Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Back in the 70's there was a guitar shop in the southwestern corner of Chicago called Just Music. "Just", as we called it was a Rickenbacker dealer. I can still remember the brand new 4001's and 4005's hanging within reach........ Anyway, there was this sturdy glass display case made for one guitar hanging on the wall in the Rickenbacker section. The one guitar that hung there was a walnutglo 4002. I used to stand there and gaze at it longingly through the glass. I am sure I left a few nose prints at the same time. As it turns out, Just Music was out over it's skis as it were. They were over extended financially and one day the shop was shut down and padlocked with the 4002 inside. About a month later may favorite used instrument dealer who knew my sickeness for Ricks (even back then it was serious) offered to show me his latest used Rick. I am always up for that - I am sure you all understand. I said "sure" and he poped open a case that was setting on the counter and there was the unmistakeable glow of figured maple. All of my blood ran to my head and nearly imploded my brain. There is was out of it's glass case! I could actually touch it! Before I could breathe again I asked "How much!?" My guitar friend said "$600". Then he paused a bit and said "for you, $550". At the time the MSRP was about $1600. This was quite a deal. He let me give him $20 to hold it and for the next month I did everything I could to earn the rest. It was not until later that I found out that an employee of Just Music stole the bass just before the place was padlocked and sold it to my dealer friend. It turns out that Rickenbacker never actually sold the 4002 to Just Music, it was there on some kind of consignment deal. Believe it or not Rickenbacker just could not sell 4002s very easliy. It was just too expensive and really ahead of it's time. JH told me that it took until the early 90's to clear them all out and there were maybe 200 made (no one really knows for sure how many). Back in '87 one of the truss rod ends broke (not by my hand, I assure you) and I sent it back to the factory for repair. You could do that back then. The tech that serviced it called me to ask where I got it because they had no record of ever selling it. I though she was about to tell me that they were not going to return it but no. About a week after the bass came home I received a phone call from F.C. Hall asking me if I was satisfied with the work. That one gesture made me a loyal Rickenbacker fan. I still like the company even though they are often too busy to be the friendly company they once were. I even don't mind the somewhat lazy and impolite customer service people that answer the phone. Rickenbacker is almost like Harley Davidson at this point. It is a lifestyle.

Here's your review of that said bass that we are all foaming at the mouth over:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Bass/Data4/Rickenbacker/4002-01.html

Oh, that did not sound right. I did not mean that to be a knock on Rickenbacker but there has been a distinct culture change over the years. Not all of it favorable. I have had a few conversations with JH over the years. He has always been approachable and very nice. I apologize if I sounded too negative there.

I just love it when a bass comes with a great story. I guess it's a keeper then?

"It is a lifestyle." AMEN!

What a beautiful bass...stunning!

Absolutely breath-taking beauty, Ted!
And what a fascinating story!
Thanks for sharing with us.


By the way, do you still have the original tailpiece?
Any plan to put it back onto the baby to make her all original again?

Yes, I still have the original tailpiece. I have no immediate plans to put it back on. The bass sounds and plays (in tune) so well the way it is. I am sure some day I will do it. Besides. the quality of the conversion work is so good that I would hate to destroy that.

Ted: A gorgeous bass and 21 frets. Thanks for sharing your comments and photos. I would really appreciate seeing a photo of the input jacks.

Here it is...........

Ted, is that cannon jack straight from the pickups bypassing the vol. and tones? I read somewhere that that was the set up.

The XLR comes straight off the bridge pickup.

www.rickenbacker.com/us/19513.htm

It looks like the bass pickup may also work if a cord is plugged into either of the other two jacks completing the circuit. I don't know. No couldn't be because the switch would then work for it. Strange I wonder why only the treble pickup was hooked to it.

The lo Z jack only uses the treble pickup for some reason. I have only used it a handful of times - mostlly for recording.

Someone asked about the apparent wear in the finish near the top edge of the body. The damaged was caused by an employee of Just Music who wore a bracelet that resembled a dog chain. He used to slap and pop on this beauty to demonstrate it. I secretly wanted to gut him but that is another story. When I sent the bass back to the factory for the truss rod repair I had them buff it down as much as they could. It looks better than it did when I bought it but still not perfect. I don't notice it much anymore.