1987 Rickenbacker 4003 5 String Fretless Midnight Blue SUPER RARE!

This beautiful Rickenbacker 4003S/5 FL is one of the rarest Ric basses ever made. We have done an extensive amount of research and determined that it is either a complete one off or possibly only one of two fretless five string basses ever made by Rickenbacker. Ric introduced their 4003S/5 5str bass in 1986. From what we have found they made this one fretless and possibly one other as one-off special orders in 1987 and that was it. They have not made another fretless 5 string since! We have not been able to find pictures of the other one that was made but there is reference to it on the Rick Resource site along with photos of the only known fretless 8str 4003 which was also made in 1987. Rare is an absolute understatement. If you have ever wanted to own a true collectors piece, this would be it. 

Because of the rarity of this instrument, we approached it as sceptics to ensure that we didn't overlook any detail when inspecting it for originality. We started with looking at the neck and headstock. When inspecting it under normal light, we found there to be nothing inconsistent about the finish anywhere. You will notice that the side dot markers are a little uneven. This can be seen on countless other Rickenbacker basses from this period because they did them all by hand. We then pulled the pickguard and again, the routes as well as the overspray at the truss rods is just like every other Ric bass. The electronics are correct and all of the pots date to 1986. Because manufacturers buy their parts in bulk it is common to see pots that are slightly earlier than the serial number date. After we determined that everything looked right to the naked eye we then inspected the bass with a black light. Any modifications to a lacquer finish can easily be seen under black light because the touched up area would not glow like the aged finish does. The finish on this bass is completely consistent and it glows all over including under the pickguard. This is without a doubt a factory original 1987 Rickenbacker 4003S/5str Fretless in Midnight Blue making it one of the rarest basses on the planet! 

This bass is in very good condition considering its age. It shows some finish chips around the tuners and bridge as well as some dings around the edges. You will also notice some minor wear on the treble side of the fretboard. The Bridge pickup is very strong with an output of 10.38k and the toaster neck pickup has a nice mellow vintage sound with an output of 8.02k. The bass weighs 9lbs 13oz and feels great both standing and sitting down. It includes the original black tolex, black interior hardshell case.