Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Would Rickenbacker ever make the 4004 available again with a maple fingerboard? I for one would love one especially with the newer pickup configuration. I loved the original 4004's and they are becoming a rarity especially here in the UK. Would others be interested or do most prefer the bubinga fingerboard.

For sure bassists like Bruce Foxton who is looking to go back to Rickenbacker basses would, as he prefers to play maple fingerboards.

There is no doubt that the 4004 in fireglo looks sensational with a maple fingerboard!

How different would it sound with the newer pick up positioning, would there be much difference in sound to the bubinga fingerboards?

maple is cool ...

It's also a little softer than Bubinga !!

Warren, how do you know that Bruce Foxton wants to play Ricks again?

more maple fretboards ...

I don't have a preference either way as far as playability and I think they both look good for different reasons with different finishes. I will say that I certainly prefer the tung oil finish on the neck surface vs. the conversion varnish.

Light vs. dark.....

I get confused with all the 4004 model names, which one(s) specifically had maple fretboards?

It's not the names, necessarily, that denote the maple fingerboards. RIC changed from maple to bubinga a few years back. The Fireglo above in Jeff Rath's post is mine, and it's a '97. Jeff did his Vol/Vol/Tone trick on it for me last summer.

The first 4004s were the Cheyenne (4004C with the walnut body wings, gold-plated hardware) and the Laredo (all maple body, chrome plated hardware), debuting in 1993. Next came the "Cheyenne II" (usually labeled 4004Cii) which at first had a maple top to the body, but still had the walnut body wings underneath. I think when the Cii came in, they switched to the bubinga fretboard. Recently, the body construction changed to a "sandwich" of maple top and back, with a walnut "filling." There's probably tonal reasons for this construction as well, but the walnut "filling" reduces the weight of the bass, too.
I think at the same time the Cheyennes went to bubinga fretboard, the Laredo's did too.
The ornately carved (and rarer than hens' teeth) 4004LK Lemmy Killmister (Motorhead) "signature" edition (above in Brian Crisman's post aside a 4004C) is based on the 4004 design, but in addition to the oak-leaf/acorn carving (all done by hand, by the way), it has a checker-bound body, bound neck, bubinga fretboard with star position markers, three humbucking pickups, and gold-plated hardware.

Whew!

the 4004CI has a maple fretboard ... the 4004CII has bubinga ... the 4004L used to be maple and now is bubinga ...

I think the maple looks better but rosewood/bubinga sounds better ...

that Lemmy bass looks good ... maybe Ric could do a 4004 model like the Lemmy model without the carving ... just the walnut body wings and binding ...

Hi John, was talking to Bruce recently, he has always said that he prefers Rickenbackers looks wise over fenders, although he has used fender precision for most of his career, due to a better tonal sound, in his opinion. I mentioned to him about the 4004 which he was unaware of, and excited about.

I'm actually going to see Rick Buckler from The Jam with his new band The Gift on Sat, Bruce will be there so I will have another good chat with him.

Do you think Mr Hall will ever offer the 4004 with a maple fingerboard again?

I have to agree with Jeff that a 4004 similar to the Lemmy model with walnut body wings with binding would look sensational.

It was done with the 2050, 2060 and the 4003, so why not the 4004!

I've thought of that too.....sort of a "deluxe" Cheyenne. I'd like to see more walnut body winged basses from Ric.....but since the standard model didn't sell well enough to stay in production I'm not sure it is a realistic dream.

A 4004Cii/V68 with walnut front/back top over maple wings with checkerboard binding, full width shark fin inlays, 3-HB-1 p/u's.......maybe that is what the BIG plan is for the 75th Anniversary..........!

Has anymore been muted on the custom shop, I emailed Rickenbacker last year and a guy there said they were going to have a custom shop. He also said the new website would be up in a month, and that was about a year ago, so it was a year late! Not complaining there, its one of the best websites I've seen.