Searching for Rickenbacker 4001 s/n PL7996

[Sulaco]

Hello All. As this forum is the go-to place for all things bass guitar, I am putting out an appeal. I would like to trace- and if possible buy back- this guitar (see pic below). 1976 Rickenbacker 4001, serial number PL7996. When sold, this guitar had a Jazz bass pickup fitted in the bridge position. Black scratchplate and Jazz pickup were added by me and I played this guitar extensively during the early-mid 1990s. In 1995, it was sold without my permission by someone working for Nomis Studios, London (possibly to a client or customer).

I know this is a long shot and it may have changed hands and locations many times in the past 28 years. But in my experience musicians are generally a sociable lot, who like to discuss and share info about their instruments and spend a lot of time online, so if I can spread this appeal as widely as possible, someone out there may realise that they have it. There have been a few recent extraordinary examples of items found in this way so I thought it may be worth a try. Any info gratefully received.

 

[Cran]

Holy crap, that situation sounds completely infuriating!! Do you have any information as to how the studio sold it off without your knowledge?

Hope you get your bass back! Best of luck

 

[Sulaco]

It wasn't the studio itself that sold it, just someone who worked there. There is a strong suspicion, however, that it was sold to someone using the studio (a client, artist etc).

 

[Gunga Din]

Have you posted this on Basschat in the UK?

 

[Sulaco]

Have you posted this on Basschat in the UK?

I have not, will register right now. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[Sulaco]

Just a quick update. Sadly, I am still no closer to finding it. Things are also becoming a bit murky. The situation is that I have now been in contact with the person who sold it back in 1995. However, they claim to “not remember that time” which is odd because, even though it was 28 years ago, it will have been the only occasion in their life that they have sold a guitar, so its extraordinary that they can’t remember a single detail about it. Furthermore, I know that this person told a mutual acquaintance that it had gone to an ex-partner who apparently obtained it as a gift for a sibling. I’ve therefore also been in touch with this ex-partner and they deny buying it or knowing anything about it being sold. So, someone here is mistaken (to put it politely). I’ve sent follow ups to both these persons but have yet to receive replies.
Not sure what else to do TBH but while I think about that, here’s more pics.

 

[Sulaco]

Slight change in the situation. I’ve received some information that has eliminated some of the uncertainty described above. The ex-partner mentioned definitely doesn't have it but the person who sold it in 1995 still has not replied to my follow up message after they claimed they “cannot remember” who bought it.
In the meantime, there are threads running on all the major Facebook Rickenbacker groups, in both of the dedicated online Ricky forums and other bass related sites and alerts are set up on Reverb and Ebay. I guess its going to be a waiting game now, not sure what else to do.

 

[Sulaco]

Six weeks on from the above and I'm still searching. There were a couple of brief moments of excitement during Nov, firstly when a used black/black '76 with road wear turned up on Reverb. But it was a manufactured a couple of weeks before mine according to the serial. Also, The Bass Gallery in London had listed a used Jetglo '76 with a non-original bridge pickup. TBG are located just a couple of miles from my old apartment, so I was immediately intrigued. A quick trip up there confirmed it wasn't the one, unfortunately.
So, I’m still no closer to finding the guitar and the waiting game goes on. In the meantime, here’s a pic of my manservant giving it a quick tune up back in 1992.

 

[Sulaco]

So, its been six months since I started this search. Still having no luck, although there have been a couple of near misses- a guitar shop in Germany recently sold PL7986 and the Rick Resource website, who have a member compiled database of over 50,000 instruments, are listing PL7998 as being located somewhere in Tennessee. Both of these were probably from the same production run as mine.
I’m not deterred though, but as mentioned in an earlier post I’m now just playing the long game, waiting for some info to appear. There are plenty of examples of missing guitars suddenly appearing again, even after many years. You just have to stay vigilant. If Peter Frampton's Les Paul can turn up 31 years after being lost in a plane crash in a jungle, there's always a chance. Although, for obvious reasons I hope it doesn’t take that long…

 

[Sulaco]

Hello All.

I've received a message from a friend of mine earlier today saying a Jetglo 4001 with a Jazz Bass pickup in the bridge position appeared on Facebook UK marketplace this morning. However, the listing seems to have disappeared and does not also appear under the 'Sold' category.

I didn't get a notification from Facebook about a new listing (no surprise there though, considering how ropey that place is) and I can't see a duplicate listing on Ebay, Reverb or Gumtree or in the 'For Sale' sections on various bass forums, which is often the case.

So, I don't suppose, on the off chance, that was it was listed by someone who is also a member here? Please feel free to let me know. Thanks.

 

[Sulaco]

According to my diary notes, it seems it was one year ago today that I started the search for my old Rickenbacker 4001, serial number PL7996, which I was daft enough to let out of my sight for a while back in the 1990s and as a result ended up being sold without my permission. Still no sign of it popping up yet, despite numerous appeals on forums and various socials and alerts set on all the usual selling sites. There have been a few near misses- PL7986, PL7998 and PL8021 have all turned up online but I’m still no nearing tracing the real thing.
I have found a few more pics though, mostly from a UK gig at the Manchester Boardwalk in October 1991, which nicely show it as it was after my modifications (black scratchplate added and Jazz Bass pickup in the bridge position). I have no idea, obviously, if it still looks like this, wherever it is now.
I’m still searching though and not giving up…