What is this?

[heinpete]

Have there been more early 4001WHT with CB than the one from Gibb?
http://imageevent.com/nicksguitars/rick ... 01bass1973

[ilan]

According to Chris Clayton's Ric Finish Timeline, white was offered from 1970. Checkerboard was standard binding for the 4001 Deluxe until Aug '73. By that time white had black body binding, guards and nameplates. Maybe this one was a custom order reverse trim.

[chefothefuture]

The type does say re-fin.... Perhaps white was not it's original color.
Didn't a forumite just sell a white re- fin a few months back?

[ilan]

The type does say re-fin....

Oops...

[jps]

According to Chris Clayton's Ric Finish Timeline, white was offered from 1970.

Mike Parks, of course, not Chris Clayton.

[iiipopes]

I used to have a '76 4001 that patina'd to the same creamy color. Look closely at how the finish interacts with the binding. If this is a refin, it's the best refin I've ever seen....

[Ontario_RIC_fan]

My guess is that it was MG originally and was refined in the 70s... The wear on it is years old... SN is MD 1100

[bassduke49]

One caution on the color timeline on Mike Parks' Rickenbacker Page/Music Connection website: It's certainly a handy graphic, but it is based on the information in the Japanese Rittor Rickenbacker book. Don't know how or where Rittor got their information. Overall, it's pretty good, but it should be understood that RIC production is not held to any particular time lines (no absolutes). I used the information in that chart, official RIC price sheets, and the RRF Registry to include suggested color time lines in the book, all the while remembering that RIC could paint any color it wanted at any time.

[Ivan3000]

From what the pictures look like, it doesn't look like there is any finish on the fretboard. I'd say the inlays are not factory original.
Cool bass though.

[jps]

Those inlays look original, to me. For a few months the material was like the later small inlays but in full width after switching from the crushed pearl material. here are a few from my March '73 4001; some I have seen are more opaque, like those on the white bass in question (MD1100).

[Ivan3000]

Those inlays look original, to me. For a few months the material was like the later small inlays but in full width after switching from the crushed pearl material. here are a few from my March '73 4001; some I have seen are more opaque, like those on the white bass in question (MD1100).

I know about those inlay, but these look nothing like any I've seen, they look like the most consistently shaded mother of pearl, similar to fretdot material. Also, the board is unfinished which is never/rarely the case from the factory, especially when there are inlays.

[FabGearHead]

It appears to be acrylic "MOP" that came into vogue when the guitar industry shifted away from celluloid. Also, note the filler in the pores. RIC always used a light colored pore filler in the fingerboards prior to applying the finish. I've seen some Ricks where the finish on the fingerboard peeled off very easily. I have had several owners ask me to dye their fingerboards darker, too!


Jim

[BobHyde]

The type does say re-fin.... Perhaps white was not it's original color.
Didn't a forumite just sell a white re- fin a few months back?

That was mine:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=405524

I have seller's remorse...

[chefothefuture]

I agree with Ivan about the unfinished board.
It's also been refretted as evidenced by the over
hung fret ends. The inlays look very white to me.
But I had a 73 where the inlays looked like binding
plastic under the finish so I can't venture a guess here...

[godber]

The description says it's a refin and also says that the fretboard was stripped when it was refret and the inlays are the type used by Rickenbacker on many basses at the time - just a quick check of the register will give confirmation. What's the mystery here?

73 inlays - like Jeff says
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1973-Ri ... 3f1ef4835e