Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Just wondering if anyone has played both the 2009 one and two piece neck types.

Only ask because I have a 2-piece 2009, great bass.

I had a friend who was interested in a Ric, and I found one of the few newies for sale over here, a place that had 2 - a January, and (I think) a week 29.

He's now decided he's not interested in buying....and naturally, given the short supply, I am a little curious for myself - I've just sold some gear.....

I've read here that early 09's were a bigger neck profile - any other years they compare to?

Main thing is the tone, how the two compare. I'd love another 4003, given the high quality of the 2009's. I just want a couple that I can just use without any issues....but not two exactly the same!

An excellent question and would like to know it as well.

I am contemplating buying a newer 4003 as well.

Well, I took my August 2007 (slim neck) and January 2009 (thick neck) 4003s over to Scott Pope's one day to compare, and we both agreed the 2009 had a lot more mids and growl. I really enjoy that bass but I know the profile of the neck is not for everyone. If you are a big fan of, say, how a Jazz Bass feels you may as well forget it.

The early 2009 necks have a feel very similar to the 4004. Maybe I'm just crazy but I love 'em. You can really feel it on the low E and A when you rake the strings.

+1, Tony.

I forgot to mention my 2009 is two of three bass parts on my song Spark. It is the low bass groove and the shimmery chords. http://www.myspace.com/joshuachandlerplaysbass

cassius987 wrote: I forgot to mention my 2009 is two of three bass parts on my song Spark. It is the low bass groove and the shimmery chords. http://www.myspace.com/joshuachandlerplaysbass

Nice work, Josh. Is that your 4003 with the HB-1's in it or does it still have the hi-gains. I ask because I've read that you've done a lot of pickup swapping.

guitfiddle wrote:The early 2009 necks have a feel very similar to the 4004. Maybe I'm just crazy but I love 'em. You can really feel it on the low E and A when you rake the strings.

I may be a little cautious - I found 4004's to be superb basses, apart from the necks.

Saying that, if I'm correct, the fret spacing is narrower on the 4004....so maybe a wider neck with wider spacing could work.

Can anyone compare the size of the early '09s to other years? I had a 2003, and that always felt pretty chunky, but playable.

guitfiddle wrote:Nice work, Josh. Is that your 4003 with the HB-1's in it or does it still have the hi-gains. I ask because I've read that you've done a lot of pickup swapping.

Toasters!! Dual Toasters that is...

Joshua Chandler's convoluted bass mod chronology:
4003FL & 2009 4003: Hi-Gains-->Toasters-->HB-1s

So I've settled on HB-1s for both, but the two 2009 4003 parts on that song (and the 4003FL lead part) are all with Toaster pickups. I find HB-1s are not all that different to my ears, just more clear/articulate and lacking the 60 cycle hum if anything.

spongebob wrote:

guitfiddle wrote:The early 2009 necks have a feel very similar to the 4004. Maybe I'm just crazy but I love 'em. You can really feel it on the low E and A when you rake the strings.

I may be a little cautious - I found 4004's to be superb basses, apart from the necks.

Saying that, if I'm correct, the fret spacing is narrower on the 4004....so maybe a wider neck with wider spacing could work.

Yep -- I think you're right about the fret spacing now that you mentioned it.

cassius987 wrote:

guitfiddle wrote:Nice work, Josh. Is that your 4003 with the HB-1's in it or does it still have the hi-gains. I ask because I've read that you've done a lot of pickup swapping.

Toasters!! Dual Toasters that is...

Joshua Chandler's convoluted bass mod chronology:
4003FL & 2009 4003: Hi-Gains-->Toasters-->HB-1s

So I've settled on HB-1s for both, but the two 2009 4003 parts on that song (and the 4003FL lead part) are all with Toaster pickups. I find HB-1s are not all that different to my ears, just more clear/articulate and lacking the 60 cycle hum if anything.

Interesting. I'll bet the HB-1's sound a little different on a 4003 than a 4004 however. My guess is that the circuitry has a lot to do with it. My 4004L really needs a lot of brightening up by comparison. Great bass for that deep resonating sound though.

Well I am consistently surprised when people say they sound dark because I don't think that, but it could just be a matter of taste. Anyways, compared with Toasters, I really only notice a difference in terms of the very good articulation of the HB-1s versus the semi-compressed "smoothness" of the Toasters. I opt for the HB-1 sound in the end.

Wiring does play a role... actually the way a 4004 is wired is sort of like 1/2 of a Ric-O-Sound signal. When you use Ric-O-Sound, each pickup gets two pots assigned to it without the impedance loading of the other two (and usually sounds better as a result). I think that's why Rickenbacker calls the 4004 circuit a "low loss" circuit. If you think yours needs brightening, try adding 500K or 1M pots, or perhaps 500K vol / 1M tone.

I just got to try a new 2009 split neck, and it plays like butter, on top of that the finish quality, and the Fireglo finish is outstanding, the sound (to me at least) is nothing like the 4004's. Wonderful tone, even with factory default strings.

My only problem now is resisting (so far I'm failing) the temptation to buy this wonderful lady as I'd get it for a fantastic price.

Get thee behind me Fireglo !!!

Last week I played a brand new 4001V64S at Pick of the Ricks that I believe had been recently manufactured because I saw it come right out of the shipping box. I suspect it has the same neck profile as the new 4003's. It had a thin neck and played great, yet I think somehow the sound was a little different. He also had some older 4001V64's there that I thought actually sounded a little better. In fact I almost bought one of them but I just couldn't get around that reverse headstock. Maybe if I payed in a Beatles tribute band the I might like it, but I really prefer the normal headstock. Anyway, if this is any indications of what the new necks are like, I think they play better but they sound a little different from the string vibration perspective.

Tony, they had to be C64 basses, V63s haven't been made since about 2000.

johnallg wrote:Tony, they had to be C64 basses, V63s haven't been made since about 2000.

Hi John. Just to clarify, here's what he had:

http://www.pickofthericks.com/potr_0501 ... stock.html

"New 2009 4001c64S Midnite Blue""

"New 2009 4001c64S Mapleglo"

Looks like he just sold the regular c64 (Jetglo) that I thought played great. All three had reverse headstocks.