Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I was at my favorite local music store after work today. They just got in a mapleglo 4001, that a customer put on consignment. Overall, it's a nice bass, with he usual wear for a mid 70s 4001. The store manager called me and asked me if I could help him figure out what year it was. I told him, no problem, just look on the jackplate, tell me the letters and I'd let him know. He tells me that there are no letters or numbers on the plate., but it says Rick-O-Sound and Standard. So I had to see this for myself.
I went to the music store, he was right, no serial number on the plate. The serial number was not scratched off. The chrome where the serial numbers would be is in very good condition, not even the hint of a number or letter stamp. Has anyone seen this before? I think when the replacement jacks were available they had XX-XXXX stamped on them, so I don't know about this one.
This 4001 seems legit. From the shape of head and body, the flatness of the back of the neck, the reverse keywinds and the lucite TRC, I guessed it was a '75. I didn't have time to look under the pickguard to see the neck pickup route, I wanted to get home for Halloween.
The other thing about the bass was a BadAss II bridge mod. At least the BadAss II doesn't need routing for installation like the original BadAss. The surround made for the bridge looked terrible, that would have to come off! I may go back tomorrow to have another look under the pickguard and take some pics of it. If anyone might be interested in this bass, let me know. It would make a great players bass.

Send some pics. Seems odd without the numbers. Could they have forgotten to stamp a bass? Seems unlikly.

It could be one of the "factory steals" that have been on eBay lately. We all know who is selling them.

That's what it sounds like - A replacement jackplate that is unserialized.

johnallg wrote:It could be one of the "factory steals" that have been on eBay lately. We all know who is selling them.

That's pretty much what I was thinking. Here's the output jackplate:

Joey - check your emails - there are two!

Got them and replied to, John.

Well, with Joey's most appreciated help in getting pictures and evaluating this one, it is now mine. Has issues, like a Badass II bridge kludge(!), total re-wiring with no caps, a nick in the neck, and the no serial # jackplate, but otherwise it is solid with a straight neck, good original pups, working truss rods, and a plexi TRC.

http://www.geocities.com/johnallg/temp/4001mg1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/johnallg/temp/4001mg7.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/johnallg/temp/4001mg8.jpg

Now the wait - won't go out until Monday as it was too late to make it in today's shipment....

THANK YOU JOEY!!

Joey is da man!

Wow, very nice maple, John!

Thanks, Jeff. Thats what convinced me to go for it, the look of the maple. The differences I can overcome, the wood on a bass is always what it is, and from what Joey says, the pictures don't do it justice. C'mon Thursday!!

You're welcome, glad to help, John!! I hope you really love it and enjoy it. I know you'll do the right thing and put it back the way it should be.
That bass looks better than my terrible photography skills can reveal. I'm no Jps with a camera!!
Thanks Bob!

Speaking of which, anyone got a RIC tailpiece and bridge available? 70s or other, I just need one. How about some info; what kind of capacitors did RIC use in the mid 70s? Anyone have a picture of the controls that I could see?

And again, thank you Joey!

Here is mine from my July '73 4001.

Congrats, John!