New to the forum, new to basses. 1961 4001 for comment

[(rickaddict)]

What an amazing find! Welcome to the Forum, Ted. And thank you for sharing the photos and story of this incredibly preserved bass.

[(wints)]

What an incredible piece of Rickenbacker 4001 history in incredible shape! Stunning!

Congratulations Ted, that one really is special!

[(pag)]

Fantastic bass!
Congratulations on owning a unique piece of Rick history.
Rickenbacker must have been a bit of a Custom Shop back then.

[(headbanger)]

Rickenbacker must have been a bit of a Custom Shop back then.

Pete, not so much.

The wood shape was settled by then but the fittings & pickguard were still fluid.
The routes will be forstner bit cuts done by hand hence the need for bigger pickguards sometimes.
The bridge is still a modded 450 six string, and the mute adapted to that.

It wasn't till 63ish when the new bridge came that production could ramp up.
According to Smith there were as few as 200 basses made total between 57 & 63.
They made that many again in 64.

A great find.

[(wints)]

Good to see you here Gerry...

[(Captain Bob)]

What a gift horse! The classic stored under the bed type find. Big Joe Talbot, who the OP mentioned, was a steel player for Hank Williams before venturing into numerous succesful businesses here in Nashville. Now, if I could only stumble upon that 4001 we've seen in the Orbison Ed Sullivan clip, from '65. Or, Kirtlands Blue Boy. Who knows what's stored in this town.

[(jps)]

Now, if I could only stumble upon that 4001 we've seen in the Orbison Ed Sullivan clip, from '65. Or, Kirtlands Blue Boy. Who knows what's stored in this town.

I believe the whereabouts of the Kirtland bass is known.