Fernandes Rickenbacker 4001 Copy

[YOGA64]

Hi there,
I've been offered this bass, 1980 vintage, an exact copy of the natural one played by Paul McCartney. It's a neckthrough in very good conditions.
Has anyone here ever played one of these? :confused:
How do they compare to the "real" Ricks?
Thanks for all your help and knowledge
:)

[YOGA64]

Well, I guess they must be pretty rare then.......:jo

[Ricman]

Probably rare because Ric actively shuts down copy-cats. If you want a Ric, just go for it. There's nothing like them at all - even people who don't like them admit that. If that is the sound you want and/or look just save up and get one. You'll won't regret it. Love my 4003!

[jefesq]

Mcartney's was not natural (aka Mapleglo) to begin with, according to a thread here somewhere ( I think it was a link out of the Hey Jude for Jude thread in Sound Hound Lounge) He sanded it down.

[SGNick]

McCartney's was fireglo to begin with, then he painted it up with wacky colors, than sanded it down, taking most of the horns away with it.

[jay42]

McCartney's was fireglo to begin with, then he painted it up with wacky colors, than sanded it down, taking most of the horns away with it.It's the same bass in the Magical Mystery Tour video & stills.

[SGNick]

It's the same bass in the Magical Mystery Tour video & stills.

Yes it is. Also the bass he used to tour with Wings.

[alotawatts]

Hi there,
I've been offered this bass, 1980 vintage,
Considering what Rick's are fetching these days I'd jump on the Fernandes.

[teleharmonium]

Some of the Japanese Ric copies are very well made. The pickups are occasionally great, but often lame. The best ones I have handled were from the 70s, neck through with checkerboard binding, and generally very similar looking to a real one although somebody like myself that plays Ric basses can easily spot the differences (just a glance at the tuners will usually do it even if a real Ric nameplate has been installed). If you found one that was nice enough and a bargain, real Ric high gain pickups are pretty easy to get.

I would certainly prefer the feel of the finish on a 20 or 30 year old Japanese copy to the one on a new Ric. I hate thick finishes, especially on the fingerboard. My old Ric has a worn and sunken in finish and I have a newer one that I don't play except on rare occasion.

[SGNick]

When did you get your newer Rick? they very recently changed the finish. Still Conversion Varnish, but a different application/curing

[teleharmonium]

When did you get your newer Rick? they very recently changed the finish. Still Conversion Varnish, but a different application/curing

It's not all that new, I think it's a 2000 or 2001 model. 4003S5 in turquoise. I use a high C string. It's pretty damn cool despite my complaint with the finish (which also bugs me on my 330 guitar which is about the same age). How did the change affect the finish ? Are they less sticky now ?

[SGNick]

I think I heard some mention that they are harder/less sticky. They use UV to cure the finish, and it won't yellow with age.

They're able to get a lot more instruments done in a day with the UV curing, really improved production numbers!

[teleharmonium]

I think I heard some mention that they are harder/less sticky. They use UV to cure the finish, and it won't yellow with age.

They're able to get a lot more instruments done in a day with the UV curing, really improved production numbers!

Interesting. I wonder if that means I can blast my 330 with a UV lamp for a while and get rid of some stickiness, or would it only make a difference done immediately after the finish is applied ?

[SGNick]

It's a completely different finish, all UV would do to your 330 is make the clearcoat turn yellow.

[teleharmonium]

It's a completely different finish, all UV would do to your 330 is make the clearcoat turn yellow.

got it, thanks

[Thomme]

Well, I'm not sure what the differant finishes are on the rics, but Paul's ric actually started out as one of the burst finishes, can't remember which one exactly. But he painted it all freakishly for Magical Mystery tour and the Psychadelic days, then after they visited India, he and paul had the finishes sanded off their ric, casinos and John's J-160 (those I know of, there may have been more). They believed that if the instrument could, 'breathe' it would sound more natural. I don't know if goerge did anything with the sanding down of things.

Ok, it was actually Fireglo, the red sunburst. And that's the color is was in Magical Mystery Tour. It never went through the psychadelic colors George's strat and John's J-160 and Casino did.

[SGNick]

George sanded down the finish off of his Casino.

Paul did have his 4001 painted up

http://www.minidrums.com/honey/electric/ricks/4001/paul4001.jpg

[Thomme]

George sanded down the finish off of his Casino.

Paul did have his 4001 painted up

http://www.minidrums.com/honey/electric/ricks/4001/paul4001.jpg
ah, didn't see that one. The other pics from MMT, it's just the normal fireglo. And I didn't know that George had a casino, I thought John and Paul had the Casinos and George and John had the J-160s.

[SGNick]

John Paul AND George had Casinos, Paul Got His first, while recording the Help! album (that cool lick at the end of "Ticket To Ride", that's Paul on the CAsino"

George and John picked them up in 65/66, Used them extensively in the 66 tour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRv34Cat3Vw

See them both in Action.

Pauls had a Bigsby, with a Gibson style Headstock
Georges had a Bigsby, with the longer headstock
John's had a trapeze tailpiece, longer headstock

John's J160 was actually George's J160. One of them got stolen, they just weren't sure which one. photographic evidence shows that he in fact continued to tour and record with George's J160.

[Thomme]

hmmm.... the george's casino is news to me, learn somethin' new everyday. As for the J160, I knew that John had George's and George had John's, it was almost like they switched them really early on, too.

[bard2dbone]

Some of the Japanese Ric copies are very well made. The pickups are occasionally great, but often lame. The best ones I have handled were from the 70s, neck through with checkerboard binding, and generally very similar looking to a real one although somebody like myself that plays Ric basses can easily spot the differences (just a glance at the tuners will usually do it even if a real Ric nameplate has been installed). If you found one that was nice enough and a bargain, real Ric high gain pickups are pretty easy to get.

I would certainly prefer the feel of the finish on a 20 or 30 year old Japanese copy to the one on a new Ric. I hate thick finishes, especially on the fingerboard. My old Ric has a worn and sunken in finish and I have a newer one that I don't play except on rare occasion.

I had a '70's Univox Stereo Bass (their Ric copy) back in the early to mid '80's. I had a real '79 Ric and was playing in basically a Rush tribute band, although the term hadn't been invented at that point. I decided I needed a backup bass and found the Univox in a pawn shop for a decent price. It was always intended to be the backup to the real Ric. In stead the real Ric became the backup to the Univox.

Essentially, the only difference I could see between the two was one was jetglo and one was mapleglo. Both had lost the top of the bridge p'up cover before I got them. Both had the same binding and inlays. Build quality was identical as far as I could tell.

I suspect that the trussrod in the Univox was not as good as the one in the Ric, because after some HORRIBLE abuse inflicted on her by American Airlines, the neck developed an 'S' curve and was no longer playable. I still miss that bass.

I've always loved 'Sleepers', items that were much, much better than their name and/or reputation would lead you to expect. That Univox was my best example of that breed, ever.