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our bassist wants to buy a rickenbacker bass


t_e_l_e

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hi there, i'm normaly only around in the guitar forums here.

 

as the title say, our bassist is in search for a rick bass. he has some nice budget cause he got some insurance money back, so he could buy new or even a vintage one.

prefered color would be fireglo

 

so what does he need to look at, especially if he buys used (from ebay)?

whats the difference between a 4001 and 4003 beside the age?

i already found out the 4003S which is a bit cheaper new, does not have that much eye candy and no stereo outs if i'm correct

 

thx

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The 4003 is a newer version with a bound neck and body, single coil pups, Triangle Inlays and reverse headstock. The 4001 is a vintage version form 1963. Its neck and body are unbound, dot inlays, it uses vintage toaster/horseshoe pickup which rick invented in the 30's.

 

The 4003 will likely be a better instrument and you'll likely pay for it. I prefer the single coils myself but its something the bassist will have to try.

I'm not sure when the 4001 was discontinued. An actual vintage one may have a higher resale value. I don't keep tabs on the selling prices but Ricks tend to keep they're value.

 

Ricks are a solidly built bass and they produces great tones but they do take awhile getting used to. The large top horn makes seeing the upper frets harder to see looking down over it. It also sticks out quite a ways so its a bit tougher getting to the higher frets at first. The necks are slimmer and string spacing remains narrower all the way up the neck. The neck on a Fender in comparison, widens quite a bit and that gives you more space between strings when using your fingers. Strings are more closely spaced on a rick.

 

Even when playing my Rickenbacker Guitar 480 (A clone design or the 4001 bass), it takes me awhile getting used to the slim neck and the way it feels strapped up. Once you get used it, its fun as hell to play as is the bass.

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In general, the 4003's have a heftier truss rod system. Older 4001's tend to have a thinner neck. 4001's are bound, the 4001s model was the unbound version. I prefer the neck profile of the older 4001's myself.

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If at all possible, he should try out any Ric he's planning to buy, if only because the neck profile can vary quite a bit. Most of mine have very slim necks, which I prefer, but my 3001 and 4004Cii have pretty thick necks.

 

The 4001 and 4003 both have bound necks and bodies, and neither typically has a reverse headstock. As Lug pointed out, the truss rod system is more robust on the 4003 models. The pickups are also hotter. 4001 models have a capacitor in series with the bridge pickup. Some like it, some don't. I've bypassed the "bass blocker" cap in all of mine. 4003 basses have a "vintage switch" to put the cap in or take it out.

 

There are other models. Lug mentioned the 4003S and I the 4004Cii. The 4004L is similar to the 4004Cii, the 4000 has a single pickup in the bridge position (you can see one on some old BTO videos). The 3000 was a budget, short scale model with a bolt on neck; the 3001 is similar but full scale. Then there are the Rics I can only fantasize about owning, such as the 4002 and 4005.

 

Most Ric basses have single coil pickups, but the 4002 and 4004 models have humbuckers. Same size as the single coils.

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My favorite Rick tones and the ones McCartney got with his 1964 4001S on the Sargent Peppers Album. I believe he recorded direct for the first time on that album and used a Fairchild 660 Limiter to pump it up. Some songs he passed it though the limiter several times.

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thx for the valuabe info, if you have some more keep it coming....

 

neck profile is definitely something to think about

 

Neck profile on the Rics is quite different from almost any bass out there. I find that they are almost all thick at the nut but since the string spacing is narrower than the "standard" fender, they tend to be narrower as you go up the neck. I've heard the thinnest necks are the early 70's. I have a 77 and the neck is very thin compared to any of the newer ones I've tried. As Isaac pointed out, there is quite a bit of variation, especially in the older models so it's a "try before you buy" if at all possible. The neck will take a bit of getting used to if the bass player grew up on Fender or Fender clones but is well worth it!

 

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The smallest neck on any of my Rics is on my 1986 4003. Neck width at the nut, according to Rickenbacker, is 1 11/16" 942.9MM). By my measurement, this one is only 1 9/16", so it's definitely narrower, and feels as though it may be thinner as well. Thickest is my 2005 4004Cii, which really is 1 11/16", but feels both wider and thicker.

 

My favorite Rics measure 1 5/8" at the nut.

 

Another factor is how much the strings flare from the nut to the bridge. On a 4001 and 4003 bridge, the strings are ~2" center to center. On the 4004, which has a different bridge, they are 2 5/16". I find that the 4004 feels a lot like a Precision, with its wider, thicker neck and greater flare. I prefer the 4001/4003 feel, with a slightly narrower and thinner neck profile and less flare.

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