Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

1- 1980 Lefty 4001--mine-serial letters TE. I bought it new and later saw a mapleglow with black pickguard, nameplate, binding and hardware (if I recall correctly). I ordered the black nameplate and pickguard back in the good old days when you did not have to send yours in. Personally I think this looks better than the mapleglow/black pickguard/black nameplate/black binding/black hardware ones i've seen. Please don't let me stir up any controversy though. One final thing, my original case is fitted all around the sides of the body- I think I've seen variations in how the case was fitted. Am I hallucinating or is there something to this. If i'm right, what's the story behind this. Please excuse the iffy picture quality-the dark section at the bottom of the body is a camera effect (actually it's my weak photographic skills).

gorgeous!

That's a looker for sure

approved

To this day I cannot understand WHY the headstocks on left handed Ricks are like that...it would look nicer if it were a true mirror image of the RH models IMO.

Otherwise it is a lovely guitar! I could agree that the black PG and TRC seem to go with MG better than others I've seen...

"To this day I cannot understand WHY the headstocks on left handed Ricks are like that...it would look nicer if it were a true mirror image of the RH models IMO..."

Ed, that's just the way they were made for about 24 years. To a lefty like me, they look perfectly normal. Since the late 80's the leftys(not the C-Series basses) have had a mirror image neck, save for the inlays.

Very nice bass, Abbott!

I guess they just used righty neck blanks to save some money. They just had to change the lettering on the truss rod cover. Basically you just attach the body pieces to the opposite sides of the neck. The back sides of the body pieces become the front. I suppose there was no ability to special order a "mirror image" lefty if Mccartney didn't have one (then again, maybe he prefers it this way)-I'll have to ask him sometime. I think Rickenbacker basses are beautiful no matter how the triangles point and the hooks curve. FYI I can't remember the last time I needed the trussrod adjusted, the neck on my ol' 4001 is straight as an arrow, built like a rock, no problem with roundwounds. Anyone know about the fitted case situation I mentioned?

Oh, and thanks for the approvals. Think I'll put on 2112 and play along with "The Twilight Zone" in celebration.