Editing Rickenbacker (section)

== Basses ==
[[File:Rickenbacker Bass 4001JG.jpg|thumb|90px|Rickenbacker 4001JG]]

The 4000 series were the first Rickenbacker [[bass guitar]]s, introduced in 1957. They followed the 4000 with the [[Rickenbacker 4001|4001]] (in 1961), 4002 (limited edition bass introduced in 1977), 4008 (an eight-string model introduced in the mid-1970s), 4003 (in 1979, replacing the 4001 entirely in 1986 and still in production in 2024), and most recently the 4004 series. They also made the 4005, a hollow-bodied bass guitar (from 1965 to 1984)—which did not resemble other 4000 series basses, but rather the new style [[Rickenbacker 360|360-370 guitars]]. The 4001S (introduced 1964) was basically a 4001 but with no binding and dot fingerboard inlays. It was exported to England as the RM1999. However, [[Paul McCartney]] received one of the early 4001S instruments (his unit was left-handed, and later modified to include a [[zero fret]]). Along with McCartney, other early adopters of the 4001 were [[Roger Waters]] of [[Pink Floyd]], [[John Entwistle]] of The Who, [[Pete Quaife]] of [[The Kinks]],{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} [[Chris Squire]] of [[Yes (band)|Yes]]<ref name="Weigel 2015 l382">{{cite web | last=Weigel | first=David | title=Remembering Chris Squire, the Very Loud, Beating Heart of Yes | website=Slate Magazine | date=June 29, 2015 | url=https://slate.com/culture/2015/06/chris-squire-dead-at-67-the-yes-bassist-was-the-very-loud-beating-heart-of-the-prog-rock-band.html | access-date=February 21, 2024}}</ref> (who technically used the RM1999 British import)<ref name="McIver 2022 d297">{{cite web | last=McIver | first=Joel | title=How Chris Squire got his iconic bass tone | website=guitarworld | date=August 22, 2022 | url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/chris-squire-bass-tone | access-date=February 21, 2024}}</ref> and [[Geddy Lee]] of [[Rush (band)|Rush]].{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

The model 4003S ("standard") arrived in 1985, was discontinued in 2000, and relaunched in 2015. This was similar to the 4001S with its dot neck markers and no binding. From 1985 to 2002, the 4003 and 4003S had black hardware and black binding options available. Later special editions included the 4003 Blue Boy, 4003 CS ([[Chris Squire]]), Blackstar, Shadow Bass, Tuxedo and 4003 Redneck.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

Rickenbacker basses have a distinctive tone. The 4001 and 4003 basses have neck-through construction. The 3000 series, made from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, were cheaper instruments with bolt-on 21-fret necks. There was also a glued-in "set neck" 4000 version in 1975-76 (neck set like a [[Gibson Les Paul]]), which featured a 20-fret neck, dot inlays, no binding (similar to the 4001S) and only a single bridge-position mono pickup. [[Fred Turner (musician)|Fred Turner]] of [[Bachman-Turner Overdrive]] used the 4000 extensively on the ''[[Not Fragile]]'' album, as seen in a promotional clip for "[[You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet (Bachman-Turner Overdrive song)|You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet]]." This bass also appears on the gatefold sleeve of ''[[Four Wheel Drive (album)|Four Wheel Drive]]''.

In the 1970s, the Rickenbacker bass became a staple of [[progressive rock]], as exemplified by British bassists [[Mike Rutherford]] ([[Genesis (band)|Genesis]]) and [[Chris Squire]] ([[Yes (band)|Yes]]).{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} Squire was one of the first to run a Rickenbacker in stereo by splitting the signal, sending the signal through both a guitar amp and a bass amp.<ref name="Weigel 2015 l382" /> Combined with his aggressive picking technique on Rotosound roundwound strings, the effect was a growling, grinding, "concrete mixer" tone that continues to be admired and emulated.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

[[File:Motörhead - Rock am Ring 2015-0343.jpg|thumb|170px|[[Lemmy Kilmister]] playing his signature 4004LK]]
In the [[hard rock]] vein, [[Deep Purple]]'s [[Roger Glover]] was a prominent Rickenbacker aficionado. [[Geddy Lee]] of [[Rush (band)|Rush]] used a Rickenbacker on the band's earlier material. Another enthusiast was [[Metallica]] bassist [[Cliff Burton]], whose heavily modified 4001, red with white hardware and trim, debuted during the group's ''[[Kill 'Em All]]'' era. Also noteworthy was [[Motörhead]] vocalist/bassist [[Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister]], for whom Rickenbacker produced a 60-bass run of "Lemmy Kilmister" signature basses: the 4004LK, fitted with three pickups, gold hardware, and elaborate wood carving in the shape of oak leaves. In 2019, the company produced a 420-bass run of [[Al Cisneros]] signature basses honoring the prominent [[Sleep (band)|Sleep]] and [[Om (band)|Om]] bassist, a long-time Rickenbacker proponent. Cisneros's 4003AC model features a signature pickguard, green inlays on the fingerboard, and a removable thumb rest.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2019/06/13/rickenbacker-guitars-reveals-the-4003ac-al-cisneros-signature-bass/|title=Rickenbacker Guitars Reveals the 4003AC Al Cisneros Signature Bass|website=No Treble|language=en|access-date=2019-08-09}}</ref>

The sound of Rickenbacker basses featured early on in the UK punk/[[New wave music]] explosion of the late 1970s and early 80s and was used by: [[Glen Matlock]] ([[Sex Pistols]]), [[Paul Simonon]] ([[The Clash]]), [[Peter Hook]] ([[Joy Division]]), [[Bruce Foxton]] ([[The Jam]]), [[Paul Gray (English musician)|Paul Gray]] ([[The Damned (band)|The Damned]], [[Eddie & the Hot Rods]]), [[Tony James (musician)|Tony James]] ([[Generation X (band)|Generation X]]), [[Michael Bradley (musician)|Michael Bradley]] ([[The Undertones]]), [[Youth (musician)|Youth]] ([[Killing Joke]]) and in the U.S., [[Mike Mills]] ([[R.E.M.]]) and [[Kira Roessler]] ([[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]]).

Brazilian bassist Alex Malheiros from [[Azymuth]] used a 4001 bass during the band's early years (most notably between 1972 and 1977). His very rich approach to samba, jazz and funk has some echoes of [[Chris Squire]] and [[Paul McCartney]] these genres can be tackled by the instrument; it is not only a rock bass and, in the right hands, can be good fit for many genres.