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Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:18 am
by wwh
Hi,

I’m new to the website, thanks for having me and I hope I haven’t posted this in the wrong place.

I have owned a 4003 in the past and just recently purchased this 4001, I was wondering if there is anyway to easily date the year of manufacture, I was told it’s 1978 but I am interested to know what you think.

Thanks,
Will.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 6:56 am
by PunchyStrummer
Have you checked the jackplate? The serial number, if it's on there, can be decoded at Rickenbacker's website.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 7:49 am
by ram

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 12:27 pm
by sfuentes
http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricinfo.htm
This is a particularly useful cheat sheet if you're just starting out.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:28 pm
by wwh
Thanks for that, unfortunately the numbers on the jack plate have mostly been lost to time.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 4:24 pm
by bassduke49
Can you post a photo of the jack plate? The two letter (or numbers or combination) at the "top" of the jackplate are a date code. The "bottom" numbers are a serial. The digits are stamped in, so you should still see them.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 7:42 pm
by jps
wwh wrote:Thanks for that, unfortunately the numbers on the jack plate have mostly been lost to time.
bassduke49 wrote:The digits are stamped in, so you should still see them.
Yeah, the S/N can't be "lost to time" unless the plate is seriously rusted.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 8:41 pm
by antipodean
jps wrote:
wwh wrote:Thanks for that, unfortunately the numbers on the jack plate have mostly been lost to time.
bassduke49 wrote:The digits are stamped in, so you should still see them.
Yeah, the S/N can't be "lost to time" unless the plate is seriously rusted.
Or the plate has been replaced....

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:04 pm
by cjj
antipodean wrote:
jps wrote:
wwh wrote:Thanks for that, unfortunately the numbers on the jack plate have mostly been lost to time.
bassduke49 wrote:The digits are stamped in, so you should still see them.
Yeah, the S/N can't be "lost to time" unless the plate is seriously rusted.
Or the plate has been replaced....
Or it's not actually a Rickenbacker. The case isn't...

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:14 pm
by jps
The bass looks quite real, to me.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 7:22 am
by chrisdski
If no plate pull the pick guard off and find the dates of the pots (if they are original). There may be some markings in the routed out area also.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:21 am
by bassduke49
Certainly the case is not a Rick case, but made to fit one (or may have come with a Rick copy). But the chassis and hardware look genuine to me. I'd still like to see the jack plate.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 2:48 pm
by sloop_john_b
That is 100% a real Rickenbacker.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:28 am
by doctorwho
chrisdski wrote:If no plate pull the pick guard off and find the dates of the pots (if they are original). There may be some markings in the routed out area also.
+1

The pots have date codes that will help in establishing an approximate date for it.

Re: Help identifying year, 1978?

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 1:30 am
by wwh
Thanks for all the info guys. The bass is getting a setup at the moment so I haven’t been able to get a picture of the jack plate but I’ll take one once I get it back.