The One.

[Kopfjaeger]

As promised, here she is!! She is 100% back together and back to factory spec! She is a Dec. 1972 4001. Original finish and electronics! A huge shout out to Dane Wilder for restoring the harness. All the original matching number pot cases were reused. Dane found, and now stocks, period correct, brass bushing, solid shaft pots that are 100% period correct for rebuilds such as this. He removed the incorrect wiring that had been added over the years, rebuilt the factory selector switch with vintage parts from another switch that i had. The .047 Orange drop caps are original to the bass and were re-used. The .0047 is not original but with 72's having a mixed bag of electronic components, you'd never know it was not supposed to be there if I did not mention it!! Dane wired it with the correct gauge cloth covered wire and mixed in a few colors as was period correct on the jacks. Oh, he cleaned & rebuilt the original jacks as well. I really can't say enough great things about his work!! he truly knows what is is doing and his OCD rivals mine and guarantees he puts out top notch work!!

OK, the instrument, I purchased her on ebay from a guy that had owned her for a period of time. he was a guitar player that wanted to play bass but never quite mastered it. After a bit of tough negotiating, i got him down to a fair (somewhat) price. She came to me in a sweet period RIC black tolex case that is form fitted. She wore a set of .105 stainless steel rotos. There is zero negative neck angle with the bass! I can get the strings to lay on the neck is I bottom out the bridge!! The long pole toaster was in the case but was all screwed up. I sent her to Tom Brantley and he saved her!! Several of the magnetic slugs were loose after an attempt had been made to reattach them. Tom was able to repair the coil without a re-wind. he glued the slugs back in and added the correct grey clad shielded wire.

Once the pup arrived, yesterday I began to re-assemble her. I buffed out the finish with Swirl X then applied a few coats of Zymol. Her finish is dinged up but this bass is not going to be a case queen. She will be my main player!! I just wanted to get the grime off her and protect the finish. Mission accomplished. I swapped out two of the Wavey Grovers with two better ones I had in my parts bin. God I love these Wavey Grovers!!

I strung her with a set of DR Sunbeams Med/lites, .100, .080, .065, .045. I had to monkey around with the saddle posts a bit to get her to intonate properly. She is all set up and she roars!! I really missed my early 1973 4001 and with this instrument I've more than replaced that bass!!

She will need frets soon but I'm going to enjoy her a bit before sending her across country to the boys at The 12th Fret.

Is she super pretty, not really, but she is drop dead sexy!! She wears her age very well and she has one of the most comfortable necks of any of my Rickenbacker's. The neck is not thin but it's not chunky either. Actually, she is perfect for me. it's one of the first things I noticed when I took her out of the case and wrapped my left hand around the neck.

OK, enough blather. Enjoy the fotos!!

Sepp
After dis-assembly and a good buffing

Dane's handiwork!

Assembled!

I love the dark fretboard!!

[Kopfjaeger]

A few more.

The TRC is very clean and the Grovers are all tight and smooth.

She's not perfect but she does not have to be when she she sounds as fierce as this one does!

More wavey Grover love!

[rickyfricky]

Looks great Sepp! And I bet she roars.

It's amazing what a little TLC can do.

[cjj]

Cool!

[teeder]

I like it!

[Colonel Sanders]

So do I!

[spongebob]

Me too!

[rickaddict]

Nice, Sepp. Job well done to you and Dane!

I love the darker fret boards too!

Does your band play any Deep Purple?!

[bassduke49]

Hey, Jeff! Good to "see" you!

[opticnerve]

Nice Sepp!!!

[rickaddict]

Hey, Jeff! Good to "see" you!

Thanks, Paul! It's good to be back!

[Kopfjaeger]

Nice, Sepp. Job well done to you and Dane!

I love the darker fret boards too!

Does your band play any Deep Purple?!

Jeff,

Unfortunately, no. No keys in our band.

Sepp

[rickcrazy]

My october 1969 21-fret 4001 definitely is "The one"! Check it out. I believe it is still in the Register.

[rickenbrother]

Cool!

+1

[bluewhale]

...lucky enough to have found the perfect instrument for themselves? It truly is an awesome feeling...

Interesting topic. Closest would be my '78 4001 Burgundy:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=385405&p=589874#p589874

In some ways, it's "the one," certainly in terms of feel. I got it as a gift from my parents when I was a kid, in 1978, and for many years that was my only bass, so it feels absolutely right when I play it. On trying it out for the first time, the feeling wasn't so much "this is the one" as "this is too good to be true." I am convinced that it sounds better now than it did when it was new.

I think the only time I felt a deep and immediate bond was when I tried out a certain Alembic Epic 4-string (their bottom-of-the-line, if you can call it that) at a Guitar Center in Chicago. Didn't have the money, and had to turn my back on it. That was more than fifteen years ago, and I'll never forget it.


bluewhale