April 2007 Vintage Guitar - 1961 4000!

[rickboy88]

I also posted this over on the Ric corporate forum.

I thought I'd relate that the April 2007 "Vintage Guitar" oversized magazine has an article about Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson and his bass collection.

Front and center on page 44 is a nice big color picture of a vintage 1961 4000 bass enclosed in Tom's hands. Gotta love that pickguard! It looks its age, but would be the best view many of us are going to get of one.
As it turns out, a Ric 4001 was his Fender Jazz replacement in 1969.

The magazine is just U.S. $4.95, so I'm thinking of subscribing to that one too!

[gray]

I saw the cover. It's a pretty sweet looking bass. I'd love one of those. Then again, wouldn't we all...

[jingle_jangle]

I was amazed to notice the tailpiece from a six-string, strung crooked with the strings going off at different angles to the bridge.

That's the first decent large picture I've seen of one of these with the bridge cover removed.

Is this typical?

[rickboy88]

Yeah, I thought the bridge was weird as well.

[dale_fortune]

Like one of these!
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b53/DaleFortune/FingerBoardand58PickguardTRCoverHSP.jpg
When I get mine restored I'll post some pictures

[thx1955]

Dale,
Is that an original set of Shoes, or some of your own construction ??

[dale_fortune]

It's an old one..I only make Faux Shoes from aluminum.. I have several old H S pickups that I've collected over the years.

[rickfan60]

The first Rick basses were largely made from existing guitar hardware. Apart from the tuners, there was not much true bass hardware on them until the first cast aluminum tailpiece appeared in the early 60's (61?). The horseshoe pickups were nearly the same as the ones used on Rick steels at the time. The treble surround was more or less a cut down steel surround.

[dale_fortune]

The 1st ones were made in 1957. They were a 1 piece solid Honduras Mahogany neck thru construction with bolt on Maple body wings. A 6 string guitar bridge plate was used with a hand machined 4 way Bass bridge. In 1958 the Bass had a solid Walnut 1 piece neck thru with 2 truss rods and glued on Body Wings that were shorter than the later 4001 Bass. It was also a 1/4inch thicker than the 60's Bass. The control knobs were the same as the ones on the steel guitars, large solid brass that was chrome plated. They were natural finished in Nitro Lacquer, then in 1960 Fireglo was introduced on the 4000 Bass. One sold not long ago on the Bay for a BIN of 24K. It would be nice if the factory were to make a Vintage re-issue of this wonderful instrument....

[thx1955]

Now that'd be something, fitted with a v63 Horseshoe, and built with todays technology and methods, in Fireglo, or (Amber Fireglo) of course

[wints]

That tailpiece is typical from this early period, where they are, like Ted says, an evolution of sorts with parts of the guitar line! TP's bass has that strange stunted upper horn and what looks to be like a zero fret too.

It's cool, but I still prefer the 63 and on models, where they have established the bridge and a more consistent, and to my eyes, elegant body shape.

[morrow]

I would love to see a factory re-issue of those wonderful instruments too.

[jnbass]

faux shoes!

there's an idea...

[rickboy88]

Yes, yes! Count me in on hoping for a factory re-issue. The 4000 series turns 50 years old this summer, so it would be great to see the 2nd (after the Precision) long scale electric bass released again in limited numbers - as it was in the early 60's, to include the cool pickguard shape.

I've been pinging away on the Ric corporate forum on this too. If the backlog on new stuff is still to great, we aren't likely to see it though.

One could certainly argue that Roger R. did his best designs when at what now is Rickenbacker.

[dale_fortune]

It's not going to happen!