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Rickenbacker Restoration

#42
The Serial Number Decoder on the Ric factory site reads the number as November of 1992. It also means it is a 4003. But only if the jackplate is original to the guitar.

Those were good years for Rics, your neck should be nice and straight, and reasonably thin. One of mine is a 1993, and she's a beaut.
 
#43
electracoyote said:
As crap-tastic as that paint job is (save for the headstock), I love it just because it's NOT jetglo, mapleglo, or fireglo.
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I know you need to give that Ric its dignity back, but there is something so hysterically priceless about that paint/sticker job. In the right band it would be priceless. I would at least do a gig or two on it before you put 'er back to normal.

--Steve
 
#44
Wow, OP. Just wow.

I've found some pretty amazing deals on low-end basses before. I've seen some amazing deals on high-end basses here on TB. This is by far the deal I am most envious of. Lucky, lucky you.

Please post updates as you spruce it up! :bassist:
 
#45
smcd said:
Back in the late 90's, you could buy Ric's all day for $400
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In 1989, I bought my 1976 4001 for $350. It's the same color as strum4h's bass before the kids got at it (except mine has a black truss rod cover instead of white).

It's actually better that it's a 1992 4003, it will be a better player.

Looking forward to seeing it after you restore it!
 
#47
Stev187 said:
I know you need to give that Ric its dignity back, but there is something so hysterically priceless about that paint/sticker job. In the right band it would be priceless. I would at least do a gig or two on it before you put 'er back to normal.

--Steve
Click to expand...
Yeah I could really care less how it looks because it sounds so good. I told my friends about it and they want me to come jam with them. They keep calling it the Frankenbacker (now I wish it was green). However I am still going to eventually restore it.

I think I may leave the Sailor Moon sticker that is on the back of the headstock as a tribute to the people who blessed me with it.
 
#48
Like with anything its only original once , those stickers on that back could all be removed with really literally effort, remove the hardware on the bass down to just the body/neck and use goof off to get the stickers off , then use "graffiti remover" to get the repaint off the front, goof off may work or i bet mineral spirits which wouldnt harm the finish would take it off best , then clean the bass with something as simply as windex , then put the hardware back on. I would at least give that a try before a total repaint, repainting a neck through bass from a good painter, will probably easily run you 700$ and up , not counting shipping fee's if you have to ship it there. If you like its sound now I wouldnt slap what could be potentially thicker paint on it , even though the change in tone could be minimal.

In that shape early 90s tho I would say right now thats a 7-900$ bass, if the original paint cleaned up 1000-1200$
 
#50
Sonic Youth used to have a beat up 4001 bass, as did a few other punk and new wave outfits. At one time, believe it or not, they didn't have this massive aura around them.

Having said that I'm sure there wasn't such a backlash against the company or their products either.

This $20 Rick is good kharma, and sort of corrects out the messed up one on Ebay at the moment. This one was $130 cheaper and intact though.


Not a fan of the artwork. It is incoherent, like somebody trying to make an "art guitar" but having no clear vision, direction, technique or tallent. The anime schoolgirl nonsense is horrible (as is anybody male over the age of 11 who watches that junk).

Cool find.
 
#51
Wow. $20! Kudos! And white,too....i do like the idea of trying to gently remove the "custom" paint,stickers,etc,and see if the original finish is salvageable. I have a '74 white 4000,that is very faded creamy bananna colored,which looks great. If that didn't work,i would go for a refinish in some color that Rickenbacker NEVER did..... (burnt orange metallic,chartreuse,magenta,you get the idea...)
 
#53
It's interesting. Back in 1992, White (well, it was originally White - it yellows badly) basses came with black trim and hardware standard. This one has the black binding, but white and chrome trim and hardware. Of course, everything but the binding could be swapped out easily, but that wasn't a common practice.
 
#54
PaulBoyer said:
It's interesting. Back in 1992, White (well, it was originally White - it yellows badly) basses came with black trim and hardware standard. This one has the black binding, but white and chrome trim and hardware. Of course, everything but the binding could be swapped out easily, but that wasn't a common practice.
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It does have black trim it is just a bit hard to see with the custom paint job. and they swapped the knobs for chrome ones. I am going to replace those with original knobs though.

Should I be worried about this little gap in-between the neck and the pickguard?

zrmde.png
 
#59
So I removed another sticker and aparrently it was actually white at some point.

VHrqm.png


Also should I be worried about these little cracks here? As far as I can see they do not go very deep and it may just be the finish that is cracked here.
 

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