Pawn shop 4001 should I invest in it?

[ariff]

I have posted this on a couple different forums (Rickenbacker and Talkbass) to get opinions, so far they ghave been pretty positive. To get this bass I'll have to Ebay my 1995 ErnieBall Stingray that is a beautiful bass and great player no problems. Is it worth selling it for this fixer upper. I Have two EB stingRays so I'd still have one EB.

I stopped by my local pawn shop today just to have a look around. And low and behold they have a Ric 4001 up for sale. This bass has some Frankenstein mods done to it. From what I could tell at a quick glance is as follows..

Missing original bridge PU and some EMG PU is in its place. This is a jetglo mid 70's bass. The pick guard is different mirrored type guard. The nut has been replaced the replacement is white not black. there are some extra toggle switches added and a different phono jack added as well in the pick guard. The original Ric-o-Sound jacks are still there. The bridge is lifting and missing the foam string muting stuff. One of the tuners is missing the tension screw. The bass plays well as to be expected and has your typical battle scars and scratches for a bass its age. I owned a 4003 about 10 years ago and sold it. I have regretted that decision ever since. So ever since then I have been on the look out for another Ric. I'd like to get her back to original specs, but not sure how much it would cost to do so. Anyhow here are some pics.

http://www.unknownstuntman.com/files/Ric/

Let me know what you think about what is under the bridge. This did not appear to look correct. But it also seems correct. Since there was black paint in the cracks of where it appears to have been routed out and different wood added. It also appears that there was a different bridge on the bass as well since there were a few different screw holes present. You can see in the pics that the bridge sits above the body of the bass about 1\4 inch. It appears this is due to the bridge its self. Like there should be counter-sunk holes to make the bridge sit flush

[VRICKY63]

Looks like a big restoration job to me . It would have to be a bargain . I sold a 77 4001 a few years ago for $550 as a fixer. What are they asking ?

[cheyenne]

I agree with Rick.

The bridge area alone would probably make me run.

I'd keep the Stingray.

[rick_ovic]

Aaron, welcome to the Forum.

It all depends on the price. A mid-70s 4001 in good original condition might fetch anywhere from $1300-$1800.

Deduct $100 to replace the pickguard. Deduct $100 to replace the neck pickup. Deduct another $50 for correct wiring and pots. It looks like the bridge route and replacement will not be hidden by the bridge and I suspect a refinish is needed. Now you're starting to talk about a more costly restoration. I'd suggest anywhere from $200 to $500 for an average refinish, more for a first class job.

Once the restoration was finished, you'd have the upside of returning it to it's former glory and choosing your own color finish; the downside is that your bass won't be original and it's debatable that it might suffer a reduction in value due to the "refinish" status it will have.

If I were in your shoes, I would tackle the project if I could buy it for under $600.

I hope this helps.

[wints]

It's a no brainer in my book...

Pass, and keep the MM's....

[weemac]

My 74 4001 jg was a bit like this one, It's now a fine player but it took some time and ultimately it cost me more than just buying a good one to start with!

If you have to sell a good stinger to get a mystery bass, Don't! As Darren suggested you have to pay less than $500 for this one to be at all worth it.

Eden.

[berth]

It's a no brainer in my book...

Sell the (one or both) MM's and buy another -better- Rick.

[BlueAngel]

Deduct $100 to replace the pickguard. Deduct $100 to replace the neck pickup. Deduct another $50 for correct wiring and pots. It looks like the bridge route and replacement will not be hidden by the bridge and I suspect a refinish is needed.

The pots, switch and wiring look original, no need to change those. I could be wrong, but I think the body damage will be just hidden by the bridge when it's put back - it's extremely close, and even if it isn't quite, a tiny touch-up at the two back corners should make it all but invisible without the need for a full refinish. That reduces the cost of the work substantially - it's pretty much a DIY job.

If you want a Rick and aren't afraid of the work, I'd go for it - it will likely work out a bit cheaper than the same bass in original condition in the end, and it's a cool thing to do.

[jdogric12]

Definitely keep the stingray.

[ariff]

Hey guys thanks for all the great replies, man this is a hard decision. I am pretty positive that the original bridge will cover up the work that was done underneath it. Once the plug is removed I'd also give it a coat of black paint as well. I really don't mind the work. I actually like to do this kind of stuff. If I get in a real jam we have some great luthiers here in town that could help me out. The plugs appear to be wood glued in, but I am not 100% sure on that. They are asking 699.00 now as is. That is what you see is what you get no case included as well. I am thinking of selling the EB stingray as well since i do have two of them. If this one does not work out I can use the money from my EB sale to start a Ric fund to get a nice used or new one. Oh how I wish I could just go back in time and not sell my old 4003 that I bought new for $950.00. I would not be in this delima now.

[rickenbrother]

If I had two nice StingRays and was was ready to part with one of them to buy a Rickenbacker, it wouldn't be that pawn shop 4001.
If you could afford to get this 6001 really cheap without giving up the SR and you could take your time about restoring it when you have the $$, then I'd say go for it. Otherwise wait until you see a deal on a Rick in nice condition.

[jdogric12]

If I had two nice StingRays and was was ready to part with one of them to buy a Rickenbacker, it wouldn't be that pawn shop 4001.
If you could afford to get this 6001 really cheap without giving up the SR and you could take your time about restoring it when you have the $$, then I'd say go for it. Otherwise wait until you see a deal on a Rick in nice condition.

+1

[Darkhollow]

For 7 bills I would say no personally. For the cost and effort to get it where you will want it I think you are better off waiting to find a good deal either on these forums, ebay or craigslist.

Good deals pop up all the time. Timing is everything.

[gareth]

From personal experience from getting this sort of work doneproperly, you're looking at between $1000-1300 to have this bass brought back to a new condition. Add that to the purchase price, and it may make sense to do it, but it's not going to be cheap. Perosnally, I don't like to take on basses that have been routed, especially in the bridge area, but that's just me.

[BlueAngel]

From personal experience from getting this sort of work doneproperly, you're looking at between $1000-1300 to have this bass brought back to a new condition. Add that to the purchase price, and it may make sense to do it, but it's not going to be cheap. Perosnally, I don't like to take on basses that have been routed, especially in the bridge area, but that's just me.

But the OP is intending to do the work himself and it doesn't look like it will need a refinish, so the total cost will be one pickguard, one neck pickup, the mute assembly if required and the strap buttons if you're really fussy (I can see a Dunlop in one pic, and personally I do not like these)... which is more like $200-$300 - a totally different ball game, and which definitely makes it economical.

OK, it will then still not be technically in 'new' condition even if you can't see the repair, but if you don't care about that it's no problem. It will just be a nice old 4001 with some 'history', that will probably play and sound great.