Trade my Ricky 4005WB?

[Chris P.]

Guys,

A guy mailed me out of the blue. He wants to have my '74 mapleglo 4005WB and he wants to trade it for his natural '74 Fender Tele Bass (the humbucker one) and a cherry '66 Epiphone Rivoli.

I almost never play my 4005, but I won't find one again if I do the trade...

Advice please... Thanks!

[Basvarken]

Don't do it. The 4005 is one of your babies.

You can find a Telebass on every corner of the street.
Just buy the 66 Rivoli ;-) Or offer him the Rick 3000

[ilan]

I wouldn't do it. The Tele MkII and Rivoli both have Seth Lover designed pickups that are not very practical in today's standards. If you have no use for the 4005, sell it or trade it for something that is not only collectible but also useful.

[Chris P.]

Thanks guys! Sometimes you just need some good advice. My former guitar player hates the 4005 and he said: Trade it!
My girfriend doesn't know, but I guess I keep the 4005. Maybe I just have to take her on the road more often. She sounds quite nice with some distortion;)

[godofthunder]

Chris the 4005 is worth WAY more than a Tele bass.........................and way cooler. Figures a geetard is at the bottom of this they only want us to play *enders.

[uwe]

You don't really like it, Chris. You've said that many times. It's not such a great-sounding bass - I have one too - myth overtook fact on these babies a long time ago. You even overdubbed it on your video with your T-Bird.

Sell it at a good price and buy sonething you actually need and will play.

[gearHed289]

I have to go with Uwe on this. 

[jumbodbassman]

as an owner of both the tele and rivoli i would never do that deal.  A 4005 is something special.....  you can build a warmoth or allparts telebass for 300-400.  very limited sounding bass.  ditto for the rivoli..

[Highlander]

I almost never play my 4005, but I won't find one again if I do the trade...

my quote... "If you have to ask the question, you probably already know the answer..."

Look at the above and you've already answered your own question... you almost never play her so, so what if you don't find one again...

Percentagewise, how many times has she been gigged to your satisfaction...? Would you play a Tele bass or a Rivoli are the more important questions to ask, also does the deal work out in your favour...?

I may be a bit of a joke when it comes to my butchery of instruments but the only important thing to me is playability and sound imho...

I'd sell in a heartbeat if the only thing left is a visual image...

[godofthunder]

I quite a few basses I don't play regularly. Doesn't mean I don't like 'em just they don't fit what I am doing for the most part. My '65 Hofner comes to mind, had it for eons, comes out once and awhile and when used in the proper setting I love it. I would never sell it even though for the most part it just takes up space. Same for my '73 P bass, I have never gigged it, but I do like having it just in case I NEED a proper vintage Fender for a gig (I remember when you couldn't give a 70's P bass away!) Chris do what you like but I still vote keep the 4005, if only to send your kids off to college !

[uwe]

The 4005 just looks good and one of a kind, but there is nothing very special about its sound. It lacks mid punch for rock, both E and G tend to be a little on the weak side and it is nowhere near the classic sound of a Ric 4001/4003. A Les Paul Signature will wipe the floor with it.

I'm not saying that Chris should trade it against a Tele and I'm not saying that you should not own a bass you don't play in band settings, I have a few basses like that which are still dear to me, but I do play them at home at least.

[Dave W]

You'll find the Rivoli and Tele Bass II used a lot more often than you will a 4005 (not to be nitpicky, but just for the record, the Gibson/Epi mudbucker is not a Seth Lover design). And to me there's nothing remarkable about the sound of a 4005. Just the looks.

OTOH the 4005 is probably worth more than the two combined. So if I were you, I might want some extra cash. Even so, why do it unless you think you'll actually use the two? You can always sell the 4005 later.

[ilan]

the Gibson/Epi mudbucker is not a Seth Lover design

You're the Gibson expert... I stand corrected. I've edited my previous post.

[exiledarchangel]

Yea, sidewinders are Bill Lawrence's babies!

Chris, I wouldn't sell it, because I never sell things, but that's just me. If you don't have a use for it, let it go.

[ilan]

Get a mid-60's Gretsch 6070 or 6072 instead, and $4,000-5,000 change. They have a similar jaw-dropping effect, and like the 4005WB are also awesome-looking, full-scale, hollow body, double-cut, double-bound, vintage collectible basses - that actually sound great.

Palm guitars in Amsterdam have both.