Rickenbacker 4001 Bass... Where to buy?

Sanitarium

Any idea's where you can buy a new/used Ric in or around Dublin and what price am I lookin' at??

I've seen a lefty on in MusicMaker (I think that's the right shop), but no where else.. I haven't tried X-Music though, anyone know?

Cheers,
Colm

11811

there tends to be quite a wait for Rickenbackers usually four months or so for a new one. Theres a few online stores doing them too. GAK do them for £1199 which is quite good with the conversion rate at the minute..

68 lost souls

At the moment xmusic have 4 Rickenbackers, or at least the ydid at the weekend, unfortunatily they are all guitars. Cuddleworthy is right, there is a major waiting list for them. Youl be hard pushed to find one in Dublin.

11811

68 lost souls wrote: »

At the moment xmusic have 4 Rickenbackers, or at least the ydid at the weekend, unfortunatily they are all guitars. Cuddleworthy is right, there is a major waiting list for them. Youl be hard pushed to find one in Dublin.

yeah theres a good few guitars knocking about, the basses however, there's a wait for. And if memory serves you pay through the nose for them here too.

Parsley

I assume you mean a 4003, they stopped making the 4001 back in the 80s. As such, they're extremely difficult to find new. :pac:


*excluding the Chris Squire sig. (I think)

unclebill98

If you want

http://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/basses/rickenbacker/1-3,3-3/

Very nice people in the chop and the basses are in top notch condition. Is Christmas, go spoil yourself!

11811

they have a reissue out now based on the sixties 4001 - http://www.rickenbacker.com/model.asp?model=4001C6

fshome

Hi Colm,
<adverts.ie>

4001's weren't made after 1981, and generally had problems with neck problems due to high tension roundwound strings.

F

Dord

fshome wrote: »

Hi Colm,
<adverts.ie>

4001's weren't made after 1981, and generally had problems with neck problems due to high tension roundwound strings.

F

Actually flatwounds have greater tension than roundwounds. The issue with the 4001 necks was that they were crap.

fshome

Quoting John Hall from Rickenbacker. http://www.faqs.org/faqs/music/guitars/rickenbacker/section-23.html

"The string tension of a round wound string, especially a nearly
pure iron string like those in the Roto Sound class, is almost 100
lbs. greater than a typical flat wound string.

Doctor J

The 4003's sound better than the 4001's too, in my experience.

Make sure you try one out first though, I used to have a 4003 and while I absolutley loved the sound out of it, I grew tired of how uncomfortable to play it was.

11811

Doctor J wrote: »

The 4003's sound better than the 4001's too, in my experience.

Make sure you try one out first though, I used to have a 4003 and while I absolutley loved the sound out of it, I grew tired of how uncomfortable to play it was.

Really good point, they are really uncomfortable to play IMO,play one for a while and always found it difficult to handle; not for everyone, definitely try and to play one before buying.
They are not very versatile sound wise either, but they do look boss!

Dord

fshome wrote: »

Quoting John Hall from Rickenbacker. http://www.faqs.org/faqs/music/guitars/rickenbacker/section-23.html

"The string tension of a round wound string, especially a nearly
pure iron string like those in the Roto Sound class, is almost 100
lbs. greater than a typical flat wound string.

Rubbish! Look on most major string company websites and you can see the string tension.

Here's the specs I got from the D'addario website comparing flatwounds, nickel roundwounds and steel roundwounds.

daddario.com wrote:

Chromes (flatwounds) 45-100 EXL165

Item# Note inches mm lbs kg

CB045SL G 0.045 1.14 51.2 23.22
CB065SL D 0.065 1.65 58.2 26.39
CB080SL A 0.080 2.03 48.9 22.18
CB100SL E 0.100 2.54 46.5 21.09


Nickel Rounds 45-100 EXL170

Item# Note inches mm lbs kg

XLB045 G 0.045 1.14 42.8 19.41
XLB065 D 0.065 1.65 51.3 23.27
XLB080 A 0.080 2.03 42.0 19.05
XLB100 E 0.100 2.54 36.5 16.55



Pro Steels 45-100 EPS170

Item# Note inches mm lbs kg

PSB045 G .045 1.14 41.9 19.00
PSB065 D .065 1.65 47.3 21.45
PSB080 A .080 2.03 40.5 18.37
PSB100 E .100 2.54 34.4 15.6

As you can see, the flatwounds have the greatest tension. :rolleyes:

Doctor J

That's great, but the neck on the 4001 is **** regardless :pac:

fshome

Ref: "Rubbish! Look on most major string company websites and you can see the string tension."

Lets not fall out on this issue. The statement is widely quoted from John Hall CEO of Rickenbacker as being the reasoning for fattening the neck from the 4001 to 4003. Maybe roundwounds back then or those used by Rickenbacker have different characteristics from mainstream manufacturers.

Dord

Doctor J wrote: »

That's great, but the neck on the 4001 is **** regardless :pac:

Exactly!

John Hall's comments are just trying to cover up this fact.

Doctor J

Ahh I wouldn't go that far, John Hall is a good bloke, I've had personal dealings with him and he's a ****ing gent, end of story. Surely it would be more in Rickenbacker's interest if people got over the 4001 and knew the 4003 was the better bass. They make nothing out of overpriced vintage tat, they only get paid on what leaves the factory these days.

Sanitarium

Parsley wrote: »

I assume you mean a 4003, they stopped making the 4001 back in the 80s. As such, they're extremely difficult to find new. :pac:


*excluding the Chris Squire sig. (I think)

I thought there may have been a few second hand ones floating around, but I guess there isn't, as if there was they wouldn't stay in one spot for long...

fshome wrote: »

Hi Colm,
<adverts.ie>

4001's weren't made after 1981, and generally had problems with neck problems due to high tension roundwound strings.

F

Didn't know about the neck problems, this was sorted out in the 4003's I'm guessing?

Doctor J wrote: »

The 4003's sound better than the 4001's too, in my experience.

Make sure you try one out first though, I used to have a 4003 and while I absolutley loved the sound out of it, I grew tired of how uncomfortable to play it was.

I was just having a nose around trying to see if I could source one to play and get a feel for. The uncomfortableness wouldn't bother me too much (I assume you mean when sitting) as I play a lot standing up.

At the moment, I am looking for a high end bass with its own unique sound (I'm not a Jazz man) which will last me for the next few years. I am stuck between a Ric or a Wal, and the Wal's seem to be impossible to get and a 9+ month waiting list; I think there's one guy in the UK who builds them custom.

Thanks for the great response

Dord

You say unique sound, but what sound are you looking for exactly?

Sanitarium

I'm looking for a sound where it stands out when you play it with other instruments, but it still fills and lifts a song up with a nice warm bass sound under it.

And the tone of the Wal is different because of the different wood used in its body and neck.

Doctor J

Sanitarium wrote: »

I was just having a nose around trying to see if I could source one to play and get a feel for. The uncomfortableness wouldn't bother me too much (I assume you mean when sitting) as I play a lot standing up.

Nah, both sitting and standing. I play with my fingers rather than a plec and I always found the 4003 awkward to find somewhere uncomfortable to achonr my hand. The metal plate around the bridge pickup has rather sharp edges to it, there's nowhere really to rest your thumb that doesn't involve pain and/or compromise. Add to that the lack of a forearm contour to accomodate the binding, which usually meant large bruising on my forearm for three or four days after every (standing) gig and you've got a bass which is as painful as it is endearing. TBH, even though I love the looks and the sound of the 4003 if I were ever to go with a Ric again I'd go with a 4004 Laredo or just not at all.

Sanitarium wrote: »

At the moment, I am looking for a high end bass with its own unique sound (I'm not a Jazz man) which will last me for the next few years. I am stuck between a Ric or a Wal, and the Wal's seem to be impossible to get and a 9+ month waiting list; I think there's one guy in the UK who builds them custom.

They're very, very different instruments, almost polar opposites. The main problem with the 4003 is that they've tried to stay so true to the original 50's styling that they've carried the ergonomic flaws through onto the new instrument and it's deeply compromised as a result. Most of the uniqueness of the Wal sound comes from the electronics and you'll be waiting a lot more than 9 months. Pete, the guy who used to make them has been ill fpr a while and I don't think a new Wal has been made in about four years. From what I hear, a new guy is taking over, but he's got a four year waiting list to work through before he gets to the plethora of recent orders which have flowed in since word got out they might make them again. Wal have gotten very trendy since it became clear you might not be able to get them anymore and the price of the second hand ones has tripled. Add to that the famously large neck which you either love or hate and, unless one drops in your lap, I think it would be more realistic looking at something else.

There has never been a greater variety of superb basses to choose from, many with their own unique sounds. Have you considered the likes of Lakland, Warwick or any of the Ernie Ball range? For the money you're talking about (at the very least three grand for a new Wal) you could get a bass hand made exactly as you want it. I know you're not a Jazz fan but a Bacchus or Sadowsky would blow the hole off any Ric and you're going to end up with a substantially more versatile bass which will actually be comfortable to play.

fshome

I have a 1973 4001, a 1993 4003 and a 4001V63 (aside from a Musicman and a few others). Bar none, they are the most perfect basses and I haven't had an issue with them re. tension or fixtures .. you adapt your style accordingly. The thin neck is great for the high registers.

Its a shame that more people in Ireland don't play them.

Doctor J

Ah c'mon perfect isn't a word I'd associate with a 4001 or 4003 more like they have character all of their own