Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Does anyone know the serial numbers on any of Geddy Lee's Rickenbackers?

If you look on http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/rush/tourinfo.php you can go and look at the tour books which some of the books have what gear they use but no serial numbers. I saw them on the Moving Pictures Tour when Ged was still using Rics. I saw the last tour and it was all Fender Jazz basses. I think on the 30th Ann. Tour he took out his Ric for one song.

By Power Window it was Wal and Stienberger. After that it is Fenders and no mention on Rics anymore.

I'm just curious as to the exact build dates of his Rickenbackers.

There is no mention of year in any of the tour books. Even with all the info we have out there on the net, some thing just may never be known.

08 Ric 4003 wrote:.....some thing just may never be known.

Can't remember where I heard this... But I thought one of the JG 4001's was a 1975. He had at least two of those as i have seen one with a non stock (badass) bridge.

I know Rush used to buy their RICS through the Music Shoppe in Thornhill in the late 70s/early 80s.

But that store has been gone since 1986.

Ontario_RIC_fan wrote:Can't remember where I heard this... But I thought one of the JG 4001's was a 1975. He had at least two of those as i have seen one with a non stock (badass) bridge.

You're right Brian, Geddy had at least two Jetglo 4001''s. One had the neck pickup in the 1/2" spacing, the other in the 1" spacing. I'd also heard that he had one of the first 4003's, also in Jetglo.

I am no Rush expert and just watched the Beyond The Lighted Stage DVD. He was playing a P in the beginning and the Farewell To King Tour book mentions him playing a 4001. That tour was 77 or so. So his Ric has to be a 77 or older. I think he was playing the 4001 on the 2112 tour from what I remember of the DVD. Wait, he is playing one on the inside cover of Caress Of Steel and that album came out in 75. So 75 or older. When he got the custom double neck with 4001 and a 12 string I have no idea. He was using it on Spheres which came out in 78. That is the first mention in the tour books. My first tour was when I saw him use his 4001 on the Moving Pics Tour. I think he played the double neck too. Any of you guys see any of the first couple of tours and can remember through the haze of smoke what he was thumping? He is playing nothing but Jazzes now. Nothing wrong with them, I got one myself.

I think one of his earliest 4001's, the one with the 1" spacing and grovers, was actually a 'burg, (eggplant-glo). It sure looks that way in early photo's.

I think it say in the tour books he put bad *** bridges on his Rics. I read he will never let anyone open his 72 Jazz while he is alive cause he does not want the sound to change or anything to happen to it.

His Jazz sound it great, but jeesh..........you got to wonder if he ever listens back to his recorded Rickenbacker sound.

I saw Rush back in '76-'77, and Geddy used both the 4001 and the 4080. They opened up by playing 2112.
It was a FANTASTIC show!!!!!!!!!

Lefty4003s8







Do not drink from the toilet when taking Lyrica

There must be a reason why he changed. Entwistle played his Alembic for years and then switched to the Buzzard at the end of his career, and he also changed from Rotosound to Maxima strings. These are guys who thump the bass for a living. Now maybe it is cause people are supplying them with their gear, but I doubt it. We all love our Rics and some of us have other brands too. Geddy went from a P to Rics to Steinbergers to Wals to Fenders. Jimmy Page is most associated with a Les Paul, but that doesn't mean he recorded every song with it, or used it exclusively in concert. He played Teles and Danelectro's. I believe the famous Stairway solo was recorded on a Tele.

Reading a recent interview with Ged about 4001's he says, he loved the treble sound, but he just couldn't get a decent bottom end sound out of it, along came the Jazz and it was easy to get that general sound he was looking for. He goes onto mention he's been playing a Jazz longer than a 4001, but he's always associated with the 4001.