Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I,ve been looking for an old cool bass to play out..With the crazy prices recently, I thought this was a possibility. It will be here next week with a 24 hr approval window. Here,s the link (hopefully!!) www.rumbleseatmusicbrooklyn.com/ Go to basses and scroll down. Gentlemen, your valued opinions are welcomed...

well, i dunno whats up with that finish!!! but otherwise that looks like really sound bass.

Remember this is just my opinion - but i sold my 1973 because it was the Worst Rick i had ever played - at least in terms of using it on a gig. I know you have some even older ricks tho,

Very very nice..... I like it....I bet it sounds great....looks like a player....love the plexi finger rest..and all of those other coveted old Ric appointments...congrats and enjoy..

Hey, I even like the color. You cant beat checker binding.

Looks like it was stripped and then stained, looks like it has some mojo to it, nice price too. Let us know when it arrives.

Thanks Guys...Mojo was what I first thought too Kendall. A bit more...Post 73 bridge fitted, one tuner changed out, currently wired mono, and when "refinished" the binding was taken off the neck. I,ve played S models for most of my time so actually that suits me. They told me the rods had lots of life left in them, and that will be the first thing I look at. If it,s a keeper then I,ll probably take it back to a natural finish, and eventually return it to stock. I can then look at that headstock. It,s hard too see with that finish but I think it has the wings and the stripe...

I think you will be very happy with it. If you don't like the finish, just redo it someday. The rest of it seems great.

Owen,

What was it about your '73 that made it the worst Rick you've ever played? Mine is my favorite!

i just felt awkward, didnt like the neck shape - too clubby and had a thicker very square fretboard binding. Also had a tension problem, even a set of 45 - 105 rotos felt looser then on any other bass i have, make the guage heavier and the neck complained - dispite me fixing the rods

See, now I would have picked that up in a second.My question would be if I could refinish that and not damage or go over the binding. Then. all I'd need is my horseshoe and I'm set.

Good Luck with that Andrew.

Hm... A 1972 4001 that still leaves a lot of open territory. Meaning? Is that bridge/tailpiece unit an original Rickenbacker part? No way. Take a good look at it and tell me I'm wrong.
That aside, it is as cool as any 4001 and one I certainly wouldn't half mind adding to my collection. Congratulations, Andrew.

I think that a Burgandyglo refin would be stellar, as usual Sergio is onthe money with the bridge.

It,s a Jan 72...Has anyone else seen a headstock with the wings and the thin stripe? The bridge is a lot newer it seems, I,ll check it out when it gets here Sergio. I like the B/G from this period too, but I think a M/G would set of the headstock real well...The neck profile is always the major interest as I,m going to be playing it an awful lot. I,m hoping it has a neck more like my 60,s basses rather than the 73 I have, which although is not clubby, doesn,t come close to those razor thin ones..

These are additional photos, the guy didn't answer my questions about the fretboard around the 3rd fret.

looks like a good!

Hi, Andrew. Yes, I've seen 4001 headstocks with the wings and the thin stripe before. A good example thereof is to be found on the cover of German female singer/bass player Gilla's 1979 single, 'Bend Me, Shape Me'. She's playing a 4001 exactly like the 1972 above.
Again, as for that bridge it screams 'fake'! Those tailpiece string holes just aren't there for us seasoned Rickenbacker owners to make a mistake over, are they?

I wouldn't exactly call those "wings" in the sense of what we usually use the term for. I've seen that five piece headstock type before, but I don't think from the pics provided that they are walnut. In the pics at Rumbleseat they show two views of the headstock, which almost looks like two different headstocks. The general assembly looks prettty "stock" to me, and my guess is that the bass was stripped and stained with something that is making the headstock look like it has walnut wings in some angles...