This absolutely stunning 1966 4001S has been professionally restored by Rickenbacker expert Paul Wilczynski.

Due to a McCartney-esque sanding misadventure in the distant past, the top body wing was replaced. The new wing was meticulously shaped to match the correct proportions circa 1966. The top horn is longer and a bit narrower than on later models, and the "waist" is also narrower. The neck and lower body wing are original and the lower body wing bears the factory correct forstner bit routing connecting the control cavity with the neck pickup cavity. The bass was then completely refinished in ambered fireglo. It's stunning to behold in person!

Also as part of the restoration, the horseshoe pickup was refurbished. A new aluminum mounting plate was made and the bobbin was rewound. The bobbin is the correct type with the raised lip and adjustable flat head screw poles. The pick up surround is the correct long tail type.

The horseshoe magnets have recently been regaussed and are working properly. Regaussing the horseshoe magnets will need to be done periodically, since these 59 year old magnets do lose their charge over time. Attaching some rare earth bar magnets underneath the mounting plate is workable substitute and perhaps a longer term solution. I can include some appropriately sized magnets for when this becomes necessary.

The toaster pickup is mounted in the correct position, 1/2 inch from the end of the neck. It has the original wiring harness attached.

The mild steel hairpin truss rods and thrust block are NOS Rickenbacker replacements.

The volume and tone pots date to February 1966 and appear to bear their original solder points. I did unsolder the bridge pickup on a couple occasions for maintenance. I also removed the light blue filter capacitor, which greatly increased the frequency range from the horseshoe adding more lows and low mids. The cap will be included and if desired I'll be happy to reinstall it.

The electronics are mounted on a replacement pick guard which was made during the restoration, along with the acrylic tug bar. The knobs are Rickenbacker replacements.

All of the hardware screws are present. They are period correct and made of mild steel. They would be difficult or impossible to replace accurately if lost.

The fingerboard is original. The rosewood board is beautifully figured and has the correct 8 dot position marker pattern. The frets are not original, but period correct in dimension, size, and material. The nut is a new Rickenbacker replacement. The frets and nut date to the restoration. Since this bass has only been played regularly over the last year, they show no signs of wear. The bass is currently strung with Tomastik jazz rounds.

The reverse tuning machines have been rechromed and operate smoothly. The headstock is the long type made of three pieces. The truss rod cover is back painted and has been carefully retouched in a couple small spots.

The bridge is the correct sand casted gap tooth version and has been rechromed. The original two piece mute was replaced with a modern one from Rickenbacker. The foam padding on the mute is new.

A non original 60s-70s 7ender style hardshell case (orange interior) is included.

Overall this is an immensely impressive example of a restored mid 1960s Rickenbacker bass. As a playing experience, it is different from a modern Rickenbacker bass in some significant ways. The placement and design of the pickups put this bass more on the warm/mellow side of the tonal spectrum. The toaster is quite warm and powerful and it can easily dominate the weaker and slightly brittle sounding horsehoe. Carefully blending them can yield some very nice results. Installing a trs jack and going stereo with a pair of amps should put that aggressive Chris Squire type of sound within reach. I will leave that decision up to the next owner.

The bass feels a bit different from other Rickenbackers too. The neck is slimmer and shallower than later models. It is a very fast and comfortable feeling neck, and not at all like the baseball bats of comparatively recent years. If your frame of reference is a more recent Rickenbacker neck, this neck might take some getting used to. These thinner necks generally have a reputation for not being able to withstand the tension of heavier gauge strings, which is why it wears a fairly light tension set. Even though it is very solid structurally, I would strongly recommend using lighter gauge strings on this instrument.

I will ship fully insured to the continental US free of charge. Shipping rates to select overseas destinations apply. If you are located outside of the continental United States please contact me first for a shipping quote.

I have done my best to describe this instrument as accurately as possible. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask.