Rickenbacker 4005V Semi-Hollowbody Bass Reissue

The Semi-Hollow Legend Returns

Wildwoodians, a good semi-hollow bass is hard to beat, and the Rickenbacker 4005 is one of the greatest examples of the style. Originally born in 1965, the 4005's powerful, expressive voice, elegant good looks, and supreme playability delighted players for decades before the model was eventually phased out in 1984. This left us at the Wildwood Bass Department and many other semi-hollow bass enthusiasts with a toaster pickup-sized hole in our hearts, but we must weep no longer, for the 4005 has returned! The new 4005V reissue nails the vibe and tone of those vaunted original sixties basses, and its arrival has significantly lessened productivity in the Bass Department (can you blame us?).

Expressive and Dynamic

Why have we been neglecting our professional duties in favor of thumping up a storm? Well, the simplest answer is that the semi-hollow construction makes for a wonderfully expressive playing experience. It imparts a bit of acoustic-style touch-sensitivity so you can shape the sound of the bass using your technique, allowing you to achieve a wide dynamic range.

A Toast to Toasters!

That semi-hollow construction meshes beautifully with the electronics. There are few things in life better than the tone of a vintage-style Rickenbacker toaster single-coil, and their voices shine beautifully on this instrument. The neck pickup sounds as deep and woody as a hundred-foot-tall upright bass while keeping superb clarity even on the low E. The bridge pickup presents a slightly (but only slightly) mellower, more refined version of the classic clanking, growling biting Rickenbacker sound with some of the sharp edges rounder off. In other words, it thumps and growls beautifully in the soloed pickup positions, which makes the middle position pure magic. Who says you can't have the best of both worlds?

The medium scale-length also contributes to the 4005V's tone in an interesting way by giving it a touch more percussive articulation than a 34" scale along with some more upright-like flavor. Not to mention, it also makes for a supremely slinky handfeel!

Express Yourself

The Rickenbacker 4005V is one of the most inspiring basses we've seen in a long time. Although it's based on an instrument from the sixties, it has a fresh, exciting voice that stands apart from the crowd and blazes a new sonic trail. It's one of those models that just seems to innately inspire the player to be creative and find news means of musical expression. Any bassist looking to explore the sweet world of semi-hollow thud staffs owes it to themselves to take a 4005V for spin and experience its myriad musical charms firsthand.