What's the story with this?

marc61 · Post by **marc61** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 10:26 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4713&item=3781243735&rd=1

I can't really see the photos. I know it's an S, but has this been refined?

edski · Post by **edski** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 11:46 pm

The guy says he painted the pickguard...so that's confusing to look at. But it doesn't look like a standard RIC finish to my relatively inexperienced eyes..

So my gut says "refinish".

Someone eduacate me, please!

jaymi · Post by **jaymi** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:58 am

New pickguard with 1/2" spacing. Painted like the body. It is possible. The back looks like factory fireglo....

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 2:06 am

it has a set neck ... is it a 4000 converted to a 4001?

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 2:21 am

I wouldn't be surprised if this one was converted from a 4000 to a 4001s by its previous owner. The seller says that two of the knobs don't have any writing on them, and the 1/2 inch spacing are my clues.

ricosound · Post by **ricosound** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 2:27 am

A 1/2" spaced route on a set neck 4000 is going to seriously compromise the neck integrity. I'd run from this one and I'm not typically a skeptic of projects. This subject has been discussed here before and this additional routing signifigantly reduces the attachment area of the neck pocket. One thing you can't do with early Ricks is to tempt fate when it comes to necks.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:21 am

That is a good point Wes. The neck joint would probably be seriously weakened by the cutting.

jaymi · Post by **jaymi** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:40 am

That is how my 4000 is. Someone wanted extra uummmph and added a p bass pickup to the front. This is the main reason why I never play this one outside house or studio....

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 5:03 am

It might be interesting to compare the factory-routed neck pickup area of my 1975 4401S, which the factory converted from a 4000 with a set neck, to that of a post-factory modified 4000.

ricosound · Post by **ricosound** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 7:33 am

Gary,
Are you saying that you have a factory two-pickup set neck? I didn't think that wise or possible. You learn more here by accident, than other sites by design!

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 7:57 am

Yes, there was such an animal! Who has photos?!

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:26 am

Hey Jaymi, I was thinking, what about re-filling the neck route? I would've thought a decent luthier could make it pretty much as strong as it was before.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 9:06 am

I have a bunch of photos that were in an older thread. Here is one of them:

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 9:08 am

I forgot to mention that the nameplate on this 4001S says "Model 4000".

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:46 am

Damn. What is holding that neck in? If the structure is anything like a 4080 much of the wood in the pickup route is the tounge of the neck. The 4080 neck is inserted quite far into the body.