'63 4001 arrived.........

[8mileshigh]

As promised here are some pictures of the '63 4001, that has just arrived courtesy of EMS..........

[8mileshigh]

And some more................

[leftyguitars]

Looks horrible to me, it's the wrong way around for a start!

[8mileshigh]

Who asked YOU for an opinion?

[leftyguitars]

Err, your Mum?

[elysrand]

Magnificent, Graham! Is the PG original? And the surround? The catalogs of that era show more than one bridge surround shape, and I am curious. The nut seems to have been changed, but the rest looks original to my untrained eye...

What is the month of manufacture? My own 1963 Rick bass is so far from original, with it having been cut up to add the neck pickup and most of the hardware changed out at one time or another by the owner before me, that I lust to see what one would have originally looked like unmolested!

I would LOVE to see a shot of the underside of the loaded PG and inside the control cavity Please please? If you want to email a higher-resolution photo, you can send it directly to me email address <[email protected]> Thank you!

[dswp]

Great stuff Graham.

Enjoy it!!!!

[8mileshigh]

I've not yet had the chance to strip it. My gut reaction is that it looks to be pretty original, but I'm no expert. The nut does look terrible however. I'll try and find time in a few weeks to strip it and take some more in depth photos. If only I was seeing a bass expert in the next week or so.......I'm sure he could answer a few questions

[leftybass]

Man, what a beaut. But Peter's right, it IS the wrong way around.. What month, Graham..?

Love the '63 period inlays too, the same type of material used on George Harrison's first 12 string.

Slot-head pickguard screws too, and they look like they've been on there forever. I find that really cool and unusual at the same time, but dunno if they're original.....it's a great bass.

I'd like to hear how it sounds just as much as anything.

[leftyguitars]

Looks like the original nut to me, is it made out of cheese?

[8mileshigh]

It's late, late, late '63 John. The serial number is CM which must make it Decemberary or Janember? Bit of a mystery that one? I guess the guy stamping the serial numbers got a bit confused?

[8mileshigh]

Here's the plate.........

[maplered]

Wo, that's really cool, Graham. Congrats!

[elysrand]

It's late, late, late '63 John. The serial number is CM which must make it Decemberary or Janember? Bit of a mystery that one? I guess the guy stamping the serial numbers got a bit confused?

Wow - never heard of that before! You are right, it must have been very late December, maybe after tipping a few at the Electro Christmas party Or it could simply be that they could not find the "L" stamp die, and they used "M" in its place. What a rarity, Graham!

My 1963 Rick bass Is only October, a "CJ" plate.

[markbass99]

Beautiful bass, ten years older than the ones I like to collect. To put this bass in perspective, John Kennedy was shot in between the months that Ely's and Graham's basses were made, Nov. 22, 1963. I remember watching the funeral on a black and white TV when I was a wee lad.