Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Have you seen this one yet ? I don't recall ever seeing a '75 4001 with walnut wings. Can't tell if it's been stained or painted, but it looks good. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3703539158&category=4713

Ok, after looking a little closer, it may be stained. If you look at the shot of the back of the headstock, the wood grain appears to continue into the dark region. If that is the case, it's not a bad job.

I was looking at that one real closely too. Notice that there is a ding on the top of the headstock on the back, and it appears to be light wood underneath. Still very cool looking, and it caught my attention immediately, since you never see that combination of features together...
Whether it is stained or not, it is a nice looking bass...

altered-cool-but still altered

Nice!
You can clearly see the maple wings joining though.

Yes you can. I think it would have been a little better to have just darkened the outer maple wings. The wings along with the skunk stripe make it a close relative to the old 360/12's like Roger McGuinn's. A 4001 "Byrd bass".

The Walnut headwings look so cool ... why doesn't Ric make every single instrument with walnut headwings .... it is the coolest looking feature of a Rickenbacker ...

They look too dark to be real.

Guys, look closer. Those 'walnut' headwings are simply painted on. You can plainly see the original, narrower wings (or the 'seams' thereof, if you like) through the dark brown finish.

I agree with Randy that it would have been a little better to have just darkened the outer maple wings. It would look more real then.

no ... I'm talking about real headwings ... why the heck doesn't Ric make all of their basses with walnut headwings?

I agree, they're beautiful. Wasn't that discussed here a couple years ago and the conclusion was that they had some trouble with the glue joints ? I don't know of any coming apart personally, in fact it seems unlikely. I just thought that awhile back the wings were talked about and someone said that was the reason for discontinuing them. I vote for their return on all basses.

I think all basses made without them should be recalled and retrofitted with them.

Every Ric bass has headwings ... they use maple these days ... the walnut looks so much better ... here's a backside of a '73 4001 with maple headwings ...