Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Yahoo! Greg's Dark Star 4004, affectionately known as "The Rick of Doom" is on its way as we speak to live with me here in California. Can't wait. For those with short term memories, here's a link to a discussion and pics of it from The Dude Pit.

http://www.vintagebass.com/thedudepit/showthread.php?p=143720#post143720

This may be the bass I bring on tour to the UK rather than my V63.

-Tim

I've always liked that bass. May I suggest a change to a Hipshot A style bridge, which is a direct drop-in if you get the 3/4" spacing. Very nice and adjustable plus it has quick change slots for the strings.

Not a bad idea, Jeffrey. I'll see how the one it has works out first, but I have had instruments with the hipshot bridge - the quick change option is nice. What do they run?

That DS is nice. Curious to hear how it sounds.

Tim, Make SURE you post your thoughts on the Rick of Doom once you have it. I know you'll like it a lot.

And I have right of first refusal if you don't right?

It's just a killer bass. Those pickups are really amazing.

Congrats Tim....I've always been somewhat smitten with that one myself.

Probably around $100.00.

I have one on my Zon Sonus 5/1 and one on my 4003FL.

Greg,

You will ALWAYS have first right of refusal if I ever sell. I will naturally post my notes when comaring it to my V63.

As for the Hipshot bridge I'll just have to see. I'm cheap - hard for me to imagine spending a hundred bucks to replace a bridge that is perfectly functional. If I run across a used one, perhaps.

My Modulus TBX has one and they are nice.

I have both the Hipshot and the stock ABM bridges on my 4004's and while I prefer the Hipshot my main reason for the swaps (on two of them) were because I was swapping all the hardware for black. The stock ABMs are fine. I'm surprised though at how much I like the quick-change-top-loading option of the Hipshot.....especially when cleaning.

I can vouch for the bridge being nice, once you pull the string off the post it just falls off the bass! and of course the adjustability. The dark stars are probably really good if your looking for a quiet pickup, but i gotta say those toasters are the best pickup combination I've ever heard on any rick, and they just drop in, I'm continually being blown away by this bass (pictured above) everytime I pick it up.

Dark Stars quiet? Not sure what you mean by that. If you mean quiet as in low output no way. I have a '68 Guild M-85 that has a pair of original Dark Stars in it. Phenomenal pickups.

- Tim

Dark stars are humbuckers aren't they? That's what I meant by quiet. Some people don't like the "noise" of a rick single coil, but I've never had a problem with it.

Ok- I just did some research and I learned what a dark star is all about. I assumed that the double row of pole pieces was for noise cancelling, but it looks like they're supercharged double single coils. I mean if your gonna cut a huge hole in a rick you better be getting something good out of it. Dark star users probably have to fight that humbucker misperception all the time.

Yup. I've been asked if they are humbuckers before. First time I saw them I thought they were humbuckers. Then I HEARD them. Oh my...

They ARE quiet though. As in not a lot of hum when either is soloed. But the output isn't quiet. They're almost as hot as an active pickup. Very responsive pickup and really brings out the Rick tone. That's what got me. I assumed that they would make the Rick sound not like a Rick. But they EMPHASIZED the Rick sound really well.