Hello all, here we have a
MapleGlo 4001 from 1975. I've been struggling with whether I want to sell this for a while, but I just have to do it (dental surgery, car insurance, etc. etc.). Anyway, I'll start with my favorite things about this bass:
THE NECK! This is a far cry from the chunky-necked Rics out there. The one has your average width (like a P-bass, maybe a little narrower) but is very shallow from front to back. This makes it
SUPER comfortable to play. I know they say the recent Rics have the smaller necks, but they aren't as sleek as this one. There are a few dents along the back that you can feel, but nothing too noticeable (doesn't bother me, anyway).
The SOUND (of course) - Not much to say. It's a Ric. I will say that the output of this bass seems lower than some Rics I've played. This definitely has its benefits though. It doesn't have that plasticky clank that some Rics do.
It does have that clear punch that can cut through, but it's somehow relatively smooth at the same time. Some of this (low output and smoothness) might be due in part to the strings currently on the bass: Fender Nylon Filament Roundwounds. Strange but very cool strings (good lows with light, sparkly highs on top without any harshness).
Plexiglass Truss Rod Cover - this guy has the plexiglass truss rod cover that's painted white on the bottom. I believe these aren't very common . . .
Reverse tuners - this really throws you off if you aren't expecting it. I'd never heard of these before, so imagine my surprise when I tried to tune the bass up to pitch and the notes get lower! Just thought I'd let you know.
Anyway, the bass also has some
upgrades/minor mods to mention. Obviously, it has a
Hipshot replacement bridge (the aluminum version). This is a drop-in replacement - no new holes needed. It also has the
Pickguardian pickup surround. Same deal - no permanent changes. I do still have the original bridge/tailpiece (which has just a small amount of lift) as well as the bridge pickup surround (although I don't have the pickup cover). If you're interested in these we could work something out, but for now I'm selling with the replacements as it just works much smoother with them (plus I don't want to go to the trouble of changing out all the parts if I don't have to).
The pickguard is not original, so I took the liberty of adding a
mini toggle switch that is the equivalent of the Vintage Tone push/pull pot on the newer Rics. The old 4001 basses have a capacitor connected to the bridge pickup that cuts the low end. This switch gives that pickup its low end back, making it sound awesome! Sounds light years better with the lows back in the mix, especially when you solo the bridge pickup.
I
don't have the original strap buttons. Also, this bass appears to have been
refretted, although the "new" frets show significant wear, mainly up to the 7th fret.
This bass has its
fair share of scratches, dents, etc., although none of them are very major (although a few do go through the finish). As mentioned above, there are a few dents along the back of the neck. You can feel them, but they don't stand out too much. Just thought I'd mention it in the interest of full disclosure.
I think that's about it. This will come shipped in a
newer (molded plastic) Ric case. A local shop suggested putting this up on consignment at around $1700 for a quick sale, but I'm thinking of starting it out here at
$1500 shipped in the continental US. Feel free to make another offer, but no trades please, unless you want to trade straight up for a Blue Boy 4003. That I could not resist.
Pictures here:
http://s738.photobucket.com/albums/x...backer%204001/
A few notes about the pictures: you may notice a
funny thumb rest in some of the pictures. I've removed this, but it will come in the case. Looks a little funny at that angle (the only way I could think to do it without drilling new holes), but does the job if you need a place to put your thumb. You may also notice that one of the photos has the original hardware. Again, I do have the bridge and pickup surround, but
my price is for the bass as pictured with the replacement hardware (which in my opinion is something the folks at Rickenbacker should have taken care of YEARS ago! Much more adjustable and much less awkward).
