Rickenbacker Bass Guitar

The Rickenbacker bass guitar is one of the most prestigious brands among rock musicians. Paul McCartney played a violin bass, but was also one of the first to play a Rick, as they are affectionately called. Many other rock bassists have followed suit in the years following, although they fell out of favor after the 1970's for a while due to a different sound in the music.

A Rickenbacker bass guitar is known for having a ringing treble sound with a punch, which makes it more suitable for the sound of 1970's hard rock. McCartney played a Rickenbacker 4001S in the year 1966, and has used it since then from time to time.

If you're shopping for a Rickenbacker, you'll see they go by designations like the 4001 and the 4003. Either can cost around $3000 unless you can get a good deal somewhere. They are definitely professional level bass guitars. Rickenbacker makes standard electric guitars, too, which also are professional models and have the punchy ringing sound. They are generally used in New Wave and jangle pop style music.

Another Rickenbacker that was not made for long was the 4005, which had a hollow body. The 4008 is an 8-string bass that has been made for years. The 4002 existed in the 70's, but there were only about 100 of them made.

The Rickenbacker bass guitar has a neck-through construction that makes it more durable than basses with bolt-on necks. The headstock on a Rickenbacker has a distinctive good-looking shape. The body shape is also elegant and curved. The fret inlays are made in a triangular pattern. The single-coil pickups have great clarity and range. They feature four selector switches for adjusting the amount of crispness and treble in the tone of the instrument. It also features double truss rods for even more durability.

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