Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It has an unbound dot marker fretboard, neck through with a bound body. And is that an ebony fretboard? It can't be a 4000. Maybe it was originally a fretless?
{http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2543237851&category=4713,4001LH}

I have a 79 with an unvarnished neck, and it looks black, if it were originally a fretless they would have taken off the finish to fret it I would imagine.

Almost looks like someone glued a fender fretboard on.....its dark and the frets look bigger than normal...maybe was a fretless.....maybe a fake?

Check out the trussrod cover. No model 4001 on it, just made in USA. I can't read the serial #. The fretboard was possibly replaced and re-fretted? I agree with Owen's theory, but cannot tell if it's a fake. The bridge PU is questionable also.

If it's a real Ric, it looks like a one of a kind. If it's a fake, it looks like a wonderful candidate for a Magical Mystery Tour paint-job!

I still think that it was a fretless that was fretted, many people used to think that the frets on Rics were delicate (which is not true at all), hence the heavier frets. a mid to late 70's 4001FL is identical except for the frets.

The first letter is an N, can't read the second one. As far as the binding on the neck, that would have to come off the neck to fret it. The name plate is strange though.

NF 3560, according to the seller's description.

That is a nice bass though, it makes me wish I were a lefty.

Is it just my cynical, jaded eye...

...or does it look as though the "Rick-O" part of the "Rick-O-Sound" screening on the jack plate was "fuzzy-ed up" a bit?

Didn't some 70's Ricken-fakers have jack plates that said "Stereo-Sound"?

I'm positive that jackplate is legit. It definitely has 'Rick-O-Sound' on it. Yeah, 4001 copy jackplates typically had 'Stereo-Sound' and 'Standard' engraved, rather than screened, on them.