Cool Rics on eBay / Reverb / Craigslist

[Highlander]

I'm jury-out on the fin on this one at the moment... very different...

The machines are non standard, and three of one (budget) with the fourth being a Schaller...

Anyone know of an aritist called D Rice as thats the signing on the lower horn...? might make a difference for those that do ...

[eb2]

I actually like the art work as art work a lot.  If I bought it I would photograph it well, then sand it off and refin it!  But I think the price is a tad high.  This is the kind of bass I actually like as a platform to restore and maybe hot rod in a sleeper way, but that demands a price that acknowledges severe problems.  And it is so high that you know they would not like a realistic offer.  Too bad.

[ilan]

Cool white refin on a v63... Horseshoe is gone. What I don't understand is where did he find a vintage style black Plexi TRC??? You don't suppose this is FACTORY white?

[Dave W]

Could be factory white. But are we sure this is a 4001v63 and not a 4001S with a toaster? I realize the neck pickup position is like a 4001v63 but we don't know what's under the pickguard.

[gearHed289]

An S would have a dot at the 19th fret. It's also got the "broken tooth" tailpiece. Those black plexi TRCs pop up once in a great while. They used them at least until 75 I believe. Later than the white plexi....

And having said that.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's beautiful. I LOVE white Rics!

SOLD for $1600! I don't know if I'm pissed or relieved. OK, that's kinda the same thing...  And I JUST got a shiny new horseshoe pup that could have called this bass "home"...

[ilan]

Those black plexi TRCs pop up once in a great while. They used them at least until 75 I believe. Later than the white plexi....

Those black plexi TRC's that you are talking about had the MADE IN USA parallel to the nut, but this one has it under the Rickenbacker logo, like a 60's TRC. A nameplate like that would be impossible to find. This could mean either a factory one-off but could also be a counterfeit TRC.

Dave: the square heel makes it a v63.

$1,600... reasonable for a refin without the horseshoe, a steal if it's factory white.

[SeanS]

Scratchplate is not original, has edges as sharp as a knife, and the countersinks for the screws look undercut. White paint under the thumb rest screw holes, perhaps no holes. Bridge and surround are late die cast zinc, with the tooth broken by hand.

[ilan]

Update... other sources trace the bass to its original owner, Ken Swearingen. So a refin it is.

[Dave W]

Dave: the square heel makes it a v63.

D'oh! It's been too many years but I should have remembered that. Plus (as Tom noted) the S has the 19th fret dot.

[Highlander]

Still a beautiful looking Lady...

[ilan]

4005 Jetglo - great color for 4005s IMHO. $13,500 starting bid.

[ilan]

And an exceptionally clean 4005 Fireglo - almost TOO clean.

[SeanS]

Odd wear on the headstock, too.

[Highlander]

It's possible that this has been mostly stored and suffered a scrape, or something in the case that allowed movement whilst being taken about - there are some (minor) dints if you look closely - nut has varnish partially removed - possibly same type of "case" movement that headstock suffered... longshot reasons...

[ilan]

Assuming it's not a refin - I think this was a case queen, and in one of the rare occasions the bass was used, it has suffered a blow to the headstock. And then the owner panicked, put the bass back in the case, and never took it out again...