Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

That is my absolute favorite Rickenbacker guitar.

Great score, Peter. A lefty 21 fret 4001 isn't exactly something you encounter every day. That beauty looks exactly like the August '70 righty 21 fret 4001 I picked up about a couple weeks back - see thread 'New 21 Fretter On The Block'.

Hello Peter and welcome, I was the one who bid against you on that bass--you got a great one there with that '71. Remember it always has a home over here if you should decide to sell it.

Hi there Sergio, thanks for your input. I have read your thread with great interest. Please excuse me for being "thick" but I never noticed before that some have 20 frets and some 21. I have checked out the photos in my books and they all have 20 frets. As you say, mine has 21. Does this make it rare? or desireable? or just different?

Hi Peter. Yes, a 21 fret 4001 is somewhat rare, definitely desirable, and slightly different. I'll post a pic of my November '70 one here as soon as I can find it. Stay in tune. No pics of the August '70 one yet, though.

Hi John, thanks for still speaking to me. It truly is a stunning bass in virtually new condition. I bought it with the intention of gigging with it but as it is so nice I definitely won't gig it now, I will just take it out of the case and stroke it lovingly and then put it back to bed!!! Had you won it were you going to come over to pick it up? (I had a 600 mile round trip and I thought that was a long way, lol). The seller said that he had been in contact with a bidder from the USA who was keen, that must have been you! I don't intend selling it but if I do sell, you will have first refusal. Peter.

Here it is. Sorry for the rather poor picture.



That pickguard is not Rickenbacker-made.

Congratulations Peter, that is a cool Ric! I too just purchased my first Ric bass and I can't put it down.

Thanks for the photo, it clarifies something else that I wasn't sure about. The bridge on most (all?) Ricky basses that I have seen line up with the end of the body. But mine (and yours too) has a half inch gap between the back of the bridge and the edge of the body, and the binding doesn't go over the through neck section (again the same as mine). That must be how the 21 fret models are.

Binding - Nope, it always stays clear of the neck spine.

Nice bass!

Thanks Peter, I appreciate getting 1st refusal when and if the time comes...It wasn't too painful a defeat since I have a Mapleglo '72LH already, and a 1968 Banjoline I picked up over the weekend...If I had won, I would also have been VERY poor, LOL.

I like Rickenbacker nickel rounds in the 45-105 gauge. Total string tension is around 150 lb's I believe, and significantly lighter than steel rounds which tend to run around 200 lb's tension. As for 21 fret 4001's, I believe the bridges are closer to the neck to shorten the scale enough to fit the 21'st fret on the 20 fret fingerboard.

Mega congratulations and welcome to the forum, Pete.

I tend to believe the 21 fret neck is 1 fret (about 1/2") longer than the standard 20 fret neck. The bridge/tailpiece is moved forward accordingly to maintain the 33 1/4" scale length. Sérgio, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Hi Paul. You're not wrong: scale length (as measured from the nut to the saddle block centerline) on either of my 21 fretters is 33 1/2", whereas on the 20 fretters it's 33 1/4". Fretboard on the 21 fretters is 23 15/16" long, whereas on the 20 fretters it's 23 1/16".
P.S. The August '70 is now sounding like you wouldn't believe. Rickcrazy magic!
Oh, and your pickups are done at last.

Very cool, Mighty Guru! Sophie's very turned-on now!

Nice to know your new baby is sounding glorious now after the Arcanum treatment!

I'm thrilled to know that the scale length of the 21 fretter is actually 1/4" longer than that of the normal ones. Thanks for the enlightment!