Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

How do you tell the difference between those 4001's and 4003's? They look the same to this untrained eye! well, I do see the 1/2" neck p.u spacing, so that's one way.

Charly, the machine heads, fingerboard inlays, position and type of neck pickup, checkered binding, tailpiece and subtle changes in the shape of the body and head are ways to tell when the bass was made. Sergio is the master at that and spotting a fake...oh and of course, great pickups.

Now that you tell me some of what you look for, I cna now see most of those differences . the upper horn is quite different.

Thank you. I did my best. Seriously, a sharp eye for detail is merely a matter of experience, and I've gained mine by being a (proud) member of Peter's Forum. So, I think he/all of you are the 'masters', not me. As for my pickups, I've learned with RIC, so, they make great pickups, not me.
Great-looking Jetglo 4001, Joey. However,(hehehe) the thumbrest on it is not a Rickenbacker part, and both the handrest and the knobs are not period-accurate.

I changed the knobs, I think they look better in this bass than the original ones. The thumbrest looks like it's from a F*nd*r. The thumbrest was on the bass when I got it. I hate the way it looks, but if I take it off, the bass is left with 2 holes. One hole can be covered with a new pickguard, the other would require much more work or an older style pickguard that reaches the pickup surround...but on the plus side, that thumbrest lets me play fingersytle, yet keep the pickup cover on.

The Blueboy and Seagreen look real cool together...

That's funny - the thumbrest is exactly where I place my thumb on the edge of the pickguard when I pluck. I wonder why a thumbrest was needed there... the pickguard is plenty thick enough to anchor a thumb on....

Sweet bass - I love the checkered binding on the jetglo.