Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I stumbled on Rickresource while doing some extensive research this week leading up to the purchase of my first Rick from a classified ad. I just brought home my new 1975 Azureglo 4001 this evening and I love it! It's actually already registered on here by the previous owner: http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... 6order%3D7

Anyway just saying hi and looking forward to learning a bunch more from some Rick connoisseurs!

Welcome Veronique!

It is nice to have another Canadian RIC owner here...

A warning though - once you have one you may discover you need several more!

That was a good price for an mid 70s 4001 in Canada...

Hi Veronique, welcome!

I see the bass has an Ohio "license plate" on it.

Thanks! Are there many other Canadians that post in the forums?

The price felt right and I have to say, the neck is perfect. It's not a collector's piece, in the sense that it's definitely got a lot of wear (and a leather patch covering the back, which I may try to remove) but I didn't buy it to flip it. I like an instrument that has character, and this one sure does. I figure, as long as it plays and sounds right and is structurally sound, it's a winner!

As a side-note, I messaged the admin and hopefully will get the registry entry signed over to me soon so I can post other pics and update the info...

Regarding your avatar, the first time I saw Peter he looked like that! It was in April 1973 (I thought it was 1972 until I found the concert announcement below) during Genesis' very first US tour, as an opening act for It's A Beautiful Day. They opened the show with Watcher Of The Skies and we all saw just a backlighted stage with his silhouetted bat winged figure in the middle of the stage. Needless to say, Genesis totally blew everyone in that small gym (Adelbert Gym, Case Western Reserve University) away!

http://www.clevelandrockandroll.com/ind ... 57&lang=en

Bienvenue Veronique, and congrats on your new 4001.

From the pics, it looks like it will clean up nicely.

And the leather backing intrigues me... both for its purpose, and what lies beneath it.

Welcome Veronique. Actually, the Rick Resource and the Forum originate from Canada, and you'll find many Canadians participating here!

bassduke49 wrote:Welcome Veronique. Actually, the Rick Resource and the Forum originate from Canada, and you'll find many Canadians participating here!

Wow didn't know that..anyways welcome to the forum. Very good place with very knowledgable individuals

jps wrote:Regarding your avatar, the first time I saw Peter he looked like that!
http://www.clevelandrockandroll.com/ind ... 57&lang=en

Wow, $5 for a Genesis show, eh? Not a bad deal, I guess... Rutherford is one of the reasons I wanted that RIC sound!

I'm intrigued by the leather patch too, and the story (not a pretty one) that was told to me was that the guy who owned it before the guy I bought it from used to play shirtless and the blue would rub off on his belly. Hawt.

Slacker wrote:

jps wrote:Regarding your avatar, the first time I saw Peter he looked like that!
http://www.clevelandrockandroll.com/ind ... 57&lang=en

Wow, $5 for a Genesis show, eh? Not a bad deal, I guess... Rutherford is one of the reasons I wanted that RIC sound!

I'm intrigued by the leather patch too, and the story (not a pretty one) that was told to me was that the guy who owned it before the guy I bought it from used to play shirtless and the blue would rub off on his belly. Hawt.

We didn't even know who Genesis were, they were just a name on the bill. Nobody was prepared for what we were about to see and hear. We had not heard of Sylvester & The Hot Band either but I honestly don't remember much about them, they may as well not have even been there after the Genesis onslaught!

If you get the chance, post some pictures of your new to you Rickenbacker bass! We never get tired of looking at them!

Here's my two RIC basses to inspire you!

Photos? Ok, here's a little bit of what's happening right now chez moi:

This gross leather patch has to go...

Yikes!

The razor blade is scaring me a bit... it's not scratching the finish, is it?

Yes, unfortunately, a bit. HOWEVER...I was a guitar tech for 7 years and am pretty used to getting scratches out of finishes

The problem is that the leather patch was glued on using who-knows-what (something that's not water-soluble), and I wasn't ready to slap on random solvents and risk peeling the entire back off. Thankfully, the rest of the bass is already really worn and dinged-up, so when I'm done with it, it will actually match! I also figured that leaving the patch on was worse for the bass than taking it off carefully.

Sans leather definitely the way to go.

Here's what I would do next:

Scratch X to remove scratches (although there is a better product since Scratch X changed their formula...?)

Zymol Wax applied with an organic cloth diaper*

Dr. Stringfellow's Lem-Oil fretboard conditioner

Install a 4001 treble bezel cover (from Frank on Ebay)

*If you search Zymol on this Forum, I think you will find specific instructions.