Hello everybody

I bought a 4001 several years ago and I'm thinking of selling it. But before I sell I want to identify which year it was made. Can anyone help me?

The input plate is a replacement with the nr. XX 1997

The pot meters are dated to 1996, but for all I know they could be replacements aswell.

The pickups were replaced by me. The last picture in the gallery shows the old pickups.

Pictures of the bass: http://postimage.org/gallery/9rfijdxs/

It's definitely a 4001, but the pickups and tuners are replacements. Certainly not from 1996 as they "stopped" making 4001 in 1980 (but many stragglers in inventory weren't sold until the mid-'80s). The shedua center strip in the neck-through was a feature of the 4001 from mid 1972 onward, but the lack of checker binding and the more recent poured inlays indicate 1974 or later. If the 1/2" from the fretboard position of the bass (neck) pickup is as original, then 1974 would do it. In 1975, they moved the pickup to about 1" from the fretboard.

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Author: "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass – 50 Years As Rock's Bottom"

Can't wait until Paul's Rickenbacker bass book comes out! It should be very nice!

Yeah, I can't wait, either! Still working on it, and have a phone meeting with the publisher this hour. Hope to find out more when the book will be available. Maybe.

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Author: "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass – 50 Years As Rock's Bottom"