What's up with this Ric?

[prowla]

It looks to me like it's just a plate under the replacement Fenderish bridge.

 

[prowla]

Mind you, it's OK to carve into a Ric if you want to...

 

[Ostie]

The inlays are sure yellow for a real Ric.

Yep, and the PG is broken.

 

[FRoss6788]

Yep, and the PG is broken.

They used two piece guards in the past.

 

[devnulljp]

 

[Ostie]

They used two piece guards in the past.

Ah yes, I can see that on the black PG.

 

[bobyoung53]

I'd hazard a guess that the original bridge suffered a catastrophic "tail lift" incident, and ripped up a bunch of wood. Then an amateur spliced in a new block of wood to attach the new bridge.

It's a functional repair, but it ain't pretty.

"catastrophic "tail lift" incident"s can probably be counted on one hand in the history of Rickenbacker, that's pretty much a myth. I've been around the Rickenbacker forums for 20 years and have only seen one actually incident of a tailpiece bending over. I've never heard of a tailpiece ripping up a bunch of wood

 

[FRoss6788]

Ah yes, I can see that on the black PG.

Actually, I just looked at the bass in the OP again and that actually looks like a broken PG right at the screw hole
They did have 2 piece guards in the past though...

 

[bobyoung53]

This is for sale on my local CL. Does anyone have any idea what's happening around the bridge?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Someone cut the pickguard in half too, that's not factory as they had screws at that point, 1982 4003:

 

[B-Mac]

Mind you, it's OK to carve into a Ric if you want to...

Sure, and it’s even better when its done by someone competent and skilled.

 

[farace]

Actually, I just looked at the bass in the OP again and that actually looks like a broken PG right at the screw hole
They did have 2 piece guards in the past though...

Two-piece pickguards were on the earliest 4003 models. This poor victim is a 4001.

 

[OnTheDownLow]

Given that it has Hi gain pickups and the one piece pickguard, I'd say this is a 4001 from probably 1975 - 1982 or 83 before they switched fully to the 4003. Looks as if it's been kept in not so optimal conditions for a really long time however so there's probably a lot more wrong with it than just the bridge having been hacked up for a replacement. I would be scared to look down the neck to see it's condition.
Honestly a shame, some of them from that era were among the best 4001s they ever produced (before CNC maching that is.)

 

[Ric5]

This is for sale on my local CL. Does anyone have any idea what's happening around the bridge?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

That is an early 80s 4003 with a replacement bridge, when it was done there were no replacement bridges for the 4001 / 4003 basses back then ... I look at that and I see an upgrade.

 

[farace]

That is an early 80s 4003 with a replacement bridge, when it was done there were no replacement bridges for the 4001 / 4003 basses back then ... I look at that and I see an upgrade.

I don’t often disagree with you, but if that was an early ‘80s 4003, there wouldn’t be a shedua strip, and if it was a split pickguard, there would be three screws there, two below the split and one above (like the one in my avatar).

 

[Dabassguy]

Looks like someone thought he or she was a luthier. That poor Rick!

 

[db59]

I don't even want to think about what's in the cooler.

The "original " bridge

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

If this is a 4001, $1,500 isn’t a bad price if it plays good and just the bridge area is funky. If it’s in otherwise good shape that’s really not a bad price

 

[coy garcia]

In 1986 I had a badass bridge installed on my '81 4003 rick...It was not a direct fit so the shop had to fill in the spot with wood. That bass got stolen in 1988 and this one is not it...darn it! People did these types of mods on rics in the 80's some were done better than others.

 

[J Wilson]

The patient survived, but with scars from the surgery.

I can't blame anyone for getting rid of that joke of a bridge, but maybe get someone with skills to do it.

 

[Wood and Wire]

"catastrophic "tail lift" incident"s can probably be counted on one hand in the history of Rickenbacker, that's pretty much a myth. I've been around the Rickenbacker forums for 20 years and have only seen one actually incident of a tailpiece bending over. I've never heard of a tailpiece ripping up a bunch of wood

Likewise, I've only ever seen it once (in person, but I've seen plenty of photos of the tail lifting, without shearing).

The one I saw had apparently been bending for a while, when it suddenly just ripped - I wouldn't say it took out a bunch of wood, but it did some damage.

I'd guess that the person responsible for the mod in the O.P. probably had more confidence in putting in a new block, and attaching the new bridge to that, than to carve something that fits into the existing cavity (which has clearly been extended), and then attach the new bridge to something with pre-existing drillings, and new wood joins, in all the wrong places... But all we can do is speculate.