The Last Bass Outpost

I'm skeptical

Yes, but I can't explain the tailpiece otherwise. It looks stock and it's a 5-string unit.

Also, all the tuners look identically distressed (whatever was left of the gold plating) and look the same as my '64 single-pickup version 6070.

Those necks were so wide and thick, they could easily take the pull of 5 and even 8 strings at full tension. The headstock is enormous and can take a 5th tuner, but the resulting neck-dive - a major problem with the 4-strings - would then make the bass impossible to play standing up, unless you add weights to the bottom strap button.

Looks like previous owners have done the same mods that I did to mine - relocated strap button to handle the neck dive, and painted-on side dots.

Mine has a spike to be played like a cello, that goes through the tailpiece hinge, this one doesn't.

Also, where would you find extra-long 5-string bass strings in 1968? These basses need longer strings than a Fender's, because of the afterlength. When standard long-scale strings are used, the silk goes over the nut almost to the 1st fret.

My gut feeling - and this is not supported by undisputed facts - is that this could be a factory mod, but the result was unplayable, and so the experiment never evolved into a production model.

The one-off Ric Outlet Tobacco Burst/BT "RM1999" is on eBay.

The "reissue" designation is a bit misleading here. The Coro RI just shares some visual features with the old Coro's, but they are irrelevant to the sound or playability, like f-hole and headstock shape or fretboard binding and inlays. With its different construction, different pickups and hardware, it's a new model.

With the Starcaster, similarity to the 2-3 prototypes is really unimportant; not many know how those sounded or played.

4080 in Spain - EUR 5,800

That's the later model with the deeper neck pockets.

I like the solid colors better than the bursts. Olympic White could be awesome.

Here is one of the 2 original prototype Starcaster basses in action (closeups at 2:13 and 3:00)

The thing that bothers me is that it's a 2-years old bass wearing a '67 serial number. It should have been equipped with a 2011 plate. I would have asked RIC to supply a custom plate numbered 11 1967.

RIC made them pull the listing. It's on their website now for the same price.