Rickenbacker 4001
| Rickenbacker 4001 | |
|---|---|
 A 1977 Rickenbacker 4001 | |
| Manufacturer | Rickenbacker |
| Period | 1961–1981[1] |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Solid |
| Neck joint | Bound (or unbound maple 4001S model) |
| Scale | 33.25 in (845 mm) (long scale) 30.5 in (770 mm) (short scale)[2] |
| Woods | |
| Body | Bound maple (and unbound maple 4001S Model) |
| Neck | Maple, Walnut |
| Fretboard | Bubinga, Rosewood, Maple |
| Hardware | |
| Pickup(s) | 2 single coil toaster/horseshoe pickups (early models),[2] 2 single coil Hi-Gain pickups (later models) |
| Colors available | |
| Fireglo (Cherry Sunburst), Autumnglo (Tobacco Sunburst), Burgundyglo (Red), Jetglo (black), Mapleglo (natural) and Azureglo (blue)[2] | |
The Rickenbacker 4001 is an electric bass that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a two-pickup "deluxe" version of their first production bass, the single-pickup model 4000. This design, created by Roger Rossmeisl, was manufactured between 1961 and 1981, when it was replaced by an updated version dubbed the Rickenbacker 4003.[3] Variant models of the 4001 include the 4001S, 4001LH, 1999 (European model), 4001V63 (reissue), 4001CS (a limited edition series based on Chris Squire's 1965 British model RM1999) and the 4001C64 and 4001C64S: the C Series is a recreation of Paul McCartney's left-handed 4001S with a reversed headstock. There are also Al Cisneros (4003 AC) and Lemmy Kilmister (4004 LK) signature versions of the instrument.
Construction
The 4001 model features a neck-through construction, a full-wood body, fretboard with metal strings (originally flat-wound, though many players replaced them with round-wounds), twin truss rods, triangle inlays, two pickups, two volume and two tone dials, selector switch,[2] and wiring for Rick-O-Sound (standard after 1971).[1] Rickenbacker also produced six-string and 12 string guitars and a short-scale bass, the 3000 model.[2] The bridge system is a relatively unusual design, both in aesthetics and in function, featuring removable saddles, as well as a compartment designed to hold a foam mute.
The 4001S (and 1999) model varies in its use of dot inlays, and unbound neck construction.[2] The Rickenbacker 4003, which replaced the 4001, differs in the truss rod design and introduces a fret wire that better withstands the wear from round-wound strings (fast fret wear was a common complaint for many years, and Rickenbacker strived to address the issue). The pickups are also higher in output, and the bridge pickup, a so-called "horseshoe" pickup, was entirely remodelled, featuring a more conventional design, although the "horseshoe", albeit removable is still part of the construction, for aesthetic purposes. More recent 4003 models also feature a push-pull switch on one of the tone knobs, which diminishes the output of the pickups, to more closely resemble the original 4001 tone. Other features remained similar to its forebear.
Rickenbacker has in recent years also produced a five-string model, featuring a more conventional bridge system, smaller Schaller machine heads and distinctive, asymmetrical pickups. It retains the Rickenbacker's signature 33" scale length, an unusual design for a five-string instrument. Between the years 1993 and 2018 Rickenbacker also manufactured a streamlined model, named the 4004, that used the 4001's trademark shape but featured smaller pickups, a simplified control layout, a more conventional bridge system and eschewed the use of aesthetic details such as binding or a pickguard.
Notable players
- Barry Adamson of Magazine (also in Buzzcocks, Visage and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)
- Becky Baldwin of Fury, touring bassist for Mercyful Fate
- Lou Barlow[4] of Dinosaur Jr.
- John Bentley[5] of Squeeze
- Cliff Burton[6] of Metallica
- Geezer Butler[7] of Black Sabbath
- Jon Camp of Renaissance[8][9]
- Peter Cetera of Chicago[10]
- Al Cisneros[11] of Sleep and OM
- Stu Cook of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Creedence Clearwater Revisited, with a 4001 featured prominently on the Bayou Country album cover photograph
- Paul D'Amour of Tool
- John Deacon[12] of Queen
- Joey DeMaio of Manowar
- Julie Doiron of Eric's Trip[13]
- John Entwistle[14] of The Who
- Bruce Foxton[15] of The Jam
- Simon Gallup of The Cure
- Matt Gatera of The Seagulls
- Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees
- Ashley Kaldenhoven-Jones of Catastrophe and The Stinkes
- Roger Glover[16] of Deep Purple, Rainbow and Episode Six
- Martin Gordon of Sparks and Radio Stars
- Graham Gouldman of 10cc
- Paul Gray of The Damned, Eddie & The Hot Rods and UFO
- Bob Hardy[15] of Franz Ferdinand
- Haruko Haruhara, fictional character from the anime series FLCL
- Glenn Hughes[17] of Deep Purple, Trapeze, and Black Country Communion
- Rick James[18]
- Tony James of Generation X
- Inge Johansson[19] of Against Me!
- Simon Johns of Stereolab
- Jesse F. Keeler[15] of Death From Above 1979 and MSTRKRFT
- Lemmy Kilmister[20][15] of Motörhead
- Dušan Kojić of Šarlo akrobata and Disciplina kičme
- Göran Lagerberg of Tages and Kebnekajse
- Audun Laading of Her's
- Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather
- Geddy Lee[15][21] of Rush
- Phil Lynott[22] of Thin Lizzy
- Dan Maines of Clutch
- Glen Matlock of Sex Pistols
- Paul McCartney[15][23] of The Beatles and Wings
- Randy Meisner of Eagles[24] and Poco
- Mike Mills of R.E.M.
- Mario Mutis of Los Jaivas
- Prescott Niles of the Knack
- Chuck Panozzo of Styx
- Charles Michael Parks Jr. of All Them Witches
- David Paton of Pilot and The Alan Parsons Project
- Tracy Pew of The Birthday Party
- Fabio Pignatelli of Goblin
- Scott Pilgrim, fictional character from the Scott Pilgrim series
- Prakash John
- Pete Quaife[25] of The Kinks
- Scott Reeder[26] of Kyuss
- Heidi Rodewald of Wednesday Week and Passing Strange
- Kira Roessler of Black Flag
- Mike Rutherford of Genesis
- Don Schiff[15]
- Timothy B. Schmit of Eagles and Poco
- Paul Simonon[27] of The Clash
- Jim Smith of Cardiacs[28]
- Chris Squire of Yes[29]
- Tommy Stinson of The Replacements (and formerly Guns ‘N Roses)
- Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear
- Dougie Thomson of Supertramp
- Pete Trewavas[15] of Marillion
- Fred Turner of Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- Martin Turner of Wishbone Ash
- Ben Wahamki of The Lumineers
- Andy Warren[15]
- Roger Waters[30] of Pink Floyd
- Josephine Wiggs of The Breeders
- Paul Wilson of Snow Patrol
- Chris Wolstenholme[31] of Muse
- Buddy Zabala of the Pinoy band Eraserheads
References
- ^ a b "Rickenbacker 4001". Rickbeat.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "Vintage Guitar – Rickenbacker 4001 Bass Guitar". Vintageguitars.org.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ T. Bacon & B. Moorhouse. The Bass Book. Backbeat Books. 1995. ISBN 0-87930-368-9
- ^ "Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr. on Playing Bass with a Really Loud Guitarist". YouTube. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ John is shown playing the Ric in the video for ""Another Nail in My Heart" (official)". YouTube. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- ^ "Gear Rundown: Cliff Burton". 11 August 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ Ed Roman. "Rickenbacker Guitars - Rickenbacker Guitar Artists - Ed Roman Guitars". Edroman.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ Snider, Charles (2007). The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock (1 ed.). Chicago: Strawberry Bricks. p. 207. ISBN 9780615175669.
- ^ "Jon Camp Interview 2012". Renaissance Fanfare. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ^ "Peter Cetera". www.dennybegle.com. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ "Bass Guitar Magazine October 2006". Electricamp.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ "Instruments: Early Shows I [27.06.1970 – 24.03.1972]". Queen Concerts. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ "Eric's Trip". 29 May 2008.
- ^ "Pete's Gear: Pete Townshend Guitar Equipment History | Pete Townshend's Guitar Gear | Whotabs". Thewho.net. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ashton, Adrian (2006). The bass handbook. Hal Leonard. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-87930-872-8.
- ^ "Dawk Sound Limited – Rainbow / Ritchie Blackmore". Dawksound.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2004. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ "Glenn Hughes". Equipboard. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "Rick James poster". Images.uulyrics.com. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
- ^ "Inge Johansson". Equipboard. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ Willie G. Moseley. "Lemmy Kilmister". Vintage Guitar Magazine. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "Rush delivers precisely what fans want". San Antonio Express-News. 4 December 1996.
- ^ "Artists Playing Rickenbacker Basses". Rickresource.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ Bacon, Tony; Barry Moorhouse (2008). The Bass Book: A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars. Hal Leonard. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-87930-924-4. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
- ^ Randy can be seen playing the 4001 in the video of a 1977 performance of "Hotel California" "Hotel California live in Washington 1977". YouTube. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- ^ [1] Archived 26 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Scott Reeder: Desert To Sea". bassplayer.com. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Paul Simonon | Equipboard". equipboard.com. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ "Jim Smith". Equipboard. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ Ashton, Adrian (2006). The bass handbook. Hal Leonard. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-87930-872-8.
- ^ "Basses". watersish.com. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ Bass Player magazine. November 2009. p. 34.
External links
