Geddy with a mapleglo 4001 in '78

[PhR75]

Just came across this pic dated 12/13/1978.

Never seen Geddy playing a mapleglo 4001 during that time. Could it be his '73 4001JG that has been sanded down? Has the same Badass bridge mod with a white plate underneath and the 1/2" neck pickup placement?
This bass I mean:

He started to use the later 4001JG in early '78 (1" neck pickup position, black plate underneath the Badass) and seemed to use it only until the switch to a Steinberger in 1983/84. So why not do a mod like this (he had modded his P-bass "a bit" too...).

 

[PhR75]

Here's a pic from February '81 with a roadie carrying two Rics. The one looks like a mapleglo 4001:

 

[sloppy_phil]

It's certainly plausible that that is his original Ricky. I have Geddy's Big Beautiful Book of Bass, and its pretty comprehensive in terms of the history of some instruments. I wonder if he mentions anything about that old 4001 getting sanded/modded!

 

[PhR75]

I'm losing sleep over the mystery bass while I should lose it over not owning that book!

Does it cover his basses from that time when he wasn't collecting them?

 

[FFEJY]

There is a video on YouTube where Geddy confirms he sanded down his original 4001 and regretted doing so.

It is the same bass.

 

[PhR75]

Thanks! Off to bed now...

Compared to the P-bass he modded the sanded 4001 looks very good...

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

Compared to the P-bass he modded the sanded 4001 looks very good...

True Story! That poor P-Bass.

I saw Rush live on “A Farewell to Kings”, “Hemispheres”, “Moving Pictures”, and “Signals”.

I definitely remember the black 4001, with the original style Badass bridge, with the white surround plate, and when it changed to a smaller black surround plate. And I remember the black Rick double neck. On the “Moving Pictures” concert, he played his #1 Jazz Bass on “YYZ”.

I think he used a Mapleglo double neck with a black pickguard during the “Signals” concert, and IIRC, he used a mapleglo 4001 too. I also remember seeing his #1 Jazz Bass, and he also whipped out a Steinberger L2 for a song.


Here’s my ‘76 4001, complete with the original Badass mod, along with the white surround plate. I had a local luthier do this mod for me in 1980. I gave him a photo of Geddy with his black 4001, from the “Hemispheres” concert to refer to.