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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 7:42 am
by shackleton
Any one have one? How about a review?
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:02 am
by edski
There are some out there, but they are not in current production. I am not sure, but reasonably so, if/when these are due again.
The reviews were the bridge PU had to be re-designed. Otherwise they were/are like the other 4004's but just with 5 strings. A different animal than a converted Rath Rick...his 5'ers are converted 4's...
In general, the pictures of the Cii's in general, they are all stunning guitars. The 5's were especially nice.
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 8:17 am
by jnbass
some guy(s) got 2!
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:29 am
by jps
And I got to play em both!
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:25 pm
by pma
I did have two but traded one to Brian Crisman for a Jetglo 4004 Laredo that Jeff Rath converted for me to a 5 string. I now have 3 of Jeff's 4-2-5's. Brian later sold the Cii/5 since he did not like the much fatter neck.
I still have one Cii/5 but do not play it given the pickup issue. I am patientily waiting for Rickenbacker to resume production and say what they've done to address the pickup issue. Hopefully, it is a retrofit of some sort to the original ones made so far.
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:57 pm
by highway_star
What color is yours, Paul?
Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:35 am
by jwr2
Rickenbacker has produced 2 different 5 string basses ... both had flaws ...
The 4003s5 is and excellent sounding bass but it cam with a string spacing of about 2 1/16" or 2 1/8" which some players found too tight ... many of us adjusted to the tighter spacing and really liked the 4003s5 ... Pick players especially like the s5 ... on the 4003s5 I modify the bridge with replacement saddles so the spacing is 2 1/4" ... this makes it more finger friendly ...
The 4004cii5 is a beautiful bass ... it has the same string spacing as a musicman 5 string bass ... so someone into thumb slapping or someone with big hands would love the cii5 ... but the flaw the 4004cii has is the pickups are too narrow to cover the 2 3/4" spacing of the strings ... the pickups used have 2 1/4" steel rails ... so the problem is the B and G strings have much lower volume and sound kind of out of phase ... which is really a shame because the rest of the bass is well done ...
Because Rickenbacker is not currently producing a 5 string bass some of us are converting the 4 string version of the 4004 into a 5 string bass ... this gives you a bass which is still slim for the left hand but is wide enough to be played fingerstyle and has all 5 strings covered by the pickups ...
The current status of the 4004cii5 is the pickups are being redesinged and it will be produced again at a future date ...
Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:41 am
by jwr2
Actually there was also a 4005 5 string bass made a long time ago but I have never seen a picture ... I would think there were very few of these made ...
Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 3:16 pm
by pma
Ron, my Cii/5 is trans red.
Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:46 pm
by highway_star
Paul, I'm drooling. I love tranny red. I can't wait for the pickup redesign. I'm really tempted to find a tranny red one and put new pickups in it anyway, Ric sound be damned.
Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:29 pm
by jnbass
tranny red!
Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 8:15 am
by cheyenne
Tranny Red
Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 8:16 am
by jnbass
Paul!
Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 10:11 am
by j_gary
SOLD!
Cash or check Scott?
Me likey!
Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 10:45 am
by rickenbrother
I love that trans red Cii of Scott's also. Jared had just beat me to the one he has.