How to spot a non-original 4001 pickguard?

bails · Post by **bails** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:32 pm

New pickguards tend to be made from thicker sheet than the old ones. The original Plexiglas material has not been made for many years.
It's too small a difference to see in photos, and even hard to spot in person with only one guard, but hold an old next to a replacement, and you can see the difference.

Of course this information doesn't help much in the current instance...

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 12:17 am

"just add some more screws ..."

A few more screws and that pickguard will look like it has checkerboard edge of its own.

wints · Post by **wints** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 1:24 am

Funny Ilan....

My funky '73 has the later spaced guard, but with the holes lining up and the faded tape on the back, and fitting the 1/2" cavity, is original I believe.

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 8:01 am

Wints, every '74 that I've seen had the ½" spacing, and then there were some 75's that had the 1" spacing but the knobs were layed out parallel, I don't recall seeing a knobs layout like yours on a pre-74 bass. So my bet is that it's a replacement pickguard, perhaps a real Ric guard that was installed in the 70's or 80's.

wints · Post by **wints** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 11:00 am

Ilan,

I thought so too, but I think it was Scott Jelik who said, he too owned a 73 with the 1" spacing.

You can't fit a 1/2" spaced guard on it. I bought a pre 73 NOS guard and have another from '69 and both would not fit the cavity once the toaster was in place.

Lost Coyotes · Post by **Lost Coyotes** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:01 pm

Hey guys, i just got confirmation from Mark Arnquist that indeed it was his signature in my bass' control cavity.
I thought it was very cool of him to ask for picture so he could verify.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h133/ ... c-sigs.jpg