Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Back in 1972 I bought and subsequently sold Jetglow 4001 Deluxe with the checkerboard binding. I hardly ever see a Deluxe for sale. Are they that scarce?

what makes it a deluxe?

I thought that all 4001 models were deluxe versions (i.e. had deluxe appointments) apart from "S" models.

I was told by someone here that the Deluxe 4001 of that era had checkerboard binding. Maybe all the 4001s (two pickups) were Deluxe. I didn't special order deluxe -- it just had the CB binding when it arrived (and it cost only $375!!). Checkerboard binding was discontinued sometime after 1973? Mine also had Ric-O-Sound, high-gain front pickup (not toaster) full-width inlays and no thumbrest, but descriptions I've read say that the 4001 has mono output. Was mine a hybrid?

I'm no expert, but in that era (up to about mid 73) and previous, all binding was checkerboard and all (non-'S') 4001's had MOP inlays, sterio. Neck pickups were also toasters. Any 4001 that was not an 'S' was a deluxe.

Ric just changed the neck pickup, inlays and binding around 73 to what we see now... which is less flashy in my eyes.

In that era there were a lot of transition features... my 72 has all the old "deluxe" features, but also had the walnut skunk stripe that would become standard for the next decade.

Dave, the standard bass of that time was the model 4000 with just one p'up of course, and the deluxe bass was the 4001, with all of its features---you are correct about that. The 4001-S, when it appeared, was a 'special' model and not made regularly. My 72s both have checkered binding too. Your bass isn't a hybrid at all; it sounds typical of a 4001 from the period you refer to. Most 4001s were mono until early 1971 when Rick-O-Sound became standard. The 4000 and 4001-S basses were mono.

Yes, you had a deluxe, but then all 4001 basses were deluxe, except for the occasional 4001s (S for special that had no binding and just dots for position markers, and some 4000 set-neck models that were factory converted to two-pickup, without binding and only dot markers). 1973 was the transition year when the checker binding was deleted from the bass models (and remains that way except for the 4004LK Lemmy Kilmister model with the carved front). Also that year, the toaster was changed for the high gain and the position markers were reduced so that they didn't span the fretboard. That was an action to increase the strength of the neck. The "walnut" stripe (not really walnut, but I can't recall the species) came in to the design in 1971 (?) and seemed to go through the 1970s and possibly into the early 1980s, and possibly through the end of the 4001 run in the mid 1980s. The stripe was also a neck strengthener.

So, there are still "deluxe" models out there, but they were never called that, officially. Now, of course, the 4003 is the replacement for the 4001, with its improved trussrod design and other improvements.

Since mine was Jetglo, I never knew if it had the skunkstripe. I love that checkered binding, but I also like the contouring of the S models and the dot neck. Guess ya can' have both. Unfortunately I sold my 4001 in 1974 when I "retired." I was back to playing within two years. Dumb. Also sold a Steinberger L2 when I "retired" again in 1998 -- after it had sat unused in my closet for almost 15 years. I don't plan to "retire" again until I die -- and then I'm being buried with all my basses just in case ... Oops, I'm being cremated. Wouldn't do that to any bass

Check under the pickguard. If it has the strip, you should be able to see it if you look under the pickguard.

But back to the question-
How rare is the 4001 from that era (72ish..)?

Right handed seem to come up for sale quite often, left handed ones are a different story though!

60s ric basses are rare ... early 70s more common mid to late 70s very common ... they cranked out a lot of rics in the 70s ... production numbers are about 50 a day basses and guitars combined ... so that means there are thousands of 70s 4001 basses still out there ... and a lot of them are holding up well and a re still good players ...

There are usually around 8 or 10 mid to late '70's 4001's on ebay on any given day. Earlier ones tend to fetch pretty high prices.

I can recall only seeing oneor two that had the checkerboard binding. There have been severa '70s Rics on ebay lately, but all later than '73.