Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Last Monday I went down to Rudy's Music in Manhattan to pick up some strings when I spied a brand new 2006 4001C64 JG in the window. Of course, I had to check it out up close. The first thing I noticed in regards to vintage accuracy was the notched tailpiece - 3 screws, not 5. (It looks to be steel, not aluminum, but I could be mistaken.) Also featured are the vintage pickups - toaster & alnico poled horseshoe, dot inlays that look like they could be MOP, vintage style TRC & knobs, squared heel at the base of the neck, and upside-down headstock. The tuners are the old Schaller type WITHOUT the 'Rickenbacker' insignia on the back, single slot screws, not Philips.

I plugged it into a Mesa Boogie tube bass head - WOW! This sucker cranks. The horseshoe must be in the 12-14k range - VERY loud, which I like. It actually over powered the toaster a bit, but the toaster was set very low from the factory, so I had the bass tech from Rudy's raise it for me - that helped a bit with the balance. The horseshoe had room to be lowered, too. The action is nice and low, very comfortable and easy to play. Great looking Rosewood fretboard, as well. And the bass looks great in the Jetglo finish.

There was also a "Fireglo" version there, too. I didn't play it, assuming it was a similar setup to the JG. However, I've got to say that the "Fireglo" finish leaves a bit to be desired. There is really no fade to speak of from the pink center to the red edge. The colors are juxtaposed with the effect of a stripe, not a burst. The hue of the outer edge looks to be fluorescent red right out of a spray can. A very different effect from fireglo finishes of the 60s, 70s, & early 80s.

Anyway, aside from my beef with the "Fireglo" finish, the JG I played is solid on all counts. If I didn't already have a 4001V63, I probably snag this one. Actually, I probably snag the "Fireglo" and have if converted to a Blueburst. But that's just my trip.

Thanks Mark! If I didn't like to see maple so bad, I'd get one in JG!
I should able to drop into Rudy's in June on my annual "work" trip to NYC.

Mark, did you notice if they had any skinny-stringed Ricks there? I'm due for a trip up anyway.

Hey John - I didn't notice what Rudy's has in the way of 6 or 12 strings, but 30th St Guitars has some pretty interesting stuff including a 1963 450/12 that sounds amazing. It appears to be all original, too.

Mark,
How did it feel compared to the real thing

Hey Gerry -

I may not have the most sensitive touch when it comes to this kind of comparison, but I did notice that the 4001V63 neck is not as thin as an RM-1999, and the fretboard radius is a little flatter, too. It feels a lot like the neck of my 1979 4001V63 conversion. The sustain of the V63 was actually very good, but perhaps not quite as resonant as the RM-1999. My '68 4001 feels very similar to the RM. I think age is a key component in how these basses play & feel. In addition to the slight differences in construct between the RM & V63, the V63 just feels like a new bass, as opposed to something that's been broken in.