Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

In response to Mario Polisena's bass project, I decided to make my own. It is a mix between a '67 4001, and a 381. Every thing is checkered, the body, soundhole, headstock, and even the neck (I saw a Capri like this in the register). It has full length sparklies, a tug bar, and chrome top knobs. Could this be the revolution of a hollow body bass, a tribute to the 4005 How does it look?

Looks nice to me, but I think the "R" tailpiece is called for. Maybe there's still time to reinstate it before these go into production.

"R" TP, and a guitar type headstock for proper symmetry. the pompadour curly cue 400X headstock doesn't look right with that body style.

Put a second toaster near the bridge and lose the horseshoe.

I've been dreaming about a bass guitar version of the 381 for years. I think of it as the 4381, or as Eric B put it one day, the 4381JV
I wouldn't want it to look any different than the regular production 381, except it would be made as a long scale bass guitar.

rickenbrother wrote:I've been dreaming about a bass guitar version of the 381 for years. I think of it as the 4381, or as Eric B put it one day, the 4381JV
I wouldn't want it to look any different than the regular production 381, except it would be made as a long scale bass guitar.

+1!

I was hoping a particular chunk of maple would end up as one, but it was cut into a 360/12 C63.. .

rickenbrother wrote:I've been dreaming about a bass guitar version of the 381 for years. I think of it as the 4381, or as Eric B put it one day, the 4381JV

What does sports have to do with it?

jps wrote:Put a second toaster near the bridge and lose the horseshoe.

Wait...

What?

Jeff Scott not preferring a horseshoe?!

Does not compute.

Error.

Error...

...Melting!

Bpwwzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzztt!

IvanMunoz wrote:In response to Mario Polisena's bass project,
How does it look?

Final Rick 381 bass drawing 4381.jpg

is it a challenge?

I like it!

I like the sound, look and perfect balance of the solid body 4001/4003 so I'll hypothetically pass on the hypothetical 381-type bass.

In case such a bass eventually gets built in Santa Ana, that's one more for you guys.

What I would like to see that slightly resembles a 381 is a production "dumpster bass" with its German shoulders and checkerboard binding.

Maybe one day I'll commission Paul or Dale to re-top a 4003 MG and build me a dumpster bass clone.

jps wrote: What does sports have to do with it?

Have you ever seen how some guys play their basses? More of an athletic accomplishment than a musical one.

Playing any bass with 8 or 12 strings IS an athletic accomplishment...

rickaddict wrote:

jps wrote:Put a second toaster near the bridge and lose the horseshoe.

Wait...

What?

Jeff Scott not preferring a horseshoe?!

Does not compute.

Error.

Error...

...Melting!

Bpwwzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzztt!

Okay, so one less Jeff in the world.

A horseshoe pickup just doesn't look right on a 300 series body.

I don't know, there is something about horeshoes that gets me. I love all of those early guitars with horseshoes in them, they are just all that/

I certainly love my horseshoes, alright; here is one with magnetic shoes on my 4001V63 : I really need to make a new close-up photo showing the cool ReshapedByDane® surround.