Got my hands on a battered 4000! Restore it or play it?

[Lewis90]

A few days ago I came home with this awesome 4000 and it's got an unbelievable resonant body.
Too bad the previous owner has made some major adjustments: The pickup and pots are replaced, the height screws for the bridge are missing, the pickguard is poorly modified and at one point he decided to convert it to a 4001. He routed the body for a neck pickup, but made the route too small...
It's been laying under the bed for twenty years with heavy strings (.110) so I'm first giving it some time to adjust to some new lighter strings.
But I'm wondering what I should do: Either leave it as-is, make it a proper 4000 or convert it to a 4001s?

[aceonbass]

I'd restore it to its original 4000 status because they're rarer, and your truss rod cover probably says Model 4000.

[byu]

Not only that but there's no rout going to the neck pickup so I vote restore it to its original 4000 status. Based on your other pics, it's a '75. TRC looks like it just says Made in USA. No model number.

[jps]

No normal Rick style route for the pickup lead but it does look like someone drilled a hole through the body for the lead to run through to the control cavity.

[Michael4bass]

If it was mine, I'd make a 4001S out of it, but it's your's, so do what you think is right.

Bassically, Michael

[michael.m]

Restore it. I have one Mapeglo 4000 too and it is a beast. I really love it. Here is picture of my rick family.

[wim]

Oh cool I bid on that too @marktplaats.nl congrats for winning it!

Restoring it to a 4000 might be better for historical 'value', yet a 4001S is more versatile and probably more wanted if you'd decide to sell it on.
Since I already have a 4001, I'd restore it to a 4000.

[Peterbuilt]

Cool, so you ended up buying this one. I would restore it to a 4000, no doubt.

[Lewis90]

Yep, I called him as soon as it was online, but it took a while to actually meet up.
It's a sad story. The previous owner passed away and the members of the band he played in for twenty years decided to sell it for his family.

No normal Rick style route for the pickup lead but it does look like someone drilled a hole through the body for the lead to run through to the control cavity.

Thanks, I hadn't noticed that.

[cheyenne]

Restore it for sure.

[jps]

Yep, I called him as soon as it was online, but it took a while to actually meet up.
It's a sad story. The previous owner passed away and the members of the band he played in for twenty years decided to sell it for his family.

No normal Rick style route for the pickup lead but it does look like someone drilled a hole through the body for the lead to run through to the control cavity.

Thanks, I hadn't noticed that.

I am only going by what looks like a hole in the upper part of the control cavity. Do you see a hole coming out of the lower corner in the routed neck pickup cavity?

[Lewis90]

I'll have to take another look under the guard, at the moment I'm learning to adjust the neck with the old style rods. And with all the horror stories of broken rods and flying fretboards I just want to make sure I get it right

Restore it. I have one Mapeglo 4000 too and it is a beast. I really love it. Here is picture of my rick family.

Awesome trio!

[woodyng]

Nice bass,i see they routed out a lot of the set neck attachment area. If your're going to try to"restore" the missing wood with a new block,then i'd say yes,revert it back to a 4000. (And that would likely be the best thing you could do for thIs bass). If the cavity is going to remain,i'd fill it with a toaster pickup,and use very low tension strings.......

[Lewis90]

Mmm.. I figure it's best to take it to a luthier to have a good look at the neck. That being said: it hasn't collapsed after all this time it sat in its case, so I don't suppose it will in the near future.
Any particular reason to use a toaster instead of higian? Is it smaller?

[aceonbass]

Toasters and Hi-Gains are the same size. A pre-75 4001S would have a Toaster in it.