Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I read here or on Ric's forum that the 4004's have more bottom end than a 4003. What is the chief contributor to that? The humbuckers?

Having played both I don't agree with that claim, they both have about the same (a lot).

Both have plenty of low end but I believe the 4004 has a "chunkier" sound, a little bit more meat in the tone.

If that makes any sense at all.....

Just for the record, I prefer the tone of the 4003, plenty of lows,mid punch and growl. ( the classic Rickenbacker bass tone ).

The 4004 is , well,,,different. It feels bigger,, with a wider neck, and it can sound very close to a 4003, but has more emphasis in the lower mids I think. A great bass, dont get me wrong, I love my Laredo, but if your looking for the "popular" Rickenbacker tone, go with a 4003.

Or if you want something a little different get the 4004,,ormaybeimjustramblingawaywiththis.

cheyenne wrote:Both have plenty of low end but I believe the 4004 has a "chunkier" sound, a little bit more meat in the tone.

If that makes any sense at all.....

It does, but you'd have hear both to really appreciate that.

I'll embarrass myself one more time for the masses. This is a soundclip I did last summer with my 4004 Laredo. Its strung with DR Highbeams, .40 .60 .80 .100 played through a Fender BXR 25 combo, recorded on my Canon digital camera. I was 3 days recovering from rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder, so forgive my fumbleness.

http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee15 ... I_3614.flv

Thanks for the replies. I just picked up a '09 4003 in January. I'm a beginner, wanted a Ric bass since 8th grade. I'm in the process of creating my own sound, or growl. Just curious, that's all. It would be cool to add a 5 string 4004 at some point in time.

It's great that you've procured a 4003, and I too would like to find a 4004, but a word about 5-string:

In general, these are much more cool to bass players and other musicians than they are to the ear of the audience. The human ear has trouble articulating low notes, and while they do impart a certain rumble that is unmistakable, my take on the low B is that it is most effectively used only as a color bomb at key transistions in a piece of music. 95% standard four bass strings, and 5% low B string, and on my 6-string FL Ken Smith, I usually only go to Db or C only very rarely.

A simple drop D works much better for me and meets the need of the occasional low Eb or D. More than anything, the low B messes up my brain as to why it's there in the first place.

FretlessOnly wrote:A word about 5-string: In general, these are much more cool to bass players and other musicians than they are to the ear of the audience. The human ear has trouble articulating low notes, and while they do impart a certain rumble that is unmistakable, my take on the low B is that it is most effectively used only as a color bomb at key transistions in a piece of music.

That's true. One of my favorite Denver bassists (Ron Bland), who plays a 5-string Ken Smith, uses the B exactly as you describe. Most of the action--all of it for some tunes--is on the upper four strings. He plays in a jazz/fusion/funk outfit by the way, the last time I saw him it was a lot of Brecker Brothers tunes.

If there was a no-mod drop-D-switchable tuner for a Ric I'd invest in one, but there isn't. I can't give up standard tuning most of the time because I love the timbre that comes with the higher tension for most applications, and the strings I use are big enough that I can't gauge up for lower tuning without getting unreasonable.

Getting back on the 4004 track, here's John Hall in Hautewerk playing his 4004Cii at the Yost Theater. The vids are from SCARF '09.
Hautewerk Site Videos Page

Seems you can't find too many 4004s out there in internet land.

FretlessOnly wrote:Seems you can't find too many 4004s out there in internet land.

Pick of the Ricks has several 4004's in stock Larado's and Cii's, As far as bottom end, I feel the 4004's have a thicker bottom end due to the Humbuckers, the Cii has not only a thick bottom end but a much warmer bottom end than the Larado's and the 4003's and on that note are highly favored over my 4003's which get played less and less since I have gotten my Cii and larado'smuch of that has to do with the warmer sound.

John, Wildwood had boatloads of 4004s for the last several months. They are now down to the last Mohican, one that I played myself and love (a Cii MG). Check out the pics... gorgeous. Great price too.

Wow! Just looked at the Wildwood site, the 4004cii with the maple graining and gold hardware is really classy! The addiction has begun!

I suppose if I ever get the itch for lower notes, a drop D tuner seems to be the way to go rather than a 5 string.

coolhandjjl wrote:Wow! Just looked at the Wildwood site, the 4004cii with the maple graining and gold hardware is really classy!

It definitely looks as good in person, and when I demoed it the salesmen stopped by my amp room with several, "Wow that sounds great!"s. And I mean they could have just been trying to get me to buy it, but I think the guys at Wildwood are a notch above that... anyways, wonderful bass.

Please buy it so I can stop thinking about it.

Please.