Cool Rics on eBay / Reverb / Craigslist

[ilan]

That rare? Tempting.

[Paul Boyer]

The only fretless bass models to ever appear on the official Rickenbacker price sheets have been the 4001FL and the 4003FL. But back in the day when you could custom order some features (they don't do that anymore), you could get certain pickups, checker binding, special finishes, and trim items. Making a fretless bass is quite simple, just slap on a fretless fingerboard and make it fit. While working up the book, I found folks with fretless 4000, 4001S, 4002, 4003S, and 3001, none of which were listed as available. So how rare are they? No way to tell, but if this is only the second 4000 fretless that I've seen, there can't have been very many.

[Dave W]

Go for it, Ilan.

[Highlander]

I most certainly wood (sic) if circumstances were different...  and beautiful...

[ilan]

2004 JG/BT

[Paul Boyer]

Niiiice! Sure that's a 2004? I thought 2002 was the last year for black hardware/trim.

[hieronymous]

Niiiice! Sure that's a 2004? I thought 2002 was the last year for black hardware/trim.

Looks like mine - they made a special run of what they called 4003BTJG (though it has both BH & BT) for the Japanese market in 2004 - looks like this seller is in Japan so it makes sense. Mine also has silver lettering on the truss rod cover - not sure if that was standard. I got mine from phlemmy back on the RickResource Forum back around 2009-10.

[Highlander]

Did anyone buy the fretless...?

[ilan]

Beautiful '72 set-neck 4000. $2.5K BIN

Gap-tooth aluminum tailpiece. But something is definitely wrong with the truss rod nuts.

[nofi]

yikes! that is exactly like the one  i had long ago . i think i paid 200 bucks for it. its even located in my home state.

[Paul Boyer]

Looks like mine - they made a special run of what they called 4003BTJG (though it has both BH & BT) for the Japanese market in 2004 - looks like this seller is in Japan so it makes sense. Mine also has silver lettering on the truss rod cover - not sure if that was standard. I got mine from phlemmy back on the RickResource Forum back around 2009-10.

Huh. News to me. The silver (chrome?) letter black TRC is a stock item that goes on the 4004L Laredo. Any idea how many were in that run for Japan?

[hieronymous]

Huh. News to me. The silver (chrome?) letter black TRC is a stock item that goes on the 4004L Laredo. Any idea how many were in that run for Japan?

I don't know how many they made. The only reference I have ever seen was on Björn Eriksson's Ric page, which makes reference to a Japanese magazine article about the 4003VPCBJG and 4003VPCBFG of which there were 24 each, but it is unclear if the 4003JGBT was also limited to that number.

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/4003vpcb/4003vpcb.htm

This is the first time I have seen another one!

[Paul Boyer]

I had a similar bass, a fretless, for a short while. I think it was a '99 or a 2000 as I recall:

[ilan]

I'm speechless.

[Fretless]

[/quote]

Gotta have one of these!!!!!!!!!!!!!   My wife is gonna kill me for sure!