Model of the Week 23: Just what is a PMC?

[bassduke49]

This is one "model" on which I have very little information. Maybe around 1999(?) a model known as the 4001 PMC was produced. I've heard a few things and don't really know what to believe. My impression is that the PMC was made to look much (exactly?) like Paul McCartney's left-handed 4001S (=RM 1999) and that they were perhaps part of the 4001V63 group but left-handed only(?). I can't find anything in the RIC price lists on this. Could it have been a transitional piece to the 4001C64 series? Was it available in colors other than Fireglo? How many were made? How was it set up (zero fret? Horseshoe pickup?)? It's a mystery.

Please, anyone with more information is welcome to chime in. Previous owners? I think John Simmons? Somebody 'splain this to me, please? Helpa! Turn offa the bubble machine-um! (old Stan Freberg reference).

[kiramdear]

This is supposed to be a picture of one that I found on this page:

http://www.rickbeat.com/beatles/beatles.htm

[jps]

Hmm, that looks just like a late model 4001V63 would look, but lefty.

[deaconblues]

Rickbeat says lefty only, and I believe it was the first RI with the reverse headstock:

4001spmc2.jpg (11.24 KiB) Viewed 4366 times

[kiramdear]

A corporate forum post suggests that they were made for the Japanese market, and I saw three more on a Japanese website.

[simer4001]

I had one in Mapleglo.

[headbanger]

PMC was lefty only made for the Japanese market and not available anywhere else(generally). Esentially a replica of the McCartney 4001S. It came with the righty headstock as Paul's did because there was no lefty neck back then. Lefty necks are a somewhat modern feature on Rick basses (mid 80's?)

If you had ordered a lefty V63 it would have had a lefty headstock, the opposite to what the McCartney bass had, so the PMC filled that void.

[simer4001]

PMC was lefty only made for the Japanese market and not available anywhere else(generally).

I ordered one from Old Boise Guitar in 1999. I paid $1,295.00 for it back then. I ordered it in Mapleglo.

[bassduke49]

So, Gerry, in essence, the PMC was a flipped headstock leftie V63? And this could be the transitional model (at least for lefties) between the V63 and the C64, eh? Interesting. Anybody know of any outside of 1999 production dates?

[simer4001]

IIRC, I was told when I ordered it that no more orders were being taken after 12/31/1999. That doesn't mean they didn't make any after, but they didn't take anymore orders. I would be surprised if any were made after 1999, since not many people knew they were even available. I also recall that it was delivered rather quickly after I ordered it. No more than one month. It came very quick. i will have to look for a photo. I know that one was posted here quite a while ago. I will have to check my posts.

[rickaddict]

IIRC, I was told when I ordered it that no more orders were being taken after 12/31/1999. That doesn't mean they didn't make any after, but they didn't take anymore orders. I would be surprised if any were made after 1999, since not many people knew they were even available. I also recall that it was delivered rather quickly after I ordered it. No more than one month. It came very quick. i will have to look for a photo. I know that one was posted here quite a while ago. I will have to check my posts.

Are you a lefty, Brian?

[simer4001]

Nope! I ordered it for fun. I tired to play around with it and had some success but I felt very uncoordinated. I actually loaned the bass to a friend of mine in San Francisco that had put together a McCartney tribute band. He still has it 9 years later. And he is left handed. I visit the bass when I get back home. The tribute band, sadly, broke up. Right before the trip to Lagos.

[bpguitar]

Could it have been a transitional piece to the 4001C64 series?

The right-handed V63 I recently acquired was originally sold in Japan in 2000, and has similar features to the PMC including a black nut and nickel reverse tuners. I've wondered why it was built that way (as have others on this forum) - perhaps Ric was "transitioning" to the C64 at that time and experimenting with different features.

[nukebass]

I could have sworn a saw a MG Rickenbacker bass around '99 (maybe 2000?) at the Mars in Raleigh, NC that was labeled PMC. It's quite possible I just confused a left handed V63 with something else I had read previously on the internet.

[leftybass]

Gone but not forgotten.....