Rickenbacker advice?

[Say No To Vorderman]

[frankpaush]

[Say No To Vorderman]

[frankpaush]

[Say No To Vorderman]

here's the one that's tempting me..local bass shop took it in as a part ex and are asking £795 inc original hard case..it's about 2 years old and had the one owner who only used it on the house

[VintAxe]

Wow, I really like the looks of the Blue Rick. I've got a 1977 4001 in Burgandy Glo. When I was shopping it was a toss up between Blue and Burgandy and Burgandy just happened to come along first.

Here's my opinion on the 4001:

Pros:
I bought this bass as a recording tool and have used it quite a bit. It has a signature tone which I liken to piano-type bass. I have mine set up with roundwounds to embellish this effect.

Cons:
Since I use the bass for recording, I normally sit down with it. I also normally pick with my fingers. When using this technique, the sharp edge on the front upper bout bangs the inside of my forearm to the point of bruising if I don't pay attention.
Mine has pretty low output from the pickups. Recently, I've just been going straight out the bass into a good preamp to record. If you want to record direct, a good preamp is a must. If you are micing a cabinet, this is a non-issue.
Not a big deal, but the tuners turn backwards compared to the Fenders I normally play. I just don't play the Rick enough to get used to the setup. Of course, this doesn't matter when recording, but if you are accustom to Fenders and want to play the Rick live you'll need to adapt.

I notice the pickup cover has been removed from the Rick you are looking at, make sure to get it if you decide to buy. I love that shade of Blue. sb

[frankpaush]

... we always called it the Travolta, when our bass player had one...