'64' RM199 rebuild continued, detective work.... (seeking 64 jack plate).

[jps]

...Also theres footage of Mike Rutherfords RM showing some customisation on the pickup outputs with a jack on the pickguard..maybe he had another jack added to the body instead.

When I bought my 4005WB in 1973 it already had a jack installed in place of the fifth knob; it's a ROS jack.

[corduroyboy]

'Back in the summer of 1976 I went from Manchester to Rhodes Music on Denmark St to check out an RM1999. At the time these 60s basses cropped up from time to time in the for sale and music shop ads in the back of the Melody Maker and were practically always described as “60s dot neck Rickenbacker 4001 bass”. The one I saw in Rhodes Music in ‘76 was (as expected even back then) overpriced at around £300 if memory serves. (By comparison with London prices I bought Maurice Gibbs RM..I didn't know that at the time though!..for £275 from Honky Tonk Music in Essex in 1978 after knocking them down by 20 quid because it had no case!).
Anyway the FG RM at Rhodes was advertised as “Ex-Blackfoot Sue” who were a well known heavy rock band at the time. Frankly the poor RM looked like they had been digging the road with it! I tried it out and it played well but it had been abused to the point that it looked like it was going to fall apart. The point being that it might not have raised any interest from buyers back then and could well be the very same bass your friend picked up from a shop in the ‘70s. Who knows? Also theres footage of Mike Rutherfords RM showing some customisation on the pickup outputs with a jack on the pickguard..maybe he had another jack added to the body instead. Could it be that RM? Interesting bass you have there and great to see it in action for all these years!'

Interesting.
The guy I bought it from got it in the late 90s I think, not the 70s; he has no idea of its history.
I've looked up Blackfoot Sue - theres a couple of photos playing a Rick - here's one when they played TOTP; defo a RM1999; not too bashed up at that point.

This one may be pre-smash.

[pag]

Yep. Thats the bass. It was a right mess when I saw it.

[corduroyboy]

Yep. Thats the bass. It was a right mess when I saw it.

Where was it damaged ? Anything like on mine? Hacksaw marks by the jack or cracks along the body ?

[pag]

I cant remember exactly what the damage was but it looked like someone had slung it out of a car window down the street. I remember being really disappointed that the shop hadn’t listed how beaten up it was considering the price and that I travelled from Manchester to London to see it. It was over 300 quid and considering that two years later I bought Maurice Gibbs (didn’t know it at the time by the way) RM for £275 you can understand how high my expectations were condition wise. I didn't have a phone at home back then and phoned from a telephone box and I was assured it was in good condition. People knock the internet but at least we can see the goods these days!

[bassdroid]

I cant remember exactly what the damage was but it looked like someone had slung it out of a car window down the street.

This first few seconds of this video of Blackfoot Sue goes a long way towards explaining why that bass was in such poor condition.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/3pw3hw2U4XI?si=dVwc4NkgTSFiJHhO[/youtube]

[Korladis]

This is a follow-up on my post from 2019, below; I dismantled and rebuilt what turned out to be (probably) a 64 RM1999.

viewtopic.php?t=415905

I've toured, recorded it and loved it, since my rebuild.

1E7A9619-5F6E-4BF0-AA84-8A0EB3A01B26.JPG
IMG_6937.JPG
IMG_4606.JPG

HOWEVER, I am intrigued, to say the least, about it's history; who treated this bass so badly ?
Who pieced the pieces back together, painted it rattle can red and the scratch plate white ?

Possibly someone smashed it up on stage, not so easy to smash it in two halves; does anyone know of anyone doing this?
Or a tragic accident; a piano fell out of a two story window onto a passing Rickenbacker... ?

I have a theory that possibly the previous owner played in a Hawkwind or Motorhead covers band.
IMG_3372.JPG
I've never see another Rick with the lug on the heel; Lemmy always did. Anyone ?

Also the bass appears to have been modded to fit a Rickosound Stereo jack, like Lemmy - but why the crosshair hacksaw attack ?
IMG_3370.jpg

Possibly someone attempted to sell this bass, with its brass scratch plate, as one of Lemmy's basses and the dealer smashed it up because it's a 'fake Lemmy bass' - thoughts ?

Finally, somebody suggested in my original thread that I replace the 73 jack plate with a 64; can anyone help with that please?

Thanks
R

This is such a cool looking bass. What does the 4 on the pickguard mean?