Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have started entering celebrity info into the Register, but have hit a couple of snags. I’m posting the info here for everyone to see until I can figure out what I’m doing wrong...

I received several database error messages when entering these instruments, so they may not have posted:

Led Zeppelin 4001 JetGlo #HL1789 w/case (un-numbered Rickenbacker invoice, made out to their NY management company, dated Jan 7, 1969. Signed for and picked up at the factory.)

Led Zeppelin 4001S JetGlo #GK4603 w/case (Listed as a 4001S on ‘loan’ endorsement agreement, and as a 4000 on the schedule of items not returned under the ‘loan’ agreement, and instead purchased by the band. I believe the loan agreement is more likely to be accurate here.)

Led Zeppelin 360-12 (w/white binding on both sides) JetGlo #GJ4274 w/case (Listed on their ‘loan’ endorsement agreement, and on the schedule of items not returned under the ‘loan’ agreement, and instead purchased by the band.)

Led Zeppelin 625 FireGlo #GK4452 w/case (Listed on a supplement to their ‘loan’ endorsement agreement, but NOT on the schedule of items not returned under the ‘loan’ agreement. It’s reasonable to believe that this guitar was returned under the loan agreement.)

Led Zeppelin 615 MapleGlo #GD2033 w/case (Listed on a supplement to their ‘loan’ endorsement agreement, but NOT on the schedule of items not returned under the ‘loan’ agreement. It’s reasonable to believe that this guitar was returned under the loan agreement.)

It’s interesting to note that most of the instruments sent to the band were almost 2 years old. None were recent production, meaning none were custom ordered by the band, but pulled from existing inventory. (These are also great examples of instruments that would not have appeared in known shipping totals, due to their method of documentation.)


There is no listing in the pull down for this amp model…

Led Zeppelin Model E-8 Electro Amplifier #3229 (un-numbered Rickenbacker invoice, made out to their NY management company, dated 12/24/68. Signed for and picked up at the factory.)


I’m working on getting all of the Led Zep invoices together to start listing the Transonics. They went through quite a few, and the listings are not consistent on the invoices. Some were picked up at the factory, others shipped to various airports in care of Led Zeppelin. Some were returned, others purchased and kept by Jimmy Page (as witnessed in the documentary “It Might Get Loud.”)


Much more celebrity stuff to come, as well as the data on the John Hall collection. I haven’t been through some of this paperwork in 15 years.

I've never seen photos of Zep with any Rickenbackers, except in this shot:
Very interesting stuff Scott, please keep it coming!

Just another thought on this. In the above photo, all you can really make of JPJ's bass is the pickguard, and also the fact that it doesn't have triangle inlays. The records that Scott posted indicate that Zeppelin were given a 4001s. I wonder if it was actually the experimental 4001s shown in the Smith book, which had the same pickguard and pickup placement as the 4005?

If so, then it was only loaned to them, as it is in John Hall's possession, still.

this is a good question...and the only way to put this to rest, unless a better quality pic surfaces, is to get hold of dave groel from the foo's, and get this thread question to john himself. nothing like direct questioning for great results ! this could then be emailed to mr. jones so he can see what we're stirring up !

to stir it up even more...what about a 4005/8...it had dots,same pickguard and dark color (pg.208, smith book) mr. jones loved to use 8 string basses in the past.

BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS wrote:this is a good question...and the only way to put this to rest, unless a better quality pic surfaces, is to get hold of dave groel from the foo's, and get this thread question to john himself. nothing like direct questioning for great results ! this could then be emailed to mr. jones so he can see what we're stirring up !

to stir it up even more...what about a 4005/8...it had dots,same pickguard and dark color (pg.208, smith book) mr. jones loved to use 8 string basses in the past.

I have the serial number of the 4000 that was loaned to them and returned, so it would be easy enough for Kenny to compare it to any JG 4000 hanging in John Hall’s office. The photo does appear to show the one off 4001S with the two toasters. The 4001S with two toasters is not the 4001S JPJ kept. Hall still has that one in his office. I would need to know the serial number off of it (Kenny?) to match it to my documentation, to know which bass it was considered to be on the invoices.

JPJ bought the 4001S from the loan agreement at the end of the tour, and as of 1992, when I last met him, he still owned that bass.

mr. '66...i concure after viewing the original photo on the zep site. jan. 16,'69 at detroit's grande ballroom from the h. hylett collection, it is indeed the 4001s with a hardtail bridge and toasters. you can see the slim upper horn. photo is under concert timeline heading. there may be copyright issues, so i did not post a link to it. (don't want to cause the fredericton boy no un-necessary hassles, eh ?) there were no other pics on the site that i saw. so GK4603 sounds like it !

and after viewing that site...i now know for a fact, concert goers love guitar players and hate bass players due to the amount of jimmy to john fotos posted ! lol.

BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS wrote:mr. '66...i concure after viewing the original photo on the zep site. jan. 16,'69 at detroit's grande ballroom from the h. hylett collection, it is indeed the 4001s with a hardtail bridge and toasters. you can see the slim upper horn. photo is under concert timeline heading. there may be copyright issues, so i did not post a link to it. (don't want to cause the fredericton boy no un-necessary hassles, eh ?) there were no other pics on the site that i saw. so GK4603 sounds like it !

and after viewing that site...i now know for a fact, concert goers love guitar players and hate bass players due to the amount of jimmy to john fotos posted ! lol.

JPJ bought GK 4603 at the end of the tour, according to the paperwork I have.

It is possible that the one-off is HL1789, which has a murkier paper trail. There is no documentation that it was returned, but it is not on the invoice of items purchased from the loan agreement.

Can somebody send me the JG 360/12 WB?!

paologregorio wrote:Can somebody send me the JG 360/12 WB?!

You’d have to direct that at Jimmy Page. Best of luck with that.

mr. '66...smiths book states the black 4001s proto one off as a '67 which would put it as a G series. just going by the serials you posted.

BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS wrote:mr. '66...smiths book states the black 4001s proto one off as a '67 which would put it as a G series. just going by the serials you posted.

That’s why I’d like to know the serial number off of the one with the two toasters...

As I stated in the original posting, GK 4603 is listed as a 4001S on the ‘loan’ endorsement agreement, and as a 4000 on the schedule of items not returned under the ‘loan’ agreement. Either way, it is listed by serial number as having been purchased by the band on an invoice that clearly shows totals and that it was paid in full. So either there are two of these ‘one off’ basses, or the one in John Hall’s collection is not GK 4603.

Take Richard’s book with a grain of salt. He told me at the time of it’s release that his initial interest in doing the book was to get access to the files that related to Radio-Tel & F.C. Hall’s relationship with Fender. Richard’s primary areas of expertise and interest at the time were Fender, and it reflects in that book’s accuracy.

Great reading.

As in many instances, "one off's" sometimes have a twin...

a item of interest that just came to me...those toasters would be surface mounted on that 4001s, so therefore, the neck and fretboard would have a greater height off the surface of the body to compensate for the raised height of the toaster, unless they were sunk into the body if a regular production 4001s was pulled off the line to modify. (most 4001 basses i've seen had the fretboard at body surface. i have seen a few late '70 basses with the fretboard/neck lamination above body surface by 1/16th or so which i found odd.) this would require longer allen height screws for the saddle bridge and less string excitement for the neck pickup as it can be adjusted only to the base of the pickguard. thus less neck volume or the need for a more powerful magnet to compensate which never happened.

BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS wrote:a item of interest that just came to me...those toasters would be surface mounted on that 4001s, so therefore, the neck and fretboard would have a greater height off the surface of the body to compensate for the raised height of the toaster, unless they were sunk into the body if a regular production 4001s was pulled off the line to modify. (most 4001 basses i've seen had the fretboard at body surface. i have seen a few late '70 basses with the fretboard/neck lamination above body surface by 1/16th or so which i found odd.) this would require longer allen height screws for the saddle bridge.

This would be similar to any of the 4005 variants. I always looked at that bass as a solid 4005...