Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

This one appeared on Ebay in early July 2003 and was amply discussed (see thread '21 Fret 4001 on Ebay' in Rick Basses Archives 2003). No information as to the date of manufacture, though. If those 2nd version Grover tuners are anything to go by, it probably dates from late 1971. TLC is not original to the bass. I have no idea who eventually picked up this one 4001.

I put a set of SIT Power Flats on it. Normally I'm a Pyramid guy, but these SIT flatwounds are really nice and are nice on the wallet.

MikeYesFan,
Is Chris' bass on the inside cover of The Yes Album a 21 fret?!?! I don't have access to my vinyl copy of that that album and none of the other pics I've seen of that bass show the frets that high up....

I can't tell for sure. It probably is, and I believe it to be the same 4001 behind Chris in one of the pics on the 'Fragile' booklet.

Nope, I'm pretty sure it's a 20 fret Rick. Sorry, this picture isn't very good. I'll try and post a better picture later.

I think it's the one on the floor, the 4001 MG 21 fret.
Here are scans from the CD booklet.

Up close.

In action.

We seem to see the "1999" (or 4001S?) more frequently...



I wonder if Mr. Squire still owns the 21 fretted baby?

Another shot of Baby 21 in action!

Paul,
Where did you get these fabulous shots? I have seen some (one is from the Vinyl version of
"The Yes Album") and some others look like outtakes from the "Fragile" booklet that came with the original LP, but I have never seen them before online, etc. Are they all from the Fragile DVD?

Gene,
They are from my CD booklets of "The Yes Album" and "Fragile" (remastered and reissued in 2003) which are a bit smaller than they appear above. My "MIT" pirated vinyls that I bought when I was a teenager don't even have inner sleeves with pictures.

The CD images are so small! Man, I miss the "album cover as a piece of art" LP era.

Here's "The Bass" again, in better colour and contrast. Baby 21 on the shelf.



By the way, look at that big hole in the back of the 12 string acoustic guitar!

Ok, one more shot of Baby 21.

Maybe it's just a trick of light, but it looks like if Chris steps forward a couple steps he'll yank the cord right out of the amp! Or maybe he's trying to clothesline some stagehands as they come scurrying out to screw down a loose drum.

So does anyone know what year Squire's 21 fret bass is from?? What year was the image above taken from? Is he playing out of Fender amps?? So many questions...