Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I got this email from a guy who saw my web site ... I invited him to visit this Ric website here ... I thought you guys would like this story ...
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HI

Found your GREAT website from eBay 5 string bass you have FS

I have been trying to find someone who knows or remembers the old Rickenbacker Basses Maybe you are the one ... back in the early 70 - 71 I owned / played an 8 string Ricky

sold it - like a dumby in 1972 to a friend who was so strung out on the wacky weed, he doesn't remember what happened to it hell he doesn't even remember the years 1971 and 72 ..> !!!

so do you recall or maybe even have seen one ???

it was strung just like the 10 string you have on the website octaves above each of the 4 main strings played hard but sounded great we were into the Byrds and it was a good / fun bass

I wanted to buy an upright to do some bluegrass stuff and sold the 8 string

Now, 35 years later - wish I had it back, the way it always goes !!! see picture - only one I have of the 8 stringer can you help find one ???

Remember, Life's too short to drive boring cars !!! Until then... I'm wavin'

Tom Y.

www.midstateaac.org

Tom had better have saved his pennies. It'll cost him $19,500 to get the same bass back today!

http://www.gbase.com/Stores/Gear/GearDetails.aspx?Item=839012

That one had dot inlays. Rare bird, indeed.

His has a dot neck. Interesting.

Good pick up, Scott and Ted!

That is possibly a later one. At some point Rickenbacker used dot fingerboards on all bass models with more than 4 strings. The triangle inlays and binding take a lot of strength away from the fingerboard.

It has 21 frets and a third dot marker at the 19th fret, unlike the 60's dot inlay necks from the RM basses/4001S which only have the two beyond the 12 fret. A very cool bass especially with "THE" headstock design for an eight string.

That could quite possibly be a one off...

Poor Tom. That really is one "that got away"...

WOW

That has to be a one of a kind....

I wonder if that's the same one.... Hmmm...

Yeah. Poor Tom. That thing is ultra-cool. He probably sold it for milk-money too(or something else!) If only there was a Lo-Jack on it!

I'll bet the poor thing is landfill today.

One more unique feature on this one: A zero fret!

"One more unique feature on this one: A zero fret!"

Good eye Jeff...I missed that one....

There is a picture of one just like it in the Smith book that seems to be a medium scale bass from the location of the bridge.

I wonder how many "4005/8 were made...

Guesses anyone??????

I know of 6 for sure...

I wonder where it is today ????

Jeff wrote There is a picture of one just like it in the Smith book that seems to be a medium scale bass from the location of the bridge...

Yes I think it may be that very bass. If we had a better pic of the body we'd know for sure. That's a great bass.