Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Does the "dumpster bass" have a carved top??

"German carve", like a 381. See pics earlier in this thread.

Well, El Bajo del Bote de Basura plays pretty good!

(I'm playing it as I type this.)

(Well, not at the exact same time.)

Nice and snappy like a contemporary 4003. Can't recall what it sounds like plugged in though...

"The Low one of the Trash can"

Gotta love on-line translators.

Kenny, there's only one way to find out.

I though during the 75th tour, John said the employees rescued it from a dumpster trip and made it as a gift for him. He said the top was bubinga/ He also said he never really liked it.

So, who doesn't have a pic of it?

A pic of what?

It wasn't a gift; they were going to saw it up because it had a knot, as we do with some instruments from time to time. I told them to experiment with it instead, and put that Bubinga top on it with a simple German carve.

The woodshop supervisor did the Bubinga pickplate and nameplate on his own initative; it's interesting but would not have been my first choice. As someone else mentioned, I would have preferred to have the controls rear loaded, with no pickguard at all. That's just the quick list of things I'd do differently.

The sound is pretty solid but not what I like or expect to hear.

The sound is pretty solid but not what I like or expect to hear.

Could that be attributed to the Bubinga top?

"So, who doesn't have a pic of it?"

Thanks Jeff, you are the BEST!

"The sound is pretty solid but not what I like or expect to hear."

IME some stunning-looking basses are less stunning sound-wise. On the other hand, my little Fender Musicmaster bass ('78), which is one of the best sounding basses that I have owned (really!), was made from leftover pieces of wood - go figure...

Then again, my Shadow is both stunning and a killer player...

John Hall wrote...

The woodshop supervisor did the Bubinga pickplate and nameplate on his own initative; it's interesting but would not have been my first choice.


I'd agree there. What would have looked really nice would have been bookmatched flamed maple with a variety of of colored clearcoats and rear loaded controls, a bit like some of the PRS guitars.

Wooden pickguards confuse me. Isn't the pickguard supposed to protect the wood?



The dumpster bass has some cool ideas: I like the German curve and the checker binding. I like the idea of exotic or highly figured woods on the body, but overall its not my end all be all bass. Its fun to look at though.

The German carve and with the checkered binding at the bass of it is a feature I would like to incorporate into a future project. It would ba an easy alteration to a standard 4003.