Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Check these out

http://boutique.rickenbacker.com/Factor ... shTZD0ormU

Well, not true 4002 models, of course. Missing are many of the attributes of the originals: multiple outlets including the XLR jack (probably not needed these days); the figured wood; the checker binding; bound headstock; and a 21-fret neck. But it's neat to see some of the creativity of the production crews!

And they made only two of them. Both sold almost immediately.

bassduke49 wrote:Well, not true 4002 models, of course. Missing are many of the attributes of the originals: multiple outlets including the XLR jack (probably not needed these days); the figured wood; the checker binding; bound headstock; and a 21-fret neck. But it's neat to see some of the creativity of the production crews!

Agreed. Exciting offerings by RIC. Nice to see these one offs. Thanks to the Factory.

They have single truss rods.

I hope they are going to put these on regular production!

I am picturing the British Racing Green with an ebony fingerboard.

In addition to the pickup spacing, it looks like these HB-1's are wired VVTT (unlike the 4004). Owners can look forward to getting some new sounds out of these.

Cool, but I just never could warm up to that pickguard.

I once missed an opportunity to pick one up for a very reasonable price , and passed thinking my 4001 was all the Ric I'd need .
I regret that now ...

bassduke49 wrote:Well, not true 4002 models, of course. Missing are many of the attributes of the originals: multiple outlets including the XLR jack (probably not needed these days); the figured wood; the checker binding; bound headstock; and a 21-fret neck. But it's neat to see some of the creativity of the production crews!

True, they're not really 4002 models. More like a 4002S.

Isaac wrote: True, they're not really 4002 models. More like a 4002S.

Indeed. Which is exactly how they are designated by the factory.

Guzzitd63 wrote:

Isaac wrote: True, they're not really 4002 models. More like a 4002S.

Indeed. Which is exactly how they are designated by the factory.

Yup. Was intended to be a Captain Obvious quip.

Love the 4002S!

Inorite? When I saw those, I almost...

Well, let's just say that I got very excited!

Also missing is the ebony fret board, and the pickups are entirely different: 4002's, including mine, have end-to-end humbuckers, not "conventional" side-by-side coil humbuckers, as is the construction of the current Rick humbuckers. My humbuckers are end-to-end. The neck pickup has @ 8.5 kohms' worth of wire on it total. The bridge pickup has @ 7.5 kohms' worth of wire on the primary windings, and about 700 ohms' worth of wire on the secondary interleafed windings that goes to the XLR jack, made in the era just before onboard preamps and "modern" low impedance wiring. Current Rick humbuckers have @ 15 kohms' worth of wire on them, making them decidedly more mid heavy in tone.

Yes, cosmetically, these instruments look like 4002's (or 4002S, if there had been such a model). But the inherent differences make them more like 4004's instead of original 4002's. They don't have the clarity of output as a real 4002 due to the heavy nature of the pickups and using the chechen instead of ebony.

iiipopes wrote: Current Rick humbuckers have @ 15 kohms' worth of wire on them, making them decidedly more mid heavy in tone.Yes, cosmetically, these instruments look like 4002's (or 4002S, if there had been such a model). But the inherent differences make them more like 4004's instead of original 4002's. They don't have the clarity of output as a real 4002 due to the heavy nature of the pickups and using the chechen instead of ebony.

Given the probability that these new 4002's probably have stock 4003 wiring in them with 275k pots and .047uF caps, they probably sound a lot less like 4002's than they could. With 500k pots, .022uF caps, and coil shorting for each pickup, these basses would have a lot brighter/clearer tone. The pickup placement and maple construction are ( I feel) the most important factors to consider. I've built wiring harnesses for three original 4002's. One of them was missing the entire loaded pickguard assembly, so I replaced it with a guard from Pickguardian, a new harness laid out like a 4003 with coil shorting, a pair of HB1's and even bridge pickup wiring directly to the lo-Z jack.