Vintage 1977 Rickenbacker 3001 Bass Olympic White With HSC

Here's a rare find - a very special bass that came from a very special person.  We are proud to present this vintage 1977 Rickenbacker 3001 bass, previously owned by a legendary Southern California musician, the late Lowell t. Siwundhla.

Professional chef, devoted educator and life-long guitarist  loved all things musical -- from the time he was part of a singing group with his siblings as a child, to his solo turn in Northern California in the aughts through 2020, where he performed solo at many venues.  Along the way, the Malawian-born music lover also founded 619 San Diego, a cutting-edge magazine that focused on San Diego’s vibrant 1990’s music scene.  It took Lowell decades to curate his exquisite and quirky collection that included this 1977 Rickenbacker 3001 bass.

While almost all bass players are familiar with a few of Rickenbacker's basses, few are familiar with this particular model.  The 3001 is definitely a unique one.  The first version appeared briefly in 1971, before being quickly shelved.  The second version debuted in 1975, and was vastly improved, with a new bridge, electronics and pickguard.  It stayed in the lineup until 1984, which is a very short period of Rickenbacker's storied history - hence, these are are to find, especially in this color.  Originally designed to be an economical entrance to the world of Rickenbacker basses, it ended up being a favorite for many players due to it having a simplistic design and smaller body, but full-scale length and killer tone.

The 33 1/2" scale and small body makes it super comfortable to play.  It has a solid maple body that adds a lot of sustain.  The single high-gain pickup is surprisingly versatile, and even with the straightforward controls you can get a variety of sounds.....from smooth and resonant, to classic Ric thump, all the way to overdriven rock tones. This thing can do it all, and plays like a dream doing it.  The bass has a bolt-on maple neck with D-shaped slim taper profile, topped with a smooth, unlacquered rosewood fretboard, accented by aged pearl side dots and inlays.  The nut width is 1 11/16".

The bass shows plenty of signs of use, as to be expected from something that is nearing its 50th birthday.  Given its age, it's in excellent condition.  Please view the photos to see everything.  Most of it is cosmetic, and the only neck issue (slight hairline crack) was expertly fixed.  The frets have plenty of life left in them.  Everything is fully stable, functional and ready to last another 50 years.  The bass has been vetted and setup to play perfectly by the techs in our repair shop.

One very interesting thing to note is on the back of the body.  At first glance it just seems to be some discoloration.  Upon further inspection, we figured out that it's actually a setlist imprinted on the body.  This likely happened due to a setlist being put in the case, and then the bass being put on top of it, and sitting for some time.  We could have tried to clean it off, but we felt that it was better to leave that on there.  It adds to the character, history and story behind this bass.