Rickenbacker Forum, Amplifier, Bass and Guitar Register
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After reading the last post I reread this thread. You never saw the bass, as stock, before all the mods were done to it, then delivered to you for the first time?Isaac wrote:Renfield wrote:...I dealt with Toad Music, a legendary music store in Ashland, Oregon. They got the bass, informed me that the nut was miscut (not an unusual occurrence - I have a 1986 MB 4003 with a bad nut) and we discussed mods. As delivered to me, it had a brass nut, hand-made active electronics, a Hi-A pickup in the neck position, and a Badass bridge. The bridge was too high, so they routed out a space and inserted a block of rosewood. Unfortunately, they miscalculated where it needed to be. Looks pretty shítty up close, but doesn't affect the sound or playability.
IIRC, all the brass began with Alembic. But, it was a whole system approach to make it work as intended. Simply replacing a nut won't produce the same results.Isaac wrote:I remember brass everything being all the rage back in the 70s. Brass nuts, brass bridges, even brass blocks being set into the body, all to allegedly increase the sustain. Frankly, I don't notice any difference having a brass nut.
That's right. This all occurred just slightly before the earth was covered in guitar centers. Difficult as that may be to imagine.jps wrote:After reading the last post I reread this thread. You never saw the bass, as stock, before all the mods were done to it, then delivered to you for the first time?Isaac wrote:Renfield wrote:...I dealt with Toad Music, a legendary music store in Ashland, Oregon. They got the bass, informed me that the nut was miscut (not an unusual occurrence - I have a 1986 MB 4003 with a bad nut) and we discussed mods. As delivered to me, it had a brass nut, hand-made active electronics, a Hi-A pickup in the neck position, and a Badass bridge. The bridge was too high, so they routed out a space and inserted a block of rosewood. Unfortunately, they miscalculated where it needed to be. Looks pretty shítty up close, but doesn't affect the sound or playability.
I do seem to recall buying two or three USED instruments from them......................Renfield wrote: This all occurred just slightly before the earth was covered in guitar centers. Difficult as that may be to imagine.
I'm sure you have valuable input to offer, Jeffrey. Perhaps someday you will be moved to share some.jps wrote:I do seem to recall buying two or three USED instruments from them......................Renfield wrote: This all occurred just slightly before the earth was covered in guitar centers. Difficult as that may be to imagine.
Yeah, pretty much, but I knew those guys. I trusted them. Nothing since has happened to change my mind.jdogric12 wrote:Do I understand correctly that the shop said the factory nut was miscut, and charged a small fee to upgrade to a new brass nut? All this was done before the original buyer ever laid eyes on the bass? Hmm.
Thanks Drew.radapaw wrote:just for reference, there is a '74 4000 on talkbass at the moment for $1650.