21 Fret 4001

jayfbv · Post by **jayfbv** » Mon Mar 11, 2002 3:37 pm

This is my Jan '72. I thought it might be interesting to anyone who hasn't followed it on Ask a Luthier.

chucksimms · Post by **chucksimms** » Tue Mar 12, 2002 3:06 pm

That's so cool- is it a smaller scale? I love it... if you ever want to part with it...

jayfbv · Post by **jayfbv** » Tue Mar 12, 2002 5:19 pm

No, it's the normal scale length of 33.25 on the G string. The bridge center is apparently about a half an inch up from the normal position. Relatively speaking, the pickups are closer to the bridge than normal.

I've seen posts on a.g.r. where this is viewed as a mythical beast.

headbanger · Post by **headbanger** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 5:44 am

James,
I love it. I've seen pictures of a bound neck, dot 4000 etc, but this must be almost unique. I wonder what bridge pickup it had originally?

Anyway I've penciled it in as a must have for my collection....

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 7:26 am

Gerard, the bass probably had the under-string bridge p/up rather than the horseshoe-style; they had pretty well switched to the new-style by 1969-1970.

James, are you thinking about putting it back to original specification??

jayfbv · Post by **jayfbv** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 8:54 am

re: Original specs?
Not at the moment -- it's my only bass and I'm using it. Also I've had three professionals look it over and play it. They independently agreed that the button top neck and G&L bridge pickups were keepers. The G&L has three modes - HB, single coil, and single coil with a high cut. I've never heard anything really positive about the original bridge w/mute. The Badass is working fine for me.

I did get a proper toggle switch handle since the pic was taken. Looks better.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Thu Mar 14, 2002 1:51 pm

I keep on thinking about that fretboard and the large dots. Did the fretless Rick basses sport larger dots than the 4001S necks? Anyone?

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Fri May 31, 2002 1:39 am

I've asked this elsewhere ("1973, The Transition Year") and I'll ask it again: just how rare are the 21 fret versions of the 4001 bass? I have one in my collection, serial number JK 340 (November 1970), which I purchased in 1986. In January 1987 I wrote to Rickenbacker and they told me the bass was totally stock except for the pickguard. Anyone?

headbanger · Post by **headbanger** » Fri May 31, 2002 2:48 am

From my experience of hanging around places like this for the last 4 years I'd have to say that the era from about 1969-1972 were lean years for basses. Not many made to begin with. There seemed to be a lot of experimentation during this time also, set necks, 21 frets, odd binding & so on, maybe because volumes were low.
Certainly uncommon. However, there are at least a few.