiet as many 60s Ric basses are. I gave Mike some advice how to make it louder by raising the pickups. This 4005 sounded nice with the neck pickup soloed. The 4005 seems like a bass that would really benefit from high gain pickups. Also They should have added a middle pickup to the design.

IIRC, all this time you made light of 4005s but as you found out they really are nice basses. I find them to be the most tonally versatile Ricks; their sound can be tailored with different strings and given the wide pickup placement there is a greater range from dubby to bright and twangy, and the classic Squire/Lee grind can be had with 4005s. I agree that the '60s pickups are lower in output but the tone is all there.

01/15/2008 @ The Doll Hut in Anaheim. That's a Transonic cabinet I'm playing through.

jwr2 wrote:Here's me playing a 60s 4005 ...

Jeff+Rath-s.JPG

I knew it wasn't yours - only has 4 strings! You look good with it, Jeff!

I was after a 4005/5 at somewhere,like CME. It was overpriced for the time, so I figured I had time to save up and get it. Suddenly, poof! It's sold.
Later, reading the Tom Petty interview in Guitar Player, he mentions he recently picked one up.
Tom, you shattered my dream, punk!

blueflamerick wrote:01/15/2008 @ The Doll Hut in Anaheim. That's a Transonic cabinet I'm playing through.

The tone of your 4003 BB was great through the Transonic cab.

jps wrote:IIRC, all this time you made light of 4005s but as you found out they really are nice basses. I find them to be the most tonally versatile Ricks; their sound can be tailored with different strings and given the wide pickup placement there is a greater range from dubby to bright and twangy, and the classic Squire/Lee grind can be had with 4005s. I agree that the '60s pickups are lower in output but the tone is all there.

I still think a 70s 4001 or a 4003 blows a 4005 away ...

shamustwin wrote:I was after a 4005/5 at somewhere,like CME. It was overpriced for the time, so I figured I had time to save up and get it. Suddenly, poof! It's sold.
Later, reading the Tom Petty interview in Guitar Player, he mentions he recently picked one up.
Tom, you shattered my dream, punk!

How many 4005/5 basses were built? I figure less than 10 ...

That's a good question. In my research, I've seen only mention of a five-string, never photos. I've seen photos of a couple of six-string 4005, and seen in person a couple of eight-string 4005s. If only someone who actually knew would add that tidbit to my book . . . .

bassduke49 wrote:That's a good question. In my research, I've seen only mention of a five-string, never photos. I've seen photos of a couple of six-string 4005, and seen in person a couple of eight-string 4005s. If only someone who actually knew would add that tidbit to my book . . . .

Hmm, this MUST be a rare one, huh?

I found this pic surfing the web recently....

A leftie six?! Wow, I'll say it's rare. Peter Levett, where are you? Anybody know where this is now?

bassduke49 wrote:A leftie six?! Wow, I'll say it's rare. Peter Levett, where are you? Anybody know where this is now?

Paul,

I found it digging REALLY DEEP at this site:

http://www.truetonemusic.com/index.html

Apparently, it belongs to a customer.

As far as I am aware this is the only lefty 4005/6 that was made. I was offered it for mega bucks a couple of years ago but turned it down.