Conference napalm::guitar

       I'm probably wrong on this. The only place I can think of a
    Serial Number is on the back of the headstock. I have to go home
    and check my Rick out now! You've got me curious! 
      One thing I did notice is that there are two different neck widths.
    I've tried used Ricks at the shops and noticed that the neck is deeper
    (from the fretboard). I don't think it was a 4003 though. 
       If there is no number behind the Headstock, I'm pretty shure that
    there aren't any, only because I've had mine TOTALLY disassembled
    before.
       I have no idea on how tho date these though. (How about the color
    of the plastic trim? 8^)  The more "Yellow" it is the older it is!).
    
    
    John

    
    
    		I looked all over the bass and can't find any numbers.
    I'm not up for disassembling it to find out. 
    
    		The bass is white, so the trim is black. I guess black
    wont "yellow" will it? :-)
    
    	re: Necks
    
    		My rick's neck is a kinda deep from the fingerboard to
    the back of the neck. The actual width of the fingerboard is 
    "medium wide", meaning it's wider than my PV, but not as wide
    as my former P-Bass. I also like the fact the the neck doesn't 
    get that much wider closer to the body.
    
    -Tom
    

	The serial number is usually on the plate where you insert the
	cord that goes to the amplifier. There are 2 parts to the serial
	number - a 2 letter date code and a 4 digit trailer.

	The two letters work like this:

	letter one is a year code - convert the letter to a number and
	add 1960. For example, my 4001 has 'M' as it's first letter which
	is 13 - dating the bass at 1973. The second letter is the month
	code. For example F would be the sixth month, June.

	The digits have nothing to do with Dating. In the mid-eighties
	this dating method appears to have changed as I have a later
	model with E2 8484 as the serial number and using the system above
	would indicate manufacture in 1991. If anybody knows the new
	system, please let me know.

    
    
    	Ok, here's the detail:
    
    	Model 4001
    	White w/Black solid Binding
    	Dated September 1980 
    
    	Thanks to all who provided info. 
    
    -Tom
    

    
    
    	
    		 Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the Rick 4001
    	electronics. I took off the jack plate of the bass to fix 
    	a problem with the mono jack and was presented with more 
    	wires than I expected. I want to change the mono jack, but I
    	don't want to take the bass apart to find out where all the 
    	wires go. 
    
    		Secondly, how do I use the "Rick-O-Sound" feature?
    	I'd like to experiment with stereo, but I'm not sure of the
    	hookup. Do I just hook up two cords, one to each amp?
    
    -Tom
    

     Tom, I don't have a wiring diagram but you should be able to
    copy onto paper what's in there.....as far as the "rick-o-sound"
    option goes you need a stereo cord with a splitter on the outward
    end and from there you can go to 2 amps or 2 channels of the same
    amp and get that annoying ever popular snarly-springy bridge
    pickup sound.
    Good Luck,
    -BILL
    

    i am interested in wher you get or who makes good splitters.
    
    is this the circuit
    
                      +amp2
                      |          *+b
    +guitar----------------------------+amp1
    -======================================-
                      |-amp2     *-b
    
    
    or is it this ?
    (series?)
                                       *+b-*
    +guitar--------------+amp1-_____________+amp2-____________-guitar
    		
    
     Further I am interested in *b which would be a third amp.
    Can I also put multiple inputs in the circuits?
    
    Andrew whoze gonna make a rack mounted splitter with one of these
    
    ------------------------------------------
   |  O     O  O     	  	TOENAIL      |
   |  in    a  b         	             |
    ------------------------------------------

    
    
    
    	I was watching the Rush "Exit Stage Left" video last night and
    I noticed that the Rick Geddy Lee was playing had what appeared to
    be a Fender type bridge on it. 
    
    	Is this type of bridge standard on some Ricks, or is it a 
    custom setup. Also, what advantage, if any is there to this type
    of setup.
    
    -Tom
    

	The Rick I have had it's factory bridge replaced by a gotoh
	brass bridge. It enhances sustain. I've been keeping my eye
	out for a standard bridge for cosmetic purposes. If anybody
	stumbles on one fairly cheap, drop me a line. The 2000 series
	basses come with the other type of bridge parts as standard
	equipment.

RE:         <<< Note 1683.3 by SMURF::BENNETT "Help! My giveaway Died!" >>>
                                -< Rick Dates >-

The numbering system you mentioned is not accurate.  I have a model
4001 which I bought used in 1973.  The guy had owned it for four or
five years and bought it from the original owner who bought it new in
1963.

The serial number on it is KK-762.  The bass was obviously quite old when
I bought it (though in excellent condition then and now).  It looked 
very different from the new ones they were selling at E.U. Wurlitzer in
1972.

The instrument is an extremely pale color pink sunburst.  The material is
a birds eye maple.  The finish is a very thinly applied lacquer over the
sunburst.  The fret markers are the large, full-width sparkly mother of
pearl kind they had already stopped making by the early-mid 70s.

It has the diamond checkerboard binding inside white binding around the
face of the instrument.  The pickup selector is a short stubby all-metal
switch with two scored rings around it near the tip (not the longer type
covered with black vinyl as on the later Ricks).  The fingerboard is
a very shiny lacquered *very* light reddish rosewood.

The neck pickup is a Rickenbacker *guitar* pickup complete with 6 pole
pieces when viewed with the pickguard removed.  They changed they pickup
to an all black one with 4 pole piece screws in the mid 70s.

A friend of mine has a hollow body Rickenbacker guitar (not the 360, its
one with smaller horns of a more rounded shape).  His has also been
accurately dated as a 1963 and the appearance and finish exactly matches
mine, however the serial number on his is completely different than mine.

I saw one in George Gruhn's newletter desribed as a "circa 1964, extremely
rare, only one I've ever seen" and this was in 1980, he was asking $1400
for it.  I described mine over the phone and he agreed it was the same
vintage.

Around 1975 I called the Rickenbacker factory about the serial numbers
of mine and my friends models, and they said that for the extremely
old ones there was not a standard system in place and that for the
two letter-three number sequence there was neither rhyme nor reason.
They could date instruments to within a couple of years by description of
the hardware.

Bill Norcott

    
    
    I just got the lastest Rick catalog (Jan. 1990), here's  the
    Bass offerings.
    
    4001V63 - Vintage Reissue, horshoe bridge pickup, Kluson-style tuners
              No binding. Stereo
    
    2030 - "Hamburg" 2 pickups, chrome hardware, no binding. 
    2050 - "El Dorado" 2 pickups, binding, gold hardware
    4003 - Bound body & neck. triangle inlays, stereo.
    4003S - No binding, dot inlays, mono. 
    	  (The 4003S seems kinda strange to me. It's a lot different
    	   than the 4003, but  the list is only $100 less. I'd have guessed
    	   that it would be exactly like a 4003, only mono.)
    
    4003S/5 - 5 string version of 4003S, With low B.
    4003S/8 - 8 string version of the 4003S
    4003FL  - Fretless 4003, tape wound strings.
    
    Also listed were the following guitar/bass double necks:
    
    4080 - 4003 bass + 620 guitar , special order only, big bucks
    4080/12 - sames as 4080, but guitar is 12 string, even bigger bucks.

	I think the big price of the Rickenbackers is the woodworking,
	the electronics are a mere pittance when stacked up against
	what it takes to make those mongo-laminated necks and the 10
	coat varnish finishes. It's all very labor intensive.

	Anybody out there ever run across the 480 or 481? It's the one
	with a *slanted nut* and *slanted frets*.


	How about list prices and guitar offerings too? Especially prices
	on 350 and 325v59.


	Charlie_B_AKA_Jet_Screamer!

    
    Ok, Here's the list for the basses. 
    
    4080 - $2639
    4080/12 - $2969
    
    4001V63 - $1429
    
    2030 - $799
    2050 - $999
    4003 - $1099
    4003S - $999
    4003S/5 - $1199
    4003S/8 - $1429
    4003FL - $1099

    	If anyone is interested in ANY NEW Rickenbackers (Warrenteed
    and everything) or any of their accessories, drop me a line...
    I may be able to help you buy new stuff at SUBSTANTIAL savings...
    
    re: Rick 480 with the slanted nut/frets...has anyone ever PLAYED one of
    these things...I'd LOVE to know what you thought (or where you played
    one...I've heard of 'em...but never actually seen one, let alone
    PLAY one!)
    
    Tom T.