I've owned this Ric for around 25 years, and have kept it in exceptional condition. It was seldom used in that time, as my main bass was a fretless. I had hand-picked this one from a store (Rockin' Robin in Houston) that had about a dozen 4001s for sale at the time (mid-late 80s), and it was by far the best player of the bunch. Hate to let it go, but ever since getting my dream Ric - a 73 jetglo - this one has just sat.
Features and characteristics:
- The neck on this one is amazing! Slender all the way up, and has held a perfect relief the entire time I've owned it. Capable of very low action
- I just recently pulled, inspected, and shaped the rods so that the new owner can adjust the bass easily if desired. I presently have it setup with medium-low action and a recent set of EXL-170s
- The overall condition is remarkable, and there are only a few blems - minor one on the headstock face, one on the body just above the E string between the bridge p/u and bridge, a few minor dings around the body and headstock edges, and some minor wear on the metalwork
- I have the bridge pickup cap bypassed, but it can be reversed easily (left the cap in place)
- Beautiful figuring in the wood
- Weight is a comfortable 9.6 lbs
- There is some minor fret wear under the A and D strings on the 1st-10th frets (see photos), but nothing that is in any way problematic. This wear was present when I bought the bass in the 80s, it has never been a problem, and I've mostly run flats and just recently nickel rounds on the bass
- Includes the original gigbag that came with it when I bought it
Price and terms:
$1799 including shipping/insurance to the lower 48 via USPS. I can accept payment via Paypal, Postal MO, or wire.
I will consider International shipping; however the buyer will need to assume some risk due to USPS insurance limits. PM me to discuss.
Not seeking trades at this time.
Thank you for looking! This is a fantastic Ric, and I hope it can find a good home where it will see the use it deserves.
It has been pointed out to me in the past that the bridge pickup surround was installed backwards; however, if attempting to reverse it the holes do not line up. It has always been oriented this way, and looks to be factory original. Kind of a cool anomaly!
Another anomaly is the missing screw on the jack plate. The screw was not present when I bought the bass, and it looks like it might have never been there...
Serial RH4374
Minor fret wear:
Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!
All original wiring, with wire bypassing the bridge cap:
I had noticed that the truss rod nuts were tilted downward a bit, requiring use of a tiny open-ended wrench to adjust. I recently removed the rods, inspected and adjusted them so that a new owner can fit a standard 1/4" nut driver on to adjust in the future...
Now it fits!
