Vintage Lefty 4001 - need help from the group...

route66guitars · Post by **route66guitars** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 11:16 am

Thanks, Andrew. I really appreciate it.

That answers some questions, and poses more. Here's what I have:

6 3/4" from center of mono jack to strap bolt. This is the jack hole that was drilled before finishing.

1 10/16" (1 5/8") nut width.

.833 neck depth at the fifth fret. This is absolutely the thinnest neck, depth wise, I've ever seen on a Rick bass, and it's way over your 10/16ths (.625) measurement. How did you measure this? Including the fret? I'm measuring fingerboard to back of neck. I used a great set of calipers I've had forever for gauging strings. (Customers would want the same gauge strings on their repairs, but wouldn't know what they used...)

I'll post images later and see what people think.

Sj

wints · Post by **wints** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 11:28 am

Scott, I'm measuring by a tape and eye! Holding a tape across the fretboard and neck and trying to level it up with a straight line at the back of the neck.
Calipers....I wish!

route66guitars · Post by **route66guitars** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 11:34 am

I'm a trained professional, what can I say?

Don't try this at home kids, it will only lead to trouble.

Sj

route66guitars · Post by **route66guitars** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:26 pm

So here are the shots of the headstock:

I got it with a brass nut, which is now history.

Here's the neck heel:

and the body for good measure:

So what do you think?

Sj

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 12:42 am

that control cavity is insane! i know they used to make the channel for the neck pickup wire with a series of drill holes, but not the whole thing!

jps · Post by **jps** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:07 am

That was done with Forstner bits.

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:44 am

I had a '74 4001 with the checkerboard binding, but it had the skunk stripe, the 70's smaller head, and it had the same tuners as yours.

While your headstock has the walnut wings, it is smaller than the 60's style headstock, and the open backed tuners don't look like they'd fit quite right.

Does anyone know the last year they did the walnut wings? This is a true 'transition' bass!

Very, very cool.

henny · Post by **henny** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 5:31 am

Does anyone know the last year they did the walnut wings?

1971.

Hey, 72's have to be the best basses to get.. skunk, MOPs and Checkered all in one. Like no other.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 5:49 am

I'm thinking the size of the headstock was slimmed down sometime around 1970, maybe a little earlier...YMMV.

Scott, it looks like you've got a clean platform there for a great bass, good luck with it. I remember when you got it a while back...

henny · Post by **henny** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 5:59 am

I'm thinking the size of the headstock was slimmed down sometime around 1970, maybe a little earlier...YMMV.

It was...

But Walnut wings disappeared in 1971.

wints · Post by **wints** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 7:14 am

I've never seen a cavity made completely by the circled bit. I wonder if they did that because the L/H basses were not routable by the usual means.
Scott, I,ll try and get some calipers and get back to you with more exacting measurements.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 10:24 am

Andy, that is correct. At the time those portions of the control cavities were dug using the Forstner bit, while the right-handed versions were routed normally. Both of my '72s are like this.

Even now the left-handed basses aren't made using the CNC machines, the body wings are still cut on tha bandsaw, at least that is what I've been told...I'll let you know hopefully in a few months...

route66guitars · Post by **route66guitars** » Mon May 02, 2005 2:36 pm

I finally got around to looking at the pot date codes on the bass in question.

1376730 = CTS 30th week of 1967.

I just knew it felt like a '67 - '68 neck.

Woo Hoo!

ken_swearingen · Post by **ken_swearingen** » Mon May 02, 2005 3:37 pm

The headstock and tuners are a indication of a 69-71,it appears to have the shorter headstock,if so they appeared on the 69 models a 67-68 would have the longer headstock. Andy what are the dimensions of the longer headstock? that would narrow it down.

ken_swearingen · Post by **ken_swearingen** » Mon May 02, 2005 3:48 pm

measure the headstock if its the shorter the bass is likely to be a very late 68-71,if the headstock is longer with the basses rounded heal it would be a 67-68 allthe indications from what i can see its a 69-70,the wiring harness could have been made at any time lefty harnesses are different than righty harnesses.