Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

hello again ... below is a link to some photos of the bass. i had taken the pickgaurd off for the first time and in the pots cavity is written "4000-S".
the bass is in the same condition as when i purchased it in 1986 and the only thing i have changed over the years have been the strings. Obviously the bolt on one of the machine heads has been replaced but the the MG finish seems to be original. Serial starts with "FG" if its difficult to see in the photo ....i know some of the pics are not that good. anyway, hope you can take a look and help give me some info on this.
i have the case which it came in when i bought it and the mute and pickup cover. thanks !!!

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1859544

Scott,
Great pics of a fantastic Rickenbacker.

It looks like it may have started life as a 4000 and had the front pickup cavity added at a later stage.

It also looks like it's had more than one pickgaurd during it's life, which would be consistent with it being converted from a 4000 to a 4001, the quality of the front cavity is very well done it looks like it may have been done / redone at the factory.

Can you tell me if the lighter colour under the guard is actually finished, or is it bare wood.

These pictures are going to generate a lot of great discussion.

Great Stuff !!!

hi jim ... yeah, i'm confused on this. i have never done any research on this bass or ever really looked into the hisory of rics, so all of this is new to me and interesting for sure.
All of the wood is finished under the plates and in the cavity's, it just appears to be lighter/unfinished .... i guess from not being exposed.

It is largely intact. The only missing parts are the horseshoe pickup and the the mute screws. It appears to be sound otherwise. Very nice.

Jim: A lot of 4001s had the number 4000 in the control cavity. I don't know why. If that one was a 4000, the conversion work was probably done by the factory.

That's definatly a peice of history...Very nice bass you have there...very nice!

I thought the same Ted, that front cavity is so clean it looks like it was done at the factory, as always thanks for the added information.

The only thing that makes me think it was a 4000 at one time is the twin sets of holes for the pickguards.

It also looks like it has little, or no lift on the tailpiece.

It's also nice to see the older style elongated headstock and the layout of the tuners.

Sweet bass, Scott. I'll take 'er!



Those old cast aluminum tails were more rigid and didn't really lift, Jim.

I'll bet this one is a real sweet sounding and PLAYING bass as well, now that the horseshoe has been yanked in favor of the less cumbersome hi-gain!

That routing also looks factory to me and has the little overun of the saw blade that is so common on those old ones. Very nice looking bass.

Cool bass....

Sure looks like a MG 4000 that was converted at the factory. Stock rout and channel and short pole toaster.

I remember a thread for a long time ago where someone commented the 4001S wasn't even advertised in the 60's domestic brochures. They were essentially a special order and many people probably didn't know they were available. That's why you see so few of them.

It makes some sense that if an order came in for one, a ready 4000 was converted and that's why you see the 4000 in the cavity. My '67 bass has Jill's name there too.

The guard looks original, even if it is a little shorter than some from this period, as it still has the holes for the rest.

Apart from the HS basically all there down to the correct screws for the TRC!

I'm still thinking @ $7500.

Andrew,
Wasn't the 4001S the one that Rose Morris sold in the UK in the early days.

I'd even go as far to say that this is one that should remain Mapleglo.

Yes Jim,

But that's generally in '64. There is a run of these in '67, of which I have seen one, and a single '66 too. This is more likely a domestic order, like my bass, which actually has 4001 in the cavity.

The '64 RM1999 basses have the square heel and everything else after that has the round one. All are Fireglo.

Apart from that they are essentially the same bass.

Scott, that is one beautiful bass you have there!

You guys all know so much more than I do when it comes to the really vintage Rickenbackers.,,,,,,,,but I really love to see the vintage Mapleglo Ricks as compared to the Fireglo ones.

Dont get me wrong, I really like Fireglo, but theres something special about a really nice "aged" Mapleglo.

With the re-instated walnut wings, I'd love to see "Amber Mapleglo" as the 2008 C.O.Y.

The front one is mine. A '68 that probably has a similar history to yours. It was originally a 4000. Someone had routed it and put in a Guild pup. I put a proper toaster in it. It's a nice example of the era Fireglo.

Very nice Scott, fades nicely and is not too light.