Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Mein gott! I don't even wanna know...

WHY?

collin wrote:That's not what any reasonable person would do.

Best case scenario would be to remove the body wings from the center block, scrap the entire center block and neck and replace with new wood (shaping a new neck).

Then again, it's not a rare or collectible bass... not sure why anybody would sink that amount of time and money into a project of this magnitude when they can buy a nice one for well under $2K.

I see we have an interested party...

You don't have to scrap the whole neck.
You could route a pocket and have another neck set in.
Probably a guitar neck as suggested, but the body isn't routed for that; too many cavities in the wrong places.
It'll probably end up on someone's shelve as a project for later... for centuries to come

I figured it would get discussed on here! Yes, a real sad sight.

I pondered it for a wall decoration, but not worth that with other projects I've got going on.

At first I thought this would be about the band Butcher. Scott Reeder was a member, a lefty RIC bass player and some of the band's visuals may not be child friendly. I was excited.

Then I got ill.

But now I'm entertained because it reads like a hospital drama.
"How can we save the patient?"
"Will it ever walk (a bass line) again?"

collin wrote:

8mileshigher wrote:Thinking about crazy projects, I wonder if there is enough wood, partial neck and fret-board material there, for someone with a band saw (and a lot of patience) to shape a 3/4 scale size Ric guitar out of the remnants, if they had the hardware, electronics and plastic parts available to them ?

Would the name for such a project be a down-sized 4001-320 model ?

That's not what any reasonable person would do.

Best case scenario would be to remove the body wings from the center block, scrap the entire center block and neck and replace with new wood (shaping a new neck).

Then again, it's not a rare or collectible bass... not sure why anybody would sink that amount of time and money into a project of this magnitude when they can buy a nice one for well under $2K.

Yeah, you are probably right that sinking the dollars or the time, just don't make sense, for any rehab of this one, since its not rare or collectible.

cassius987 wrote:

collin wrote:That's not what any reasonable person would do.

Best case scenario would be to remove the body wings from the center block, scrap the entire center block and neck and replace with new wood (shaping a new neck).

Then again, it's not a rare or collectible bass... not sure why anybody would sink that amount of time and money into a project of this magnitude when they can buy a nice one for well under $2K.

I see we have an interested party...

Oh yeah, already has bids?

I'm sure it would make a nice clock or conversation piece, but I can't imagine it's worth messing with, unless somebody wanted a set of decent body wings (which isn't inconceivable).

collin wrote:I'm sure it would make a nice clock or conversation piece, but I can't imagine it's worth messing with, unless somebody wanted a set of decent body wings (which isn't inconceivable).

I was just kidding before about your own interest, but your last post accurately reflects my thoughts on this potential project: the body wings could be fun for a project (if it were me, it would definitely not be a rehab to a 4001 again) if the price was low enough. I feel like trying to save the neck is asking for a lot of trouble, but then my wife did once fix a broken Schecter neck with Bondo body filler and the results were high-functioning so I won't rule out someone restoring this into a working Frankenbass.

collin wrote:Oh yeah, already has bids?

I'm sure it would make a nice clock or conversation piece, but I can't imagine it's worth messing with, unless somebody wanted a set of decent body wings (which isn't inconceivable).

Maybe someone who has the ability to build a new neck for it, has the material lying around, just so happens to have a bag full of parts for a 1978 4001, and wants a vintage Rickenbacker bass but can't or won't pay full price.

There's gotta be, like, a whole 6 guys on the planet who fit in that category. One of them just needs to see the ad.

Grey wrote:This content has been deemed offensive for any persons under the age of 18.

Or anyone OVER the age of 18, too. OUCH!

Getting this bass playable again would be quite an undertaking - which means handing it over to the undertaker to bury it. Seriously, it ~MIGHT~ stand a chance if the break was dismantled and reset, but WOW what a tough job!

Sold for $237.

Nooohhh.. Needs loaaads of work.. How could you restore it?

wim wrote:Sold for $237.

Whoa. WHAT?

$237 for a 40-year-old set of usable body wings and a headstock paperweight is not the worst deal I've ever heard of.