Gorgeous blonde 4003 back on ebay

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 6:59 am

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2508577180&category=4713

Someone had nabbed it the first time it was listed, but were an unqualified buyer. I haven't seen another 4003 with this much figure in the wood. It will be interesting to see where this one lands, I don't expect it to go cheap.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 7:16 am

Looks like Tiger Maple! It is beautiful.

Interesting - he's got nylon tapewounds on it.

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:48 am

Intriguing!
Looks like someone at the factory selected the body plank assigned for the 4004cii series, sent it through the 4003 production line, and made a unique 4003 MG out of it.

Maybe Mr. Hall can enlighten us on this...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:55 am

Ya I saw that one ... beautiful wood ....

heheheh I said wood ...

I have a little of that quilting on my '68 Ric ... but gee that one has the whole body quilted, flamed, and figured ...

That is one beautiful bass ...

86kubicki · Post by **86kubicki** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 6:59 am

Looks like a bit of a shill job going on. Too bad - it's a gorgeous bass!

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 9:03 am

Some wood just looks better than other pieces and this buyer got lucky. We grade to a minimum acceptable spec level for a given color and obviously this is one is somewhat better than that specification. Every batch is different in this regard.

We have no program to do a special select instrument and charge extra for it- this one would have been at the same price as a black one.

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 9:09 am

I thought Ric wouldn't do custom orders? Are you saying I can request premium wood for an upcharge? If so, can we specify the type of figure we are looking for?

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:34 pm

Jeez, no wonder Mr. Hall gets frustrated.

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 6:26 am

I misread Mr.Hall's post (wishful thinking I guess). Sorry.

sir_andrew_of_left_coast · Fri Feb 21, 2003 7:27 am

I did too... I first read it as:

"We have no problem to do a special select instrument..."

...but it's "program"... not "problem."

wormdiet · Post by **wormdiet** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 7:34 am

Funny, I read it incorrectly in precisely the same way everybody else did

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Fri Feb 21, 2003 12:41 pm

Wishful thinking will do that to you...

gpatt5762 · Post by **gpatt5762** » Sun Feb 23, 2003 7:04 am

Now, I'm curious as to The Source (of the wood).

What States / Provinces does RIC's Maple supply originate from? Should some instruments have Maple Leaf stickers on them instead?

Garry

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Sun Feb 23, 2003 10:28 am

Since the auction has successfully ended, I'll post the seller's reply to my question asking if it was a special order 4003.
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Paul, thanks for your e-mail question on my Rickenbacker 4003.

The serial number on the jack plate is # 5260 and on the other side of the jack plate are the letters "VO".

I purchased this bass from a dealer I knew fairly well - he was a good sized Rickenbacker dealer and had a number of 4003 bass guitars in stock. This guitar was being "saved" in the back room for some other friend however, for $ 100 extra dollars, he let me buy this one from him. (I think his other friend stood him up, or something like that).

I do not believe this guitar is an "authentic custom order" from Rickenbacker, rather it's a guitar that came out unusually great and stands out in a crowd!

The tape wound strings are Fender strings - I installed them. Those are my preference but I never played the guitar so they're brand new.

Hope this information helps.

Steven
--------------------------------------------------

$1175 for a "NOS" flame mapleglo 4003 is an excellent deal!

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Sun Feb 23, 2003 1:47 pm

Our standard East Coast Maple (Acer saccarum) comes from the state of Michigan.

Our charactered Maples (Acer saccharinum, spicatum, pensylvanicum, et al.) comes from New England, generally Maine.

Our Walnut (Juglans nigra) is grown in Indiana.

Our lone imported wood is Bubinga (probably Guibourtia demeusei), which comes from China.