Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've just managed to snag myself a 4001CS (#100 according to the certificate). She's in reasonably good condition overall, but has "yellowed" due to being in a smoky studio for quite a large amount of time.
Is there anything on the market that will help restore her or is a refinish the only option?

Kevin,

Sorry, just about every Chris Squire bass I've seen have all yellowed. Being in a smoky studio may have deposited a bit of grime on the finish but most white basses of that vintage and earlier have all accumulated that amber patina.

Sepp

Call me crazy, but I actually like the yellowed Squire basses. It emphasizes the Cream color.

IIRC, there was a Squire bass once that wasn't yellow or white at all, it was orange!

JakeK wrote:Call me crazy, but I actually like the yellowed Squire basses. It emphasizes the Cream color.

IIRC, there was a Squire bass once that wasn't yellow or white at all, it was orange!

+1, I agree Jake! I like the patina on the white vintage instruments as well as the amber Mapleglo takes on.

Sepp

Thanks for the info guys....I'll leave her as is for the time being.
I remember the "smokin" one from a few years back with the uniform "NicotineGlo" finish - I think it had been hung in a bar in Japan for about 15 or so years without being played.

Yep, IMO natural yellowing is cool.

Did somebody say banana pudding?

I'm assuming my '78 was white at one time, but it has aged very evenly and doesn't smell like smoke. I also like the color as it has aged.

milo wrote:Did somebody say banana pudding?

I'm assuming my '78 was white at one time, but it has aged very evenly and doesn't smell like smoke. I also like the color as it has aged.

That's pretty much the colour of the CS although you can get a faint "smoke" smell from the body

milo wrote:Did somebody say banana pudding?

I'm assuming my '78 was white at one time, but it has aged very evenly and doesn't smell like smoke. I also like the color as it has aged.

That's an "interesting" shape for the back of a 4001. Looks more like a 610/625 to me.

jai_the_bass wrote:

milo wrote:Did somebody say banana pudding?

I'm assuming my '78 was white at one time, but it has aged very evenly and doesn't smell like smoke. I also like the color as it has aged.

That's pretty much the colour of the CS although you can get a faint "smoke" smell from the body

DSC01692ss.JPG

That looks good, I like it! Congrats!

libratune wrote:

milo wrote:Did somebody say banana pudding?

I'm assuming my '78 was white at one time, but it has aged very evenly and doesn't smell like smoke. I also like the color as it has aged.

That's an "interesting" shape for the back of a 4001. Looks more like a 610/625 to me.

My money's on 450/12 with a black guard.

sloop_john_b wrote: My money's on 450/12 with a black guard.

Good call. The '78 year is a clue that's not going to be a 610.

Here's a '79 450-12 in White with BT: http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... p?id=28790

It could also be a 620-12, though. Here's one from 1980 White with BT: http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... p?id=14678

jai_the_bass wrote:

milo wrote:Did somebody say banana pudding?

I'm assuming my '78 was white at one time, but it has aged very evenly and doesn't smell like smoke. I also like the color as it has aged.

That's pretty much the colour of the CS although you can get a faint "smoke" smell from the body

DSC01692ss.JPG

If you gave it the Swirl-X and Zymol treatment after stripping the hardware it should lighten up a bit but more importantly get rid of the smoke residue.

It is indeed a 450-12...wasn't too hard to figure that out was it?

I just posted it because of the mention of the changing white color. I'm not sure if much of that is from smoke residue or not. I've owned it for about 10 years and it doesn't smell of smoke and the color change is pretty even nor does the finish feel gunky. Plus it's actually lighter in color in the exposed areas than it is under the pickguard.

My 1975 4001S WHT WT is uniform in color, even under the pick guard:
AFAIK, it was never exposed to smoke (I'm the second owner, and I don't think that the original owner was a smoker).