Has there been 400X's with maple boards?

[Mr.Mow]

Ok, so the faker I scored is odd as it has a maple fret board, everyone who has played it has remarked how much they like the combination of the maple body and board on a ric style bass (its got a great zingy sound, nice and snappy.. works well..

So has Ric ever made a 400X bass with a maple board?

[rickfan60]

No standard 4001 or 4003 has come with a maple fingerboard. The limited edition Blackstar, Tuxedo, and Redneck have maple boards but they are painted over. The first Cheyenne 4004C has a maple fingerboard too. There may have been some one-offs or custom instruments built that way but it was never a standard production feature.

[bottom4]

someone here has a 4003 5er (not a 4003S) 5er with a maple board and I believe it has been confirmed that it's legit. Sorry can't remember who...

[bassduke49]

Yeah, that one is thought to be a prototype for the 4003/5 and has a maple fretboard. Early (1993-1999) Laredos also have maple fretboards -- lovely ones, too.

[rickfan60]

Doesn't the 2060 have a maple board too?

[bdgotoh]

This was a NAMM bass in 1998, lovely figured maple board.

[ricaddic]

personally I would love to get one with a maple fretboard, wish they still made them.

[cassius987]

I'm not a a big fan of maple fingerboards myself. I think they sound... honky. I dunno. At least on my Stingray it had that thin sound, I thought. I have played maple fingerboard P's that weren't so much this way.

[rickaddict]

These guys also had maple boards...smothered in JG and sprinkled in microdots:

http://rickresource.com/register/user_i ... llsize.jpg

[bassduke49]

Right, the late Hamburgs and El Dorado basses (2020 and 2060) had maple fretboards as well. They, and the original Cheyenne, do not have a gloss finish applied to the fretboard. And right, Jeff, the Glenn Frey is black-painted maple. Here is a shot of a Fireglo 2060 that passed through the Rickenbacker National Forrest a couple of years ago on its way to Eric Kutzler's grove:

[ram]

My '93 4004L came with a maple one... I like it!

[aceonbass]

My 4004L5 has a maple board too. I like the sound and feel of the board, but I do think they look odd on a 4000 series bass.

[bassduke49]

Hmm. Don't think I have photos of that one, Dane. You holdin' out on me? You have any more marvelous surprises hidden away?

[rickfan60]

Anymore shots of that one Dane? You should start a thread about it.

[aceonbass]

Paul, this bass is the same 4004L that had the white tear drop guard on it when you were last out here. I have been wanting a RIC 5ver for some time and don't like the wide spacing on the Cii5's. I've been getting by with a Schecter 5 that's really pretty nice for the money, but I'm a RIC man so after seeing a few other..um.."attempts" at converting 4004's to 5vers, I decided to give this a try. The spacing between strings is 3/8" at the nut and 5/8" at the bridge. Pickup coverage is great and the sound is awesome so I think I've found my perfect 5ver. The headstock is being refinished and should be done next week.