Let's get heretic, shall we? A few months ago I decided to replace the original but no longer reliable Grovers on my April '74 4001 with... Japanese-made copies, the kind some '70s fakers came fitted with. They're the same footprint and they're totally reliable - I know for sure they'll never come apart like 2nd version Grovers often do.
A Rickenbacker bass is much like the Jaguar E car - perennially ultra-fashionable.
The wavies on my 4080 are quite solid, yet the guitar tuners are a mess. I'll post a pic of the copy Imperials I put on. They're quite solid, & I like the look.
one thing about 70s rics that annoys me is the tuners ... they either had grovers or reverse tuners ... I prefer the modern 4003 tuners, or schaller m4 or gotoh sealed tuners ...
I like the reverse tuners, another thing that sets Ricks apart.
My wavy Grovers turn in the "normal" direction & so do the guitar tuners.
It is confusing the first moment you pick up something different & try to tune it!
Maybe that's why all the local Fender guys always hated my Ricks, they were put off by the reverse tuners!
I've only had compliments on my 4080 from other local players & found it quite baffling. All three play incredibly better than any Fender I've ever played.
I'm not down on Fenders, I love Strats & the look of a nicely finished Jazz.
That Cherry Sunburst 5 string J you put together Jeff was inspiring!