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

[gray]

Nice! One to be proud of!

[leftybass]

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

If I'm recalling my numbers right, 11 away from George's 12-string, 10 away from Mike Campbell's 625/12. Cool.

The 4001 was made after the 12-strings, which are 107 and 108 consecutively, and most accept that these dates are December 1963 production.

[beatlefreak]

Great looking bass, Graham - Congrats!

[johnallg]

She's a peach, Graham, very nice. But all that chrome chipped off the tailpiece and shoes; better send them to me so as not to sully your collection! Nice find!

[wints]

Very, very cool....love that major mojo finish!

I'd say the guard/screws are probably not original, with those mismatched "rest" holes, and I'm sure the nut isn't, but the rest looks good.

Has it got the original bass 4 pole bobbin in the horseshoe Graham?

John, do the guitars from this year that you quote have the extra hole in the TRC?

Great find, and love that serial number, proving again that stuff happens from this period proving you can never say never...

[headbanger]

I think there's a DM serial on Bjorns site so it's not unheard of. Perhaps started in Dec and finished in Jan?

[wints]

Where's that one Gerry?

[leftybass]

DM? Oh, that's at my house....

[headbanger]

Apologies, it wasn't Bjorn's site, it's the database

CM 174 a 365.

http://www.rickresource.com/rrp/1960serial.html

[headbanger]

Yours John?

[cheyenne]

I love the back of the bass. Several thousand Tons of Mojo.

[leftybass]

Nah, I wish..!

I do have a DL, though...

[jps]

Great bass, Graham!

The HS surround is the same as on the '63 MG 4001 in the Smith book that Scott Jennings used to own, so I say it is original. Just like the ones on later V63s, the only thing different is the 'tail' is a bit longer on the reissues. I remember going back and forth with Ken Swearingen about the authenticity of that shape, he did not believe they were shaped like that back then.

[VRICKY63]

Black and white TV ? Kennedy ? What a geezer ! Me too

[markbass99]

Well, I turn 48 on Monday the 5th(bonfire day, and I'm not referring to the candles on the cake). What's really cool about these old 60's ricks is thinking back to the times when they were created and the music from that time. I was too young to appreciate it like I do with the 70's era when I was a teenager. I guess that's why I have a thing for those 73 ricks, that was more of "my time" than these antique ricks that I can't really afford to pursue. Tens years from now mine will be there.