It is a late '08 model, built shortly after my first Mapleglo Cii (which was the first-ever Cii built with a 2-piece flame maple neck & the new UV-cured finish). My local dealer had this one hanging on the wall in a place near the front door/display window, but situated so that it was not easily seen - apparently I've passed it a dozen times without even noticing it. The offical finish designation is Trans Blue, but according to the salesman, it faded into the purple color seen here after a few months of window light exposure, so they removed it from their web page.
I was at the shop a month ago to pick up my new 4001C64 when it caught my eye. I asked the salesman "What's the story on the purple Ric?", and after giving me the lowdown, he said he would cut me a great deal on it because of the faded finish. It was all I could do to keep a straight face - I would have gladly paid full price for what I thought was one of the prettiest 4004Ciis I'd ever seen, but I ended up grabbing it for hundreds less than my Mapleglo.
The action was very high, so I removed the spacer plate from under the bridge, gave the rods a minor tweaking, threw on a fresh set of strings, and now she plays even better than my Mapleglo. The pictures don't do it justice - it's a very hard color to photograph, but I'll show the shots that best represent the true color.
