Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Does anyone know where I could get my hands on a Rick 8 string bass? Any model will do: 4003S/8, 4005/8WB, or 4008. Am I missing one?

Welcome aboard, Rick. (What a perfect name!!!)

Try:
http://www.the-music-connection.com/ric.htm

and
www.rickenbacker-asia.com

And this:
http://www.bassviews.com/showlisting.cgi?lid=121
They want $950 for this:

Good luck in your search. The 4003S/8 will be the easiest to find of the three you mentioned, but still may prove a challenge. The other two are pretty rare, and you'll pay a very high price if you locate one, I suspect.

That bass a bove doesn't have the original bridge pickup, if I'm not mistaken.

Thank you guys. You're all very resourceful. The webpage from Japan wants too much plus shipping will be outrageous. The music connection website looks promising. Thanks again.

Hard to tell, but the bridge pu (with the parallel magnet "stripes") looks a bit like the Seymour Duncan humbucker sold as a direct replacement (i.e. an easy-to-undo mod) for Rics (my '78 4001 came with one).

Hmm, either your eyes or your monitors must be better than mine. I thought the neck PU looked like a toaster.
Could someone tell me what it is like to play an 8 string? I'm having trouble imagining. This might merit a trip to GC to see if they have one I could try but I have a real problem keeping my wallet in my pocket there.

I have played a couple 8's. Dean makes a real cheap one you can find just about anywhere. It is a good one to buy if you are just learning how to play one. I have also played a beautiful koa wood Tune 8 string bass from Japan. www.tunebass.com Playing an 8 is great if you are not in a band and playing a lot of solo stuff. I thought it would be difficult at first to hit the notes dead-on, but it really wasn't. The action was low on the 8's I've played so they were easy to get around the board. You get a much fuller sound w/an 8 and that is really the only way to describe the sound... Full.

The neck pickups on the (at least later) 4003S/8s are toasters.

Eights are the same as playing a four, except you have to work a little harder to make sure both strings (since they are octave pairs) ring true. I found it a bit fatiguing on the left hand at first, since you have more string pressure to deal with, but other than that it isn't that big an adjustment from a four.

Sound wise, the eight is like a twelve string, only lower, and likewise fills a lot of sonic space. The Rics are strung upside down (ie low note first, then octave) compared to most 12 strings, which plays better with fingers, but is still manageable with a pick.

I had a '93 4003S/8 and used it for several years as my main 8 string.

The problem with the Ric is that the bridge is basically just the regular 4 string bridge with two notches in each saddle rather than 8 individual saddles. I bought mine new for $900 and sold it for $1435 two years ago. My current 8 string is a Zon Legacy.

That Zon 8 is big bucks. Over 3k. Any other websites out there w/cheaper Zons?

I like my Zons, but wouldn't dream of paying anywhere near list for them. You can pick them up fairly cheap used though, if you're patient. I bought my '90 Legacy Elite V for $1450 and my '83 Legacy 8 for $1350. Zon doesn't make the Legacy in an 8 string version anymore, and his Sonus series have bolt-on necks.

I used to own a 4008 back in the day and I must say that was one awsome sounding 8..and the only bass I ever regret selling..BTW I never had any tuning issues with that bass(even though it had the 4 string bridge)and it REALLY filled some sonic space..great in a trio(guit,bass drums)setting...that black one is sharp and for $950. it's real tempting...

Sadly, the BASSVIEWS 4003s/8 is sold. My hunt goes on.....