Bass experts input and opinions are appreciated

[Rick W]

Hi Guys,
You may remember this one being discussed in the Marketplace/eBay sightings about a week ago. The consensus then was that it was real and aceonbass had seen a righty model. I received the bass today and I think it's the real thing. I'm not a Rickenbacker expert but I've sure looked at a lot of them. Here's the measurements I got when I measured from the bridge side of the nut. From the nut to the end of the fretboard, 21 1/2", from the nut to the center of the bridge 30 1/8". Wild! 21 frets and all. It all looks real to me. Any ideas? Here's a link to a bunch of pics. http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o188 ... ic%204003/ And here's a couple of shots from that link. I have some GIANT pics if anyone is interested.

[Rick W]

As a follow up to this, I just got off the phone with Richard at Rickenbacker customer service. I had sent him the ****** ebay pics and serial number about a week ago. He said he thought they had answered the email but I didn't ever receive it. Anyway, he said it was a special built instrument and not a fake. He said he would get Kenny to forward the email to me again! HAHAHA...I'm very happy!

[bassduke49]

Rick, I am very interested in hi-res photos of this oddity. I'm working (slowly) on a reference book on Rick basses, and want it to be as comprehensive as possible. This is one for the book. If you ever find out who it was made for, that would be great information, too. Lemme think . . . who's likely to want a short-scale leftie Rick and have RIC make it special for him . . . hmm. Well, there's at least one person I can think of! But we may never know for sure.

[jps]

Interesting theory, Paul, perhaps someone can do some digging and find out.

[rickfan60]

JH is the only person who can answer that question Paul. I am guessing it was a custom build.

The other way (and perhaps more accurate way) to measure scale is to measure from the face of the nut to the 12th fret and double it.

[Rick W]

Hi Paul,
I loaded the big pics to my Photobucket account. If you need any different shots, just let me know. I still didn't get the email from the Rickenbacker guys yet. If anyone has any inside contacts I'd be happy to provide the serial number..actually, it's in one these pics on the Photobucket link... Here's the link to the big pics.
http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o188 ... ic%20pics/
Thanks,
Rick

[badeggs]

Oddities are so cool...a '94, is it?

[Rick W]

Hi Jeff,
Yep, per the Rickenbacker site its a Feb. '94 manufacture date...It also sounds great!

[apollo11]

Wow, that is one cool bass. Congrats!

[hieronymous]

Wow, lately I've taken a real liking to short scale basses - Gibsons, Alembics, Fenders and Guilds. A short scale 4003 would be great! Congrats!

[nukebass]

Would 94 put it near the time a couple of other "special" basses were made for a popular individual? (93 was the first 4004?)

[basmansam]

Nice Bass. Does it have the short scale"ponginess"?? I have owned several Guild Starfires and never cared for that attribute. I think flat wound strings exasperate ponginess. The short scale looks like it places the p-ups in a (almost) jazz bass position.