1975 4001 with wings ?

basshawk · Post by **basshawk** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 10:17 pm

Have you seen this one yet ? I don't recall ever seeing a '75 4001 with walnut wings. Can't tell if it's been stained or painted, but it looks good. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3703539158&category=4713

basshawk · Post by **basshawk** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 10:28 pm

Ok, after looking a little closer, it may be stained. If you look at the shot of the back of the headstock, the wood grain appears to continue into the dark region. If that is the case, it's not a bad job.

squirebass · Post by **squirebass** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 10:48 pm

I was looking at that one real closely too. Notice that there is a ding on the top of the headstock on the back, and it appears to be light wood underneath. Still very cool looking, and it caught my attention immediately, since you never see that combination of features together...
Whether it is stained or not, it is a nice looking bass...

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 11:33 pm

altered-cool-but still altered

wim · Post by **wim** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 12:35 am

Nice!
You can clearly see the maple wings joining though.

basshawk · Post by **basshawk** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 2:50 pm

Yes you can. I think it would have been a little better to have just darkened the outer maple wings. The wings along with the skunk stripe make it a close relative to the old 360/12's like Roger McGuinn's. A 4001 "Byrd bass".

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 3:06 pm

The Walnut headwings look so cool ... why doesn't Ric make every single instrument with walnut headwings .... it is the coolest looking feature of a Rickenbacker ...

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 3:08 pm

They look too dark to be real.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 3:32 pm

Guys, look closer. Those 'walnut' headwings are simply painted on. You can plainly see the original, narrower wings (or the 'seams' thereof, if you like) through the dark brown finish.

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 3:38 pm

I agree with Randy that it would have been a little better to have just darkened the outer maple wings. It would look more real then.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 4:58 pm

no ... I'm talking about real headwings ... why the heck doesn't Ric make all of their basses with walnut headwings?

basshawk · Post by **basshawk** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:33 pm

I agree, they're beautiful. Wasn't that discussed here a couple years ago and the conclusion was that they had some trouble with the glue joints ? I don't know of any coming apart personally, in fact it seems unlikely. I just thought that awhile back the wings were talked about and someone said that was the reason for discontinuing them. I vote for their return on all basses.

jmh · Post by **jmh** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:43 pm

I think all basses made without them should be recalled and retrofitted with them.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:50 pm

Every Ric bass has headwings ... they use maple these days ... the walnut looks so much better ... here's a backside of a '73 4001 with maple headwings ...