Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So far, as some of you know, I've straightened the neck by cutting 1" off the truss rods. The bass still needs more work. New wiring harness (no biggie really), new pickguard to replace the ****** Chandler, and perhaps a refinish.

Re-examining the bass, I'm quite sure it has an old partial refinish, probably to hide an old fretboard separation repair job under the 1st and 2nd frets.

So here are the options I'm considering.

1 - Refinish in white - this time with non-yellowing paint. Remember it has black binding (not BT - the metal parts are chrome). Keep the black guard and TRC or swap them with white parts (white on white with black binding - poor man's "White Shadow"). I think Sérgio has one like that (could you post a picture?).

2 - Refinish in Burgundy - with the black binding, TRC and pickguard, and chrome metal parts, it will have a Gibson-ish color theme.

3 - Not throwing good money after bad, re-wire, assemble and sell locally. Use the money to buy a BlueBoy 4003.

Your opinion is highly appreciated.

Tough call ! It Would depend on weather you like the vintage feel or newer feel . Also on the finish i like the white on black with black hardware . On the other hand if it has chrome hardware white on white would be killer . By the way if you decide to do that i have an original rick pickguard and logo that i'll trade you for your black . Good luck with your decision its a tough one

I'd go with white. We've all seen Wints' white one...its awesome. Although his has white guards and such, its an awesome looking bass in white.

I have a mucas-glo 1980 with black binding and chrome and have the same dilemma. It looks horrible as-is and will be re-finished. Its my first Rick and I'm the original owner, so I won't be selling it and buying a blue boy! For you that might be a real option though depending on how much you like the new ones and how you feel about the neck/repair on your white one.

I like Wints white one too, but with the black binding triangle inlays and 70's features, yours is obviously not going to look the same.

I thought about going with the Burgundy finish, but its translucent and you might be able to see the neck repair if there was one. Also from what JH has said, many of the solid color guitars were not chosen for MG, FG, or Burgundy because of grain flaws. Also, I don't know how thoroughly all of the white can be sanded off. Maybe the really dark burgundy would be safer.

I've thought about more of an off-white/cream(I personally don't care for the really bright white recent 4003's with the black trim.) I think the desert gold would look nice with the black binding and plastic. Or maybe even brighter gold like a Les Paul gold-top gold.

You could have the binding removed and contour the body like a 4001/4003S. That would open up the color possibilities some more, but I don't know how the jack plate would fit as it is screwed into the binding.

white with black trim is a classic look ... I sold my white Ric because I didn't like the white to cream to brown variations in the finish ... but a clean white bass with chrome and black binding and black trc and a black pickguard would look good ...

***mucas-glo***

LOL...my 92 J Bass, originally "Arctic White" could be described as that color!

Ilan, depends on what your real gas is all about. Is it the Blue Boy? Is it a vintage white Rick? Is it the Burgundy with black trim?

Somewhere in your mind you can come up with the answer. Personally I'd lean towards door #1 (refinish in white)...

Ed, my real GAS is for more than one Ric. Let's see: I want an Azureglo with the ½-inch spacing, and I want a white-on-white, and a Burgundy with black guard, and I want a 4003 Blueboy and I want a v63 Mapleglo. And I want a clean '57 4000 like the one that just went for $13K but I'll never have it... And I wouldn't mind another Shadow since they're such great basses.

Hehe Ilan. Well, that would seem to narrow it down to doors #1 and #2!

I think we all want MORE...when I got the Laredo a month ago my youngest daughter (14) asked if this "was it" for new guitars. I said "for a while"...then I saw someones 75 Burgundy fretless 4001! More gas...LOL!

That white one you just got isn't the only Rick of yours besides the Shadow, is it? Either way, seems that you REALLY want to keep this one...and since you deem it needs refinishing it's just a matter of what you want it to look like afterwards. White or Red...Red or White...all depends on our appetite...

Opps! Sorry! Morphing into a Billy Joel tune!

Oops, no text!

Hopefully this photo will help. I like the looks of this one.

That you, Jeff?

No Mark, that's Will Lee(I think). I don't know who he plays for, but he sure looks cool with that Rick! I lifted the photo off this forum a while back as an idea for what my mucasglo might look like with a refin and white plastic.

It's Will Lee of The world's most Dangerous Band, house band on Davis Letterman's show. Great bass player.

It's got to be white...Do I need to post a pic to convince you Ilan?

One of the perks of playing in "The Worlds Most Dangerous Band" is that they have been the house band for the R&R Hall Of Fame awards for a few years now. One year he was sporting a Ricky 4005.