Author Topic: Model 4000  (Read 7686 times)

ilan

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Model 4000
« on: May 23, 2008, 11:12:43 AM »
A really nice one on eBay... Bob Atherton's '73 Fireglo 4000. We all love the 4001 deluxe features, checkerboard binding, crushed pearl inlays etc., but the elegant simplicity of the 4000... I can't take my eyes off these auction pics.

http://cgi.ebay.com/RICKENBACKER-4000-BASS-FIREGLO-1973-VERY-RARE_W0QQitemZ120264366209QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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Bert

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2008, 11:16:30 AM »

Mine:

'68 4001|'73 4001 MG|'73 4001 AZG (PW refin)|'75 4000 MG|'79 4001 JG FL|'81 4001S AZG|'86 4003 MID/BT|'86 4003 Shadow|'86 4003S JG|'88 4003s Blackstar|'89 4003 Grey/BT FL|'96 4003S/8 FG|'98 4003S/5 JG| 05 650D|06 4004 CII BBR||B-115|RB 30||?

Dave W

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2008, 12:06:48 PM »
Elegant simplicity...that's an apt description.

I'm pretty sure this one will end up well beyond my reach but I could go for a 4000 reissue.

hieronymous

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2008, 04:01:29 PM »
I used to hate the idea of a single-pickup Rick - I thought it was just the stupidest thing possible - but I've since come around. I think the video of Stanley Clarke playing one in Bill Connors-era Return to Forever helped.

Fortunately I'm not a huge fan of fireglo so I'm immune to the one on eBay!

Bert

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2008, 05:00:54 PM »
I couldnt be happier with my first Rick than with any other bass I will ever get. My first Rick. I could hardly pay for it at the time but finally I had a real Rick! But somehow I always had the feeling I missed a neck pickup. Once I had a Rick with a neck pickup I knew for sure.
'68 4001|'73 4001 MG|'73 4001 AZG (PW refin)|'75 4000 MG|'79 4001 JG FL|'81 4001S AZG|'86 4003 MID/BT|'86 4003 Shadow|'86 4003S JG|'88 4003s Blackstar|'89 4003 Grey/BT FL|'96 4003S/8 FG|'98 4003S/5 JG| 05 650D|06 4004 CII BBR||B-115|RB 30||?

chromium

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2008, 07:10:36 PM »
I prefer the look of Rics without binding - or with binding just on the back (like the 360).  I love the look of the 4000, 4001S, v63, etc..

There's been a slightly battered jetglo 4000 up recently too.  I don't think it sold yet:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1979-Rickenbacker-Model-4000-Electric-Bass-JTGO_W0QQitemZ290229819815QQihZ019QQcategoryZ2384QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem



ilan

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2008, 12:49:14 AM »
There's been a slightly battered jetglo 4000 up recently too.  I don't think it sold yet:

The overly-optimistic $2,200 BIN price and the 97.2% feedback didn't help selling it... and either the TRC or the pickguard aren't original. But a 4000 does looks killer in Jetglo.

And Dave, a 4000 reissue could be great, especially if they make it with an active circuit with bass boost (4000A?)

I also like the ES125-T and the ES125-TD behind it:



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uwe

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2008, 04:48:49 AM »
I think it looks like a 4001 with a stolen neck pup - weird!

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Chris P.

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2008, 06:48:42 AM »
Unfortunately I didn't speak to the guy, but I shared a stage with a rock band with a Ricky player. From a distance his bass looked like a 4001 with a mudbucker in neck position. I know Ibanez made some (only bolt-on?) copies with EB2/3 style pick ups (mudbucker ánd mini humbucker). I believe the neck through Ibanezes have Rick-a-like pick ups?

However: After a while I noticed the bass had only two controls, so I think it could be a 4000 with added neck pick up.

I agree with Uwe about the missing-pick-up-looks.


SKATE RAT

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2008, 07:07:25 PM »
usually i like plain and simple basses,but with Rics i prefer all the fancy touches.4001 or 4003 for me please.
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godofthunder

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2008, 04:14:24 AM »
 I had a 4000 back in the early 80's Rickenbacker dumped a lot of them at the House of Guitars where I worked. I paid peanuts for mine, best Ric I ever had.
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HornetAMX

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2008, 08:04:06 PM »
I've always loved the look of the 4000 bass.  C.F. Turner used one with BTO.  I can't recall which album gatefold had a cool photo of one.

hieronymous

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2008, 07:16:38 AM »
I remember what turned me on to the single-pickup 4000 - when I played a Jazz Bass almost exclusively, 99.9% of the time I had both pickups on full volume. With my 4001, I either used both together or just the neck pickup. But once I made a recording and someone at the RickResource Forum made some comment that his bass "screams" or or was brighter or something like that. I took that as a challenge and went back and rerecorded the bass part just using the bridge pickup. I boosted the bass frequencies with my preamp, and it sounded amazing! I never would have guessed, because usually going from both or the neck pickup to the bridge pickup always sounds incredibly thin to me.

But if you think about it, the 4000 is kind of like a P-Bass to the Jazz Bass of the 4001/4003.

The other thing that got me wanting a 4000 was this video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lFP-alYNq5I

(And just for fun, though off topic, here's the same song being performed recently:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2r123KZbXUs&feature=related

Looks like Stanley's playing his Spellbinder bass instead of an Alembic - some people at the Alembic Club are going to be bummed...)

ilan

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #13 on: June 02, 2008, 01:40:41 AM »
The gorgeous Fireglo sold for £880 ($1,741).
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Dave W

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Re: Model 4000
« Reply #14 on: June 02, 2008, 08:02:24 AM »
That's a bit surprising; I figured it might fetch at least £1,000.