Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

That board looks SOOOOOOO wide to me! I am so used to the 4003 board. I guess it caters mostly to the people who think the 4003s5 is too tight.

that would be me, Steve. the 4003s5 is way too tight for me...needs to be spaced more like a stingray 5...

Re: photos on the Apple:
If you export using Preview, there is an option to enter the target file size. Preview is part of the OS, so everyone has it...

most of my posted photos are 400 pixels or less ...

I have Photoshop 5.5 so I don't know if this will apply to you. After resizing the file to 500x* pixels and click to save the file a JPEG Options window opens where I can set the Quality level and there is a readout at the bottom showing the size of the file to be saved in Kbs, I just keep trying different levels till I get under 36K.

Thought I would let everyone know how the new bass plays and sounds now that I've gone through one rehearsal with it. First of all, the fatter neck and string spacing makes it easier to manage than my 4003/5. Even though I have small hands, I actually like the wider spacing of the new bass.

In terms of sound, I am still a bit unsure if this sounds better than the 4003. Humbuckers are hotter and cut really well in the mix but definitely sound different than the traditional Rick sound. My band liked it a lot. By the way, we rehearse through In ear monitors so the sound is directly to my head.

Finally, the B string doesn't seem to have as much punch/volume as the other 4 strings. Not sure why but the 4003 has better consistency. Not sure if there is anything I can do to improve this.

All in all, I really like this bass but an argument can be made that the 4003/5 is a better instrument.

Regards,

Paul

you can widen the spacing at the bridge on the 4003s5 from 2 1/16" to 2 1/4" by putting in new saddles and cutting the grooves farther apart ... I have done this for 6 five string ric basses ... I find it helps ... but 2 1/2" is my favorite spacing at the bridge and 1 3/4" at the nut ...

I use the in ear monitors as well ... it is nice to get rid of floor monitors and keep the stage volume down ...

For B string volume check the height adjustment of the pickup...

check to see if the string spacing doesn't put the B string beyond the width of the pickup ...

check to see if there is a problem with the B string itself ...

I'm not sure a 4004 is better or worse than a 4003 ... they are different animals ... I have some of each and like them both ...

Jeff,

Thanks for the tips. After seeing your post, it occurred to me that the B string might be the issue. Believe it or not, when my dealer called Rickenbacker to confirm shipment, they said that it would take another 1-2 days because they were out of B strings. My dealer pushed them hard to ship even without the string and they said they would (and did). It's very possible that they put on an old string just to get it out.

Regards,
Paul

a good set of bass strings for a five string bass is a challenge ... many manufacturers make good 4 string sets but throw in a lifeless B string on their five string sets ... I am pretty sure the 4004CII5 has the same pickups as the late model 2000 series basses ... very hot humbuckers ... pretty good full range sound and growl ... I had a 90's 2030 and it was so hot the pickups would feed back when I turned them all the way up ...

I am thinking about getting a translucent red 4004CII5 one of these days ...

Paul, I just got home from a business trip and saw that you got your 4004Cii5. Congrats, it's beautiful, enjoy it. It is just like the one I ordered. I see that you posted about the B string not having the same punch as the rest of the strings. Is the B string that way with both pickups, or do you hear a difference between the bridge pickup and neck pickup? How is the response from the G string on that bass from each pickup?

Hey Joey,

Thanks for the comments. To answer your question, yes, the B string sounds less punchy regardless of pickup setting. I am going to restring it later today and see what happens. The G string sounds fine from each pickup.

Regards,

Paul

Jeff-