Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

And I have mixed feelings about it...really haven't spent a night with only it since last March when I got the 4004 Laredo. I really am not so taken with the 1975 4001 anymore. And it was more than just the fritzy output jack...

And it really can't be the size of the neck...I love playing my Jazz Bass, and that neck is more of a toothpick up near the nut...the 4001 seemed too brassy with the RW's I have on it (although they were basically brand new brightness)...the neck a bit too thin front to back. And the binding just makes my wrist hurt.

Not looking to start a fire thread about the differences, for better or worse, between the 4003 and 4001, or if 4004's sound like dog **** or not.

I think that I really like my 2004 4004L far better than my 1975 4001, at least at this point. And I suppose the neck issue could be clouded by the fact the J bass is fretless...maybe if I played that with a P bass neck I'd like the fretless more???

Anyway, sort of a pang of guilt actually fessing up to this. Aren't vintage guitars supposed be "all that"? But my first love is not my #1 anymore...not even my #2.

Moods change. Most everyone who posted about old guitars they've regretted selling started out with the same reasons.
You may come around full circle again in time, so don't do anything hasty
Besides, aren't the new models SUPPOSED to be improvements over the older ones?
The guitar player in my band has gone through literally dozens of guitars & 5 or 6 amps in the past 15 or 20 years searching for that elusive something.

Oh, I'm not going to sell it. The wife wouldn't let me!

I just feel guilty saying I don't love the 4001 so much anymore...

Some folks here might call that "growth"...

As far as vintage guitars being "all that"; that's fairly subjective.
True that in the 70s there were some offenders that made the old stuff look better, but these days that's changed.
I've had many a heated discussion about certain re-issues that cost up to five figures being sloppy- my argument being that that was how they were built in the late 50s....
Factory built to what ever the existing tolerances were...
You know the saying "It never rained in the summers of our childhood"...
So-
Like what you like. Don't feel bad that your mood has changed, but if you can, hold onto your first love; you won't regret it in the end.

Ed - I feel exactly the same way towards my first bass after my Ric arrived. I still play it occasionally just to use it - but still have a little pang of guilt that the bass I first had and learned most everything on is now my #2.

There's nothing badly put together about the 4001, aside from some of the typical 70's 4001 issues...output jack, it needed a neck repair in the early 80's.

I just found myself not liking the feel that much Tuesday, and Thursday at the full band rehearsal I felt a lot better playing the Laredo.

Then again, I did have those bridge cable Fender 9050 ML's on the 4001 for a long while, and LOVED it, except for the fact that the neck couldn't handle the tension and the action was a bit too high. Now, with lower tension RW's on it the neck relief is fine, the action is low, but it just feels and sounds so different.

And the Ricky tone is just a little too brash. I know folks strive for that, but I like to tone that down and put it in when I need the contrast. Maybe it's the strings, and they have to deaden a bit...

That was something about the 4001 a year ago...those flats were sooooo old that the bass sounded like **** un-amplified, but when I played through an amp with the band it sounded fantastic. I'm noticing that with the RW's on the Laredo (the same bulk Musician's Friends strings as I have on the 4001) that I'm starting to get that effect...although the strings on the 4004, while "dead" compared to the strings on the 4001 are still quite a bit more peppy that the Fender 9050 ML's on the J Bass...

It had been a while since I've experimented with strings, and it seems these Rougue RW's work fine on the 4004, but NOT the 4001. But the 4001 really likes the tension profile of these strings - I just don't like the effect the strings have on the bass.

May the next step is to put TI Jazz Flats on the 4001?

I can't really speak about a 4004, because I've never played one (I want one badly though!) But I can understand where you're coming from...but from a different angle. I've actually been drawn to my 74 4001 instead of my 4003 & 3001 as of late. I recently had some work done to the bass (p/u rewound, .0047 cap removed, etc...) and it just sounds so good to me now. It's FAR from mint - no Rick-o-sound anymore, shimmed up nut, neck repair - but DAMN is it a kick *** bass. I think it's moods, current project, and also as cheesy as it sounds I think some basses "appreciate" being put back into the rotation as it were.

As as for flats: I'm really interested in putting some on my 4003 in hopes of getting excited about that bass again.

Actually Ed when I said offenders I meant the "Big 2" brands. The F n' G brands.
Ricks never took a nose dive like those...

I swing back and forth all the time. I can tell you this- my '75 could NOT be my only bass. It goes 3-4 weeks sometimes without being played.
I have a fairly diverse fleet of basses, 2 Rickenbackers, 3 fenders, one Frankenstein and the Frickenbird I am building.

I find that by having a few very different kinds of basses it make the 4001 very special.

Don't sell it until it at least triples in value....if you have secind thoughts, though, I might consider- never mind.

What's the ser# if you don't mind posting, not the whole # just a ball park; mine is either #290 or $291 on Peter M's database, I regiestered it here 7-8 years ago.

OJ 72XX

I bet the TI's would be KILLER on a 4001.

Dont feel bad Ed - tastes change. In a very short space of time i have owned 3 ricks. only my first, my white 4003 is a keeper. I sold my second (a hammered 73 jetglo) and used the money for a 2002 4003 burgundy that i bought from Mike Parks. I hated the neck so its currently for sale in a local store.

This is my current collection - i like each one very much, and they all sound great. Youll notice two of them are.......not rickenbackers!

(sorry double post)

The Precision on the right is especially nice- Oly WHite with Tort and rosewood fingerboard...MMMMM... is it a '62RI?

I see it had D'Addario Chromes- they are a terrific string IMO.

Dave it is a Fender Japan "62-53" in vintage white/tort. Dont see many of them here in the uk. vintage small frets, amazing neck. both my P's have an SD vintage pickups in them.

Actually all of my basses are strung with D'Addario Prosteels.

All of them sound great! However in my opnion i have NEVER played/owned a rick that matches my white 4003 so for now im not looking for any other ricks