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What bass is this? (Black Sabbath)

It looks like a modded Rickenbacker 2030 to me. Different neck, electronics look right, maybe the bridge pickup is correct. John Birch did do some Rick looking instruments right?

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+1 for the Rick. Either that or it's a custom based on the Rick design.

2030front.jpg

geezer741.jpg
 
Were they available in the 70s? I am not an expert on that model at all, but I agree with the late 70s dating on the pic, and I see no mention of 2000 series basses in the 70s gallery on the Ric site (obviously this means very little). Still, the similarities are noticable. Any thoughts from Ric gurus?
 
John Birch made this Rickenbacker copy for Jim Lea of Slade:

postal_jim.jpg


So... it could be a John Birch original or a modded out Rickenbacker Geezer is playing. If Birch modified the pickups or wiring it stands to reason that the they/he would modify the headstock. I think Eddie Van Halen had one of his old Kramer-necked DIY guitars repaired and whoever did the repair put their own name on the guitar headstock.
 
I got this straight from a issue of Bass Guitar with him on the cover with Ian Hill(Oct/Nov 2004). And I quote pg 54

We'd come from Detroit to Toronto, and when we got there, I found that somebody had smashed the neck to bits when it came through customs. The promoter knew this guy who had a guitar shop, but they didn't have any Fenders. The only thing that I liked playing was the Dan Armstrong Plexiglas (Lucite) bass,so I bought a couple of those for the gig.

Then it states he went into custom basses, Jon Birch and JD. But here's something intresting...
And Contrary to what Tony says, I was the first one with crosses on the fretboard. Around 1973. Then when to Vigier during the 90's
 
I got this straight from a issue of Bass Guitar with him on the cover with Ian Hill(Oct/Nov 2004). And I quote pg 54

We'd come from Detroit to Toronto, and when we got there, I found that somebody had smashed the neck to bits when it came through customs. The promoter knew this guy who had a guitar shop, but they didn't have any Fenders. The only thing that I liked playing was the Dan Armstrong Plexiglas (Lucite) bass,so I bought a couple of those for the gig.

Then it states he went into custom basses, Jon Birch and JD. But here's something intresting...
And Contrary to what Tony says, I was the first one with crosses on the fretboard. Around 1973. Then when to Vigier during the 90's


Well I see no crosses on that, so is that photo pre 73?