1971 4001 - A real beauty, but what a price tag

[Ric N. Backer]

I saw this over on gbase.com.

It's really nice. Is $6,295 a little high, or is that what this year and model are selling for now?

http://www.gbase.com/gear/rickenbacker- ... mu-1971-fi

Looks sharp. What do you think? A beauty?

Love that binding. Sure hope RIC reintroduces it here in the USA soon.

[bassduke49]

Sure is. I'd say it is about $2-3 Gs too high in today's market if they are serious about selling it.

[cjj]

Yeah, too high... 'Course, maybe that's why they're grinning...

[cassius987]

It really is a great example though. In a better market there might be someone willing to pay that much.

[gibsonlp]

A day before I bought my 1972 4001 in 2007 I lost a bid on a 1971 FG 4001, it sold for over 8K, I'd say this price is high but I've seen higher.
Unless the pictures are misleading it's one of the most beautiful vintage basses I ever saw and the wood is fantastic.
I wish I had more GAS money

[Lost Coyotes]

A day before I bought my 1972 4001 in 2007 I lost a bid on a 1971 FG 4001, it sold for over 8K, I'd say this price is high but I've seen higher.
Unless the pictures are misleading it's one of the most beautiful vintage basses I ever saw and the wood is fantastic.
I wish I had more GAS money

Although I obviously didn't know you were in the bidding during that auction, I often wish you (or anybody else) had won that auction, Gil.
I bought at the absolute peak of the craziness, both craziness in the vintage market and craziness in my own head...
I was bound and determined to win that bass, because I had been looking for a long time and it just seemed so nice and clean, the "attic find" you only hear about...

And it is indeed a beautiful bass. The seller didn't lie about the condition, though to this day I am convinced (hindsight being as it is) there were some shill bidders, and so on. I remember one "question" to the seller basically stating, "There is no way will this go for less than $8,000"...
Again, the red flags were there and I ignored them...and we were battling some known high rollers in the vintage market.
Heck I ain't a high roller- by any stretch of the imagination. In fact I can't even afford to buy a house. But I wanted this '71 4001.

If the only reason I bought it was strictly as an investment, (it was not) then realistically - I will never see the day that its value again reaches the price I paid. Maybe my 13 year old will benefit many years down the road, but I had to learn the lesson...forget the price and play it; that was its purpose. If brings pleasure, then the price has to be a non-issue.

This bass looks every bit as clean as mine, if the pics are accurate, and it actually seems like a good deal - with my history...
In any case it will be worth and sell for what somebody will pay for it...but you all know that.

[leftybass]

Boy that's a nice 4001, pretty sweet...ya gotta remember clean basses with condition and desirable features will get a premium in any market, he could get it..

[Prowl]

My store just recently took in a 74 4001MG. Its in decent shape for the year. It was a trade piece that was sold to one of our Northern New England stores, and I was called for a second opinion on it (cause I'm the company's "Rickenbacker guy") sight unseen, which is nearly impossible might I add, but it was tagged at $1800 USD. I had said to tag it at around 2k because that seemed to be the going rate. This was based on the fact that I was told it was in excellent condition. I waited a solid couple of weeks before requesting that the bass be sent down to my store for a better look see. Thats when I found out the bass went up to our repair shop. Seems that "excellent condition" meant fret board lift, belt buckle rash through the clear coat, binding separating from the fretboard, mute pad completely missing, bridge pickup cover missing, a chuck of the headstock missing, the center screw of the gear wind replaced with a different one, neck pickup replaced from toaster to hi-gain, and a makeshift thumb rest screwed in. The repair technician told me that the bass should never have been tagged at that price or even in excellent condition, and that by the time they were done with it, it would be in very good condition, but at the state it was in, it was only considered fair.

I find the market for these basses very inconsistent. I've seen a 4001 one go for $750 and as high as 4k, but its not even just the 4001 that's like that, 4003 rates are up and down right now as well.

[teeder]

Nice looking bass!
I'd be grinning if I sold each of my '71's for that price!

[wints]

Boy that's a nice 4001, pretty sweet...ya gotta remember clean basses with condition and desirable features will get a premium in any market, he could get it..

Exactly. A really clean, all original bass, like this one, will usually fetch that premium. Very impressive!

[Ric N. Backer]

Boy that's a nice 4001, pretty sweet...ya gotta remember clean basses with condition and desirable features will get a premium in any market, he could get it..

Exactly. A really clean, all original bass, like this one, will usually fetch that premium. Very impressive!

It'll be interesting to see how fast this one sells in today's market.

[dricard]

It is sexxeh!

[Ric N. Backer]

The thing is this. If that beautiful 4002 on ebay just sold for $3,200.00 (if memory serves me correct - it's in a recent post so it'll be easy to find), what chance does this 1971 4001 have of selling for the price currently advertised?

Seems highly unlikely.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to have it. Just not at what the dealer is asking.

[jai_the_bass]

The thing is this. If that beautiful 4002 on ebay just sold for $3,200.00 (if memory serves me correct - it's in a recent post so it'll be easy to find), what chance does this 1971 4001 have of selling for the price currently advertised?

Seems highly unlikely.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to have it. Just not at what the dealer is asking.

I'm lucky enough to have been able to pick up 2 beauties this year; the 4002 is hopefully going to be on it's way to me soon & the 1971 21 Fret 4001 that used to belong to Kevin (Teeder) & came to me via Shaun .

I accept that cosmetically the 21 fret is nowhere near the condition of this bass that's up at $6k HOWEVER I would have to pay basically the combined costs of both my recent purchases for this and, given the rarity of the 21 fret & both rarity & condition of the 4002, I'd have to say that a) this is overpriced and b) I know which I'd rather have.

[Ric N. Backer]

The thing is this. If that beautiful 4002 on ebay just sold for $3,200.00 (if memory serves me correct - it's in a recent post so it'll be easy to find), what chance does this 1971 4001 have of selling for the price currently advertised?

Seems highly unlikely.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to have it. Just not at what the dealer is asking.

I'm lucky enough to have been able to pick up 2 beauties this year; the 4002 is hopefully going to be on it's way to me soon & the 1971 21 Fret 4001 that used to belong to Kevin Teeder & came to me via Shaun .

I accept that cosmetically the 21 fret is nowhere near the condition of this bass that's up at $6k HOWEVER I would have to pay basically the combined costs of both my recent purchases for this and, given the rarity of the 21 fret & both rarity & condition of the 4002, I'd have to say that a) this is overpriced and b) I know which I'd rather have.

I think it's a safe bet that the majority of folks here would agree you made two very worth while purchases.

Congrats - it's nice to have a little good fortune now and again.