Hi-gain mounting plate

jps · Post by **jps** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:49 pm

When did Rickenbacker change over from the aluminum mounting plate to the plastic one? My July '73 4001 has the Alcoa plate but the March '73 MG 4001 with the back pad that used to be in Akron has the plastic plate! Was this too, a transitional thing?

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:49 pm

Lost Coyotes · Post by **Lost Coyotes** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:53 pm

Jeff, my May 73 has a metal one...

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:00 pm

I think it was the late 70's John would know for sure

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:08 pm

I find it odd that my March 4001 has plastic and the later July 4001 is aluminum, but the plastic mount certainly does look original to the bass.

ben_brown · Post by **ben_brown** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:12 pm

My August 73 has an aluminum plate as well.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:23 pm

My August '73 also has the aluminum plate.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:30 pm

My Dec 72 is aluminum also, must have been a transitional thing like everything else was back then at Ric, you can't really pick out exact cut off dates for anything really, just periods. They changed a lot from 1972 to 1975 gradually.
Look at Grover keys, they stopped for the most part sometime in 73 but they appeared again during the early 80's.

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:00 pm

Okay, so who has the earliest example of the black plastic mounting plate? Mine is March '73.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:22 pm

My 2 cents: I don't think it is original to your 4001, Jeffrey. I'm guessing the black plastic base plate was introduced in late 1973, right after what many call "the desirable features" were discontinued. Again, I'm only guessing.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:46 pm

Is your pickup in your March '73 a screw top or button top Jeffrey?

markbass99 · Post by **markbass99** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:25 am

March 73 should have an aluminum plate, all my 73's up to June have aluminum.

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:08 am

Mines a button top. I will open it up tonight and get a better assessment.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:10 am

my 73 had the plastic plate ... it was oct or nov ...

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:34 am

A button-top treble high-gain pickup on an early 1973 4001 bass? Not original to that bass, and that's the double truth, Ruth.