Aluminum vs. Zinc tailpiece question

[rickaddict]

Hello boys and girls.

There's a Rick 4003 tail on ebay right now that looks a little odd to me.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rickenbacker-4001-4 ... 1e58b374e1

If you look at the photos, the top side looks normal for a newer zinc tail (no gap), but the bottom side looks like sand cast aluminum. I'm wondering what's up.

I've been searching for a good photo of the underside of a new zinc 4003 tail to compare and can't find one.

Just curious!!

[ken_j]

This was posted by another member awhile back.

[rickaddict]

Thanks, Ken.

The tail in the ebay auction photo does look sand-cast compared to new 4003 tail in the above photo, but I'm guessing that's just due to the ebay photo being a grainy pic from a cheap camera.

[cjj]

Yeah, I think it's just a bad picture. The one on ebay is essentially the same as the one on the far right in the comparison picture. This is a die cast part, most likely zinc, not "sand cast". You can tell by the small circles on the bridge depression and above the holes for the strings. These are typical of die cast parts.

[jps]

Tailpieces_Bottom_small_3981.jpg

This was posted by another member awhile back.

Here is a bigger pic to see better with!

[seyesbass]

Just a poor res. photo and yellow lighting.

Dont get me started on how we need a new aluminium tail!

To answer the heading of the thread....A wins by a knockout over Z.

[teeder]

Dont get me started on how we need a new aluminium tail!

+1!!!

[weemac]

Dont get me started on how we need a new aluminium tail!

Or should this read.. "Dont get me started again on how we need a new aluminium tail!"

and here is another +1

Eden.