Lyle, I meant sending pics to my e-mail address. I'm curious to see the condition your '72 4001 is in. As for the "dead" pickup, you're right, the problem may lie somewhere in the wiring rather than the pickup itself. And as for the latter being original, well, if it seats on a narrow magnet installed on an aluminum mount plate and it has a tall bobbin with slot pan-head screws for polepieces on it, it is original.

I've been educating myself and have learned that I already have a website...go figure...so I will take several good pictures and throw them onto it, hopefully Saturday. I'll post the link here so we can all share the experience of seeing this downtrodden angel, this diamond in the rough. Should be fun. Thanks again.

Okay folks, I've slapped together a bad but workable website of pictures of our aforementioned 1972 4001. Would its color be called Burgundyglo? Still learning here.

Here it is:

http://home.earthlink.net/~kauschin/197 ... acker4001/

Poor 4001! Yes, that's Burgundyglo. Your bass needs a major overhaul, Lyle. That bridge pickup looks original all right, but it has definitely been tampered with. I can rewind it to original specs for you.

Okay CrazyRick, I'm game. I'm willing to send my bridge pickup to a kind stranger in Portugal, so you can call me CrazyLyle if you like. How do you want to do this? And can you describe somewhat of the difference the rewinding makes, and how you are doing it? I can be emailed at kauschin@gmail.com I appreciate the offer.

Does anyone recognize the tuners? When I change them out, would there be any compelling reason to go with anything other than Rickenbacker tuners?

Hi Lyle. Well, the only reason I call myself "Crazyrick" in here is that over at Peter's Rick Forum I'm... "Rickcrazy" (real moniker "Sérgio")!
Rewinding your pickup to its original specs will make it sound like it used to - like a Rickenbacker pickup. As for the tuners (Grover) originally fitted to your 4001, well, if you can get hold of an original, working set, go for it. But be warned that as from I'm not sure what year they had a nasty tendency to literally fall apart at the seams. My April '74 "all black" 4001 is a case in point. An e-mail message will be forthcoming.

Hey, Lyle. Where are you?

Sorry CrazyRick, I'm swamped with regular life. However, I took apart the bass the other night and I still plan to send you a pickup. I'll be in touch, but I'm a family man who is also working 70 hours a week.

Okay, I have disassembled the beast.

Turns out the pickguard used to be black. Black on Burgundyglo. I, for one, will opt for a new white or pearl pickguard. I won the bidding on a '76 chrome bridge, just received it and it looks great. We're getting somewhere.

Yes, I need a complete refinish, but it ain't gonna happen anytime soon. I am sending my bridge pickup to Sergio to be rewound properly, thanks Sergio. I told my wife I was mailing it to Portugal, to some guy named "Crazy Rick", and the look on her face was priceless. I said, "Don't worry, honey, he said he'd do it for free." She's probably on Craigslist looking for a new husband.

I am going to give my best effort at the Scratch-X and Zymol treatment (found 'em at Target, thank you Jingle_Jangle). Dr. Stringfellows I am having trouble finding, so I'll mail order it. This guitar obviously goes beyond a little buckle rash, but I figure I can at least improve it.

My neck is bowed forward a bit, and I plan to adjust the truss rods myself based on all the advice I've read here, one quarter turn clockwise to each rod at a time, then let it rest for a few days before going any further. But what tool is used for this? It looks as though something needs to come over the nuts from above in order to turn them since they sit so tighly in the wood. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Okay,Lyle...before you TIGHTEN those truss-rod nuts,you need to take them off,& lube the threads of the truss- rods,the threads of the nuts,and the bearing face of the nuts with just a LITTLE light-weight oil;like a drop or two...don't over-do it.Use a cotton-swab to mop up any excess.Get yourself a truss-rod adjusting wrench from the RIC boutique (every RIC owner should have one),or a thin-walled,deep-well 1/4" nut driver (like an Xcelite or Craftsman),and be careful and gentle.Check out the details under the SERVICE tab above.If the neck is badly bowed,you should make your adjustments over several days;rushing things might make the fretboard pop off!Once you have the neck STRAIGHT & FLAT...you can set the action & intonation.You might even want to put a SLIGHT back-bow in the neck,so when you tune it up,the neck will straighten out.NEVER tighten the nuts when tuned to pitch (you could break the truss-rods),but loosening them slightly when tuned to pitch is OK (string tension will pull the neck straight). Glad to see you bringing this one back to life!Keep us posted...