Your help: identifying a Rickenbacker bass

[Stephane TST]

Hi guys,

I need your help: I would like to know what model my Rickenbacker bass is. It's a 1990 model (serial number H3 63XX), dot markers, horseshoe bridge pickup and 3 way switch.

It looks like a 4003S but the 4003S I've seen do not have a horseshoe pickup. But I am no expert at Rickenbacker basses and the devil's in the details. So I hope you guys can assist.

Thanks!

[sloop_john_b]

Welcome Stephanie!

This is a 4003s, likely with the factory “VP”, or “vintage pickup” option. This is referring to not just the horseshoe, but also the Toaster pickup.

[Stephane TST]

Thanks John!

Here are additional pictures of the electronics and both pickups.

So mine is a 1990 4003S with the Vintage Pickup option then? Do you guys all agree?

[Stephane TST]

Or could it be a 4001 V63??? Seems unlikely to me to be a 4001 V63 model as they all seem to have a different base plate bridge pickup, a white nut and a square heel where the neck joints the body. Whereas mine has a black nut, a rounded heel and a different base plate (thinner that the V63) for the horseshoe pickup.

[ram]

Not sure what it is but it sure is nice! Welcome to THE forum!

[Stephane TST]

Last question: does anyone know the cost of a VP option back then? I mean a rough estimate of what it would have cost in 1990 to have the VP installed on my 4003S?

[bassduke49]

I don't recall the cost of the VP option, but I do know that it did NOT include a reissued Horseshoe. It appears that the poster's bass is a 4003S with vintage pickups installed. I don't know if they could be special ordered at the time it was made, but maybe it was retrofitted by a previous owner? I don't think it is a V63. One way to be sure is to check the heel of the neck. If it is rounded, it's a 4003S. Squared off, it is a V63. Also, the V63 had the Toaster pickup in the ½" position from the neck and the pickguard extended to touch the reissue Horseshoe surround. The surround would also have the older "cutaway" lower flange.

So that's my guess. A once-stock 4003S that has been fitted with reissue "vintage" pickups.

[clasbas]

The placement of the toaster pickup implies that it it not a V63. As far as I understand, they all have the toaster in the "vintage" position, i.e. much closer to the fretboard.

Edit: just saw that I was #2 saying this. Sorry for double info.

[teeder]

Definitely not a V63.
Cool bass, though. 1990 should have a real nice feeling neck.

[jdogric12]

A V63 would have 1/2" spacing, a gaptooth tailpiece, square neck heel, and a plexi TRC. Someone did a pretty thorough job on this 4003S though, replacing the strap buttons, knobs, and pickups.

Can't remember, were the tuners on V's different than the regular tuners at the time?

[henry5]

Modded 4003s.it’s not uncommon for people to add “vintage” mods to Ricks (or anything else for that matter).

[bassduke49]

Jason, my recollection is that the V63 had the standard Schaller tuners with the embossed "Rickenbacker" name on the baseplate. The C64 was another matter.

[jdogric12]

Last question: does anyone know the cost of a VP option back then? I mean a rough estimate of what it would have cost in 1990 to have the VP installed on my 4003S?

Someone recently posted a June 1988 on facebook. A 4001V63 listed at $1299. The list of options did not include pickup change.

[jps]

Jason, my recollection is that the V63 had the standard Schaller tuners with the embossed "Rickenbacker" name on the baseplate. The C64 was another matter.

Yes, this is correct.

[teeder]

A V63 would have 1/2" spacing, a gaptooth tailpiece, square neck heel, and a plexi TRC. Someone did a pretty thorough job on this 4003S though, replacing the strap buttons, knobs, and pickups.

Can't remember, were the tuners on V's different than the regular tuners at the time?

... and a V63 would have walnut peghead wings and shouldn't have the 19th dot.

And another thing, this appears to have the fatter horns. V63's had skinny horns by early '89, from what I've been able to gather from pix in the register.