Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Ken, yes, it was sent airmail, and I'm sure you're right about the perpetrators knowing.

As for how I felt...I was a gibbering idiot for the first month or so, and was pretty devasted by the whole thing (it was a lot of money to me at the time, regardless of anything else, and it was a beautiful bass, although a player). Plus I don't know how much time and money I spent on phone calls to the USPS (and Parcelforce here in the UK). It was certainly a horrible experience. So if anyone ever comes across it, assuming they don't do a Gollum ("It's mine! The Precious Rickenbacker is MINE!!!"), I'd certainly love to get it back (can you get something back if you've never had it?). The only good thing to come out of it was that the week I got the insurance money a 73 4000 appeared in a shop round the corner from me, for exactly the same amount......so I bought it!

I briefly had this bass in my possession in 1997. No, I am not kidding.

I bought the bass from a guy in Louisiana. The cool serial number, with its Beatle vibe, has always stuck in my head. It came with the original case, which had a Rickenbacker sticker on it, and a leather strap. I have no idea what the strap looked like but I remember that it smelled bad. Musty. So did the entire bass, really.

It came in fairly rough; dirty and pitted hardware, and had a broken pickguard. The guy shipped it to me without a box, just wrapped the case in kraft paper and stuck a label on. So here's the bad news: I sent it back to the seller and got a refund after a little bit of a hassle (when I say a little it means I had to threaten him). I do not have the information any more, I am sad to say. I can't even remember which classified I saw it on, there were so many little ones back then.

If that helps at all, great. If that is painful to read, I am sorry.

Bob - thank you, thank you for posting. No problem that you don't have the info anymore.

Still doing some serious head shakes after reading your post - is this wild, or what?

Figured the Ric could have ended up anywhere, actually; many folks up in AK at that time were there on short-term assignments. No way of knowing of course how many times she had changed hands in the interim.

It is sad to hear she was in such rough shape at the time she crossed your path. Glad to hear though that you were able to eventually unwind the deal to your satisfaction.

You've just bought yourself an adult beverage or two if you ever visit Detroit.

Thanks again.

Everybody...."It's a small world, after all...."

I only wish I still had the address and other information. I kept that stuff usually, but in the case of something I returned, I would probably have tossed it after the return was complete.

I have years of accumulated e-mails stored on a CD somewhere. When I dig through it...