The Last Bass Outpost

While I know that fretless P Basses did not crop up until the seventies, I pray the rosewood (rather than ebony or maple) board has retained this specimen's original vibe?

I had a 68 fretless P bass, Candy Apple Red with a rosewood neck. I stupidly put Rotos on it and ruined it in about a month or two, I kept sanding it down, until the action got very high with the saddles sitting on the bass surface. I knew nothing about getting them redone back then (1977 and 24 years old, I didn't play basses back then I killed them). It didn't come from the factory fretless but I knew the original owner and he brought it back very soon after buying it in 1968 and traded the stock fretted neck for the rosewood fretless neck. So perhaps they were special order or something. I have a 72 maple fretless P bass now with a B neck. It's been epoxied though which I hate, I'm going to get it redone to Fender specs, or at least as close as someone around here can do. The rosewood fretless had nothing on it, it was bare wood. No lines on either of my fretless basses, 72 Ric 4001FL and 72 fender P, same year basses is a coincidence

here's a close up of the mod.  the raised bits between the strings (over the mute) have been removed.
it's a very nice job and tastefully done.  looks like it done at the factory!


from the factory

I think those little raised bits were the hardest thing for me to get used to when I bought my first one. I like to palm mute sometimes and they make it almost impossible to get the right amount of sustain with your palm.

That's because we're Dutch, Bert. Those strange English talking people just use an 's' if they mean more than one. CDs, 493s, TVs, ...
Only if things are possessive they say 'Uwe's Köllektiön' or the 4003's pickguard.

Yes I think the lack of an apostrophe threw you guys I'm no English major but 2 or more 4003's should be written like I just wrote it.
Incidentally how much thinner is the neck? Is it also a little less wide? I love the 70's 4001 necks, I'm talking the one's made a little later. This place reminds me of the old Forum when I first joined.

Hi Bob. If you do decide to get one, here's a tip: be sure to buy the brightest roundwounds you can find. 

How about a Rotosound RS-66 package Avatar? (or do you think they'd go after me?)

I have a 79 4001 with holes drilled through the bridge holes similar to that one except that it has extra long Allen screws in it that have flat rounded bottoms which go right in to the wood of the body under the bridge, this is probably my best sounding Ric bass and evidently it was done at the factory as one person has found many 79's with the same design. This design also keeps the bridge standing up straight no matter how high or low you adjust it.
I think this bass has a little less sustain than most but as a result is more punchy than many and lends itself to finger plucking very well. This bass the way it is transmits more of the energy into the body, it also has a wooden nut and the varnish was taken off at some point, is a very organic sounding bass and one of my favorites, hey good to see everyone here, this is my first post BTW.