Mani-A-Like Rickenbacker 4005

[Rick's Fine '52]

I always wanted one of these, Mani is my 'Bass Idol' if you like, and has been for years, i'm an original baggy, and my woodstock was spike island, and the summer of love was 1990 not 1969.

Anyway, a 4005 is c£5k, and if i got one, i wouldnt want to paint splash it, so....i assembled/made my own,

here's the details;

Here's some pics, it took quite a lot of effort. The body is handmade, has all the correct contours, and bridge recess area. The neck is off a Hondo (Or similar) ricky copy. The trussrod cover is handmade. Everything else (Scratchplate; pickups; controls; wiring; knobs; tailpiece; tuners) is original Rickenbacker. Cost a pretty packet to put together, but Mani is my hero, and i always wanted one. A real 4005 is about £5k++, and you wouldnt want to paint it would you!!

It cost more than its worth, but i love it, its my fave bass, and if i strip it and part it out, i'd more than get the money back, but thats not waht this lark is about is it, its about having your dream gear!!


click to enlarge

[attachment=81210:1.JPG]

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What do you think? Not everyones cup of tea granted!!

[henry norton]

Yeah I remember that Summer Of Love! I was seriously into Stingrays at the time but I still remember being quite taken with Mani's 4005. Really nice job by the way - it is 'the resurrection'

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='henry norton' post='1249085' date='May 29 2011, 12:47 PM']Yeah I remember that Summer Of Love! I was seriously into Stingrays at the time but I still remember being quite taken with Mani's 4005. Really nice job by the way - it is 'the resurrection' [/quote]

Thanks Henry, Happy Daze indeed!

[Stacker]

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' post='1249092' date='May 29 2011, 12:52 PM']Thanks Henry, Happy Daze indeed![/quote]
Looks great! That body musta taken some work!!

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='Stacker' post='1249098' date='May 29 2011, 01:02 PM']Looks great! That body musta taken some work!![/quote]

Not as much as you'd think, flat maple back (22mm-to allow the outside edge to be contoured, middle section routed by 10mm to reduce weight), solid softwood mid section (Wide enough to allow the full bridge recess section to be routed), 22mm front sheet overlaid, and f-hole cut, mid section routed as the back to reduce weight and show 'thin' section when viewed through f-hole. All finished dimensions are exactly as a real one. Finally (In case i changed my mind about the pollock'ing thing...which is highly unlikey...thats why i did the project), soak some thin canvas in diluted PVA, stick it all over the body, trimming around the holes, p'up cavities etc, then, when dry, paint away, lacquer, and re-assemble.

To be honest, that does make it sound simpler than it was, but you get the idea.

Results are exactly what i'd hoped for.

The Tailpiece, controls and pickups werent cheap though!!!

[stoker]

how does it sound?

[Pow_22]

4005 - my dream bass. Please make me one too

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='stoker' post='1250612' date='May 30 2011, 06:40 PM']how does it sound?[/quote]

I've never played a Ricky 4005, so have no comparism to one of those, and i don't like Ricky 4001/3's, so have no desire to pick one up to compare it with one of those.

As a stand alone bass, it sounds very bassy (Can i say that??), very warm, its actually great for chord playing, if i had to compare it with anything, it would be an EB2, slim neck, light body, lots of tones with the controls, that are all very effective.

I'm a 2-knob Fender man, so have no real 'techy' stuff to say about basses. To me they should sound like a bass, so have no need for anything but an old, worn in Precision. Jazzes have thinner necks, so are easier to play, but just as simply put together.

the only reason i made this Ricky-a-like, is because i wanted Mani's bass, and he wouldnt sell me it, it's all about the looks, although its a very playable bass. Its actually very nice to play unplugged.

thanks for looking, and making a comment.

[Noisyjon]

That is very cool, Well done.
Makes me want to get '...Resurrection' on!!!

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='Pow_22' post='1250619' date='May 30 2011, 06:44 PM']4005 - my dream bass. Please make me one too [/quote]

To be honest, whilst i would be happy to make another..although time doesnt allow it, i don't think anyone would pay the costs for the parts.

Pickups £120
Tailpiece £110
Wiring harness & knobs £100
Scratchplate £60
Tuners £60
Wood £70
Paint/Canvas £30
TRC £15
Strap Buttons £10

as you can see, it cost me about £600, who would pay that for a Project?

I made it firstly because Mani's my bass idol, his bass is iconic, and i wanted one. You wouldnt buy a £5k bass then paint it. I wuld make the money back on parts if i ever got bored (Unlikely), as they hold their value well enough.

If i win the lottery, and don't have to work every day, i'll make you one.....

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='jonthebass' post='1250630' date='May 30 2011, 06:53 PM']That is very cool, Well done.
Makes me want to get '...Resurrection' on!!![/quote]


Go dust off the record, and get it playing, and when i say record, i mean vinyl....of course!!

"I can feel the earth begin to move, i feel my needle hit the groove, spiral through another day........etc" Top stuff.

Thanks for the comment.

[watton_earth]

Hi, both yourself and another chap who I think was called 'legoheads' on this forum were the inspiration for my own mani-a-like project.

I saw your build here [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f57/rickenbacker-4005-copy-283322/"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f57/rickenba...05-copy-283322/[/url]

I tried to contact yourself and the other chap to see if you/he wanted to sell up but got no reply. So I took the plunge and started buying bits. Personally... I freaked out when I was about to take the bandsaw to the donor bass, so I got a pro to do the build for me. Your bass looks awesome!

PS: Do you have any Stone Roses tabs?

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='watton_earth' post='1250903' date='May 30 2011, 10:42 PM']Hi, both yourself and another chap who I think was called 'legoheads' on this forum were the inspiration for my own mani-a-like project.

I saw your build here [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f57/rickenbacker-4005-copy-283322/"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f57/rickenba...05-copy-283322/[/url]

I tried to contact yourself and the other chap to see if you/he wanted to sell up but got no reply. So I took the plunge and started buying bits. Personally... I freaked out when I was about to take the bandsaw to the donor bass, so I got a pro to do the build for me. Your bass looks awesome!

PS: Do you have any Stone Roses tabs?[/quote]

Thanks for the comment, i have all the Stone Roses bass tabs books, if thers a particular track you need, then PM me your email address, and i'll scan and email them for you. Also, would love to see pics of your own mani-a-like?

I actually bought a shaftesbury 4005 semi-acoustic bass, from 1968, which was originally going to be my donor bass, as it was almost there already, just needed the upper and lower horns to be extended, and re-shaped. But i needed the triangular MPO inlayed neck, which was going to be diffuicult, so i did it the hard way.

I just remembered about the shaftesbury actually, i must sell it, it already has a correct scratchplate, and wiring harness set.

Thanks for the compliments

[watton_earth]

Out of curiosity what did you do for the bridge?

I bought a 6 string, and then converted it to look like this....

[attachment=81365:bridge.JPG]

[url="http://www.winfieldvintage.com/parts/combo-bridge.html"]http://www.winfieldvintage.com/parts/combo-bridge.html[/url]

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='watton_earth' post='1251157' date='May 31 2011, 10:14 AM']Out of curiosity what did you do for the bridge?

I bought a 6 string, and then converted it to look like this....

[attachment=81365:bridge.JPG]

[url="http://www.winfieldvintage.com/parts/combo-bridge.html"]http://www.winfieldvintage.com/parts/combo-bridge.html[/url][/quote]

I went for the easy route!!

Bought a real one.

Not the cheapest rourte though.

Your bridge looks like a great bit of work, unfortunately i dont have such skills!

[Clarky]

Very cool job you have done there. I love Mani's playing too - very underrated (some really good lines on the Second Coming which was woefully under-appreciated, as well as the more obvious lines like Adored and Resurrection). I once owned a Rick 3000, inspired by Mani, but just couldn't get on with the short scale so ended up selling it.

[hairyhaw]

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' post='1250625' date='May 30 2011, 06:49 PM']I've never played a Ricky 4005, so have no comparism to one of those[/quote]

I think the best recorded example of the 4005 would be "Going Down" - nice mellow growl. That's probably your best frame of reference.

Anybody known the last time Mani actually gigged with it? He's pretty attached to his 3000's these days.

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='Clarky' post='1251175' date='May 31 2011, 10:27 AM']Very cool job you have done there. I love Mani's playing too - very underrated (some really good lines on the Second Coming which was woefully under-appreciated, as well as the more obvious lines like Adored and Resurrection). I once owned a Rick 3000, inspired by Mani, but just couldn't get on with the short scale so ended up selling it.[/quote]

Thanks for the kind words.

Mani is definitely underrated, some of the stuff on Second Coming is excellent. Bass on 'Straight To The Man' is much harder than it first sounds. Its actually an excellent album, great guitar, great songwriting, and some of the best drumming since John Bonham in '72.

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='watton_earth' post='1251157' date='May 31 2011, 10:14 AM']Out of curiosity what did you do for the bridge?

I bought a 6 string, and then converted it to look like this....

[attachment=81365:bridge.JPG]

[url="http://www.winfieldvintage.com/parts/combo-bridge.html"]http://www.winfieldvintage.com/parts/combo-bridge.html[/url][/quote]

Got your email, thanks, sent a reply earlier, hope you got it ok?

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='hairyhaw' post='1251194' date='May 31 2011, 10:41 AM']I think the best recorded example of the 4005 would be "Going Down" - nice mellow growl. That's probably your best frame of reference.

Anybody known the last time Mani actually gigged with it? He's pretty attached to his 3000's these days.[/quote]

I think the last time he used it was in 1990, i read somewhere that he never used it after 'The War Of The Roses', with Silvertone. He used a sunburst Precision at Spike Island. Second coming tour he used two different 3000/1's, and an EB3.
His original 4005 is now on show at the 'British Music Experience' exhibition, at the O2 Arena, if its still on, i went about 12 months ago, but i think its a resident expo??

Here's a pic of the bass, and JS's clothes from the Elephent Stone photo shoot, with the huge perspex sheet, and lots of paint.

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Nice...

[Lenny B]

That looks fantastic, what a great job

I'm playing She Bangs The Drum at a gig in a couple of weeks, so have been dusting off the 1st album and rediscovering it - great stuff!

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='Lenny B' post='1254836' date='Jun 2 2011, 11:37 PM']That looks fantastic, what a great job

I'm playing She Bangs The Drum at a gig in a couple of weeks, so have been dusting off the 1st album and rediscovering it - great stuff![/quote]

Thanks Lenny, good luck with the 'Bangs' cover, i hope the gig go's well. Oh, and yes, it is a great album, true classic.

[Lenny B]

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' post='1254875' date='Jun 3 2011, 12:12 AM']Thanks Lenny, good luck with the 'Bangs' cover, i hope the gig go's well. Oh, and yes, it is a great album, true classic.[/quote]


Any chance...er... I could possibly.... borrow... the Mani Rick for it...?

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='Lenny B' post='1255052' date='Jun 3 2011, 09:06 AM']Any chance...er... I could possibly.... borrow... the Mani Rick for it...? [/quote]

To be honest, i'd be happy to lend it, but the pickup wires need soldering to the pots. The wiring harness is complete, and soldered, but not the p'ups. I've soldered fender wires to pots, which is easy, as its solid core, but with Rickenbackers, its braided wire, and i wouldnt have a clue how to do that, and i dont know anyone local who i could take it to. I must try and organise it, and if you're gigging later on, then i'd be happy to farm it out for action, no probs there at all.

[Lenny B]

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' post='1255097' date='Jun 3 2011, 09:47 AM']To be honest, i'd be happy to lend it, but the pickup wires need soldering to the pots. The wiring harness is complete, and soldered, but not the p'ups. I've soldered fender wires to pots, which is easy, as its solid core, but with Rickenbackers, its braided wire, and i wouldnt have a clue how to do that, and i dont know anyone local who i could take it to. I must try and organise it, and if you're gigging later on, then i'd be happy to farm it out for action, no probs there at all.[/quote]

That's very generous of you, but I was only joking! For one song, it wouldn't be worth it, but if I end up doing at some point a whole set of Mani, I may take you up on that...
Cheers
Len