Buying a second hand Rick 4001

[Bozeksksi]

Hi guys,

I recently became interested in rickenbacker basses and am looking to buy a 4001 of 1980.
In the past I had a bad experience buying a vintage bass from a different brand, with a faulty truss rod.

My question is: what things to I have to pay extra attention to when buying a vintage Rick, speaking in terms of being 'all original' and structurally intact.
I read something about cracks in the neck finish when improperly adjusted..?

Thanks in advance!

Bart

[jamespaul71]

Its fairly easy to tell.

If you are there in person, you must first examine the area near the nut where the fretboard and the neck itself are joined. You don't want to see cracks between these areas, the finish should be seamless or close to it. There are some examples where the finish bubbles just a little bit between them, but a crack should be really obvious. The next step, to assure you of whats going on, is to remove the truss rod cover. Removing this lets you see the truss rod nuts and the block. If the nuts and the block are angled down into the wood, like a good bit, then the rods are in not so good shape and require at minimum removal and bending. If they are aiming straight and nothing is bent down, then the rods are likely still in great shape. If they are bent ever so slightly down, but still accessible with an adjuster, then I would say they are healthy enough and probably OK (depends on the angle). If there is no evidence of cracking, and the rods are straight and do not angle down into the wood, I would consider the truss rods healthy.

Rick truss rods can be dealt with, but unless you are a little adventurous you may want to avoid the experience if the bass itself doesn't speak to you.

[wints]

Welcome Bart,

You would be well advised to spend a few hours looking through the threads here regarding the basics of a 4001 and potential things to look for. There are a few things that should be in order for a viable instrument, and you can consult the registry for good photo's of a relevant year bass.

Pull up a chair, crack open a beer, and invest a little time in making the most of your (hopefully) future purchase!

[Bozeksksi]

Ok thanks for the replies guys!

[rickenbrother]

Welcome to the forum, Bart. After you've read several posts and looked through pictures of 4001 basses, if you have any specific questions, just ask.

[Engine207]

I just bought a 76 4001, and it's got a broken bass-side truss rod nut. http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp35 ... 060351.jpg How much should this repair cost and can anyone suggest a qualified tech in the Phoenix area.

The neck crack spoken of...would this be something to sweat? http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp35 ... 060329.jpg

[jamespaul71]

I just bought a 76 4001, and it's got a broken bass-side truss rod nut. http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp35 ... 060351.jpg How much should this repair cost and can anyone suggest a qualified tech in the Phoenix area.

The neck crack spoken of...would this be something to sweat? http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp35 ... 060329.jpg

It is conceivable that someone go angry at the rods causing the crack and cut the end of it off but left the rod in place to prevent further damage. Kind of weird.

[johnallg]

The rod, if still there, can be cut and rethreaded. You could contact RIC or possibly Paul W about a replacement nut. Lots of info on the forum about cutting and rethreading so do an advanced search.

As to the break - if it has been glued right it should be no future problem if the rods are adjusted right now.

[Engine207]

The rod, if still there, can be cut and rethreaded. You could contact RIC or possibly Paul W about a replacement nut. Lots of info on the forum about cutting and rethreading so do an advanced search.

Thanks for the tip, John...I'll do some research today. Is it a problem that when the rods are cut, that they don't go as far up the neck as they used to? Or is a neck stable enough at the 20th fret where it doesn't really matter? What about having a machinist fabricate a new pair of rods and rethread them? I'm hoping my research yields some answers about this.

I'm a little apprehensive about jacking with this removal/cut/rethread process, by myself. Every time I do something that I'm not trained on, something unexpected happens that leaves me frustrated (and screwed) until I can find a qualified person. Be it replacing water heaters, fuel pumps, or truss rods. If I haven't done it before, and there's nobody experienced to help me, I wind up regretting it.

Where might I find a Phoenix-area Ric-experienced luthier who could do the work? I might be more comfortable just paying a tech to do it right.

[rickenbrother]

Thanks for the tip, John...I'll do some research today. Is it a problem that when the rods are cut, that they don't go as far up the neck as they used to? Or is a neck stable enough at the 20th fret where it doesn't really matter? What about having a machinist fabricate a new pair of rods and rethread them? I'm hoping my research yields some answers about this.

The truss rods are longer than they really have to be, so cutting off enough length to make a new threaded and won't really make much difference.

[jamespaul71]

You will need to find a device for threading the old rod, but bending it shouldn't be too bad and all you need is a metal file to cut and shape the top part. When you get a new TR nut, the operation should take a long afternoon or perhaps a weekend.

[johnallg]

George it is a lot easier than it sounds. This should be of interest.

http://www.tseint.com/4001project/index.html