The Last Bass Outpost

I know Tim Sarter bought one new and had it for several years then sold it to someone at the RRF.

Yep, that's one of them. Don't know if Sarter's is the one Steve Wood got or not. Sure looks luscious, don't she?

Here's what a Turquoise V63 looks like:

I had a Cheyenne about the same time as you did. Bought it from Mark Furlong and sold it to Paul Boyer (aren't forums great?). Its tone was different. It wasn't aggressive like a 4003. Tamer? Maybe. I wouldn't call it anemic, though. The output was pretty high.

Still have it, although modified to Vol/Vol/Tone control. Yeah, don't understand the "anemic" comment. Raising the pickups may have been needed.

Don't know what you mean by the "first 60" making it to "retail." The first 60 were the last 60 as there were only 60 made. As I indicated, I don't know how many trickled out before things got really rolling in 2001. They all would have gone to "retail" although they may have been preordered so they likely were not seen in stores for long.

There are 12 4004LKs listed on the Rickenbacker Resource registry, none listed is earlier than April 2001. The last ones appear to have left the factory in late 2006.

From my forthcoming book, "Rickenbacker Basses - 50+ Years As Rock's Bottom":


"Production. First announced on the official price list dated December 15, 1995, the new limited-edition bass retailed for $2429. No mention was made on the list of the number to be produced. An edition for 50 was planned, but this was later increased to 60 to fulfill orders. Although a two-pickup prototype was shown shortly after the announcement, it appears that early production Lemmy basses weren’t issued until early in 2001.
      The January 1, 1998 price list showed the Lemmy retailing for $2799, but it was missing from the January 2000 price list. It reappeared on the January 2001 list, again at $2799."

It is likely that a few trickled out in the late 1990s, but I have not seen evidence of that (listed by date codes on jackplates).

Hi Mark,

I think I tried Carmen some time ago with no response. Might not have gotten through. I did talk with Dick Burke after literally years of trying to track him down. The number you gave me was good and I left a message. He called back a week or two later. Unfortunately, the questions I had were more to do with marketing and he is more the nuts and bolts type, of course. Funny, he ends up living a few blocks away from the factory!

that's just like the one Cliff Burton played.

No, I'm pretty sure Burton had a Burgundy 4001. Ruby is a solid metallic red, Burgundy is an overall translucent wine red (hence, Burgundy - sometimes called Burgundyglo). If the one you are thinking of is the instrument that was on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it is Burgundy.

I think it is just a poor picture of a Burgundy 4080.