The Dr.'s John Hancock on ebay

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Tue Mar 12, 2002 4:24 pm

I saw this today and couldn't help to post it: the Dr's initials inside the control cavity on this 4001.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=851495905

ricnvolved · Post by **ricnvolved** » Tue Mar 12, 2002 6:29 pm

Hmmmm............ a RIC bass in "100% original condition", and then the seller goes on to tell about all of the "little" things that actually make it less than "100% original condition".

Sorry, but no thanks. If I'm in the market for a RIC bass in "100% original condition" I'll look up Chris at Pick of the Ricks, or Mike Parks at The Music Connection.

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Tue Mar 12, 2002 8:16 pm

Well I was there ,and I signed plenty of them , but I can not recall signing with just my first two initials .

The Florio is Dave Florio , he now makes the cabinets for Soldano Amps in Seattle .

He and I went to High School together , a few of my High School buddies worked at the plant.

I have wracked my brain and can not come up with anyone that worked in the prep area (#30 sanding) that had MD for initials .I signed many things ...I got bored with signing my name .
I even drew cartoons ....so did others .
If you could take apart the seams and look at the drawings on some of those body halves ....WOW!

I have seen my actual name inside some , but not on EBAY ........This could be me ...who knows?

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Wed Mar 13, 2002 3:28 pm

The '73 FG that I have does have your full name written with the usual cast of characters though.
I have to admit I haven't seen any cartoons yet, but I'm still looking.

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 7:46 am

Mark
I found a early basketcase 4001, checkerboard binding and crushed pearl, but no input jack to check the date. The only marks in the cavity are 4001-R "Reggie" and a big "X" done in pencil. The word "nat" appear in the neck pickup area, and under the bridge area 2 and the initials "RG"? Also there is a small x within a circle in the bridge pu area. I thought that you might be able to give a rough estimation if you knew any of these people.

Thanks
Kendall

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 2:24 pm

Reggie was a big burley guy that worked in the prep area , the X meant it got a second coat of sealer, the RG is Ruby over in scraping ....she cleaned off binding , and fretboard edges and was also in the 'wing' buffer area ....she had gorgeous black hair that was as long as Crystal Gayles !!! She was a rocking gal .Real sweetheart.

The X in a circle meant that either Maria or most ikely Cecilia did a second coat of paste wood filler on the fretboard and the skunk stripe .

Nat refers to the fact that the wood was of a caliber that it could go 'natural' .....NONE of the sprayers called it mapleglo .

rkbsound · Post by **rkbsound** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 3:17 pm

Yeah - My 335 has a pencil "x", written in one motion of the hand (two ends of the x connected). It also says 345 fg in it. I don't know if the fg was for the serial # or not, as it is fg2520, or for fireglo, which it is. What codes did they use for colors, ie: nat=mapleglo? I may go to the pharmacy and get one of those mirrors that dentists use to look further up the cavity (pun?) for other markings. My wife will be very interested that I am doing this ("what the hell are you doing?!").

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 4:30 pm

Mark,
Thanks for the update, any idea on the time frame given the inlays and binding. Also did they use a white nut at that time or was it black?

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 5:56 pm

I may go to the pharmacy and get one of those mirrors that dentists use to look further up the cavity (pun?) for other markings. My wife will be very interested that I am doing this ("what the hell are you doing?!").

Tell her[with mirror in hand--wear rubber gloves for dramatic effect], Uhh, just looking for "cavities", hon, I mean looking in the cavity, I mean, Geez! how'd this lint get in here???!!!Say, can you get me a beer???

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 10:15 pm

BTW, Mark is the "MD"; I'm the "Dr."

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Tue Jun 04, 2002 4:15 am

Just for an even more in depth look at why we have these monikers,

Rick12dr is a DR as his name is -Donald Richard Adamek

MD , I am Mark Douglas Arnquist

ken_james · Post by **ken_james** » Tue Jun 04, 2002 4:33 am

So I'm thinking '72 maybe or early '73? There's no holes showing where the thumbrest should be, but noone has ever said exactly when they stopped installing the thumbrest.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Tue Jun 04, 2002 8:36 am

So I'm thinking '72 maybe or early '73? There's no holes showing where the thumbrest should be, but noone has ever said exactly when they stopped installing the thumbrest.

Apparently, the thumbrest was a hit or miss piece on Rick basses. I'd say there Definitely were no more being used after late '72 early '73.
Then again, consider older examples; McCartneys original 4001s did Not have one. And one of my friends has a '69 4001 that didn't come with one, either.