1961 Rickenbacker 4001 Bass

[cjj]

SIGH...I REALLY wanted a RIC from my birth year.....

Kids...


Yeah, that's extremely cool...

[ajish4]

Kids...

LOL...BUT that is EXACTLY why I can't go for it.

One starts Med School in the fall...and one is in her 2nd year of FAU.

I'm HOPING I live long enough to get a "+" figure back in my bank account!

[rickenbrother]

SIGH...I REALLY wanted a RIC from my birth year.....looks like I'll never get one now!

I didn't think there was any such manufacturer way back then!

[ajish4]

SIGH...I REALLY wanted a RIC from my birth year.....looks like I'll never get one now!

I didn't think there was any such manufacturer way back then!

Well there were, but they made Roman Chariots.

OH MAN, I just noticed it has Checkered Binding too....YES....PLEASE....more pics!

[bassduke49]

I just told Ted Staberow about this, and he suggested that Mike should take a look underneath the pickguard to see how the routing was done up to the neck pickup. Obviously, if it was cut with a Forstner bit and finish OVER the cut, then certainly factory. But even if the routing was cut after, it could still be a factory mod during the development. This is a tricky area because we don't know (and may never know) how the company developed all the appointments of the 4001. We tend to think that the first 4001 would look just like most others of the period, but as John Hall pointed out to me on the development of the 4000, there were likely several or many that were hand made with different parts and styles as experiments. In this case, it could be one of the experiments along the way to what would become the 4001 we've all come to know and love. We've already seen another similar bass, that one-pickup model played by the "Vagabond Trio" that has the binding and shark-fin position markers (below). It's possible they could have added the deluxe appointments on a model first, then experimented with adding a second pickup, or it's possible that the one in this photo could have had a second pickup, and then reverted to the single-pickup layout with a replacement pickguard. We may never know. That's one of the reasons there is going to be a lot of "perhaps," "not clear," "uncertain," "possible," and other conditionals in the text of my book.

[leftybass]

Well, my bet is that this '61 bass probably had the neck pickup added after the fact, simply because we see only two controls for the bass....It could be the 'Vagabond' 4000 deluxe with an added pickup, but hard to say without some really hard looking.

And, I suspect the routing for the neck p/up will be bare wood.....simply put, a 4000 +1 (pickup)....the 4001. Could be wrong, but pics will show us.

For those of you that have the Rittor book, the 1963 4001 deluxe that is pictured within the book is a good example of an early (but more modern-looking) 4001...the routing is also bare wood on this bass for the neck toaster, and bare wood routing is present for the control cavity to add the two extra knobs we are used to seeing on the 4001..

IMO the Rittor book '63 bass is far earlier in manufacture than 1963 for it has an early 4000 peghead and tuners...if you look closely at the pics you'll see extra screw holes in the top, suggesting that the bass had a different pickguard applied, i.e. a large gold 4000-style 'guard....so, there is a lot of evidence present that it was upgraded or changed while being made.

[pag]

When enquiring about DA24 back in the 80s,Mr.Hall said in his reply that DA24 was originally described in their books as a single pickup bass and that some basses had a second pickup added in the early days.
I know the jackplate date may be a bit adrift but it bears out what you guys are saying.
The routing was factory original by the way as there was no way anyone could have re-sprayed over after the event.

This 61 4001 has to be one of the first if not THE first two pickup 4001 bass.

Should be in a museum!

[jps]

Well, my bet is that this '61 bass probably had the neck pickup added after the fact, simply because we see only two controls for the bass....It could be the 'Vagabond' 4000 deluxe with an added pickup.....

This is what I am thinking, also.

[walker]

Compelling, indeed. The Vagabond photo answers some of the "devil's advocate" questions I had. I've seen two "prototype" basses from the late 50's in person, (courtesy of Mike Lull in the mid-90's,) and the bodies were very thick, 5/4" I'm guessing. What's the thickness of this '61?

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

there's a pic of one in smith's book. i wonder what the ser # of that one was ?

[leftybass]

there's a pic of one in smith's book. i wonder what the ser # of that one was ?

All of the 'thinner' bodied Rickenbackers were introduced in 1961, so I would say the Deluxe 4000 is also from that period.

[mgauction]

I will speed up the process of some photos. Will return! Curious what John will think. Will see him tomorrow. Thanks for all the responses/comments. All important!

[cheyenne]

Wow! Rarebird indeed.

I'd like to officially name this bass "The Missing Link".

[bassduke49]

Compelling, indeed. The Vagabond photo answers some of the "devil's advocate" questions I had. I've seen two "prototype" basses from the late 50's in person, (courtesy of Mike Lull in the mid-90's,) and the bodies were very thick, 5/4" I'm guessing. What's the thickness of this '61?

Almost certainly the thin body. I figure when they made the body thinner to cut down the weight, they discovered that the reduced weight of the body made it a neck diver. So they lengthened the upper horn to place the strap pin farther toward the head, restoring balance. I think it is safe to say that all the production thick-bodied 4000 basses had the short horn, and all the thin body basses had the long horn. Makes sense?

[bassduke49]

Wow! Rarebird indeed.

I'd like to officially name this bass "The Missing Link".

I named this one "Lucy" (another missing link). It's a '62 4000 with the thin body and long horn, but all the old appointments: