Stolen bass which pops on another website...

[gln1955]

 

[kodiakblair]

Anyway, not your bass, not your problem.

100%

Why try and involve yourself in something which is none of your concern, especially when your "evidence" is pure speculation.

What is the penalty for wasting police time in Germany ? Here in the UK you could serve up to 6 months

 

[HaggardStallion]

... and the original seller claims its not the same.

Hello ! I just wanted to share my adventure of the last few weeks. I bought in June a Rickenbacker 4003W on an auction website (something ending with bay...). The shop had it listed available (which is, I think, mandatory on these websites), while the same model was listed unavailable on their official website. Since these basses are quite rare here in Germany, I bought it, including the extra price to cover the fees of the auction website. The seller accepts the order, and sends me the bass. Which appears never picked-up by DHL. I fill a claim, the seller says the parcel was stolen, and that he will soon receive another batch of basses and I can chose one of them, but no walnut. I accepted to take a black one, which I received, and I am perfectly happy with it, maybe more than if I had received the walnut one.

fast forward to this morning, I see a Rickenbacker 4003W popping on another website. To me, it is the exact same wood grain. Of course, I informed the original seller, who claims the bridges are different and it cannot be that bass.

Rickenbacker switched to bridge v2 around 2022, the cover of the bridge pickup was removed in April 2025, both basses have the no-cover bridge pickup. They can only have the same bridges (from factory of course). And I do not see any difference on the pictures...

Here are both basses. What do you think?

The one I bought...

View attachment 7286375

View attachment 7286376

View attachment 7286377

vs the one currently available ...

View attachment 7286383View attachment 7286378 View attachment 7286379

Same bass, The wood grain is 100% match.

 

[Mike Vee]

We don't have any evidence that DHL did pay for it or ever had custody of it, just the word of the seller (who didn't refund the original payment, just held it for a future bass). The only evidence that DHL was involved in any capacity was a created shipping label, which can be done by the seller on a computer, doesn't mean any package ever existed, and are often used by sketchy Ebay/Reverb sellers in order to get access to the payment before shipping (an initiated shipping label prompts the system to mark the item as "shipped" and gives the seller access to the payed funds even if the shipping company never sees it). In this case, a seller can get dinged for selling an item that they no longer had available to sell and so had an incentive to not just cancel the transaction outright. If it was a larger store then they may not have even been aware that the item was already sold by someone else either in person or on another online sales platform when they printed the shipping label.

Oh I thought there was proof of a DHL refund. You’re totallly correct then. This is definitely an isolated lie from the seller. Sold it to someone else (before or after the OP paid) and was a coward about it. It benefited him somehow, or just “innocent” disorganization, so he screwed OP and lied (regardless of whether or not in the end he was happy). He then doubled down and lied/gaslighted OP further about it being not the same bass for sale. If it were me I’d expose the store.

 

[Church-Bass]

As an aside, the bass with the walnut grain looks amazing - it would almost make me contemplate playing a Ric.

 

[sunbeast]

Oh I thought there was proof of a DHL refund. You’re totallly correct then. This is definitely an isolated lie from the seller. Sold it to someone else (before or after the OP paid) and was a coward about it. It benefited him somehow, or just “innocent” disorganization, so he screwed OP and lied (regardless of whether or not in the end he was happy). He then doubled down and lied/gaslighted OP further about it being not the same bass for sale. If it were me I’d expose the store.

It's not necessarily a lie, but definitely worthy of suspicion given all the evidence shown IMO! I'd like to see the later posted listing to see if it had some tie to DHL or not. I love a good mystery!

 

[WestyBassBob]

Front and back of both wings? And the headstock?

Think about it. They take a slab and slice it into thin sheets and process it sequentially.

 

[ragetoca]

Absolutely wild. I know someone to not buy a bass from.

how many basses have you bought here on TB??

 

[gln1955]

Think about it. They take a slab and slice it into thin sheets and process it sequentially.

This isn't a veneer on this bass. It's solid walnut. No, each bass will look different. Even if it was a veneer, there are still differences from sheet to sheet. That's the way trees are.

 

[HaggardStallion]

Same bass, The wood grain is 100% match.

Same bass, The wood grain is 100% match.

I see alot of people explaining how veneers are made, does Rickenbacker use veneer and not solid wood? With Spector euro and usa basses its a solid slab top wood and no 2 are the same. If they are veneers then it could be different basses, but now im wondering why the basses sell for $2k.

 

[gln1955]

I see alot of people explaining how veneers are made, does Rickenbacker use veneer and not solid wood? With Spector euro and usa basses its a solid slab top wood and no 2 are the same. If they are veneers then it could be different basses, but now im wondering why the basses sell for $2k.

It's solid

Model 4003W

 

[HaggardStallion]

It's solid

Model 4003W

That's what I figured. Then same bass

 

[Mike Vee]

Think about it. They take a slab and slice it into thin sheets and process it sequentially.

So you think that happened on the body, neck, fretboard and headstock, front and back? lol.

 

[tom-g]

If there was a theft the police is most likely involved. Give your evidence to the police and let them worry about it.

 

[urkel3000]

How is this thread still going

 

[2thAche]

Think about it. They take a slab and slice it into thin sheets and process it sequentially.

The grain pattern and position is the same, front/back of body wings, AND both sides of the headstock. Including a knot on the bottom left. Not a chance in hell that's a different bass.

 

[WestyBassBob]

The grain pattern and position is the same, front/back of body wings, AND both sides of the headstock. Including a knot on the bottom left. Not a chance in hell that's a different bass.

If you say so. Get me the serial numbers and we’ll talk. Those pictures won’t hold up to a forensic analysis.

If it is the same bass. It was clearly stolen and sold to a pawn shop or something and is being resold. Simple as that.