Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi all,

I am a longtime bassist, but pretty new to the world of Rickenbacker basses. At any rate, I have a 1973 Mapleglo 4001 (serial # MH XXXX). I get conflicting advice on strings for this bass.

I'm told that I need to stay with light gauge flatwounds to avoid neck problems, while others say that's not necessary. I'm told that this was the reason Rickenbacker moved from the 4001 to the 4003 series, to strengthen the necks and frets. My local Rickenbacker dealer suggested D'Addario light gauge (.045-.100) 1/2 rounds.

Any thoughts from you folks would be most welcome. Thanks!

Oh, by the way, here's what she looks like.

I've got Thomastic flats on my '68 and they work, sound and feel great for that vintage McCartney tone!

Welcome Jack!
The D'Addario Half Rounds in the same guage as a set of XLs will be slightly higher in tension, but shouldn't pose a problem. I myself would use the 40-95 set. I have Half Rounds on my Zon five string fretless and they sound very similar to XLs. On my '73 4001 MGxxxx I use D'Addario Chromes in a custom guage set of 40-55-75-95, and they growl just fine.

40 - 95 ernie ball extra slinky roundwounds will work excellant on it . They dont have as much tension as rotos or ghs .

the new Rics, 1980 and later, can take any kind of strings ... the old 4001 basses were designed for low tension flat wound strings ... but in reality most of the old 4001 basses got strung with round wound strings and did just fine ... I had a '68 that I strung with round wound strings for 30 years and it was stable ...

Welcome to the Forum, Jack. Very pretty bass!

The other guys know more about strings than I do; I would just add to stay away from Rotosounds unless that is really your favorite string, as I have had some fret wear due to them and that is too nice a bass to do that to!

Jack,
I had a very similar '73 MG (ML xxxx) and used .105 rounds on it for as long as I had it, with absolutely no problems. The improvement from the 4001 to 4003 was an improved truss rod design, but the '73 4001 still has dual truss rods and should be fine with either rounds or flats.

I use Dean Markley Blue Steels Med-Lite Roundwounds (45,65,80,105) on my April 73 4001. I've never had any problems.

That's a 1970/71 pickguard you got on your August '73 4001, Jack.

Hmmmmm . . . I'm told that the early 1970s were a mix-and-match transition period for Rick basses. Is this pickguard "wrong", or might it have left the factory this way?

Welcome Jack! Nice '73 there fella!

Sergio....you have the "eagle eye" lol!!

Sergio and Jack, while I'm not certain that the 'guard on Jack's bass is original, I think the shape of it is okay within the period his bass was manufactured. The 'guard on my 4001 LH from 10/72 is basically the same shape, with a finger grip as well. Jack, someone may have put the fingergrip on the bass, but the shape of the 'guard IMO looks good.

It's not the pickguard shape, it's the knob placement and the fingergrip, of course.

the finger rest looks like an add on and it it looks like it is in a slightly wrong place ...