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Does this Rickenbacker 4001S look legit?

#6
Dot inlays? Not sure if that's right on an S. Haven't ever seen that pickguard shape before. They usually surround the neck pickup. Agree that that tuners look too big. E and G strings usually are close to parallel from nut to tuner, and I don't think they ever angle toward each other. Doesn't look right to me.

I agree that the dual trussrod is the first thing to check. If it has that, then you can get into finer details.
 
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#9
Dot inlays and set neck could be correct for a 4001S. The 4000 series single pickup models were set neck basses. When they discontinued them, rather than scrapping the single routed bodies, they simply routed a space for a neck pickup and created the 4001S. later they made them neck through including some 4003S models before discontinuing them.

Experts?........ Paul? Jeff?
 
#11
I have a 1975 4001 and the tuners look the same. Other than the refinish it "looks" legit in the photos. As others said you need a pic under the truss rod cover and a pick of the jackplate serial #

It doesn't show a pic of the back of the neck. For the experts: did the 4001S have a skunk stripe on the back?

Here's pics of mine

Ric4001-4_zps62bf9bb6.gif


Ric4001-1_zps6031dae0.gif


Ric4001-2_zpsbca766aa.gif


Ric4001-3_zps69733700.gif
 
#13
flatfender said:
I have a 1975 4001 and the tuners look the same. Other than the refinish it "looks" legit in the photos. As others said you need a pic under the truss rod cover and a pick of the jackplate serial #

It doesn't show a pic of the back of the neck. For the experts: did the 4001S have a skunk stripe on the back?

Here's pics of mine


Ric4001-1_zps6031dae0.gif
Click to expand...

Sorry, but your headstock doesn't look the same at all. Look at the larger tuners and the E and G angles on the bass in question, also the softened hook at the top:

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What that headstock does look like is exactly like this Japanese "Green Guitar" copy (not the left one with Rickenbacker going the wrong direction :laugh: ):

img_1?1335349601.jpg
 
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#14
Major Softie said:
Sorry, but your headstock doesn't look the same at all. Look at the larger tuners and the E and G angles on the bass in question:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

Yeah you're right, the tuner posts are a larger diameter. That would cause the string angles from the nut to change. I don't know if Rickenbacker were like Fender and used whatever they could find / use to build their guitars.
 
#15
flatfender said:
Yeah you're right, the tuner posts are a larger diameter. That would cause the string angles from the nut to change. I don't know if Rickenbacker were like Fender and used whatever they could find / use to build their guitars.
Click to expand...
I've never seen the larger ones on a Ric, but they could have been drilled out and replaced, of course. Just another reason to be suspicious though.
 
#16
Looks OK to me. The 4000 and 4001S models from mid-1972 to the early '80s were set neck. Yes, during that time, they should have the "skunk stripe" down the middle of the neck (not the body), but you may not be able to see it under the paint on this one. Shapes look OK to me. Some of the "softening" of the edges may have happened in the stripping/sanding/refinishing process. Looks like he tried to come up with the 2001 COY Desert Gold (a metallic sand color). The price is high because it seems everyone selling a lefty puts a premium on them.
 

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