Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi all...
Although I've recently purchased an '03 4003FG from American Musical, I couldn't resist the '77 4001 that JUST CAME IN at one of our local pawn shops today. I went on my lunch hour hoping to find a nice little practice amp and found THIS!! I put it on layaway to pick up later this month. It is the faded white/vanilla/yellowish color that is common from the '70s, has black pickguard and TRC, pyramids, and Badass bridge. The pickup cover has been removed and no case. Neck is straight , fretboard is still nice, it has definitely been setup right, having a nice low action. It IS dinged and has buckle rash and the finish on back of neck shows that it has been "played"....
Asking price $799.00
Sold to me for $600.00
I'll post pics after I pick it up and clean it up.
I am SO excited!! Question is....will I EVER play my new 4003 again...???

Now you need to get a jetglo ... then a mapleglo ...

How many Rics do you need?

Just one more ...

Hey - nice find, 4001's are nicer to play than 4003's in my opinion- tho 4003's are totally amazing.

I think you will wanna put a real rick tailpiece back on it tho

Yeah, I am already thinking about the tailpiece. Problem is, I need to find one that is "aged" appropriately. I can't put a new one on as it'll look too new for the bass's age. The chrome on this one is pitted , but not real rusty. How about it? Anybody got an extra one they don't want??

Also, what was that color called back then?? Vanilla Glo?

Chris - its white - it just ages .... they were all basically crisp white but all yellow. I have a 4003 from 91' thats white - it has gone cream. Tho under bright lights is still very white. The old ones due to age are all really "vanilla" - i saw a 75 for sale recently that was really yellowed.

but im sure you knew all that really

I definitely have a soft spot for yellowing late-70's 4001 basses (my "main axe" is a '78, which also cost me $600, about 5-6 years ago). The funny thing is that I think mine is mostly nicotine stain, not a change of the finish color, as the back of the neck (where I place my left hand) is turning back to white in the areas where my hand usually rests. I always liked the term "Nico-Glo" ...

yeah i know what you mean, ive played at seven club venues since january with a white ricky, and its already yellowed a bit more than it was beforer i gigged with it. But......who wants a bright white guitar?

Good one Owen...
I think the '77 I will jam and play out with and keep the '03 in the house under strict "humidity control" and play it occasionally. My friends say I have a bad case of "GAS"(gear acquisition syndrome)....I also have a '99 360-12, '67 Teisco ET-440, and a Gibson Les Paul Gary Moore edition...I think they're right....

No chris plays BOTH ricks out, your two are different sounding basses......If youve never played a rick bass in a loud band situation,then your in for a big suprise

AHHH!! Can't wait to try EITHER one out! I will make the '77 the workhorse, though...I bought a set of D'Addario chrome flats for the 4003 , BUT ...should I put them on the 4001 instead? It has Pyramids.

In my short yet loud and intensive experience of playing in a three piece band, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a bad tone out of a Rickenbacker. Modern 4003's have a real thunderous crunch and have a massive amount of gain to them, wheras the 4001's have that classic clarity to them. I have not had a chance to try my 73' 4001 out yet ( my white one is a 91' 4003) cos im waiting to pick it up from PA in a few week's (im in the UK) - but that bass should be great - its one of the last ones to have the toaster pickup.

I cant help on strings tho....i like flatwounds but on Fenders......i tryed them on my 4003, It felt wrong and just wasted a lot of the great sound of the Rick IMHO

Yeah I wouldn´t put Fender flatwounds on a 4001, some can handle the tension and some can´t, Pyramids are even kind of high tension but sound great. I´ve never tried the Chromes but people around here say they sound good, I don´t know how stiff they are though,TI´s sound nice on 4001´s and are low tension, but are easy to push too hard in a high volume situation.
Hey this is my first post from Lima, hello everyone! Bob Young

Um.... i meant i think flatwounds work nicely on fenders and not on Ricks....but yeah dont use Fender flats they are massive tension (?)