Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi, all! Long time, no see!

I have started a new project. It's a set neck 4001S that I'm rebuilding from the ground up. I don't want to go into too much detail here as it's beyond the scope of this thread (I'll likely start another thread for that purpose later), but I do have a question about one of the parts that came with the bass.

It came with a TRC that looks like it came off of a guitar. It's too small for the footprint on the bass, and it was attached with double-sided scotch tape (not kidding).

Can anyone give me a ballpark on model and year for this thing? Looks like it measures about 5 and 9/16"

Thanks in advance!

That's a fake TRC, and a really badly made one at that!

Hope this helps.

Now, we need pics of the bass to ensure it is one it purports to be.

Bleh. I actually feared as much when I started looking a bit closer at it. I had been hoping to sell it. Oh well. The bass was a steal anyway.

I'd be surprised if the bass was a fake. It has dual truss rods. The neck profile seems right, including the chunkier section behind the nut and first fret. It came with Bartoloni pickups in it, which I'll be selling. Maybe I'll start that thread sooner than later.

I'll give you a quick teaser since I can't take more detailed pics at the moment.

Edit: yes, that paint job is coming off. It's exterior paint.

It's a Made in U.S.A. paint job! Maybe you should keep the paint on the bass.

I see the guy did a good job of filling in the tailpiece routes for a BA II bridge.

Indeed he did, whoever he is! The guy I bought it from bought it in that condition. The BA II has already been removed and added to my upgraded Squier. And what an upgrade over the stock Squier bridge it was!

What parts came with the bass, and what would/do you need?

Jonathan, here is a TRC you should buy for your project.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=415477&view=unread#unread

Thanks for the tip, Jeff! I already have one on the way, though. I'm not proud of this, but I bought a "Model 4001" TRC from the Jersey Butcher. Come to think of it, I don't even know if that's the right TRC for that bass in that era, but I've already bought it, so... Any input on that?

I still need:

Knobs
Wiring harness
Pickguard
Tuners
Tailpiece

I've got everything else in my possession already, either from my spare parts drawer or newly purchased. Not going for period accuracy on parts. I can't pinpoint a year, and I'm just fine making it a player.

I am considering having the hi gains off of my 1997 4003FL (which I put HB1s into) rewound to '70s specs. Worthwhile idea?

I've got most of those parts Jonathan. You know where to reach me...

aceonbass wrote:I've got most of those parts Jonathan. You know where to reach me...

Fantastic! Thank you, Dane! I will certainly hit you up for a quote on all of that. It'll probably be in a few weeks after I raise more funds toward the project.

Jonathan, you could always get those nameplates that guy on FB makes out of wood with a matching wood treble bezel...

bosco64 wrote:Jonathan, you could always get those nameplates that guy on FB makes out of wood with a matching wood treble bezel...

I could, but I won't. Those wood bezels really don't do it for me. Maybe they don't do it for you either, hence the shock smileys in your post?

jps wrote:What parts came with the bass, and what would/do you need?

To answer the first question more specifically, the body and the truss rods are the only original parts there. Everything else was a replacement, often with new holes drilled to make parts fit. Here's a pic of how it was when I received it.

coolingitdown wrote:

bosco64 wrote:Jonathan, you could always get those nameplates that guy on FB makes out of wood with a matching wood treble bezel...

I could, but I won't. Those wood bezels really don't do it for me. Maybe they don't do it for you either, hence the shock smileys in your post?

You know me Jonathan, I'm a bit of a traditionalist...truthfully I think that they're ugly as sin and the nameplates look like something a 6th grader created that they think would look cool...

bosco64 wrote:

coolingitdown wrote:

bosco64 wrote:Jonathan, you could always get those nameplates that guy on FB makes out of wood with a matching wood treble bezel...

I could, but I won't. Those wood bezels really don't do it for me. Maybe they don't do it for you either, hence the shock smileys in your post?

You know me Jonathan, I'm a bit of a traditionalist...truthfully I think that they're ugly as sin and the nameplates look like something a 6th grader created that they think would look cool...

Thought so! Yeah, ugly as sin is right.