prowla

You missed my comment about "spots" earlier!

I don't think I'll be playing one.

As per my comment: you can use the neck, but need a new fretboard (& frets). They missed a trick: they could've done it as a fretless!

I think the 4001/4003 are the best basses ever made; best looking, best playing, best sound. But this short scale is an eyesore. I prefer my Kay (still needs a pickguard) short scale!

The "standard" wasn't a standard when Rickenbacker made the 4001 series in the 1950's and they've had no reason to change. I think the 1960's long-scale Gibson EB0 was 34.5" (as was the Ampeg bass). The answer to people complaining that Rics aren't Fenders is to just say stop moaning and go and buy a Fender or one of the multifarious Fender-a-likes on the market. Next people are going to complain that Rics have a 2+2 tuner layout instead of the "standard" 4 in a line.

Well spotted... ...or not!

Probably, and a different fretboard.

They don't work for me; ugly & stupid IMHO. I don't see the point of having a short scale full-sized instrument with the bridge half-way up the body.

I think that particular model Fujigen (Greco and the other brands it was sold as) is the top of the tree for Japanese fakers. I'd place the Chushion (Shafty and other brands thereof) as just below. One issue I've seen with the Chushins is the binding can soften (or is it tighten?) and detach around the inner edge of the upper horn.

That one is off the rails!

It depends which model of Greco (mostly Fujigen made, but some Matsumoku) you have; some were OK and some were really good. Maybe post a picture? The Grecos tended to have nicer tuners, but some had the wrong pickups and some were bolt-ons.

I think Ric's plasticware (and shinyware in general) is the best in the business.

They made semi-acoustic models.

A tell for the Shaftys (and other Chushin Gakki ones, I think) is the slightly translucent pickguards.

I've only seen neck-thru Shaftys. Yep - the bolt-on Japanese ones didn't have the skunk stripe through the body. I don't think Eko (Italy) did 4001 copies?

Only two? I'm disappointed! 🙂

Teslas and Jukes on the road: I often wish I had an RPG to blast them off the roads. Also, over the weekend I've three times been stuck behind dullards in Volvos, who probably think they are being safe drivers when they're doing 10mph below the speed limit ("no, it's 'up to' 60mph") (actually, one of them was doing 35 in the 60 road and then sped up to 37 at the next 30 sign - go figure).

My Rics have white pickguards to protect them when I'm playing with a pick; I mostly don't use the controls and sometimes play them through a Trace Elliot Elf... oops! However, I do agree on the techs are not luthiers thing ("My luthier changed the pickups").

That stupid commentator who pronounces Jiménez “himmernezz”.

People listing music as "Surname, Firstname" or "..., The". eg. "Hendrix, Jimi" or "Who, The".

The evidence of this thread suggests that the number of "wrongs" is way past two.

It just shows they're using random pieces of wood rather than a bookmatched cut and don't really care. Presumably they're on the cheaper models (or maybe you have to pay more for the carefully selected matching ones).

I guess that's why my 5-string Warwicks don't have fret markers.

Oh, I think that the motivation was definitely the price.