1964 4001 Deluxe needs a doctor
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2026 8:33 pm
I just purchased another 1964 Rickenbacker 4001 deluxe bass. Fireglo. Beautiful. However it has very dark aging gassing binding just on the fingerboard. Very odd from my longtime experience. Not sure why it is happening on this bass. It also smells gassy and appears unstable. Maybe was re-glued with glue that attacked it. Only place on the bass with any issue whatsoever I am thinking of having just the fingerboard binding very carefully removed and replaced. Just the fingerboard binding. In all my years I have never seen this problem before on a bass from this era. Have any of you?. I have seen binding trouble on 1970-172 basses around the body. Never just the fingerboard binding and never on a 1964 or 1960's.
Is anyone currently still active and doing miracles on Rickenbacker’s?
Please let me know. Vincent
I recently purchased another 1964 Rickenbacker 4001 Deluxe bass in Fireglo. This one an absolutely beautiful instrument. However, it has an unusual issue. Just the fingerboard binding shows very dark, aging and sadly “gassing”. Thankfully confined only to that area. It also has a noticeable gassing odor also just around the fingerboard binding but. The dark binding appears somewhat unstable but had not crystallized yet. My suspicion is that it may have been re-glued at some point with an adhesive that adversely affected the binding?
Importantly, this is the only area on the instrument showing any problem.
I am considering having the fingerboard binding only, very carefully removed and replaced?
In all my years, I have never encountered this issue on a bass from this era. Has anyone else seen something similar? I only seen binding problems on 1970–1972 basses, typically around the body, but never limited to the fingerboard—and never on a 1964 or other 1960s example.
Are there any Rickenbacker restorers currently active ? Ones who work miracles and are capable of handling this kind of delicate work?
Thank you in advance for any insight.
Vincent Gallo
Is anyone currently still active and doing miracles on Rickenbacker’s?
Please let me know. Vincent
I recently purchased another 1964 Rickenbacker 4001 Deluxe bass in Fireglo. This one an absolutely beautiful instrument. However, it has an unusual issue. Just the fingerboard binding shows very dark, aging and sadly “gassing”. Thankfully confined only to that area. It also has a noticeable gassing odor also just around the fingerboard binding but. The dark binding appears somewhat unstable but had not crystallized yet. My suspicion is that it may have been re-glued at some point with an adhesive that adversely affected the binding?
Importantly, this is the only area on the instrument showing any problem.
I am considering having the fingerboard binding only, very carefully removed and replaced?
In all my years, I have never encountered this issue on a bass from this era. Has anyone else seen something similar? I only seen binding problems on 1970–1972 basses, typically around the body, but never limited to the fingerboard—and never on a 1964 or other 1960s example.
Are there any Rickenbacker restorers currently active ? Ones who work miracles and are capable of handling this kind of delicate work?
Thank you in advance for any insight.
Vincent Gallo