Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rickenbacker-Bass-Guitar-4003-Model-January-1975_W0QQitemZ7357381026QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

no affiliation. I am intrigued.

Ilan???

It has an aftermarket pickguard and non ric tuners and a replacement nut that appears to be cut too high ... but it does look like a nice bass ...

Dave, that isn't mine... my white 4001 is Oct. '73 and is definitely not for sale!

An aftermarket pickguard? Where?

Is the neck pickup 1/2" or is my vision getting worse?

Oh, I know Ilan, I was hinting that you might want to look at it.

I like the old White ones a lot.

My '75 is not for sale either, my children will own it someday (when they arrive that is.)

yup, half inch. SOme early to mid '75 Rickys were half inch spacing. Mine is machined to accept a half inch spacing pickguard if I wanted one.

I could be wrong but I have been told here that my bass is the only one seen here, which has the 1 inch spacing, white, with the black plexi TRC, from 1975.

http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=14630

Not that that matters- but I think it is cool.

Thanks Dave! That is interesting. Didn't know it. I wish my white '79 was as white as yours - mine became a bit too yellow... but still love her as is.

In real life it is pretty darn yellow- the flash in the pic has lightened it up a bit.

Thanks Dave, yes, I always look at the white ones, but I'm saving my Shekels now for the v68 or a pre-74 Azureglo... or the elusive white-on-white.

A ½" 4001 with black Plexi TRC is rare, I guess RIC had surplus old-style black TRC's when the white ones were already the raised letter type. I've also never seen another one like yours with a Plexi TRC and 1" spacing.

Are you sure it's the original pickguard? I'm asking because the knobs layout is parallel, like on a ½" spacing pickguard. Some 75's can accept 1" and ½" without additional routing.

I probably would never have noticed, but the fine folks here (Ilan being one) pointed out the 1/2" + black plexi on my '75, and also verified that the plexi on the bass was a fake. Which meant I had to wait a year or so to *finally* snag one from eBay (which I *still* haven't installed yet, but I'll get around to it!).

http://www.mnsi.net/~relayer/Ricks2.jpg

Christopher, you did the right thing snagging that TRC, I haven't seen another one like it for sale on eBay (or elsewhere) since.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking at the time - I knew (barring a totally ridiculous amount of money) that I pretty much had no choice but to win that auction.

Ilan,
I'm not positive it is the original pickguard, but I can tell you when I bought it the thing smelled like it had sit in its case, in a basement or attic for the better part of a decade; it had that old patina of a rarely cleaned guitar. Best of my knowledge, it is original. I bought it in Sept. 1994, so perhaps in the first 19 years the pickguard was changed. But based on the body condition, there does not appear to be gouges suggesting the original pickguard was damaged....

Is there a way to tell if the pickguard is original, anyone? It does show quite a bit of "rounding" around the edges, etc.
I am very interested in this...

Look at the underside, original Ric guards have masking tape under the pots - like this: