Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Two articles of Rick-o-interest: one on the early Rick basses, entitled: "The Bass That Waited -- Rickenbacker's Early 4000 and 4001." The article focuses on the development by Rickenbacker of the 4000 model and how it was unique in design and sound for its time. Ironically, Radio-Tel was the exclusive distributor of Fender's P-Bass for a while in the early '50s. (There's also a nice photo of a 1963 4001 FG.)

The other article is "The Ray Butts Echosonic," which is generally a rehash of stuff already known and includes a brief mention of the similar Rickenbacker "M-30 Ek-O-Sound" amp.

What was most interesting to me about the Echosonic artlcle is the sidebar article featuring tech Frank Roy, fellow forumite (TelecasterTech), who has posted extensively on the "Rickenbacker Amplifiers" thread on this forum. The sidebar article highlights Frank's painstaking restoration of Echosonic amps. We know all about this because of Frank's detailed posts documenting each and every part of an Echosonic that he dismantled, repaired and put back together. See: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=383111&start=30

Unfortunately, neither of these VG articles is online; they may be in a month or so when the next print issue of VG is published.

Yeah, I read these articles as well. I really enjoyed the Rickenbacker bass history article. Vintage Guitar is my favorite guitar/bass magazine by far.

I received my VG in the mail this weekend and really enjoyed the 4000 - 4001 article.

VG

sorry... nothing to do with the magazine (really)

inside inside joke for some RRF'ers

my wife just renewed my subscription for valentines day

fluffy wrote:my wife just renewed my subscription for valentines day

Hello everyone, and thanks to all of interest in the EchoSonic article, and to Libratune for remembering my detailed Rickenbacker restoration as well!

I am attaching scans of the 2-page article in Adobe PDF format for anyone wishing to have a read.

As well, anyone wishing to see the complete restoration of my Ray Butts EchoSonic #27 can go to this site: www.photobucket.com/echosonic27

There will be lots more to come from me regarding EchoSonic amps throughout the year. I'll have many more photos, restorations, schematics and drawings to be posted. PM me if interested ahead of time!


Thank you very kindly again for recognizing my restorations - glad you all like them!

Frank Roy

The follow up article is in this month's May edition, which covers solely on the RM 1999/ 4001S. About the most detailed small blurb I can recall about these basses, with info about most of the 60's major artists who used one, McCartney's invoice details, and even mentioning the Gibb bass being refinished in "striking white"...

wonder who has waters 1999 ???

I remember reading that it may have been stolen - but that might have been his original P bass.

This newer article on the RM1999/4001S looks to be a really good one. I just got the May issue today. It notes that Pete Quaife (The Kinks) was a "notable initial convert," which I thought was the case. He started showing up with one in the fall of 1964.

I think that the progression was Quaife, Entwistle, and then Squire (Entwistle saw Quaife, Squire saw Entwistle). McCartney was somewhere in the middle.

Here is the thread on Quaife after he passed away. I think that he deserved a medal for surviving the brothers as long as he did:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=396073&hilit=pete+quaife

I'd started this thread way back when by posting an image I'd had that I'd never seen before and folks added a ton of additional pics of McCartney and the 4001S:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=351687&p=351687&hil ... ge#p351687

I was really influenced by McCartney playing one when I got my first jetglo 4001S in 1984 (it was a 1982). I've since acquired a mapleglo '82 4001S as well.

looking at this pic from the thread you posted, the rick in the right background has dots for markers, frets and a skunk stripe. this would be a '72 4001s. i've seen one other like this in a catalogue pic i posted a while back with a mono jack plate.

always assumed it was fretless in that macca pic! does look like it has frets now that you mention it.

here's the pic from my catalogue insert of the '72 4001s skunker...