Rickenbacker makes Geddy Lee custom 4000 bass recreation for Rush Tour - Yeah it's kinda Ugly

[tbonesullivan]

As an owner of the "Big Beautiful Book of Bass", I know that Geddy Lee has quite the collection. He does not however have a very early 4000 bass, which had a huge gold scratch plate, single horseshoe pickup, strange plastic and lucite bridge cover, and other things. Well, Rick did him a solid and made him one, though with a neck pickup so it would give him the sound he wants.

Now I have no interest in having this bass. I already have a 4003 in Fireglo. I love how well it does the Rick thing. However you can bet your ass that rich Rush / Geddy Lee fans have been activated by this. Apparently a second one was made in a more blue color with a Schaller bridge. I'm hoping that for once Rickenbacker decides "yes, we want to make money" and gives the people what they want.

https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2026/04/27/inside-geddy-lees-new-custom-rickenbacker-4000v-bass-for-rushs-return/

[Steve Haynie]

You can probably have one made for the cost of what...  four Rush concert tickets?  

[tbonesullivan]

2 hours ago, Steve Haynie said:

You can probably have one made for the cost of what...  four Rush concert tickets?  

Oh man don't even get me started on the prices of Concert Tickets, with or without the involvement of Ticketmaster / LiveNation.

Here's the second one they made, which is more my style.

I have no idea what the control setup is, but IIRC, Geddy lee is pretty much both pickups FULL OUT on his Jazz and Ricks.

[mrjamiam]

3 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

Apparently a second one was made in a more blue color with a Schaller bridge. 

I'll wait for the none more blue one.  It's bound to sound best.

[Steve Haynie]

Rickenbacker's metallic blue is really nice in person.  

[tbonesullivan]

4 hours ago, Steve Haynie said:

Rickenbacker's metallic blue is really nice in person.  

Yeah, I just saw two more photos posted of the blue one... danng.

[Disturber]

Really cool. Not ugly.

[ARM OF HAMER]

12 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

Oh man don't even get me started on the prices of Concert Tickets, with or without the involvement of Ticketmaster / LiveNation.

Here's the second one they made, which is more my style.

I have no idea what the control setup is, but IIRC, Geddy lee is pretty much both pickups FULL OUT on his Jazz and Ricks.

                                  Cool bass!...........................kinda "Art Decoish". like those "Cat's Eye" control knobs. If I was a bass player I own one of those.

[Steve Haynie]

5 minutes ago, ARM OF HAMER said:

If I was a bass player I own one of those.

[Willie G. Moseley]

At least it's got the handrest. Contemporary version of the 4003 doesn't. If I was still gigging thart piece of hardware would be mandatory.

[RobB]

15 hours ago, Disturber said:

Really cool. Not ugly.

Yes, not ugly. Not a fan of the large knobs, though. Looks clunky and difficult to twiddle. 

[tbonesullivan]

4 hours ago, Willie G. Moseley said:

At least it's got the handrest. Contemporary version of the 4003 doesn't. If I was still gigging thart piece of hardware would be mandatory.

See, that's one thing I was glad about. Being used to Fender and MM basses, having the pickup cover or the horseshoe in the way is just a pain. I know some people love it, and it's got that iconic look, but you'll also see the majority of Rickenbacker 4001 and 4003 basses out there with it removed. The other Rick model basses don't have the big cover thing.

[Jimbilly]

I saw a good local Rush tribute (Anthem) about 2 weeks ago, 'Ged' was playing a black Ric with the white body binding, - that really is a good classic stage look, the black body with white binding really works, the real Geddy should stick with that

[tbonesullivan]

6 hours ago, Jimbilly said:

I saw a good local Rush tribute (Anthem) about 2 weeks ago, 'Ged' was playing a black Ric with the white body binding, - that really is a good classic stage look, the black body with white binding really works, the real Geddy should stick with that

I mean.. that is his classic look. His Fender signature models are also usually just black, though they sometimes make sunburst ones.

However all of Geddy Lee's Sansamp pedals and preamps are kinda seafoam green, so I think he also likes green. 

[alantig]

12 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

I mean.. that is his classic look. His Fender signature models are also usually just black, though they sometimes make sunburst ones.

However all of Geddy Lee's Sansamp pedals and preamps are kinda seafoam green, so I think he also likes green. 

Most of the pedals are seafoam green, but there are two exceptions.  The new Amalgamation chorus pedal is black, but it's not a SansAmp pedal.

And there was a limited edition version of the SansAmp to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Moving Pictures.