Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Anyone out there know the location/owner of the first Rickenbacker bass, model 4000, pictured on page 201 in the Richard Smith book "The Complete History of Rickenbacker Guitars"? RIC does not know.

Interesting question. And since we are on this subject, does anyone know where is the first 4001CS Chris Squire #1 ? I have the #5

Welcome Kris.

The first CS was for sale over at the Dudepit a couple of years ago IIRC...Is that #5 is a very yellow bass by now?

"I have the #5"

I think we need pics.

-edit

just joined your Yahoo group. That must be your CS on the front page...?

Hmmm, I'd think Squire himself would have the first one.

I appreciate everyones' enthusiasm for CS, but can we put this thread back on track, please? I'm trying to find the granddaddy of them all, the No. 1 Rickenbacker bass, made in the 1955-57 timeframe. Anyone know who has this? The folks at RIC don't know (or aren't saying), so thought someone might know someone else who has this squirreled away somewhere. I'd like to get good photos of it for the book.

Thanks.

Hey PB. Check with Scott Jennings at Route 66 Guitars. He was the official company historian and knows where the first 4001 is. He can probably help you out with the first 4000.

I think CS #5 was possibly the eBay bass from Japan the other week with the 1990 serial number.

Sorry Paul!
I'd comment on the No 1 bass if I knew anything about it. You would have thought that one would have never left the factory...

I might be able to help a little...a friend of mine(also a collector) was offered what was purported to be the first ever Rickenbacker bass about 20 years ago. I'll see what he remembers about it.....he told me that at the time the bass was in the western United States.

This is a stab in the dark, but Micheal Anthony of Van Halen fame is reported to have a very early 4000. I think I read it in a thread a while back that John Hall chimed in on and mentioned it.

I dunno.

I hope it didn't end up in his swimming pool with the rest of his bass collection.

That was the conversation Dane, I remember now. I cant however remember if it was spared or not.

Yes, his was photographed by Jeff Veitich(?) for Scott Jennings a while back, but it has modern replacement knobs on it. It may be early production but it looks more like a '58 to me, for the strings are not anchored at the end of the body and the input jack is on the side of the body rather than mounted in the pickguard like the earliest '57's were.....

John Slog, ex-Bass Player Magazine back page columnist and proprietor of The Guitar Villa in Bethlehem PA owns some very early ones too. '57 to '67 era. He used to feature them in the magazine back in the 90s. He'd be great to get in touch with via the music store e-mail probably. I clipped most of the stories and put them in my Rick file.