Help me date my rick (not in the romantic sense)

[prismacolor2]

I recently acquired a 71 or 72 Rick (I'm not sure which). I can't definitively figure it out because the the jack-plate is MIA. I have since (these photos were taken) located many of the correct parts and would eventually like to find the correct pickups and, if I can narrow it down - maybe even an era correct jackplate (good luck i know).

Here is a photo album link. The neck has binding at the end and there is a fairly chunky volute. I can identify stuff to get it close but you guys are way more geeked out on Ricks and could, if anyone can, narrow it down so I thought I'd ask. Whaddayathink?

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/p ... lor2/rick/

[wints]

I'd say late 71, very early 72 Steve.

You still have the walnut wings, and the FG is a darker shade.

Here's my old Dec 71 as reference.

[bassduke49]

There's a shot of the jackplate in the photo album that seems to read IE which would make it May 1969. The treble pickup is a horseshoe with what seems like a later surround. I don't know if it may be a replacement pickup and surround. Walnut headwings went away in early '72 when the shedua strip down the middle came to be, so your's is no later than early '72. Others may know more.

[prismacolor2]

The jackplate actually reads TE - I thought it read IE in the photos before acquiring it. I figured it's late 71-early 72 but you guys are always talking about specifics in this transition period that made me think it may be possible to pin it down a little more specifically. The pu's are both replaced with RI 80's era. the surround is original - you can see that the corners were hand-filed before chromed.

[doctorwho]

The picture of the potentiometer date code (7147) dates the pot to the 47th week of 1971; however, my 4001 WAL has pots dating to 1973, but it can't be earlier than 1975 ... so use pot date codes with a grain of salt.

[teeder]

The little piece of binding on the end of the fretboard make it at least a Jan '71.
There was a Jan '71 on here without the binding and my Feb '71 has it.
I would call it a late '71.

Andy, do you still have yours?

[brycycle]

whatever it is, it's stunning...

[wints]

Andy, do you still have yours?

No Kev...sold it summer 06 to a good friend in Europe. One of the best aged examples I had seen and played, and if I didn't have the 68 would have kept it forever!

[johnallg]

The horseshoe is indeed a reissue as it has the magnet rods for poles. Are the pics of the loose shoes from this pickup or were they extras in the case? If extras, are they magnetic? Irregardless (that ought to get Paul W!), a mid-late '71 would have an early high gain bridge pickup.

Here is a 1971 cover:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0223809427

[prismacolor2]

Both pickups are RI 80's pickups. I'd love to find a grey bobbin screw pole high gain for the bridge but I'm not holding my breath - eventually, I'll find it.

I bent those shoes with some help here in the rrf (thanks jeffrey scott!). I wanted to get some space between the strings and poles to even out the gain between the toaster and RI-HS. Bending the shoes was just the ticket. She sounds great as she is but I'd like to have the era correct pickup to compare.

Since the photos, I've installed the thumb-rest, found a flat box-back Grover tuner, an old mute with thumb screws, and an era-correct case

I still need pickups and a jack plate (that should be most difficult also i imagine)

I just had problems finding a Rick with a strong resonant E string (relatively for a rick) and this one has it in spades. I felt that I was getting priced out of the market by the day and wondered if I'd ever find the right one - phew! If the first of the 4 I'd owned had "it" I could have saved about $1500.00 in market inflation from the beginning to the end of my search.

Regardless of any of this stuff, and most importantly, I sure am having a lot of fun playing it!

[johnallg]

Regardless of any of this stuff, and most importantly, I sure am having a lot of fun playing it!

There you go! Though I have a V63, 4004C, 4003S, and a vintaged 4003, I just love the sound and feel of my '75 4001. We just connect in a way different than the others, though they are fine instruments and have their own special draw too. Like I had to pull out the 4004C and have been playing it for the last few days.