Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My turn to say 'ooops'. Yes, on pages 22 & 23 of Tony Bacon & Barry Moorhouse's 'The Bass Book' there is a 1964 4001 with a recessed treble pickup surround. And do check the picture of Sir Paul's 1964 4001 on page 33, still featuring the original horseshoe p.u. assembly.

I played that 1964 4001 in "The Bass Book" a few years ago at the Dallas Guitar Show. It was for sale for $5000 on Saturday morning, but when I went back on Sunday it was down to $3200 and it sold right after that. It was a sweeeeeet feeling holding that bass in my hands!

The tapers on the early 60,s horseshoes do vary. My two RM1999,S are different. One the long curved taper, same as the 64 4001 mentioned above, (Gene, if it comes round your way again...BUY IT!!)the other shorter with almost no curve. The small pic of the 4001S opposite of the contents page of the "bass book" looks like it has the long taper but with no real curve. I don,t recall seeing another one like that. Certainly different to my long tapered surround. Sergio, on page 213 of Smith,s book you,ll see McCartney,s original tapered surround, which from the angle is hard to tell if it,s short or long...Lefty??. I don,t know how that pic of a square surround AND horseshoe came about...before it went to Ric maybe...Funny, they were like that in the 50,s when they started, check out page 15 of the bass book, and when they (kind of) finished in 68...but that,s a different thread....

Andy, I think the taper of the horseshoe surround on Paul's 4001-S was the shorter style....

Wints,
As I was writing that post I was kicking myself!!

I think the space between the shoes point toward the pickup being an original. The surround is correct for the period, which is what the v63 is based on. The pickguard is almost certainly a replacement though. Poor fit, no thumbrest & note the screw holes. Of course this could also point to it being original but the shape is wrong in the area below the controls.
YMMV
Swiiing low, sweet chariot...... 20 - 17