Fixing up my 1972 4001

[steversaurus]

Picked up a 72 Mapleglo 4001 a couple of hours ago. A little surprised how thick the neck is. My '74 is noticeably thinner. Ok condition definitely not a closet classic. In fact looks like it was left out for a while. So questions that come to mind.

Is there a good way to get rid of the rust?

The pickguard is an obvious all parts replacement, which I guess I don't mind. It is missing the thumb rest which does kind of irk me.
Is there a place that I can get a replacement?

The chrome looks like it's peeling or something. Is there a way to clean up fix this?

[kiramdear]

Congratulations! Look up pickguardian.com for a nice replacement. Can you post some pics for us? We love makeover threads.

[jps]

Congrats, Steve.

As Kira mentioned, Pickguardian will take care of your pickguard and finger rest needs, look no further!

[jps]

It is missing the thumb rest which does kind of irk me.

Glad to hear this is all that irks you (assuming you have seen the relevant thread).

[chrisdski]

It is missing the thumb rest which does kind of irk me.

Glad to hear this is all that irks you (assuming you have seen the relevant thread).

Don't start that again

[steversaurus]

Some Pics!




Whats the reason for the discolouration in the inlay? Is there a way to make sure it doesn't get worse?


Anyway to clean up the chrome a bit? Is steel wool and elbow grease a bad idea?


Some neck wear

[T.A.R.]

Sweet, I love the checkerboard binding.

[rickaddict]

Picked up a 72 Mapleglo 4001 a couple of hours ago. A little surprised how thick the neck is. My '74 is noticeably thinner. Ok condition definitely not a closet classic. In fact looks like it was left out for a while. So questions that come to mind.

Is there a good way to get rid of the rust?

The pickguard is an obvious all parts replacement, which I guess I don't mind. It is missing the thumb rest which does kind of irk me.
Is there a place that I can get a replacement?

The chrome looks like it's peeling or something. Is there a way to clean up fix this?

Nice '72!

Your chrome has corroded and flaked off from your tail piece. Steel wool will not help. Forumite Dane Wilder might know of someone who can re-plate it. Yes, your pick guard is a repro. Remove it, and throw it like a Frisbee into your nearest landfill. Contact Tony Dudzik (sp) at Pickguardian.com. I'm guessing you now have two sets of screw holes under the guard. If you can figure out which ones were the correct ones and make a tracing, he can custom make a new one. He also makes a reproduction tug bar that could pass for the original article. Those cool old sparkly inlays tend to get brown blotches in them. Not much can be done about it as far as I know. The blotches might go away (and your frets will clean up) with some Meguire's Swirl X swirl remover. Finish off with Zymol wax, and your bass will be clean and smell like coconuts.

I have two nit-picking observations in case it matters to you: I think your bass would have originally had a white nut, and the bridge pickup was most likely replaced at some point as it doesn't have the aluminum back plate. IMO, the pickup swap is not necessarily a bad thing as a '72 pickup would have the skinny magnet and less output.

Once it's all together, turn your amp up and rock that bad boy out for the next 39 years!

[badeggs]

Killer bass, '72s are hard to come by...some '72s didn't have a tugbar originally, look for two holes under the pickguard, probably straddling the cavity that the neck pickup wire runs through. But even if it never had one, there's no reason you can't add one now!

I have two nit-picking observations in case it matters to you: I think your bass would have originally had a white nut, and the bridge pickup was most likely replaced at some point as it doesn't have the aluminum back plate.

The pickup may be original - sometimes the aluminum plate gets quite dark (of course it's hard to tell in that tiny photo). But the nut has been replaced. The older nuts were cut thicker, and you can see a gap between the nut and TRC - the old nut would have filled the gap. And it was probably white Delrin, as you stated.

[steversaurus]

The pickup looks to be about legit. There is a backing and seems to be like the one in the anatomy of a rick thread.

Ugh. Yea my first impression of the nut was that something was off. When did they change to black? Were the frets on the early 4001 different than those on say a 74? The frets on the 72 seem smaller. I wonder if that was the reason why the nut was added? Are they easy to replace? Is the one in pick of the ricks suitable?

Yep the bass definitely has holes for the thumbrest. Clued me off that it was a replacement. That and the all parts sticker. I'm guessing the old one broke???? Would it be better just waiting for a 72 pickguard to show up somewhere or are the pickguardians passable for the real deals?

Lastly. Are the strap buttons interchangeable for the mute adjustment things?

[rickaddict]

The pickup looks to be about legit. There is a backing and seems to be like the one in the anatomy of a rick thread.

Ugh. Yea my first impression of the nut was that something was off. When did they change to black? Were the frets on the early 4001 different than those on say a 74? The frets on the 72 seem smaller. I wonder if that was the reason why the nut was added? Are they easy to replace? Is the one in pick of the ricks suitable?

Yep the bass definitely has holes for the thumbrest. Clued me off that it was a replacement. That and the all parts sticker. I'm guessing the old one broke???? Would it be better just waiting for a 72 pickguard to show up somewhere or are the pickguardians passable for the real deals?

Lastly. Are the strap buttons interchangeable for the mute adjustment things?

All the '72 bridge pickups I've ever seen have an aluminum back plate, slot screw poles and the skinny magnet like this one:

http://www.rickresource.com/register/us ... llsize.jpg

Nuts are easy to replace by a good luthier. I would have one custom made. The current one might fit with some finagling, but the string spacing will be wider than the original.

Stap buttons and mute adjusters are the same.

Pick Guardians can be passable for the real deal. Waiting for one on ebay could take forever, and could get you one that is mislabeled as a '72, or a real '72 that had different screw hole locations anyway.

[badeggs]

When did they change to black? Were the frets on the early 4001 different than those on say a 74? The frets on the 72 seem smaller.

The nuts were black Bakelite for years, then they started mixing in white Delrin nuts, especially on the basses, in the late 60s. You see them up until 73 or so, when it seems they pretty much went back to black exclusively. Very rarely, you'll see a white switch-tip from this time period as well, which just looks killer with the white nut - a very nice touch.

The frets, as far as I know, were the same nickel wire for decades. I don't know when they switched (to stainless steel (?) in the 90s maybe? I only ever own old ones so I can't say), but the frets from 72 are definitely the same as in 74.

[wints]

My old Dec '72 had no thumb rest/tugbar and IIRC I've seen a November bass without as well. So, if it is a very late '72 it may well have never had one. Mine also had the short white switch tip selector as well.

I concur with this picky t**l...

I have two nit-picking observations in case it matters to you: I think your bass would have originally had a white nut, and the bridge pickup was most likely replaced at some point as it doesn't have the aluminum back plate. IMO, the pickup swap is not necessarily a bad thing as a '72 pickup would have the skinny magnet and less output.

that the nut should be of the white delrin type...

[Rubsoul]

My April 73 does not have the thumb rest either, white original nut.
Ghee, was no thumb rest an option back then?

[badeggs]

My April 73 does not have the thumb rest either, white original nut.

They were definitely phased out in 72.