Rickenbacker 4004 Cheyenne I

I have a circa 1994 4004C.

Maple neck, black dot markers, gold hardware, 2 Rickenbacker humbugs, adjustable bridge, treble, volume and a pickup switch.

Oil finish. The maple neck runs all the way through, contrasting with the darker walnut wings.

It's a beautiful instrument.

I have worn some of the gold off the neck pickup.

It sounds like the godhead. A great sounding instrument, ballsy as all get out. Midrangey tone. Not espeically deep sounding, but great great tone. I've had guys with far more expensive rigs tell me how good my tone is.

I've worn some of the gold off of the neck pickup and the bridge.

This thing is hard on my plucking fingers. I play pretty hard and this bass especially wears on those two fingers.

Aside from that, it's both fab and gear.

I've had it for 10 years. No complaints. Great axe.

It's a great insturment. My favorite bass.

I also have a Mexican P Bass that I've hot-rodded, a Mustang bass, a Danelectro Longhorn reissue, and a Gibson EB-3. The Rick is head and shoulders above the rest

This bass is sleek and looks a little like a Warwick ... but it has bite and balls ... there are no active electronics ... just 2 series humbuckers and a toggle switch and a volume and tone control ... I usually rewire my 4004 basses volume volume tone or put in stackable pots so each pickup has a seperate volume control and can be blended ... I've had 3 of these ... they were all made in the 90's ... the body is very sleek and contoured ... it has none of the obsolete features like the mechanical mute, or ric-o-sound, or pickup cover that the 4003 bass has ...

the best way to describe the 4004 is it sounds like a pissed off p-bass ... but it still has Rickenbacker character ... it has a good growl ... not as much treble bite as a 4001 ... the C model has a warmer sound than the L model because of the walnut body ... there is no hum at all with this bass ...

the only flaw in the 4004CI basses is you usually have to get the frets dressed as the wood shrinks ... I have the same problem with other basses as well ... I like the oil finish ... it makes the bass lighter and gives it a nice mid tone ...

Rickenbackers are built to last ...

NA ... I always buy used instruments ...

The 4004CI will probably someday become collectable like the 4002 ... these basses are no longer made ... they have been replaced by the 4004CII which is a lot prettier and fancier ... My main bass is a 4003 5 string bass ... but I use my 4004L and 4004C sometimes ... they are lighter and sleeker and have different pickups and a different neck profile ... and a nice growl ...

This is the first model 4004, bought new in 1995. The 4004's were originally offered as the Loredo (L) which had a solid black finish, and the Cheyenne (C) with a Natural tung-oiled finish and unfinished Maple neck. The beauty of this instrument lies in its simplicity. There are not many "features" but it is beautiful. 20 frets, 4 strings, 33.25" scale. Solid Maple neck that runs completely through the body, with a quartersawn maple plank fretboard. The neck is wider than the more usual Rickenbacker basses-nice compromise between a Jazz and Precision neck I'd say. The rest of the body is Walnut, with walnut wings on the elongated "cresting wave" headstock. Solid American wood-but "super-contoured" to reduce weight and look sexy. Gold Hardware-1 Vol, 1 Tone, 3-way toggle to select pickups. Special design Rickenbacker passive humbuckers (silent). Gold Schaller tuners and small strap buttons. Completely adjustable heavy bridge (also gold). No pick guard or plastic-except for the "Rickenbacker" truss rod cover which has the gold logo on black. Very Sleek and "Custom" looking bass.

The sound is round with great definition. In a band setting it is glue and frosting at the same time! I use an Ampeg SVT-3 Pro with a 4x10 classic cabinet (no horn) and for larger venues add the 1x18 SVT-E cab to get to 4 ohms and 350 watts. I always put the signal thru ny SansAmp DI, and offer this signal to the Front of the House. At least then I feel like I'm not totally at the mercy of the sound guy. Of course they sometimes know better than me what I should sound like! But, I always get complements from them on the tone (when prompted). The tone is unique and that's how I want to sound-unique. Be aware that this is not a bass with a wildly diverse tonal palette. It's more for fingerstyle or pick playing. I can access that Rickenbacker "ZING" with a medium-heavy slap too, but your sound has to come from you THROUGH the instrument.

The set-up was not low when I got it, and I haven't really been able to get it super low myself. I have adjusted my style somewhat to appreciate slightly higher action which I believe let's the strings speak more clearly (think P-Bass). The pickups are not adjustable. The frets were a little sharp on the edge of the fretboard and I had them touched up. The nut was probably not precisely cut as I have to put a piece of D string in one of the slots whenever I change strings. Other than that it's a beautiful bass! The Maple and Walnut are very nice pieces.

This is my number one bass (I have 4). It is simple but elagant, always reliable, feels good and sounds great! If I'm going somewhere I'm not familiar with and I really need a bass that "can do it all" I take my Fender Rocoe Beck 5 string. But if I know the gig and I can relax I prefer to play the Rick. The Gold is starting to wear a little on the bridge (9 years old) and I would really recommend strap locks as the buttons are on the small side. I use lemon (or orange) oil to clean it. The raw Maple neck is starting to get that "vintage" look to it but that's cool. I rarely adjust the truss rods.

I only tried to deal with Rickenbacker once years ago with my '79 Walnut-Glow 4001 (God I wish.....Oh Well). I bought this at Dave's Guitar Shop in LaCrosse, WI and they are great to deal with. I bought my Fender there too. I bought them both "sight unseen" as I couldn't find a real example of either in any music store (including Guitar Centers). So I took the leap of faith and was very pleased with both instruments.

I've been playing for approximately 28 years. In addition to the aforementioned RIC 4004C and the Fender Roscoe Beck 5, I have a Peavey DynaBass fretless 5 and an Ibanez 6 string bass. If it were stolen I would search forever til I found it...Or maybe buy a Pedulla J2000 or Modulus 5. They don't make the Cheyenne 1 any more so consider that if you find one! It's a great passive 4 string that looks and feels good (8.5 lbs) and has a beauty and sound all its own!