Speaking of oddball Ricks,

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:31 pm

Just cruising through the photo section of this fine website and came upon this:

What exactly am I looking at here?? The artist is Mike Bacciarinni, the photo is dated 1979.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:41 pm

a 4000 in MG with black plastic? Maybe an Ebony fretboard? (Maybe not) ;^0

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:46 pm

The whole neck looks like it belongs on a 4002 to me. Check out the headpiece.

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:49 pm

Although 4002's had a bound headpiece didnt they??

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:49 pm

Or maybe was refretted and the varnish was left off, I have one that looks dark like that for that reason, can't explain the head stock though unless it was painted which I doubt. Looks like non-stock tuners also.

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:08 pm

a picture I made for our band webpage (www.throwthisaway.tk)

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:18 pm

oops... that was supposed to go in pictures of you playing your rics

gregson1 · Post by **gregson1** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:21 pm

I remember placing an ebay bid on that bass a few years ago. It ended up being a theft recovery, so I'm glad I didn't win that auction.

The bass is a former Rickenbacker employee custom one-off, bill of sale, totally legit, mainly built by Mike himself. It is not in any way production. The neck is essentially a 4002, minus the binding. The body is unbound birdseye maple, like the 4002--but the electronics are totally unique and other than the pickup are mostly non-Rickenbacker. There is a mono and Lo-Z output, if I remember right.

Last I heard, the instrument is back with Mike, so it's a happy ending.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:28 pm

So did Mike work at Rickenbacker, is that what you're saying?

gregson1 · Post by **gregson1** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:57 pm

Yes, Mike was a former Rickenbacker employee. The bass was originally thought to be a 4002 prototype, which was just not the case. It's more closely akin to a set neck 4000. Mike probably rescued a flawed 4002 neck from the chipper, then fashioned a nice body for it.

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.guitar.rickenbacker/browse_thread/thread/6f34753cffbe8678/31c327b800a0bc98?lnk=st&q=group%3Aalt.guitar.rickenbacker&rnum=10&hl=en#31c327b800a0bc98

gshadoan · Post by **gshadoan** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:19 pm

Ah, yes, the old days. When the place to be about RIC's was the old newsgroup. Steve Barr, John Hall, David Axt, Hornet, ahh the old day.....

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:39 am

David Axt is still around, but hasn't posted in a while. I bought a p/up from him for a 4001 of mine..BTW David, it sounds really good, thanks!

wints · Post by **wints** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:34 am

There's a thread I go back and read often. A lot of information given out in the early days there and proving once again, you can never say never when it comes to Rickenbackers.