looking for opinions on a 1973 Rickenbacker 4001 restoration

[finefuzz]

Hello,

I thought I would give this forum a try for opinions on this topic, seen as how I have received good feedback on separate topic on the forum.

A while back, I posted an Eldorado on Craigslist for trade of either a guitar or an amp. I only received one offer, but when he told me that he had an old beat up Rickenbacker bass, I got very excited. I don't even play bass, but I have always lusted after the Rickenbacker basses (specifically the Fireglo color).



My dilemma, is that I am a little torn on how far to take the restoration. Some goof cut a good chunk of wood out of the guitar to add a p-bass pickup, and then he painted over the guitar with some thick single stage paint that never fully cured. There are also some additional screw holes where the guy added a plaque with his name.

It seems like one option would be to fill the holes, including the additional pickup hole and paint the guitar (with the binding taped off) ,replace the pick guard and make the bass look original as possible.

Another option would be to: strip the paint, fill the few screw holes, embrace the extra pickup (which does work along with the 5 position selector) clear coat the maple (as it was originally- I believe) and make a new pick-guard. The standard pick guard wouldn't fit the additional pickup, and the existing one is garbage.

I am leaning towards just leaving the extra pickup and clear coating the maple because the damage has already been done, but on the other hand- I could have it looking completely stock (other than a custom color perhaps).

The one upside is that the paint wipes right off with a lacquer thinner soaked rag.





Paul

 

[Ross6860]

Killer bass no matter what you decide.

I'm a huge fan of woodgrain, so I would strip it and see what it looks like.

Keep the pickup, gives you options, which is always a good thing

I would tung-oil the neck, regardless of what you do with the body. Since it's already been modded, some cool veneer maybe?

You really can't go wrong.

Good luck and enjoy the project.

 

[finefuzz]

I like the wood grain too. Other than some extra screw holes, everything looks solid so far.

 

[Sam Cogley]

Damn. that is one gorgeous instrument.

 

[Ross6860]

Is the neck as thin as it looks? Could just be the camera.

I had a nice neck-through body Carvin LB40, and got rid of it in a moment of weakness. I now have a Yamaha something-or-other with active pickups and a 5-way equalizer. Pretty nice for under $250. My only bass.

I'm more of a poor bass player than I am a lead guitarist. I'm an equal opportunity hack

 

[Farmhand]

Depending on the price (and how much I wanted the bass), I'd grab it. Then I'd restore it and turn it into a Fireglo.
Step one: get all that nasty paint off of there!

 

[finefuzz]

Loosing the paint is an easy choice. I haven't researched too much into how to achieve the proper Fireglo paint job -I think it is just red paint.
Painting Fireglo would involve taping off the binding, not a big deal.

The neck is really thin, it measures 7/8" thick from the back of the neck to the top of the fret-board.
I think that is typical of this era of Rickenbacker, but then again, someone could have sanded it down over the years.

My guitar playing skills are poor, but it doesn't dull my appreciation for guitars.

 

[24Vboost]

Hello,

I thought I would give this forum a try for opinions on this topic, seen as how I have received good feedback on separate topic on the forum.

A while back, I posted an Eldorado on Craigslist for trade of either a guitar or an amp. I only received one offer, but when he told me that he had an old beat up Rickenbacker bass, I got very excited. I don't even play bass, but I have always lusted after the Rickenbacker basses (specifically the Fireglo color).

View attachment 916189

My dilemma, is that I am a little torn on how far to take the restoration. Some goof cut a good chunk of wood out of the guitar to add a p-bass pickup, and then he painted over the guitar with some thick single stage paint that never fully cured. There are also some additional screw holes where the guy added a plaque with his name.

It seems like one option would be to fill the holes, including the additional pickup hole and paint the guitar (with the binding taped off) ,replace the pick guard and make the bass look original as possible.

Another option would be to: strip the paint, fill the few screw holes, embrace the extra pickup (which does work along with the 5 position selector) clear coat the maple (as it was originally- I believe) and make a new pick-guard. The standard pick guard wouldn't fit the additional pickup, and the existing one is garbage.

I am leaning towards just leaving the extra pickup and clear coating the maple because the damage has already been done, but on the other hand- I could have it looking completely stock (other than a custom color perhaps).

The one upside is that the paint wipes right off with a lacquer thinner soaked rag.

View attachment 916190

View attachment 916191

Paul

Paul is the woodgrain the original look or was it painted another color and then this white stuff? I would agree to the wood gain, but white is nice with that black headstock!

I play left so you are lucky to have a better choice, I like the pegs on that too what year was this...in case I misread ...?

 

[finefuzz]

I think it was clear over wood grain, because by the base of the neck in the back there is still old clear coat over the wood.
I am left handed, and I always wonder if my playing would approve if I played left handed. Now when I try to play that way, it just feels very unnatural.

I am pretty sure it is an early 1973 version, but I see ones from that year without the crushed pearloid fret markers and without the checkerboard binding.
This bass has seen a rough life, but not bad fret wear.

 

[24Vboost]

I think it was clear over wood grain, because by the base of the neck in the back there is still old clear coat over the wood.
I am left handed, and I always wonder if my playing would approve if I played left handed. Now when I try to play that way, it just feels very unnatural.

I am pretty sure it is an early 1973 version, but I see ones from that year without the crushed pearloid fret markers and without the checkerboard binding.
This bass has seen a rough life, but not bad fret wear.

My friend put his right handed guitar in mine and to me I just could not do it I went left from day one, but with a bow the guy sold me a right handed and I could not lead as good, it was easy to sell it though!

Was there a way to check the #'s on it I wonder to see what exact model you have and what colors they had?

 

[finefuzz]

There is a 1973 serial number on the jack plate, but who knows if it wasn't swapped from another one. I don't think there was a code that designated color. Most likely Rickenbacker would have chosen guitars with the nice wood grain to clear. Once I strip it completely, I may find some additional clues along the way, or find a giant (knot) blemish in the wood.

 

[24Vboost]

There is a 1973 serial number on the jack plate, but who knows if it wasn't swapped from another one. I don't think there was a code that designated color. Most likely Rickenbacker would have chosen guitars with the nice wood grain to clear. Once I strip it completely, I may find some additional clues along the way, or find a giant (knot) blemish in the wood.

I never thought of someone switching the plate especially if they were 'trying to paint it'!

I hope you find your answers you have a gem there and I really like the whole piece it will be nice to see it have your touch on it!

 

[finefuzz]

Thanks, if some goof didn't put their "touches" on it, I wouldn't have be able to afford it.

 

[24Vboost]

Thanks, if some goof didn't put their "touches" on it, I wouldn't have be able to afford it.

I know right...but I've done a few stupid things to amps that I should have not, but guitars is another how dare they! LOL

I am a fan of purple but not for that, I think original of course of a slight off white like an antique white...black always shows finger prints like those stainless steel fridges!!!

 

[finefuzz]

I hate stainless fridges for that trait, but I hate our black appliances even more, especially the black glass cook-top oven.
I have a pile of amps waiting for me, I don't think they ever soldered my orange crush amp right in the fist place because I have had it opened twice to fix loose stuff and ballooning caps.
I have an Eko tube amp needing a complete re-cap and a Vox Berkeley solid state that needs to have at minimum the death switch disabled.

Restoring the Rickenbacker seems easy and more fun than that other stuff.

 

[Dennis Gardner]

The "glow" treatment was simply a spray of color surrounding the outer edge of the bass. Here is a 4002 that passed through my store awhile back.

 

[Farmhand]

Another way to get a sunburst is to stain the wood, sand away the middle area, and repeat the process until you get the look you want as the perimeter gets darker. A tri-color sunburst is a different animal.

 

[Ross6860]

You can also stain the perimeter and use solvent on a rag to pull or sweep the the stain toward the middle.

Nice thing about solid wood, if you don't like it, try again.

 

[PureQuill]

Everyone has an opinion..Mine only restore if it is unplayable and one has no choice.
Can you imagine somebody “restoring” Clarence White’s B bender Tele or 1935 D-28?
YMMV
PQ

 

[Ross6860]

Everyone has an opinion..Mine only restore if it is unplayable and one has no choice.
Can you imagine somebody “restoring” Clarence White’s B bender Tele or 1935 D-28?
YMMV
PQ

Not to be a jerk, but did you read his post? The OP's guitar in question was already screwed with, and by someone that really didn't know what they were doing. The paint never cured properly (or interacted with what may have been an original nitrocellulose finish, IDK what Ric used on the original finish). That alone calls for some rework.

He's rescuing it IMO.