Model of the Week Six: Rare, unusual, desirable - the 4002

[cassius987]

That picture of yours is borderline pornographic. I have flagged this thread. John Ashcroft is going to shut it down. Bass porn is still porn!

Sounds like you've got the jones for a 4002 real bad Joshua. I think you need to get your hands on one to find out if it's for you or not. Next time you get to Chicago let me know and you can check mine out. ...But you'll have to leave the door open and have a chaperon at all times!

Ha! Actually I have played a 4002 before--iiipopes from the corporate forum lives nearby and he owns one in Walnut finish. It plays and sounds incredible, and he recently added a push-pull to it so he could remove the .1 microfarad cap from the bass tone. Apparently it somehow cures phasing to do this--he wrote about it at length on the other forum. I am still trying to wrap my head around it... he's a really intelligent guy.

Anyways, yes, I'm utterly sold on the 4002. And if I am ever in Chicago I would love to check yours out! No worries though, I promise I will be good.

[atomic_punk]

Here is a little more to make your GAS unbearable...this is the one that got me wanting one.
Thanks, Ted!

[cassius987]

Here is a little more to make your GAS unbearable...this is the one that got me wanting one.
Thanks, Ted!

Is that a Badass on there? Looks like someone snuck it on with matching plexi or something... it's not as striking without being surrounded by white.

[jaymi]

Here is a little more to make your GAS unbearable...this is the one that got me wanting one.
Thanks, Ted!

Is that a Badass on there? Looks like someone snuck it on with matching plexi or something... it's not as striking without being surrounded by white.

\

Dr Ted has great basses!!!!

[rickfan60]

Here is a little more to make your GAS unbearable...this is the one that got me wanting one.
Thanks, Ted!

Is that a Badass on there? Looks like someone snuck it on with matching plexi or something... it's not as striking without being surrounded by white.

That is my '79. Yes, it had a Badass at the time the picture was taken. I had that done back in 1980 because the E saddle on the original bridge would not move rearward enough to get proper intonation. At the time it was not a valuable collector piece - it was a working bass. The mod was totally reversible and included a block of maple inserted into the body route to hold the BA screws. I have since removed the extra maple and reinstalled the original tailpiece. The surround was a special part made by the luthier. It is curly maple stained to look like the walnut finish. A single central screw held it in place.

[rickaddict]

I had that done back in 1980 because the E saddle on the original bridge would not move rearward enough to get proper intonation.... I have since removed the extra maple and reinstalled the original tailpiece.

So can you get the E string to intonate this time around, Mr. Ted?

[rickfan60]

Yeah, it turns out the saddle was jamming against the screw and the bridge and could go back further. I just did not know that back then.

[cassius987]

The surround was a special part made by the luthier. It is curly maple stained to look like the walnut finish. A single central screw held it in place.

How was the sustain with that single screw setup? Innovative at least.

[rickfan60]

The single screw held the wooden surround in place, not the tailpiece itself. The BA had it normal compliment of 5 screws.

[cassius987]

What I mean is...

5 screws from Badass to surround plus surface contact-->1 screw from surround to bass body plus surface contact.

Seems like you might lose some of the energy contained within the surround since there is only one joint to connect it to the body. I dunno, just musing.

[jps]

What I mean is...

5 screws from Badass to surround plus surface contact-->1 screw from surround to bass body plus surface contact.

Seems like you might lose some of the energy contained within the surround since there is only one joint to connect it to the body. I dunno, just musing.

This is all moot as Ted has restored the 4002 and put the original RIC bridge back on it.

[atomic_punk]

Can you re-post the picture of the back of that bass, Ted? I love the color.
Also, do you have a pic of it now, with the restoration?

[rickfan60]

The surround was merely cosmetic. It simply sat around the BA and served to conceal the filled-in mute cavity. It was not part of the acoustic coupling of the tailpiece and body so it had no effect on sustain. I'll pull the 4002 out and take some pictures soon. I don't remember showing it since the restoration.

[jps]

Sounds like it doesn't get much use.

[rickfan60]

For domestic peace reasons I can only have a few out at once. Right now it is my 4001AG, 4003S/8, and my Fakland. The rest are stowed at the moment.