Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi there, i was wondering if 4000 rick had also the (unused) routing for the neck pick up ...

Quite a few '60s and late '70s/early '80s have additional routing to allow the installation of a neck pickup. The routing is shallow in the '60s models (for the short-pole toaster) and "normal" at 1" for the set-neck late '70s/early '80s. The 1/2" spacing of the early-mid '70s would have compromised the neck joint on the set-neck 4000s, so there are no routed set-neck 4000s from this period.

There a few very rare neck-through '70s 4000s. I don't know whether any of these were routed.

I've heard that some do, but my 68 4000 didn't.

My 1977 4000FL BG doesn't have any extra routing, either.

doctorwho wrote:My 1977 4000FL BG doesn't have any extra routing, either.

There can't be many of those around Gary! A 4000 BG is a rare enough beast as is... the FL is the cherry on top...

I haven't been able to pinpoint the period for the advent of the set-neck 4001S, which coincides with the appearance of routing for the neck pup on the 4000. My guess is '78/9 - does anyone have a better handle on this?

There is a lefty '79 set-neck 4000 on eBay right now with what looks like factory routing for a neck pickup and four knobs.

^^^

Yes that's the reason because i asked the question.

Basically it is a 4001S without the neck pick up and the neck pick up controls and already routed for. With a little additional costs i can have a lefty 4001S (rather rare).

They are asking 2000$ for it (selling thru GBase), is a correct price for the beast ?

cangaroo wrote: Basically it is a 4001S without the neck pick up

Most 4001S's are neck-thru's. This one, with its set-neck construction, will always be a modded 4000 even if you add a neck pickup and 4-pot wiring harness.

$2,000 sounds just about right. If I were a lefty this one would have been on its way to me by now!

ilan wrote:Most 4001S's are neck-thru's.

Well, you would have to define "most" in this case. From roughly mid '70s to the end of 4001S production in the early '80s, they were set neck basses. How many were made during that period is likely impossible to determine. My feeling is that there were relatively few made in the '60s, most notably those exported to Rose-Morris and forever known as the desirable RM 1999. For certain, the 4003S are neck-trough, as are all of the "vintage" model basses: 4001B, 4001V63, 4001C64, 4001C64S, and whatever they are calling the recent "1999" models shipped to Japan (and POR!).

I have an '80 AZ 4000 that was routed. The temptation to convert it to a 4001S was just too great. The combination of set neck and two pickups give it an amazing growl for some reason.

Gareth, did you retain the mono output on yours, or did you change it over to dual output?

doctorwho wrote:Gareth, did you retain the mono output on yours, or did you change it over to dual output?

I kept the mono on it as I wanted it to be a true S model, or as close as I could get to one. It has the new electrics with the vintage tone circuit, and a reissue toaster and horseshoe, so I suppose it's closer in character to a 4001CS than a true 4001S. I have one of those too, and the 4001S is a more aggressive tone, and the neck is slightly faster. I used it on the last Ghosthookers album. I took the 79 4001 and the 4004LK into the studio as well, but the 4001S just cut through the mix better than the other two. It probably didn't help that the 4001 had a Lollar horseshoe on it at the time, which although a great vintage sound, picked up signals from Mars and was just too live for studio work.

I have a Natural KG (1970?) 4000 with the neck-thru the body and it's routed for the neck pickup. This question came up here a few years ago, I think.

KG = July '71.

Pictures please!

antipodean wrote:The 1/2" spacing of the early-mid '70s would have compromised the neck joint on the set-neck 4000s, so there are no routed set-neck 4000s from this period.

What you probably meant to say is that there are no FACTORY routed set-neck 4000s from the mid 70's.

Despite the questionable route job my shop did, this '76 is still "un-compromised" 34 years on.