Ibanez Rickenbacker 4001 Copy Reviews 
4 / 5 based on 1 reviewsI found this Rickenbacker look-alike bass at a small music shop in my hometown in Wisconsin. I'm primarily a drummer so I wasn't really looking for basses, but when I noticed the Rick body out of the corner of my eye hanging on a wall and I almost wet myself. When I looked closer, I noticed some glaring discrepencies; it did not have neck-through construction, and it said "Ibanez" on the headstock. I was very confused. But I picked it up and it played very well, certainly better than the Squier I had at home, and bought it for a bargain of $225.
After doing a little research, I discovered that Ibanez produced these Rick copies about 10-15 years ago, and did an excellent job in recreating the overall feel and sound of a Rickenbacker while compromising with a bolt on neck and cheaper materials. Having never actually touched a real Rick, all I can say is that this thing is sweet!! The sound is really fat, the neck feels great, and the styling is dead on, which makes it unusual and attractive. I've played an American Jazz bass and a Deluxe Precision bass too, and I'm proud to say that my Rickanez is my bass of choice.
First of all, it's an Ibanez. I've never associated the name with great quality, but they did a wonderful job with this bass. The one major problem with it that I can see is that it's heavy. VERY heavy. Not only is the body pretty beefy, but the headstock is ridiculously styled and weighs down the neck. This doesn't really bother me cuz I'm like 6 foot 4, but it's definitely not a bass for beginners or the vertically challenged. The styling may also be a little off-putting to the faint of heart. And if you play sitting down on your bed or couch a lot, it can be done, but not when you're plugged in because you end up resting the butt of your bass right on the cord which sticks out perpendicularly-not a good idea.
The one I picked up was obviously used, and it had a cherry sunburst finish. There are a few chips and dings here and there, but that is to be expected. The only things that really bother me is that the bold on neck doesn't really seem loose, but sometmes it just creaks a bit. And on some of the metal components it almost seems to be rusting but these are just maintenence issues that the previous owner obviously neglected. It has a beautiful rosewood fingerboard and I assume it's made out of some type of maple/alder material, a two-piece fused together. Chrome hardware.
The bottom line is, if you've even HEARD of Rickenbacker, you probably want one. But we all know how expensive they are, so if you ever see an Ibanez Rickenbacker copy that's in good shape, don't even hesitate to pick it up. You'll have a solid, great sounding bass that you can get for a premium price, and people will ask you questions every time they see the Ibanez nameplate on it.
Brown Ducks rated this unit
on
2003-08-08.
