Rarely seen Ric 4000 bass from 1977, in excellent all-original condition. Includes original hardshell case and original pickup cover. This is a really beautiful example of an unusual and highly collectable bass.
THE BAD
There are a few very minor nicks around the edges and one ding on the bottom rear edge about an inch long. There is some surface rust on the output jack plate (see photo - the green box is added to the photo to obscure the serial # for my protection). The case has a rust stain in the place where the jack touches the lining. Headstock has some scuffs from string changes over the years. You may notice the current strings are quite old, that's how I like 'em.
THE GOOD
All of the chrome, aside from the jack plate, is in fantastic shiny condition. In fact so is all of the wood and all of the plastic, too. It's in amazingly good shape for a 43-year-old instrument that was lovingly played. Weighs a "1970's lightweight" 8.8 pounds. Many vintage Rics suffer from significant "tail lift", where the bridge has bent up away from the body, but this one has the barest whisper of it, maybe less than 1mm. No cracks, no repairs, no hidden damage. Case sports a cool vintage Aerosmith sticker.
The neck has that very desirable thin 70's profile and plays fast as heck. I find the contours you get from lack of binding on this model is much, much more comfortable than the 4001/4003. Many years of life left in the frets. The pickup on these DOES NOT sound trebly and thin like a solo'd bridge pickup on a 4001/4003...4000s don't have the choke capacitor those do, so the pickup is more bassy and well-rounded since it's just the one. Here is a video file for a backing audio track from a recording session 6/13/20, this bass (and those old strings) into a SansAmp DI box (also present: a strat and some drums).
$2000 shipped, within the continental United States only. I am firm on the price (will knock off some $$ for a local deal so I don't have to ship it). This bass is also for sale on Reverb for significantly more money.
update 7/28: I've been talked into considering some trades. Possibilities (+/- $):
Guild JSII "Acorn"
fretless Bartell/Hohner Black Widow
oddball vintage fretless basses
(pm me)
THE BAD
There are a few very minor nicks around the edges and one ding on the bottom rear edge about an inch long. There is some surface rust on the output jack plate (see photo - the green box is added to the photo to obscure the serial # for my protection). The case has a rust stain in the place where the jack touches the lining. Headstock has some scuffs from string changes over the years. You may notice the current strings are quite old, that's how I like 'em.
THE GOOD
All of the chrome, aside from the jack plate, is in fantastic shiny condition. In fact so is all of the wood and all of the plastic, too. It's in amazingly good shape for a 43-year-old instrument that was lovingly played. Weighs a "1970's lightweight" 8.8 pounds. Many vintage Rics suffer from significant "tail lift", where the bridge has bent up away from the body, but this one has the barest whisper of it, maybe less than 1mm. No cracks, no repairs, no hidden damage. Case sports a cool vintage Aerosmith sticker.
The neck has that very desirable thin 70's profile and plays fast as heck. I find the contours you get from lack of binding on this model is much, much more comfortable than the 4001/4003. Many years of life left in the frets. The pickup on these DOES NOT sound trebly and thin like a solo'd bridge pickup on a 4001/4003...4000s don't have the choke capacitor those do, so the pickup is more bassy and well-rounded since it's just the one. Here is a video file for a backing audio track from a recording session 6/13/20, this bass (and those old strings) into a SansAmp DI box (also present: a strat and some drums).
$2000 shipped, within the continental United States only. I am firm on the price (will knock off some $$ for a local deal so I don't have to ship it). This bass is also for sale on Reverb for significantly more money.
update 7/28: I've been talked into considering some trades. Possibilities (+/- $):
Guild JSII "Acorn"
fretless Bartell/Hohner Black Widow
oddball vintage fretless basses
(pm me)
