Keywinds 4001

[Notna]

Hi there - does anyone know when Rickenbacker stopped using Grover flat tuners?? Best regards

[teeder]

I know my early '71's had Flat Grovers.
My guess is sometime in '72.

Welcome, BTW!

I just did a quick look in the register and they changed around May - June of '72. Real close to when they removed the walnut wings on the peghead and added the skunk stripe.

[jdogric12]

Welcome Anton. Poke through the register and find out!

http://www.rickresource.com/register/

[bassduke49]

My June 1972 4001 has the shedua strip and flat keys on closed-back Grovers. Still have the original Toaster-top pickup, wiring harness, and jackplate, but everything else has been replaced or refinished. The contrasting headstock wings were also an addition.

[teeder]

Paul, I saw there were a couple with the stripe and flats. Probably just using up the stock.

[rickinroma]

Slightly off topic, but were those Grovers quality-wise better than the most common Kluson/Rickenbacker ones?
Aestethically speaking, I have always found those Grovers ugly, to say the least

[ram]

My '74 has the Wavy Grovers (closed back) Shedula strip, red dots, High Gain pickups and 1/2 inch spacing for the neck pickup. Also a neck I have loved since I first picked it up in the summer of '74!!

[Isaac]

Slightly off topic, but were those Grovers quality-wise better than the most common Kluson/Rickenbacker ones?
Aestethically speaking, I have always found those Grovers ugly, to say the least

Same here. Still, I'm sure that some people like 'em.

[teeder]

I like the Flat Grovers. Super smooth.

[radapaw]

I assume they have the same self-disassembling issues that have killed so many of the wavy version? Love the feel of them when they are in good working order, but so many horror stories.

[bassduke49]

The "flat" and the "wavy" are the keys which are interchangeable (?) on the Grover tuners. The Grovers on my '72 are original "flats" and have never been a problem coming up on 50 years now.

[teeder]

I haven't heard of the Flats exploding. None of mine have ever had a problem.

[henry5]

Slightly off topic, but were those Grovers quality-wise better than the most common Kluson/Rickenbacker ones?
Aestethically speaking, I have always found those Grovers ugly, to say the least

I’m the opposite. I much prefer the look of the Grovers. I just wish they weren’t inclined to explode!

My Feb ‘72 has flat Grovers, my Aug ‘72 has wavy’s. Flats are pretty hard to come by; last year I managed to get a few spares.

I’ll add that mine have always been fine, touch wood, and I have the necessary parts to do the permanent fix on them all anyway, just in case.

[iiipopes]

Slightly off topic, but were those Grovers quality-wise better than the most common Kluson/Rickenbacker ones?
Aestethically speaking, I have always found those Grovers ugly, to say the least

Quality, as in tuning stability and no backlash? About the same. But the Grovers have been known to spontaneously explode - cover coming off and internal hardware letting go. The good thing is a reputable machine shop that is used to dealing with smaller items can rebuild them, for a price, which collectors seem to be ready to pay to retain originality of the '70-'72 basses that have them. See this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=414610