Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I just bought a lefty 4001 and ever since I wondered what exact model this is.

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... 0366328840

It has a dark, presumably rosewood or ebony, fingerboard with dot inlays, which I have never seen on any other 4001. But it is not a 4001S, since it has the Ric-O-Sound equipped dual outlet. And it is not a C64 or V63 because it has an NF (June 1974) serial number.

My guess is the fingerboard was replaced or somebody ordered a special fingerboard. I have to say, I think I like the looks of the dot inlays more than the triangles.

Any comments on this? Does anybody know of another 4001 with dot inlays and dark fingerboard?

Welcome, Sebastian!

Interesting bass there. This is only speculation, but that fretboard looks like the ebony dot one on a Model 4002, so maybe that's what someone was aiming for. Have you checked under the pickguard for any odd routing?

If you e-mail Rickenbacker Service with the serial number and ask them nicely, they may be able to tell you whether there was a special order on it.

doctorwho wrote:Welcome, Sebastian!

Thanks.

doctorwho wrote: Interesting bass there. This is only speculation, but that fretboard looks like the ebony dot one on a Model 4002, so maybe that's what someone was aiming for. Have you checked under the pickguard for any odd routing?

I haven't got it yet. I can't tell how often I check the tracking status. As soon as I've got it I will post pictures of the innards.

doctorwho wrote: If you e-mail Rickenbacker Service with the serial number and ask them nicely, they may be able to tell you whether there was a special order on it.

Good idea, will do that. Btw, it's the one mentioned in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=265625. The previous owner had the truss rods rebuilt by somebody from the forum I guess and fitted by http://www.ricsrus.com/

An alternative idea is that the bass has had the fretboard replaced, and a refin, which could explain the very clean finish.

Is it my imagination or do the frets look a little higher than stock?

In any case, it is a fabulous-looking bass.

me likey! hard to tell if the neck lost its binding with the new fb.....great red!

antipodean wrote:An alternative idea is that the bass has had the fretboard replaced, and a refin, which could explain the very clean finish.

Is it my imagination or do the frets look a little higher than stock?

That wouldn't be too bad because I am planning to use medium gauge roundwounds. I figure that higher frets last longer then.

antipodean wrote:In any case, it is a fabulous-looking bass.

Oh yes.

Welcome, Sebastian!

I think the finish on this one is original. I see quite a few minor bumps and bruises, and I've seen an abnormally high number of Burgundy Ricks from 1974.

I think the fretboard was replaced at some point with the dot-inlayed ebony board. The nut is also non-original. I don't think this one left the factory with the ebony board because of: A) the replaced nut, B) the TRC doesn't butt up to the nut, C) the fretboard looks a little too chunky to be a RIC fretboard, and D) the fretboard has no binding as it did on the 4002: http://rickresource.com/register/user_i ... llsize.jpg

It is a cool bass though. I hope it plays and sounds as good as it looks.

Welcome to the forum, Sebastian. I also think the fingerboard has been replaced.

I checked this one out on Ebay, I too think it had had a new fretboard fitted for some reason.

I have a theory now: Since the truss rods were broken on this it could have happened that somebody messed with the rods and damaged the fretboard. From what I've read this is a very common mistake with older 4001s.

cran wrote:I have a theory now: Since the truss rods were broken on this it could have happened that somebody messed with the rods and damaged the fretboard. From what I've read this is a very common mistake with older 4001s.

Reasonable idea, but most of the ones I've seen, the fretboard is just fine, it's the maple on the neck that gets damaged, usually like this:

This is the message I got from the RIC customer service:

"That is a 4001 that someone has changed the fingerboard. It would not have
come from the factory like that."

A bit of a turnoff.

Ah well, it's probably a decent player and it does have a unique look even if it's not original. You can probably get "Jingle Jangle" too make and install a new original type fretboard complete with binding if you want...

It would be interesting to hear the tonal difference with the ebony board.

teeder wrote:It would be interesting to hear the tonal difference with the ebony board.

That it would!

Welcome, Sebastian, and don't "fret", you have a real stunner there.