Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

...if only that were a BIN price!

He says something about "part of the tailpiece" missing, but . . . ? Fretboard looks beat or very dirty. But, how many of these do we see . . . .

I have my eye on it...are those tuners correct? anything else look replaced?

Depending on how the auction goes..I should be goin' for it

I think the rubber string mute is missing. He could have taken better pictures.

For a 4002 this one isnt very figured is it?

I like your avatar Brian!

Agree it's not very figured Scott...Problem is, do I wait for another one? At this point I'm just more concerned about the fingerboard...

Hmm... That fingerboard looks merely dirty to me, but you can't be too careful. Also, notice the corroded saddle block height adjustment screws. A well-used 4002, to be sure.

Those adjustment screws (not sure if they are factory pieces; could be hardware store replacements) were originally black-oxide finish, which rusts in a few months depending upon climate, if it's not kept oiled, even were the bass not used. But I do agree: from the fretboard crud, it's been heavily played.

It still looks pretty nice. The fingerboard is either really dirty or CV is coming up. But I though there was no CV on the 4002. Maybe someone applied a finish to it and it's coming up.
Are those original pickups?

You would think with this being the "holy grail" of Rickenbackers, he'd have cleaned it up a bit & taken some better pictures.

Especially considering a $5K opening bid....


That being said, I'd love to have one of those.


(Sigh....I need to start playing the lottery more...)

I promise if I get it to clean it up. I do hope it doesn't need new frets though...

btw - IMO when a bass is well used, usually means it's a great player. Conversely, I've tried vintage basses that are like NOS that played like ****. Especially Fenders. Instruments like children need love and to be played with

marc61 wrote:I promise if I get it to clean it up. I do hope it doesn't need new frets though...

btw - IMO when a bass is well used, usually means it's a great player. Conversely, I've tried vintage basses that are like NOS that played like ****. Especially Fenders. Instruments like children need love and to be played with

+1 on that, good buddy...

But new frets shouldn't scare you--it's a few hundred bucks and an easy job for any luthier, as there's no finish on the board. And it gives one a chance to properly clean, sand, surface, and re-oil that gorgeous ebony.

as luck would have it...I found a very local luthier who loves doing fret work, AND has experience with Rickenbackers. Let's see if I can win this one, and if it's playable, I'll probably just give it a good cleaning and keep it unmolested.

gut tells me this bass is going in $7000-7500 range.

marc61 wrote:IMO when a bass is well used, usually means it's a great player. Conversely, I've tried vintage basses that are like NOS that played like ****. Especially Fenders. Instruments like children need love and to be played with

Absolutely!! There's probably a reason it's been played so much! My 4001 looks beat enough that most people would retire it, but it plays and sounds so good, to retire it would be a crime. That 4002 looks like a player to me. Might take some elbow grease and what-not to shine it up, but I'll bet it'd be worth it.