1978 Rickenbacker 4008 8 String

[aeternum]

Im selling my 1978 Rickenbacker 4008... I looked for a specific place for For Sale items on the forums and couldnt find anything... So I hope this is the right place to post this...

I thought I would post this here for you guys before I ebay it. I will entertain all SERIOUS offers. [email protected]

I bought this bass in 1996 in Portland Oregon at Old Town Music, A great vintage guitar shop. I have toured the U.S. with it several times and played countless shows with it. It is my understanding that I am the second owner.

In 1998 a repair was done to the fretboard (as seen in the last photograph.... The fretboard came slightly unglued from the neck in that spot...dont ask me..).. The repair was also done at Old Town Music in Portland Or... It was never repainted.. I have never had a single problem with the repair over the 11 or so years since it was done..

You can see the paint worn off in the typical places. Im not sure if this guitar had been repainted at some point in its life... if it had been, it was a top notch job.

Yes... it only has 4 strings on it in the photographs...It was used off and on this way for recordings over the years.. The neck is straight and has had routine "check ups" at Old Town Music, Morrisson Bridge Music and The 12th Fret .. all in Portland Or.

Why am I selling it?
I keep asking myself that very question...

This thing sounds HUGE! No two ways about it... especially with the right effects applied.. I should mention that it still has the original pickups also..

Since 2005 I have been leaning towards my Gretsch Broadkaster and I would honestly rather not see this thing just sit and collect dust.

It is highly collectable and pretty hard to find these days as you know..

Does NOT include the case....










Schaller Tuners (M4's?)



Lots of reflections on the back of the guitar.. I was always kind of proud that I had worn the pant off actually.



This is where the repair on the fretboard was done.. It was actually a minor repair..

[blueflamerick]

Welcome to the forum. The location for placing classifieds is viewforum.php?f=67.

This is not a 4008 or a 4003s8. This is a 4001 that has been converted to an 8 string. That said, it's not as collectible or worth as much as you may think.

Good luck with the sale.

[aeternum]

I verified the authenticity with Rickenbacker years ago...... I would be happy to do so again..

[blueflamerick]

My bad, the replacement tuners for the octave strings threw me off.

[rickaddict]

I verified the authenticity with Rickenbacker years ago...... I would be happy to do so again..

Send RIC the photos if you can. I agree with Erik. RIC made a 4003S/8 that looked like this:

http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... ine%3Dtrue

And a 4008 that looked like this:

http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... D0%26sn%3D

Note no body binding on either and dots on the fret boards of both, not triangles. Note also that the headstock is much longer on a real one. Neck binding on the 4008, but not on the 4003S/8.

Yours may be a cool treasure, but I don't think it had 8 strings when it left the factory.

[aeternum]

My bad, the replacement tuners for the octave strings threw me off.

The tuners for the octave strings are not replacements... They are all original

[aeternum]

I verified the authenticity with Rickenbacker years ago...... I would be happy to do so again..

Send RIC the photos if you can. I agree with Erik. RIC made a 4003S/8 that looked like this:

http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... ine%3Dtrue

And a 4008 that looked like this:

http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... D0%26sn%3D

Note no body binding on either and dots on the fret boards of both, not triangles. Note also that the headstock is much longer on a real one. Neck binding on the 4008, but not on the 4003S/8.

Yours may be a cool treasure, but I don't think it had 8 strings when it left the factory.

You are comparing a 1998 and a 1982 8 string to a 1978 model.... they are different.

I have spoken to Rickenbacker in the past in regards to this bass.... I will send them these pics and let them take a look.

[rickaddict]

Clues are:

1) Nut is a replacement ('cuz the original had 4 slots).

2) Bridge has been replaced ('cuz the original had 4 saddles...Your bridge is probably better than RIC's, btw!)

3) Headstock is 4001 length, not the potato-head or the long 8 string headstock.

4) No toaster pickup--All 8 string Ricks have had a toaster pickup in the neck position to my knowledge.

5) No Rick 8-string or 5-string (to my knowledge, again) was made with the triangle inlays because the fretboard/neck is stronger with dot inlays to deal with the extra string tension.

6) RIC never used mini Schallers like that on an 8 string. I like them, but I've never seen one with them.

7) It looks like the bass has been refinished in Jetglo (black) over the original Fireglo (Red)--probably done to cover up the work to the headstock to plug/re-drill tuner holes.

Not trying to be mean or negative here, I'm just 99% sure that this bass left the factory as a regular 4-string 4001.

[kennyhowes]

I verified the authenticity with Rickenbacker years ago...... I would be happy to do so again..

Did you get any sort of written verification?

[rickaddict]

You are comparing a 1998 and a 1982 8 string to a 1978 model.... they are different.

Yes, I am. But a 1978 4008 would look the same as a 1982 4008.

The 4003S/8 looks slightly different in that it has no neck binding.

[aeternum]

I verified the authenticity with Rickenbacker years ago...... I would be happy to do so again..

Did you get any sort of written verification?

I have contacted Rickenbacker again just now.... I'll let ya know what they say when I hear back..

[blueflamerick]

I take back my "my bad" and restate my originial comment. It's a 4001 that's been converted to an 8 string.

[rickaddict]

There was also another 8 string headstock (that we like to call the potatohead), but it was only used on a couple 4008's, one made for Chris Squire, and one for John Entwistle.

Here's a photo of John's. It was made in 1973. Another unique feature of these two basses is that they had body binding. Most, if not all of the 4008's had a contoured "S" body and no body binding.

[86kubicki]

Also it appears that there's some Fireglo underneath the black finish. This may indicate some sort of refin to hide the work done on the headstock to accommodate 8 tuners.

[rickaddict]

Also it appears that there's some Fireglo underneath the black finish. This may indicate some sort of refin to hide the work done on the headstock to accommodate 8 tuners.

7) It looks like the bass has been refinished in Jetglo (black) over the original Fireglo (Red)--probably done to cover up the work to the headstock to plug/re-drill tuner holes.

Good observation, Steve.



(Silly Canadian!)