Rickenbacker 4080

My 4080 was manufactured in November 1975 (1st production year) and it's condition is 9+ on a scale from 1-10 (1=worst, 10=best). I am the third owner of this instrument, it was obviously very well taken care of as there are no knicks or scratches to be found anywhere. The instrument was purchased by it's original owner in 1975 who then sold it two years later in 1979 to the person I purchased it from about a year ago (2002). The person I purchased it from owned this beautiful instument for the majority of the time (1979-2002) and obviously cared for this instrument as if it were one of a kind. The instrument is JetGlo and everything is original from the Ric factory, no mods have been made, all hardware is original. The instrument came with the OHSC and the guitar is the 6 string version.

My impressions of the 4080:
The layout of the instruments controls are very simple and easy to get used to. The instrument has a switch that allows you to make one or the other neck active thus shutting off the other neck. The only problem I have with this setup is that the volume & tone knobs are the same for both necks, the switch allows you to change necks. With this design you have to make any necessary changes to volume & tone whenever you switch between the Bass & Guitar necks.

The Bass sounds like a wall of thunder, it is very rich and deep. The guitar sounds about average to me but overall I love the sound of this instrument, especially the Bass neck

The action on the Bass neck is awesome, very low action as I like it with no buzzing or dead spots anywhere. The action on the guitar neck is a little bit high for my liking but since I don't use the guitar neck as much as the Bass neck I just live with it. Considering the age of the instrument it is in excellent condition, I can find no physical flaws anywhere. The quality of this 4080 is outstanding and the years of good maintenance shows.

I have used this instrument in the studio and live on many occasions and it is a true workhoarse. I'm uncertain as to the extent of it's use with the previous owners but in the year or so since I have owned it I find it to be a very reliable instrument. All the hardware is original and it is holding up just fine, the finish is without any chips or wear other than a few slight surface scratches on the back side of the instrument that are very light. I have not had any set-up done to this instrument as I am very satisfied with the way it is set up at this point.

I have not had to deal with Rickenbacker since I am not the original owner.

I have been playing Bass for about 25 years and the 4080 is by far the best instrument I have ever owned. I also own a 1982 4003 and 3 Fender Jazz Basses. I particularly love the sound of the Bass neck, it must be the extra mass that gives it this awesome sound. I owned a 1976 4001 years ago and by far the 4080 blown my old 4001 away as far as sound goes.

My 4080 was made in 1975 which is the first year of production. If you don't know, the 4080 has bolt-on necks and not the standard through neck that is found on most other Rickenbacker models. I understand that some of the early examples have problems with the neck angle on the bass. Mine would be one of those. Even though the neck is bolted on, it is exceedingly difficult to remove them on my 4080 because the finish has setup like glue around the neck joint. I gave up trying for fear of breaking something. My goal was to remove the neck and insert a maple shim to correct the neck angle. In it's natural state, the action is a bit high but it is still quite playable. The finish is Maple Glo. The whole instrument weighs in at just over 12Lbs so it is not something you would want to play all night. It does get a bit cumbersome. The bass part is like a 4001 and the guitar is like a 481 without the slant frets and the wide humbuckers. The guitar pickups are the standard narrow humbuckers with the mushroom shapted pole pieces. All of the hardware is standard Rickenbacker stock. The controls are the 5 knob version like on most Rick guitars and not the standard 4 knob of the 4001 bass. With only two positions,the neck switch allows one or the other neck to be active and not both at once. The Rick-o-Sound feature is present as in most deluxe Ricks but I have never used it. Anyone who has ever seen one will attest, the 4080 has a very impressive appearance!

The sound is good on the bass neck. I think the extra mass helps the low end. The pickups in mine are not very hot though and I may replace them with newer Rickenbacker units at some point. The guitar neck is very narrow and is difficult for me - a bass player - to transition to very quickly. The necks share a set of controls so the tone can be a problem depending on your preference. If you set the bass down to a deep tone the guitar will have a fat, dark tone. If you set the guitar for a more ringing tone the bass looses it's bottom end. Switching necks can require some knob twisting . Both necks have the classic sounds normally associated with the single instruments.

The neck angle of the bass is not right but it is still playable. I am used to much more consistent action from my Ricks. The wood looks nice and the hardware is the normal love it / hate it Rickenbacker hardware. It works but the edges of some pieces can be a little sharp and adjustments are sometimes not possible.

This instrument is heavy enough to drive tent stakes! I think it would hold up well under everyday use. It is no better or worse than any other Rickenbacker

The work load at Rickenbacker prevents them from having time to do the neck repair at this time. Otherwise I have never needed to talk to them about this instrument.

I have been playing about 25 years and have owned many basses in that time - most of them were and are Rickenbackers. I bought the 4080 on impulse back when they were relatively cheap. Today they cost quite a bit more than I paid for this one. It looks cool but I have never used it practically. My guitar skills are marginal. For me it more or less a collector piece. I enjoy playing it but I would never gig with it.