Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi All

Just wondering if anyone had any information on the 4004cii/5
It looks to have mixed reviews but also It appears that only a handful were ever made before being discontinued. Does any one know if that’s correct. Is it the best kept secret in the Rickenbacker range or a doomed experiment.
And potentially for the lucky few ho does in compare with the current range of Rickenbacker 5 strings

All I know is (paraphrased from The Rickenbacker Electric Bass by Paul Boyer).
The model was announced in 2002.
Some players didn’t like the response from the outer two strings with the HB2 pickups. Ric stopped production until a solution could be found. It seems Only a few were made in 2004, if I am understanding the book I am paraphrasing all this from. So that may or may not mean none were made in 2002 and 2003. Hard to understand. Only says was announced in 2002. So maybe they weren’t available on the market til 2004?
Anyone know?

I highly recommend the book. Very comprehensive info on Ric basses!!! A must have for any bassist, Ric-lover or not!!
The Rickenbacker Electric Bass: 50 Years as Rock's Bottom https://a.co/d/aP2v0H4

Thanks for the plug, guys. As I researched for the book, the few examples of the 4004Cii/5 that I could find were made in 2004. Interestingly, that was the year that they changed the location of the pickups back to the original position. The basses I photographed for the book both belonged to Joey Vasco, and show an example of each position. The combination of a too-wide neck and not-wide-enough pickups really limited sales and although listed on price lists for several years, it appears that very few were made.

The two that Joey has are the only ones I have ever played (at the RIC 75th anniversary weekend).

There are only 6 listed in the Register, all made in 2004, mine included. I'm not sure if any were made in other years. As for only a handful being made, I have it on good authority that there were only 13 made. Maybe it was just destined to be an unlucky model...

Probably more of a doomed experiment. And I dont think they ever even made a 4004Cii/8 like they planned to.

The two in the center are the ones in Paul Boyer's book. The trans red Cii/5 is very useable and sounds fine with all 5 strings. I've gigged and recorded with it. Having the pickups in the raised position might be part of the reason. The Mapleglo, well...it looks nice.
There could be a solution for my Mapleglo. JH gave me a new 4003S/5 pickup cover to see if it will adequately cover the 5 strings. I think it will work well. I need to find a guitar repairman brave enough to make the new pickup routes. I'd do it myself, I've routed several bodies, but from what I've heard about routing figured maple, I'm not brave enough to do it myself and so far, I've had no luck.

rickenbrother wrote: ↑Sun Dec 11, 2022 9:52 pm There could be a solution for my Mapleglo. JH gave me a new 4003S/5 pickup cover to see if it will adequately cover the 5 strings. I think it will work well. I need to find a guitar repairman brave enough to make the new pickup routes. I'd do it myself, I've routed several bodies, but from what I've heard about routing figured maple, I'm not brave enough to do it myself and so far, I've had no luck.

Cii5 -withS5pu-Cover.jpg

That's what I want to do to my 4004Cii/5. Now if I could only get a pair of those new 5-string pickups...

My brother routs figured maple all the time.
I could get you in-touch if needed.

I believe Larry Davis can vouch for his work.

Wonder why they are made in that wedge shape.

lumgimfong wrote: ↑Tue Dec 13, 2022 5:11 pm Wonder why they are made in that wedge shape.

I don't know, but it's not very attractive, IMO.

The pizza shape is to give the larger strings larger magnets and the smaller strings smaller magnets. It's quite revolutionary and it's a shame people get hung up on the look of it.

Guilty.

teeder wrote: ↑Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:58 pmGuilty.

No judgment. It's definitely goofy looking to traditional folks like us.