I can't believe...

[pflash4001]

...I just found a 4000 at my local Guitar Center. I just picked up a couple of other basses at a pawn shop and needed some new strings for them. As we walked in, Roundabout played on the PA. I asked my kid to ID the song and he did, name and artist...then he mentioned that Squire played a Ric. The guy at the counter was impressed and asked how he knew Rics. I told him I had two. Then he mentioned they had one out back. I asked if it was a 4001 or a 4003. He said neither. It's a 4000. I had never seen one in person before so I asked if I could see it. He brought it out and said they were taking pics of it to send to their "Vintage guys" in California. I asked to play it and they began quizzing me about the bass asking why the machine heads were reversed, why it didn't have triangle inlays, etc. They seemed surprised that I could answer their questions. I asked about a layaway plan and they said they gave 30 days, but there is NO WAY I can pay off a $1300 layaway in 30 days. The sales guy looked at the manager (both of whom were the ones questioning me about the bass) and said, "this guy knows about these instruments, has 2 others, and REALLY wants this one..." The mgr took a small down pmt and said to keep making regular monthly pmts on it and they'd extend it for me. WOOHOO!!!! So in a few months I'll be bringing this bass home. Now on to the issues. There is some corrosion on the jackplate, so I can't read the entire SN. Despite this, everything I looked at said genuine. My questions on this are can any of the info on the jackplate be recovered in any way? I need to get pics of that jackplate. I didn't get that. On that same issue, how can I date the bass using the pots? The action is a bit high, too. The woods are structurally sound, but the bass seems like it was left in a hot car trunk and the glue softened up and left play in the neck joint. It's also missing 3 of the tuner bushings and the mute assembly. Does anyone have those spare parts laying around? Finally the bass looks like it may have been stripped at some time in its life. Dale did a fantastic job on my '68 4001 and I was thinking about sending this bass to him for the neck repair and a refin when I get it out and save a bit of cash up for the repair. I can't wait!!!!

[kiramdear]

Congratulations, Javier. That's going to be great when you finish fixing and setting up. I recently got to play one just like it for the first time. Like yours, the action was a bit high. I would love to have gotten my hands on it for a while, but it was somebody's baby. A very aggressive tone it had, full of snarls and nasty growls.

[Ontario_RIC_fan]

Great score!

it looks late 70s / early 80s to me from the raised TRC with the model number.

The codes on the pots will give you a date within the year - the numbers and letters on the jackplate will date it to the month if you can get past the corrosion... Decipher what you can when you get it in your hands again...

[T.A.R.]

Congrats!

[ram]

SA-wheat!! Congrats!

[jps]

it looks late 70s / early 80s to me from the raised TRC with the model number.

+1, the body horns are of the thicker variety, too, which points to this time period.

[beatlefan]

Nice pickup!

See? ... right place, right time ... it really does happen

[woodyng]

Woohoo,way to go,Javier! The set neck 4000's do have a unique version of the RIC mystique,i am sure you will love it when you get it up to speed. With roundwound strings,like Kira said,these basses can be really raw and snarly,but they also sound sublime with a good set of nickle flats.

[paul_yan]

Nice score, Javier! Congratulations!

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

if you need the black plastic machine head ferules, i've got some.

[hieronymous]

Very nice! I would still love to get a 4000 someday - there's a mystique about them, the pickup sounding different than a 4001 or 4003 with the bridge pickup soloed.

[pflash4001]

Thanks guys, The action was really high on this bass, but when I plugged it into an SVT...it just about grabbed you by the throat! I loved the tone! I can't wait to get the neck redone. I figured the bass was a late 70's because of the TRC. The headstock seemed a little wider, like that on my '79 4001. It definitely looks to be a hidden treasure! I think the one ferrule left on the bass is metal. My '79 4001 has black plastic ones. Would these black ones be compatible with these machine heads? I want to get this bass up as up to spec as possible. I think if I get a refin I'll go for a fireglo....drool................

[ricosound]

Nice pickup!

See? ... right place, right time ... it really does happen

I walked into a GC about 5 years ago and they had a MG 4003S for $650. I kicked it around for a while 'cuz I really wanted another deluxe (4001-4003). Suprizingly it was there for about a month. I could have picked it up then and sold it 2 years ago for 3 times that

[pflash4001]

I wouldn't have been able to hold back...I'd have bought it...somehow.

[Grey]

Sam Ash had 3 Rick basses hanging up behind the counter when I was there a couple weeks back. I don't play bass but I picked up an 80's 4003 that was white with black plastic to see what it felt like.
Basically my 480 with a longer neck and bigger headstock.