1958 4000 bass

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:22 pm

I was just trying to buy this - when somebody else did!

It's a bad photo - but it was apparently a 1958. Missing the TRC and had a re-fret, but apart from that...............Sold to a store in the UK............I'm guessing Music Ground? Sold for approx. $11K. Let's see what it is re-sold for?

I'm not sure if it is a '58? It looks to be all maple? No walnut or mahogany neck?

rick_ovic · Post by **rick_ovic** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:26 pm

Bad luck, Graham. The white pickguard suggests a later build date, perhaps? Maybe a '60 even?

bassduke49 · Post by **bassduke49** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:48 pm

Don't know about the white pickguard. Could be a replacement. Recent photos of a '62 still show a gold guard. Still not sure when they went to maple neck-through.

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:51 pm

Yeah I'm thinking '60-'61? It might be just a crummy photo that makes the pickguard look white? It could be gold? Anyway.........no good crying over spilt milk..........having said that I'm off to cry in the corner

8mileshigh · Post by **8mileshigh** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:52 pm

Wasn't it '60 for the maple neck?

rick_ovic · Post by **rick_ovic** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:05 pm

Paul, you're right about the pickguard possibly being a replacement. If it's original though, it's almost certainly not a 1958 or 1959 build date. I've not seen any Rickenbacker model with white pickguard earlier than 1960.

wints · Post by **wints** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:56 am

Better pix would help.

Many different features on these early basses...

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:08 am

Weren't the basses released in 57, 58 and 59 all built in 57 and then slowly released? I don't know why I have that idea in my head.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:49 am

The original prototypes were done in '54 and a few units produced. The basic description would have to be "chunky", i.e. very squared off. But it must have been VERY few units, as I have only seen two from that era in my life, and one of those with a broken off neck.

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:20 am

Yeah! That's what I meant.

bails · Post by **bails** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:22 pm

Body shape is definitely one of the early short-horn models.