1960 Rickenbacker 4000 Bass (custom build)
So in 2016, I visited a buddy of mine who lives down in Costa Mesa (L.A. Beach City suburb), a mid-life mod/ex-bass player, who also happens to build bass guitars for fun in his little detached garage. After seeing some of his ultra-fine work, I asked about a custom build--a remake of a 1960 Rickenbacker 4000 Bass. I’ve always loved the 4000’s vintage elements--the single pickup, the huge pickguard, and the uniquely beautiful lines--but knew I’d never have the wallet needed (8-10K) to pick up the real thing. He happily agreed. Indeed, he would make three, if he was going to make one, and I would have my pick, for cost of materials only.
Two years later, here’s the result… A stunningly beautiful, rock-solid, “garage build” 1960 Rickenbacker 4000 Bass in flame MapleGlo finish. Somehow, my buddy got his hands on a copy of the original factory blueprints for the 4000, and used these for the project, so this guitar is “right on” in terms of its specs being just like a factory-produced model. His finish, as you can see, is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s got all the same googahs as the original, including exact replica chrome barrel knobs, ashtray bridge cover, paddle tuning keys, single Horseshoe pickup, gold pickguard/TRC, clear-plexi tugbar, and working dual truss rods. It’s finished off with a fresh set of Thomastic Infeld Flatwound strings, and a vintage re-issue silver case.
This guitar is one-of-a-kind (the other two he made are finished in BlueBoy), rock-solid, and plays like a dream. It’s not an original, but it probably plays better than an original would. I might be willing to let it go for $4500...
Two years later, here’s the result… A stunningly beautiful, rock-solid, “garage build” 1960 Rickenbacker 4000 Bass in flame MapleGlo finish. Somehow, my buddy got his hands on a copy of the original factory blueprints for the 4000, and used these for the project, so this guitar is “right on” in terms of its specs being just like a factory-produced model. His finish, as you can see, is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s got all the same googahs as the original, including exact replica chrome barrel knobs, ashtray bridge cover, paddle tuning keys, single Horseshoe pickup, gold pickguard/TRC, clear-plexi tugbar, and working dual truss rods. It’s finished off with a fresh set of Thomastic Infeld Flatwound strings, and a vintage re-issue silver case.
This guitar is one-of-a-kind (the other two he made are finished in BlueBoy), rock-solid, and plays like a dream. It’s not an original, but it probably plays better than an original would. I might be willing to let it go for $4500...
