The Last Bass Outpost

The description in the ad is correct. Rickenbacker started making the single-pickup 4000 and the 4001S with a common set-neck chassis in 1972 and into the early 1980s.

WOW! Wish I had a picture of that one for the book. Price is high, but it has three high-value options: Lefty; fiver; Turquoise. Rare combination and a lovely instrument!

RIC does allow employees to experiment with colors and features; sometimes they are for that particular individual to use, or for sale to individuals that are in some way connected to the company. Recently there were three short-scale basses done for an individual. There are some specials made that are featured in the second edition of my book. It's possible – I said possible – that one of these experiments could be turned into a limited production model or a full production model; witness the Al Cisneros signature edition. That could have been started as a one-off; don't know. I don't have any particular info on this 4005ish bass, but it certainly could have been an employee-built instrument.

Uh, yep! That's the one!

The cracks around the switch were probably caused by impact, maybe a faceplant of the instrument. The toggle is the highest point on the face of the Rick, so the first to make contact with an "opposing surface."

It's a rare "reverse trim" Silver as that color came standard with black binding, plastic, and blackened hardware. Don't see many Silver with the white/chrome trim cause that cost extra at the time. Silver was available from 1985 to 1989. The same silver paint formed the base coat for the early two-part Ruby and Midnight blue - silver overcoated with translucent red or blue, like Kandy Kolors.

Feb. '73 FG - cb, gap tooth, crushed pearl inlays, toaster, plexi TRC, wavy Grovers, even has the evil cap... Everything but a horseshoe. $4,495 BIN

That's just about the last with all the "desirable features." In short order, the crushed pearl inlays went away. The "horseshoe" pickup in the treble/bridge position went away in 1968.