Cool Rics on eBay / Reverb / Craigslist

[Highlander]

1968 4005

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1968-Rickenbacker-4005-bass-fireglow-Vintage-Guitar-/180517257959?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a07aac2e7

UK seller - will ship

[Denis]

Wow, that is beautiful! How do those sound?

[jumbodbassman]

i have always loved those basses.   only player i remember was steppin wolf.  JAE i have seen with one but don't remember what song ////

[ilan]

There was a Burgundy 4005 in the first Tony Bacon/Paul Day Ultimate Guitar Book, I thought it was breath taking.

A short scale version could be nice... Maybe someone can marry a 360 body and a 3000 neck?

[Daniel_J]

A short scale version could be nice... Maybe someone can marry a 360 body and a 3000 neck?

Brazilian guitar manufacturer Giannini offered this model in the early 60s:





It is called Diamond Mirage Bass. And the nice gentleman you see holding the bass is Giannini's master luthier from the '60s, Carlos "Sossego" Lopes. He's the man who created this and most of the models of the brand's line-up in the early '60s.
The pic was taken in 2008 when he was visiting another builder's shop who was doing a setup on the bass. As the story is told, Carlos almost had a heart-attack when he saw one of his "babies" over 40 years later, and in such great shape! That one in the pic is supposed to be all original.

It's a short scale bolt-on (but it's shorter than 30 inches), and apparently it was conceived in 1964, even before Ric's 4005.

[Dave W]

IMHO the 4005 is about looks, not tone. It doesn't sound so hot in long scale, I doubt short scale would be an improvement.

OTOH the short scale Rick 3000 sounds great but it's solidbody and has better pickup placement.

Our own Chris P sounds great playing his 4005 in this video, but that's because what you're actually hearing is his Thunderbird. 

[gearHed289]

I believe the sound has been referred to as "plink and thud" due to the pickup placement and overall design elements.  They look awesome though. Never played one.

[jumbodbassman]

i always heard they sounded crappy.  pickup placement versus the 4001 very different.  But they look so sweet even in the burst.  prices on used ric's have gotten out of hand......i guess that's result of the new ones being so expensive.....

[ilan]

That and the backlog.

[gearHed289]

i guess that's result of the new ones being so expensive.....

Compared to what?

[Dave W]

The new ones have gone up quite a bit in past few years, after years of little or no increase. Still a bargain IMO, and less expensive in today's dollars than the Ricks of 30-35 years ago.

This has little or nothing to do with 4005 prices, they were out of sight 15 years ago.

[ilan]

A one-off C64S in black-to-blueburst!

I'm guessing $4K+

[Dave W]

You may be right.

I don't like that burst and I've never liked the backwards headstock.

[ilan]

If there's one thing I dislike more than the upside-down headstock, it's the "shaved" horns - but it's a one of a kind ric-outlet experimental bass, and will attract many.

[gearHed289]

It seems strange to me that they've been doing colors on the shaved horn S models - Jetglo, Fireglo, satin black, and now this.