Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I'm prepping a bass for sale on Ebay and was looking to get some opinions regarding some of the body routes. Both the toaster and brdige routes seem a bit rough. Any opinions whether these are original or a bit of work after the fact?

Both have been hacked somewhat, the toaster more than the bridge. The rear 1/2" of the toaster is typical handcut butchery.

That's a mid-1973 4001, by the looks of the binding, the FW plastic inlays, and the shedua stripe. It looks like, if the extra routing was done after the factory color was applied, that this blue is a refinish. What was the original color, Steve?

Yes, definitely a refin. If it has full-width position markers, it could not have been Midnight (which it appears to be now); Midnight Blue came in the middle '80s.

Steve......where/when did you get that Ric (if you don't mind me asking)? That looks an awful lot like one I owned 15-ish years ago and I wouldn't mind owning it again. Is there a repaired fretboard crack and bad scraping marks on the binding?

Aren't forumites required to get first crack at any forum member bass prior to Ebay sale?

I'll second making up that rule on the spot if need be I am all in favor of that becoming the rule, if it is not already

Hold on a second.(scrambling for papers)Lemme find that forum rulebook...

Thanks for confirming my suspicions about the routing "additions" Paul. It certainly didn't look factory to my eyes.
It's an April 1973 4001 that was basically stripped when I got it. The paint left in some of the cavities showed it was originally Azureglo (sob!). I had a local luthier refinish it (dark metallic blue), and while it's a decent job, I wouldn't say it's a proper restoration. The fretboard inlays are the plainer "transitional" ones that RIC used after the sparkle material ran out.
Brian - I don't believe this is your old bass, as aside from a few dings and scratches, it's was in pretty good shape before the refin.
I was originally going to get this properly restored, but other projects have come to the fore and to Ebay it must go. I really didn't think about offering it here first as I'm not very sure of the value considering the refin. I figured Ebay would be a good way to determine the value. Of course if someone would like more info or make an offer, drop me a line off-forum.

Thanks Steve. Mine had some pretty heinous routes done to the p/u cavities and, to my memory, looked much like your's. The color is dead-on and with the same features. I had to ask. I miss my '73!

Currently it is "high price tide" at the ebay!