The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Rickenbacker Basses => Topic started by: Chris P. on February 08, 2008, 04:17:54 AM
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http://cgi.ebay.de/1967-RICKENBACKER-4005-BASS_W0QQitemZ180036918114QQihZ008QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQtrksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.de/Orig-Rickenbacker-Bass-Model-4005-Baujahr-1968-Case_W0QQitemZ270208982861QQihZ017QQcategoryZ87492QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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I'm happy to have mine and won't sell it, but frankly these basses are overrated. They have little mid punch and hardly any acoustic note to them (that top is massive in its thickness). All credit to the seller for not waffling about how great that bass sounds, because it doesn't. It has a nice, not very assertive tone, but nothing you couldn't get even better at a fraction of the price.
That wreck with "the frozen truss rods" is wildly overpriced, I hate that seller, he always offers crap at vastly inflated prices, never something at least decent.
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My '75 Rickenbacker 4005WB is gorgeous, but sounds bad. That's why I use it as my video clip bass;) For people who haven't seen it:
www.youtube.com/boilersuitnl
Noel Gallagher uses one on Standing On The Shoulder of Giants and on some songs on Illumination of Paul Weller. And of course Mani. It has a signature sound, but not the best bass sound ever...
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Still a great looking bass. You would have thought they would have stuck with the design and made it work better?
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Still a great looking bass. You would have thought they would have stuck with the design and made it work better?
At RIC they used to call them "tuna boats". I don't think current management likes the design. Apparently when they were still made, not many people liked them, and years after production stopped, some NOS 4005's were gathering dust in music stores.
I wonder if the problem could be pickup placement. The treble pickup is very close to the bridge.
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I wonder if the problem could be pickup placement. The treble pickup is very close to the bridge.
And the bass pick up is very close to the neck...
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But they look so nice in videos. Right, Chris? ;)
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So I shouldn't sell every bass I own, take out a loan, and buy a 4005/8 then? ;D
(http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/4005-8wb/headfront.jpg)
I used to write to all the bass manufacturers when I was a kid, and the Ric catalog I got still had the 4005s listed. I forget what year it was - had to have been at the tail end of their life. Of course I wanted one instantly, just because of the looks (always had a thing for oddball semi-acoustic basses). I've never had a chance to play one, though. I think the only one I've ever actually heard on recording (that I know of) was with Stone Roses.
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But they look so nice in videos. Right, Chris? ;)
Yep! For the guys who haven't seen it: www.youtube.com/boilersuitnl
You see a 4005, but you hear a T-bird;)
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I think the only one I've ever actually heard on recording (that I know of) was with Stone Roses.
- Of course The Stone Roses
- You can hear Noel Gallagher playing one on some songs on the Oasis album Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. Instantly recognizable.
- Noel also uses one on the Paul Weller album Illumination. I believe on One X One.
- Entwistle used one live once and he also performed with a Lightshow. I believe The Seeker is the only Who-recording featuring a 4005.
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http://cgi.ebay.de/1967-RICKENBACKER-4005-BASS_W0QQitemZ180036918114QQihZ008QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQtrksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.de/Orig-Rickenbacker-Bass-Model-4005-Baujahr-1968-Case_W0QQitemZ270208982861QQihZ017QQcategoryZ87492QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
The first one has been on Ebay forever almost. Most people on another Rick forum think that buying another is less expensive than buying and restoring this one.
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Welcome Bert!
This first post is a quite old post when Rickenbacker belonged to 'other bass brands' here....
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Welcome Bert!
This first post is a quite old post when Rickenbacker belonged to 'other bass brands' here....
The mentioned 4005 is still on ebay. So posting about it still has "news" value. ;-) Someday this bass will be worth its price I think.
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The pups are the main issue in my opinion and perhaps a thinner top, but that would sacrifice stability. A Gibson LP Sig outclasses a 4005, it is much more responsive and assertive.
Soundwise, a P split coil in the middle would probably do wonders to the scooped sound of a 4005. Ooops, I never said that ... :rolleyes:
I'm still not selling mine, it's beautiful!
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If they ever did a reissue, it wouldn't have to be a replica of the original. Just placing the bridge pickup in the same relative position as on a 4003 would be a noticeable improvement. But I just don't think a reissue is going to happen, at least anytime soon.
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Soundwise, a P split coil in the middle would probably do wonders to the scooped sound of a 4005. Ooops, I never said that ... :rolleyes:
I read somewhere (rickresource forum?) of someone who put an extra toaster in the middle en is quite happy with it.
Maybe its this one:
(http://www.rickbeat.com/gallery/simonmole/3.jpg) (http://www.rickbeat.com/gallery/simonmole/simonmole.htm)
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An friend of mine who sold his Burgundyglo 4005 to a German Pitter like five years ago had 4004 humbuckers in the chrome houses of his 4005 and it sounded much better, he claimed.
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The 4005 sounds best with my fingers playing between the pups. But there's no thumbrest.... I thought of installing one, but it's a bit risky...
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Well, I finially secured a 4005 a few years ago and at first I was sorely dissapointed with the sound...mainly a plink-plunk noise instead of the deep bass tones I was used to in my Gibsons and Fenders.
Certainly part of the problem was the pup placement. A former owner had even added Bill Lawrence pups to try and get a better sound and the guy I bought it from had re-installed some toasters. The action was high but I was able to get the neck nice and straight again and the action is low and smooth now. The main culprit for the weak and sterile sound was the .0047 cap...when I removed that, the sound vastly improved...still, not as ballsy as my Gibsons and Fenders but quite a big improvement over the former capped version.
If it was ever re-issued (not gonna happen) with a better bridge, high gain adjustable pups with better spacing and maybe even higher value pots you might have a pretty nice bass. Do I want to sell mine? NO!! The neck is thin and great and it is one of the coolest bass designs ever and going up in value every year. When I grab a bass for playing around on, just sitting on the couch and working out parts, without having to plug in, it's always the one that I reach for!
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I envy you guys. I would love to have the tone I hear on the Stone Roses DVD (which I bought especially for the 4005 sound). But I dont see me having this tone in one of my basses for some time to come. I am even thinking about getting a Gretsch 6072 and put toaster's in it. Both basses are maple. And what I see the neck pickup could be more or less at the same position as on a 4005.
(http://blaat.net/bass/plaatjes/gretsch-backer.jpg)
(I'm not sure about relative sizes in this picture)
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I am even thinking about getting a Gretsch 6072 and put toaster's in it. Both basses are maple. And what I see the neck pickup could be more or less at the same position as on a 4005.
I wouldn't do that, Bert. If the reissue pickups are anything like the vintage SuperTron's (My Gretsch is a '64), they are great pickups. Thick, fat tone, very powerful (almost too much). I wouldn't change that pickup, it's perfect for the bass.
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll127/ilanlukatch/6070.jpg)
By the way, Bert, I love the superimposed images... You can clearly see why the 4005's top horn is extended. The Gretsch, with its symmetrical horns and long scale neck, is a neck-diver, unless you do something about it. So I relocated the strap button to the heel and now it balances very well (with a wide strap).
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll127/ilanlukatch/6070_back_resized.jpg)
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I wouldn't do that, Bert. If the reissue pickups are anything like the vintage SuperTron's (My Gretsch is a '64), they are great pickups. Thick, fat tone, very powerful (almost too much). I wouldn't change that pickup, it's perfect for the bass.
Nice Gretsch Ilan! And you saved me some money as I wont buy a G6072 now that I am not allowed to make it sound like a 4005 somehow. ;)
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Well I still love my ’65 & I’ve not removed the cap but may one day just to try it & if I like it I may try to add a push-pull knob to engage it at will, one thing I’ll never understand is why Rickenbacker didn’t add a 3rd pup to the design like they did w/ some of their guitars there’s more then enough room for it & w/ the blend knob (I love the blend knob!) & maybe a 5 way selector switch you could get more tones out of it, so far it’s the most comfortable Bass I own the neck is amazing & the action is very low so much so I’ve never touched the truss rods it’s just rock solid,
Cheers,
BTW I’ve seen one or two other ’65 4005s that had the bridge pup moved a bit closer to the center of the body so Ric must have had 2nd thoughts about pup placement ,
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Is it a coincidence this 4005 thread is opened up? Berth?
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Did Bert just buy a 4005?
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Looks like it... more clues here (http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=2303.15).
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Did Bert just buy a 4005?
Paid for, and expecting on my doorstep next week.
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Aha! Let us know when it arrives safely.
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Aha! Let us know when it arrives safely.
It's funny re-reading this thread and what I wrote in it for me.
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Aha! Let us know when it arrives safely.
The Rick arrived safely. :)
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... and we're waiting for the piccies...
:popcorn:
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... and we're waiting for the piccies...
(http://www.blaat.net/bass/plaatjes/4005-01.jpg)
(http://www.blaat.net/bass/plaatjes/4005-02.jpg)
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Is that a Fireglo or Autumnglo/Walnut? Either way, it looks nice.
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Beautiful... :)
I have a definite soft spot for semi's...
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It is a walnut and she is not so semi as she looks. There is a lot of wood (and not much air) underneath the pickups.
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Nice looking bass.
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Very Nice!!!! & great collection of Basses you have, enjoy your new one,
Cheers,
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Gorgeous. What's the weight on that baby?
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Congrats, Bert! :toast: I don't think I've seen a 4005 in Walnut before. She looks absolutely gorgeous. :thumbsup:
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Congratulations Bert! 8)