Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Check out Brian Jones' last televised appearance with the Stones on David Frost:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vphuZOEH ... re=related

Bill's on maracas until about 1:54

I've a book around my place that has a still shot of Bill Wyman from this appearance with the 4005. It's B&W so, I don't have much of an idea on the color...probably Burgundy or JG. Thanks for posting that.

Bill always struck me as a RM1999 type. Seeing him use a Ric is really something else. He endorsed Framus and Vox basses in the 60's, but I think the Fender Jazz and all Ric basses were for him, too. Glad to see he's used a Ric at least once in his life with the Stones. I wonder if he's still got it. I know for a fact he's still got the Framus basses, don't know about the Vox, and the Fender Mustang he used til about '72/'73 was stolen from Keith's home studio.

I wonder why he didn't christen the 4005 on the Rock & Roll Circus about a week later. He used a Vox Volin bass on that, which in John Entwistle's opinion was the worst playing bass ever. That show had nothing but Fenders and Gibsons (aside from John Lennon's Epiphone Casino and Bill's Vox bass), with Vox, Fender and Hiwatt amps.

Looks like a faker from here, guys.

Read somewhere that Wyman's Rick was actually some Italian made knockoff.

The body looks short and fat, not long and sleek like a 4005. Might just be the video though.

I'll get to my book tonight and try to scan in a pic. Maybe that will shed some light.

I agree - it looks more like a 360 than a 4005.

It's a Shaftesbury. 330 shape.

Sticky fingered faker!

Just watched the vid; it IS a fake, the headstock isn't a Cresting Wave shape.

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I though he might be playing a guitar, rather than a bass! Shaftesbury, eh? You'd think the bassist for the Rolling Stones could afford some real gear, and not just whatever basses he could make himself or get for cheap. Brian and Keith certainly had some fancy gear!

Although I've read that Bill was self-conscious about playing long-scale basses, and preferred a short scale. It must have been difficult to find a short scale bass that wasn't a Hofner associated with you know who.

beefandbones wrote:Yeah, that's one of the reasons I though he might be playing a guitar, rather than a bass! Shaftesbury, eh? You'd think the bassist for the Rolling Stones could afford some real gear, and not just whatever basses he could make himself or get for cheap. Brian and Keith certainly had some fancy gear!

Although I've read that Bill was self-conscious about playing long-scale basses, and preferred a short scale. It must have been difficult to find a short scale bass that wasn't a Hofner associated with you know who.

Shaftesbury built a bass in the shape RIC should have, though not nearly so well as RIC should have.

It's like the missing pieces of a puzzle: 330 and 360 OS basses, complete with a 300 series style headstocks. How cool would those be? Add Joey Rickenbrother's idea for a 381 bass and it would be perfect!

If I ever find a neckless 330 body on Ebay or somewhere, I'll...

Bill Wyman told me via e-mail sometime around 1996 that he has never had a desire to play or own a Rickenbacker. I had asked him if the story was true that Rickenbacker had special made a short scale bass for him to use on the 1972 tour.