1975 4001 FL MapleGlo

[james richard]

Greetings, fellow Ricksters.

I'm trying to glean info on my beautiful bass. It was built in September 1975, and is in near-PERFECT condition.

The serial number is IO6473. As all 4001 FL were custom-made, I'm wondering if there is any way to ascertain who it was built for.
Also, given the rarity of it, how much might it be worth?

I chatted with an employee at Rickenbacker, and he suggested I try this site.

Any takers?

Thanks,
James "lil Jimi Dearborn" Richard

[cjj]

Welcome to the RRF!

Pictures are always a great help in things like this. I doubt you'll have a lot of luck in figuring out who ordered it since there were quite a few produced in the year that yours was made. It's possible that RIC themselves have some info in their files someplace, but they are unlikely to spend any time digging through records to find it as they have a lot more important things to do, like making guitars and basses...

[sloop_john_b]

James - fretless 4001s were not "custom made", these were production instruments that anybody could order.

Our own Register here shows seven 1975 4001FL's, and that is but a small sample of actual production numbers.

[RickyBubba]

You have to be very careful with those, they emit what is known as the deadly Tetruss virus.

To comply with the CDC, you must promptly send it to the certified disposal center.....me!

OK...just kidding.

Sounds really nice, and the Registry on here should give you an average price range, but e-Bay is often a decent place to get an idea.

If it is really nice, I would think around $2000 range is possible.....but pictures always tell the stories better.

You can also use the serial number decoder on the Rickenbacker factory site to tell you the year....Were the Fretless ones numbered differently?

[chrisdski]

If it's a 1975 the serial number should start with an "O" (or did you reverse the letters in your original post?), so I am not sure you are dating your's correctly. Some pictures of the bass and the serial plate will help us date it for you. If it's a 1975 4001 FL I would say $1500-$2000 in this market. I just bought a 1980 4001 FL mapleglo for $1500 last month.

[james richard]

Yes, it was confirmed by Ric Inc. She was built in September 1975.
Thanks for the info. And also, it is in Most Excellent condition.