Roger2611 Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Hopefully I am ok to post this knowing the sensitivity over Rickenbacker's on here, if not I apologise and understand if the post is removed. Anyway I went to see Leicester City play today and on my walk to the ground came upon a music shop, hanging above the counter was a 1977 4003 fretless in plain finish, It was a beauty of a bass but it did get me wondering whether it was a genuine fretless, the board had the shark tooth inlays but no signs of frets being filled in, the board also lacked the usual? glossy lacquered finish, it also had a brass nut fitted. Anyone come across a fretless Ricky before? Not sure what it would sound like, the thought of a Ricky fretless somehow sounds wrong! Quote
Beedster Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 I have a factory 4003FL but mine, and all others I have seen, have dots and not sharks teeth. All instruments I have seen also have hi-gloss boards. Mine sounds very Macca with flats and tapes, sounds crap with rounds. The sound with a pick and Ricky tape wounds is to die for. Quote
Beedster Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 PS if you search Fretless Rickenbacker on here you find some nice clips, it really is a stunning and unique tone Quote
Billy Apple Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 I thought 4003's did not start till '80, making it a 4001 Quote
Bassman Sam Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 I had a '73 4001 fretless mapleglo and it had dot markers on the neck. As Beedster said, the tone when played with a pick was awesome. I used round wounds though and loved the sound of them. Quote
Black Coffee Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 I had a fretless 4003. Model is the 4003FL It was dots and not sharks teeth. From what I remember it sounded awesome, lovely big sound. Gorgeous bases. Quote
spacey Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 One of the few fretless with the dots in the right place on the neck. Quote
Mykesbass Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 A few years back I had a Cort GB75 made into a fretless and somebody on here very sensibly pointed out that I would get some horrible tones when stopping strings on the block inlays, so I had the board replaced. I would imagine the same problem happening with the sharkfin inlays too. Quote
Beedster Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 [quote name='spacey' timestamp='1421100718' post='2657251'] One of the few fretless with the dots in the right place on the neck. [/quote] No, not on mine, they are stock boards but without frets, so the dots on the board are between fret lines (although the dots on the binding are at the fretlines) [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1421100941' post='2657254'] A few years back I had a Cort GB75 made into a fretless and somebody on here very sensibly pointed out that I would get some horrible tones when stopping strings on the block inlays, so I had the board replaced. I would imagine the same problem happening with the sharkfin inlays too. [/quote] The necks on 4003s are varnished so there's probably no issue, or at least not a big one Quote
wateroftyne Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1420922573' post='2655171'] Not sure what it would sound like, the thought of a Ricky fretless somehow sounds wrong! [/quote] ...but so right! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ZPzgPTmho Quote
mentalextra Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1421180434' post='2658200'] ...but so right! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ZPzgPTmho[/media] [/quote] Great track Quote
Beedster Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1420923374' post='2655180'] The sound with a pick and Ricky tape wounds is to die for. [/quote] [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1420923528' post='2655185'] PS if you search Fretless Rickenbacker on here you find some nice clips, it really is a stunning and unique tone [/quote][quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1421180434' post='2658200'] ...but so right! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ZPzgPTmho[/media] [/quote] That's the one, glorious sound. I'm pretty confident that it's one of the few bass tones that is legitimately exclusive to one instrument. I keep wanting to sell my 4003FL because it's a lot of money tied up in a bass I rarely use, but then I pick it up and play it...... Edited January 13, 2015 by Beedster Quote
EssentialTension Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1421180434' post='2658200'] ...but so right! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ZPzgPTmho[/media] [/quote] Very good. Quote
Clarky Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1421180434' post='2658200'] ...but so right! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ZPzgPTmho [/quote] Like Quote
Mykesbass Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1421180434' post='2658200'] ...but so right! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ZPzgPTmho[/media] [/quote] Fabulous, and what a distinct sound! Quote
spacey Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Makes me want to pull the frets out of one of the Ricks. What a sound ! Thanks for sharing the video. Quote
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