NBD Custom built Rickenbacker 4005 'tribute'.

[Maude]

"You can barely see it yourself", I said. "Nobody else will even notice it", I said. "Under stage lights it's impossible to see", I said. 

 

I can't live with it 🤔😂

I'm going to rewire it to either add a series switch or just wire it in series just through one tone and volume to add some mid oomph so while I'm working out how to do that I'm going to refinish it. It's just bugging me too much, a beautifully made bass let down by an OK paint job. A really nicely applied re-lacquer will (to me) lift this bass to the next level, and it's a good bonding process, I love playing instruments I've refinished or reworked, there's that little bit extra pride. 

[RedVee]

Really nice!

[prowla]

On 28/12/2018 at 23:36, Maude said:

Thanks borntohang. 

I'll give the knurled ones a try with a rubber washer. If not I may have to get some Schaller ones and just use one strap specifically for this bass then. If the buttons are standard Rick items then I'd rather keep everything as it should be. 

The Ric strap buttons are single-piece with threaded bolts rather than the more common button with a screw.

They fit Schaller Straplocks (I think they may even be made by Schaller?)(as are the Ric machines).

There are two folks who are making high quality Ric replicas - I've been contemplating getting a custom build, but I've just bought a Ric barebones body/neck to which I am going to add all non-Ric parts (bar Strap buttons, jack plate, and TRC).

[Maude]

18 minutes ago, prowla said:

The Ric strap buttons are single-piece with threaded bolts rather than the more common button with a screw.

They fit Schaller Straplocks (I think they may even be made by Schaller?)(as are the Ric machines).

There are two folks who are making high quality Ric replicas - I've been contemplating getting a custom build, but I've just bought a Ric barebones body/neck to which I am going to add all non-Ric parts (bar Strap buttons, jack plate, and TRC).

That's what came with the bass, two pairs of the single piece buttons with a larger thread. The holes would need plugging to use standard button and screw types so I've got a new strap for it and bought some cheap Schaller type locks, which came today and are pretty good for a few quid. 

[prowla]

52 minutes ago, Maude said:

That's what came with the bass, two pairs of the single piece buttons with a larger thread. The holes would need plugging to use standard button and screw types so I've got a new strap for it and bought some cheap Schaller type locks, which came today and are pretty good for a few quid. 

The Ric ones are standard Schaller fit - I have normal Schallers on other guitars too and my strap has Schaller fittings.

Beware of the cheap copies - some of them don't push-on (the Schallers have a slight bevel on the locking pin.

As far as the button+screw ones, Grover make good ones (branded Quik-Release) and Fender did them for a while.

The knurled ones are the older style (and they are the same part as the mute height adjusters!).

[Norris]

I've a few guitars and basses in my head that I'd like to make. I've just added a 4005 copy to the list. Lovely 

[Maude]

There was enough lacquer on this to flat and polish so that's what I've done. It's all shiny now without the annoying orange peel finish. 

I'll post some pictures once rebuilt as we all love a picture 😎

I'm onto wiring now and have put a post in the 'Repairs' section, if you know your electrics then please take a look and help me out if you can, thanks. 

 

[mefgames]

Can someone tell me who to contact to buy one of these 4005 Rics ??

[Maude]

1 hour ago, mefgames said:

Can someone tell me who to contact to buy one of these 4005 Rics ??

PM'd 🙂

[Maude]

Mefgames' post has brought my attention to the fact I never updated this thread. The sound is now bang on, wiring the two PU's in series has given it some serious punch, and still have the option of parallel for mellower tones. I'll get some pictures of the finish, it's in our rehearsal room at the moment, but just to prove it's now most definitely worthy, here it is being used when we supported The Chords. 

[NellyOnBass]

Maude thats a cracking looking bass pal, id also like to know who to contact about them mate cheers

[daveybass]

Is that Harry's work?

Looks great and is probably better now

 

[NellyOnBass]

do you know who builds these Davey?

 

[Maude]

5 hours ago, daveybass said:

Is that Harry's work?

Looks great and is probably better now

 

Sure is. 🙂

[Maude]

6 hours ago, NellyOnBass said:

Maude thats a cracking looking bass pal, id also like to know who to contact about them mate cheers

PM'd 👍

[Pow_22]

REALLY want one!  A 4005 is at the top of my "first thing to buy when winning lottery" list

[rocka]

On 30/01/2020 at 20:01, Maude said:

PM'd 👍

Maude, can you tel me also who to cantact for one of these? its amazing!

[Maude]

25 minutes ago, rocka said:

Maude, can you tel me also who to cantact for one of these? its amazing!

I'll PM in a minute but just want to first say that this thread is slowly becoming a, "Where can I buy or get a faker built?" thread. Now I have no problem with that but I don't want to risk putting anyone on the wrong side of RIC, be that this site for indirectly promoting the sale, or the luthier that is building these copies. 

In future, anyone wanting info on anything Rickenbacker copy related would be well advised to join the 'Rickenfakers' facebook group. There are two main builders (that I'm aware of) on there that will build to order. Whether they build a substantial amount or only a couple a year I don't know, or how willing they are to build for strangers. So far RIC seems to be leaving them alone but I wouldn't be surprised if that changed if too many start getting built. 

Pop on there and all will be revealed. 👍

P.S. The discussion of fakers on Basschat is fine, to be encouraged in my opinion, but promoting sales is not. 🙂

[prowla]

My guess is they're more interested in volume production knock-offs than to-order custom builds.

Edited February 8, 2020 by prowla

[4000]

1 hour ago, prowla said:

My guess is they're more interested in volume production knock-offs than to-order custom builds.

Even so, better to be safe than sorry. 

[Chris Capp]

I am very much interested in buying one of these tribute basses. Can you provide a link?

[yorks5stringer]

5 minutes ago, Chris Capp said:

I am very much interested in buying one of these tribute basses. Can you provide a link?

Taken from a previous post by the OP...

Just want to first say that this thread is slowly becoming a, "Where can I buy or get a faker built?" thread. Now I have no problem with that but I don't want to risk putting anyone on the wrong side of RIC, be that this site for indirectly promoting the sale, or the luthier that is building these copies. 

In future, anyone wanting info on anything Rickenbacker copy related would be well advised to join the 'Rickenfakers' facebook group. There are two main builders (that I'm aware of) on there that will build to order. Whether they build a substantial amount or only a couple a year I don't know, or how willing they are to build for strangers. So far RIC seems to be leaving them alone but I wouldn't be surprised if that changed if too many start getting built. 

Pop on there and all will be revealed. 👍

P.S. The discussion of fakers on Basschat is fine, to be encouraged in my opinion, but promoting sales is not. 🙂

Edited March 31, 2020 by yorks5stringer

[Chris Capp]

On 26/12/2018 at 08:17, Maude said:

I did something silly a couple of weeks ago which resulted in me owning this gorgeous bass. I've always said the only Rickenbacker I'd ever own is a 4005 due to me not really gelling with any 'normal' Rick basses I've tried, but the 4005 being one of the best looking basses ever made, IMO. The price of 4005's being what they are meant I'd never be owning one anyway so it was kind of a running joke with our guitarist who owns eight Ricks.

This bass popped up on my fb feed on one of the selling pages, one of those random posts that pop up from pages you don't really follow, I thought 'ooh that's nice', but it was in Chester and I was in Cornwall. Gigging commitments meant I couldn't go and look at it and I couldn't expect someone to post it really, could I? Anyway who knew what it would be like being a custom build and it was more than I wanted to spend, plus I was didn't need any new gear being happy with my own. 

Roll on 24hrs and I'd agreed to buy it 🤣

It's a faithful tribute to the 4005 (ok ok a copy) built by the luthier ***** *****(the names have been changed to protect the innocent😗), whom I've never heard of, body I assume is maple but would like any thoughts from the experts on here, it's got some nice grain and quilting, block binding, maple and walnut laminated neck, partial genuine hardware, not sure about tailpiece but it looks the part and the pickups are custom wound House of Tone toasters to give a Macca neck, Geddy bridge mix. 

The previous owner (don't know if they're on here) sent it by Parcelforce to arrive before midday next day, after a tense three days it arrived at work (Christmas backlog) and I'll admit I was a little nervous unpacking it, firstly was it in one piece, secondly what was the build quality like? It was in a Gigblade semi hard case which is actually a very nice case and when opened I had a wave of relief wash over me, it was beautiful. The quality of ***** *****'s work is awesome, the woodwork is great and the fit of everything is excellent, my only slight bug is the lacquer finish but it's not as bad as I thought from the sellers pictures. Most people wouldn't see anything wrong but I'm a fussy tw@t when it comes to paint. Too be honest it's not really bad enough too bother refinishing but time will tell if it bugs me enough. 

Anyway pictures, you must be bored of my ramblings. 

A couple close ups to try and show the quilting, as always it looks better in the flesh but you can see a bit of it. In real life some of it almost looks like velvet, it has a real depth to it. 

The neck is really well made, maple and walnut, bound and crushed pearl inlays. 

Lovely signature Rickenbacker carving around the bout. 

As you can probably tell I'm over the moon with the looks, but, and it's a big but, I don't like how it plays. Given that I don't gel with Ricks it's no surprise but my thought when I bought it was with it being a copy I won't feel guilty fiddling with it. Some of you may have noticed the thumbrest, it's a very crudely chunk of wood I've doublesided taped on to just try out. Because of the style of bridge the strings are very long way from the body, nice low action on the neck but string to body is huge and using pickups as thumbrests isn't working for me. Using the bridge PU as an anchor is just too close the bridge and using the neck PU just feels too sloppy for my style of playing. It has to be right or I won't end up using it. I'll make a nice wooden rest and tape it on so that it can be removed if sold. I'm making a new nut as the string spacing is wider than I like and the strings are very close to the edge of the neck, a few times I've slipped the G string off the neck while playing. 

Now for the sound, it's very nice but the PU's are quite low output, it doesn't seem to have a lot of punch but that's probably down to the placement, reading up a bit this seems to be the way the real ones sound. Either PU on its own sounds good but together I get that Jazz phase problem only worse and the volume drops. I might wire a series switch in and call on the electrical guru's of the forum for help. 

All in all I love it and once I iron out a couple of niggles, which are my fault not the basses, I'll be over the moon. 

It's certainly imposing, it's massive, and although I'd never claim to be the real thing with the mojo of the real thing, it's quite possibly better quality than the real thing and certainly doesn't look like your average Rickenbacker copy. 

Absolutely beautiful!
I want one. How can I go about getting one?

[yorks5stringer]

You could try reading the advice in the post I left you above yours? 

In case you think I'm being arsey, the owner of the trademark is particularly litigious so you would be best joining the groups I suggested and take it from there. Also try a PM to the OP?

[Maude]

16 minutes ago, Chris Capp said:

Absolutely beautiful!
I want one. How can I go about getting one?

Firstly, thank you, it is a lovely bass and has now been my sole gigging bass for over a year. 

Secondly, follow the advice posted above. 🙂