Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Thanks,everybody,you've given me a lot to think about......

aceonbass wrote:I think if you're going to do this Woody, it should be done as authenticity as possible. This is a true vintage collectable bass. Since you've only got $1700 in it, modding it properly shouldn't affect the value negatively at all. I think you could even recover most of the cost of modding it if you did decide to sell it down the road. Permanently modding a Rick does not necessarily decrease its value to most people, especially real players IMHO. I paid $900 for the 4003 that became my "4008CS". I'm pretty sure the bass is worth a lot more than that now.

Agreed. I'd go old school forsner bit wire route and minimally evasive neck pup route in the .5 position. A vintage short pole toaster would be Uberkool and oh so sweet!! A vintage set of pot cases woudl eb nicer yet. perhaps if that Burgundy bass that was eBay surfaces all parted out, late 73 cases would be just the ticket here!!

I know a guy that isn't much of a hack with harness fabrication. He does nice nice work but hear to deal with. I'll hook you up with him!! LOL!!

Sepp

I have to agree with the majority - not a good idea. Just my $0.02

Kopfjaeger wrote: I know a guy that isn't much of a hack with harness fabrication. He does nice nice work but hear to deal with. I'll hook you up with him!! LOL!!
Sepp

Yes,i believe i know him,too.....

aceonbass wrote:Permanently modding a Rick does not necessarily decrease its value to most people, especially real players IMHO.

Screamin' deals not-with-standing, i've never seen a Rick go up in value post-op. Making a profit because you got a deal the first time around is secondary to the modification aspect.

woodyng wrote:Not sure about that last bit,Cassius...wouldn't mind seeing what $$$ a '72 4001S might fetch.

Er... it won't be a 4001S. Collectors will care who gave it that 2nd pickup. I won't (probably), but they will. And they're mostly the ones who are buying.

This is the only bass forum I'm on where collectors matter. I've modded MANY a RIC that increased in value. Then again, the buyers were not on this forum. I'll bet Chris Squire's, Lemmy's, and Geddy's Ricks increased in value. Oh, wait a minute, only for COLLECTORS.

Hopefully, I'd like to see Chris' bass head from Arizona to JA to me to Teeder on it's way to Jm Boyle's home, a fitting owner of this bass if ever there was one, these days.

aceonbass wrote:This is the only bass forum I'm on where collectors matter. I've modded MANY a RIC that increased in value. Then again, the buyers were not on this forum. I'll bet Chris Squire's, Lemmy's, and Geddy's Ricks increased in value. Oh, wait a minute, only for COLLECTORS.

I'm sure Geddy Lee's bass increased in value because he put a Badass II on it, not because it was Geddy Lee who played it.

Authenticity and value are 2 different animals. Would it be an authentic 4001S? No. Would it decrease the value?, probably not, The value would be what someone would be willing to pay for it,, If it were put up for sale.

I know I'm not helping here but since we are talking value and resale. There was a 67 4001 for sale at GC a year and half or so ago that was advertised as an "S" bass or a former RM, Only one person here on this forum really knows what it left the factory as. The theory was it was a 4000 that had been modded to an "S". The mods were all authentically done and looked really good. The bass was originally up for sale for 7k but ended up selling far below that because of it's heritage or the confusion surrounding it.

It was purchased by a player who joined here afterward. She's a phenomenal bass and a great player and he got her for a steal. If I knew GC would have unloaded her for such a low amount, I would have lover to have her, regardless of what she was.

The mindset with a modded instrument is, the value is the total of the parts of it if you were going to build one like her. There is no "intrinsic" collector value, right or wrong, I'm not judging.

Sepp

DavyR wrote:My 1971 natural color 4000 bass has a single piece neck. It had the route for the neck pickup when I bought it used in 1980. It has "NAT 4000" written in the route, so, I assume it HAD to have had the route for a neck pickup when it was made. My repair man said the neck is about at it's max angle to the body. Maybe the neck pickup route had something to do with this?!

And therein really lies my biggest fear.....I was quite excited to learn LD389 was NOT factory routed when i first inquired about it,and also very gratified to see how straight the neck was,etc.....SO,i guess i am going to obey my initial instinct,and leave it intact.
(And Lo,there was much rejoicing.....

cassius987 wrote:

woodyng wrote:Not sure about that last bit,Cassius...wouldn't mind seeing what $$$ a '72 4001S might fetch.

Er... it won't be a 4001S. Collectors will care who gave it that 2nd pickup. I won't (probably), but they will. And they're mostly the ones who are buying.

Semantically,yes it wouldn't be a bass that left the factory as a 4001s.
In all the functional ways it would be....
And i hope to clear up my statement above...i didn't mean that i want to convert my bass to sell to see what i could get for it. I am just curious what such a rare bird might price out as......if one could be found.

Grey wrote:Making a profit because you got a deal the first time around is secondary to the modification aspect.

That was not my intention ever. If i were to do the mod,it's because I want the bass to be that way for ME. I just wouldn't want to "ruin" the instrument,so to speak,for resale. (Or for the neck weakening aspect either,for that matter).

Maybe i should be asking Scott Jehlick....

cheyenne wrote:Authenticity and value are 2 different animals. Would it be an authentic 4001S? No. Would it decrease the value?, probably not, The value would be what someone would be willing to pay for it,, If it were put up for sale.

Yes,and how often does one see a 3-piece NT 4001s appear?

Probably about the same frequency a similar 4000 shows up.....or less?