Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi Everyone - I'm new to this forum (though I did register for what I thought was this one about 20 months ago, when it was hosted on a different domain?)

Anyway, I've been a Ricoholic for over 30 years, and here is the majority of my current collection to demonstrate my insanity over these instruments -

Here is the Model/Color/Serial#/Date of Birth List -

Model 59 Lap Steel
Black w/Silver
E 2421
1941(?)

4005 Semi-Hollow Bass
Burgundyglo (refinished over MG)
GC 1302
March 1967

4005 Semi-Hollow Bass
Jetglo
GC 1178
March 1967

4005 Semi-Hollow Bass
Mapleglo
IA 012
January 1969

4001 Solid Body Bass
Fireglo
MG 2819
July 1973

4001 Solid Body Bass (Fretless now - sent to factory in late 70s for truss rod repair...they sent back a different body/neck, but used original electronics)
Jetglo
MD 1364
April 1973

4001 Solid Body Bass
Mapleglo
OK 7396
November 1975

4003FL Solid Body Fretless Bass
Jetglo
I2 6703
September 1989

4003/8 Solid Body 8-String Bass
Mapleglo
J7 7520
October 1994

4003 Solid Body Bass
Mapleglo
01 49511
December 2001

Not in this shot -
4003FL Solid Body Fretless Bass
Mapleglo
04 27922
July, 2004

Two others I have, not listed above, are back in Baltimore - an October, 1976 Mapleglo 4001, and a 1978 4001FL yellow/cream custom-colored Fretless, for when I visit back east....the '69 4005 Mapleglo in this shot is also in Baltimore now, so I'm "covered" there when I go to visit.

Also, I am inheriting a 1969 Fireglo 366-12, in mint condition, complete with the converter system. It was my brother's, and he left it to me in his will, so I will take a pic of it and post it here when I get it back here to Malibu.

Great forum here, for all us RIC NUTS!!!! As has been said, one can never have too many guitars...specifically Rickenbackers!!!!

welcome!

And here's my latest GAS attack result, a year ago already -

4003FL Solid Body Fretless Bass
Mapleglo
04 27922
July, 2004

Welcome Jim, it's always great to see another lover of the 4005 basses!

I have a Feb. '67 4005WB in Jetglo, this being the first Rickenbacker I ever bought, back in '73.

Everybody all together!

Hi Jim!!!

Wow, Jim, that's a heck of a collection!! It should make some 4005 owners drool! I personally love the S8 and the 4005's as well. Welcome to the Forum, hope you share your views and info with us.

Jim....Welcome, friend!!

4005's.....you KNOW what they are about!!

Me and my babies..

Welcome Jim, I have a 72 4001FL and have a new blue boy 4003FL on order, do your dots on the side of the neck correspond with the frets as the old ones do are are they in the middle of the frets?(which doesn't make sense to me) also did your July 2004 mapleglo come with flats or roundwounds on it? If it came with round wounds have they started using a different material for the fretless necks?

Jim welcome ... very nice collection ... you need a 4003s5 to round out your collection ...

Jim,

Welcome to the forum. Please move the front of the 4005 owner's queue!

Hi Guys! Thanks for the warm welcome!

Sean & Andy - thanks!

Jeff - yeah, man...beautiful 4005WB!! Are you the one who has two WBs and two "regular" 4005s? Or is that you, Chris? I've made the pic of the 4 of them lined up into my wallpaper, tiled, of course!

Steve - yeah, I was able to snag those three 4005s all within a 6-week period...everything just came together perfectly! I picked up the S8 about a month prior to the 4005s, and it is a very cool bass...truly a unique sound....almost orchestral in its color.

Chris - yeah, man, I do indeed know the power, beauty, and elegance of Rickenbacker's finest model bass!! Beautiful axes you have there, too, my friend!!

Bob - my latest fretless came with roundwound strings on it, not tapewounds. I emailed Kenny and asked him if RIC still made the tapewounds, and he replied that they'd stopped making them....bummer, indeed!

Does anybody here know of good medium guage tapewounds? I really like those on the fretless...they make it sound really close to an upright, for straight ahead jazz playing.

The dots on the side and on the fingerboard are now only in the center of the frets, unlike the way they used to be on the actual tone, and they're only indicated on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc, unlike the way they used to be, for every fret all the way down the neck, along the side. As far as the woods used, it's still a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard...I don't know if the lacquer is different than on fretted models or not, but I noticed that the roundwound strings started "marking it up"...another reason I want to switch to tapewounds! (I still have the ORIGINAL tapewounds on my 1989 fretless, which I bought in 1995....can you say DEAD STRINGS?!!)

For my 4001/4003s, I use RotoSound Swing Bass RN 66LD strings, .045 to 105. - that awesome sound!! For my 4005s, I use Thomastik-Infeld JR344 Jazz Bass strings, .043 to .089. They're really light guage, very low tension, roundwound, and they sound amazing!! About $10 more expensive than the Rotes, but worth it for the 4005s...truly MY BABIES!! I get them through www.juststrings.com. (Neither Guitar Center nor Sam Ash on Sunset Blvd. has the T-I JR344 set...kinda weird, ya know?!)

Jeff - I've never known of a 5-string 4005? I know of the 4005 8 and 6 bangers, but never a 5...

Correction to above - yes, an invoice indicates they made a 4005/5 in 1972: from "The Complete History of Rickenbacker Guitars", by Richard Smith, page 207....ya made me look it up Jeff, hahaha! I have never even seen a pic of one of those, though....that book doesn't even have a pic of one!

I know you all know about the 4005/6 in Bethesda, MD for a cool $10,600....just a LITTLE over the top of my budget, but I'd love to have it....it looks gorgeous....*pant pant*! I am headed to Baltimore next weekend for 10 days, though...may have to make a drive to Bethesda!

And now something to make us all weep - prices from the "Rickenbacker Technical Data and Price List, Effective June 20, 1968" -

BASS-ELECTRIC
4000--Four string, Solid Body, Mapleglo or Fireglo Finish: $375.50

4001--Four string, Solid Body, Two Pickups, White Binding, Mapleglo or Fireglo Finish: $429.50

4005--Four string, Hollow Body, Two Pickups, Mapleglo or Fireglo Finish: $510.00

4005.6--Six string, Hollow Body, Two Pickups, Mapleglo or Fireglo Finish: $544.00

*One instrument cord and shoulder strap are included.

So, even back then, considering the valuation of US Currency at the time, Rics were EXPENSIVE! And worth every penny!! But ohhhh, to be able to find those vintage instruments at that price....one can only dream....truly!

That's all for the moment, and I'll see you all a bit later!
Jim

That Burgundy 4005...

Welcome, Jim!

Jim ... I was talking about a 4003s5 ...

Welcome Jim! I became a Ricoholic last October when I wandered into Washington Music (Wheaton, MD) and bought a Fireglo 4003. I liked it so much that Rickenbacker has become my main bass. I've since added the following:

1986 4003 Mapleglo with Black Trim
1989 4003s8 White with Black Trim
1995 4003s5 Jetglo
1999 4001v63
1973 4001 Jetglo
2005 4001C64S Jetglo (yes, I got one in Jetglo)
4004 Cheyenne
4004 Cheyenne II

2003 360/12
2005 650S
2004 381v69
2005 380L

Rics are addictive!

Welcome Jim. Hope you'll be able to join us at the So-Cal get together in Santa Ana August 26-28.