Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

rickaddict wrote: Why the headstock was changed in 1997 (1998?) to make it less like the bass that it was supposed to be a replica of I will never understand.

sometimes it seems that with reference to some "not so relevant details" the Rickenbacker might have been sacrified the 100% of accuracy in the name of optimizing the production of different models at the same time...which is understandable
...i.e. the use of the same neck for LH instruments, in the old times
....the fact that the V63 was basically a 4003 with vintage hardware....
...the thickness of the neck along with the form of the headstock might have followed the tendences of the 4003...

A friend of mine owns a 1988 4001V63 with wide body upper horn, exactly the same as its contemporary 4003...but still it is undoubtly a V63

The second headstock that Jeffy T posted looks very familiar!
This V63 is listed twice in the register.

Is that yours, Joey? I would have posted this photo of my '92, but I took it at an angle to minimize glare so the proportions aren't good to use for a comparison:

http://www.rickresource.com/register/us ... llsize.jpg

Perhaps, for those of us with the later model V63, who might have issues with this effect, a shorter TRC might be in order, I don't know. Mark

rickaddict wrote:Is that yours, Joey? I would have posted this photo of my '92, but I took it at an angle to minimize glare so the proportions aren't good to use for a comparison:

http://www.rickresource.com/register/us ... llsize.jpg

It's cool Jeff, no worries! You got those pics from when it belonged to JB.

Looking on page 234 of the Beatles Gear book the TRC on Macca's 4001S doesn't go very far beyond the D string tuner post.

ken_j wrote:Looking on page 234 of the Beatles Gear book the TRC on Macca's RM 1999 doesn't go very far beyond the D string tuner post.

Here is Paul's:

rickaddict wrote: Why the headstock was changed in 1997 (1998?) to make it less like the bass that it was supposed to be a replica of I will never understand.

I would guess that it had something to do with the changeover to CNC production. The first model to be CNC-made was the 330 in July of 1996, and no doubt the 4003 came soon after that. Perhaps to streamline production, they started making 4003's and v63's (and CS') with the same neck?

jps wrote:It's a 4001S, not an RM1999!

Fixed.

jps wrote:

ken_j wrote:Looking on page 234 of the Beatles Gear book the TRC on Macca's RM 1999 doesn't go very far beyond the D string tuner post.

Here is Paul's:

To further muddy the waters, that is a shot of Paul’s 4001S with the zero-fret/fingerboard/nut extension installed. This moves the TRC further toward the end of the head than it was in it’s stock configuration.

Scott, good point.

And I've read somewhere here on the forum (so it must be true, right?) that Macca's TRC was replaced at some point with a shorter one from the 70's.

Does anyone have a photo of Macca's headstock before mods?

rickaddict wrote:And I've read somewhere here on the forum (so it must be true, right?) that Macca's TRC was replaced at some point with a shorter one from the 70's.

Does anyone have a photo of Macca's headstock before mods?

You are correct about the TRC being replaced. I forgot that.

1969....longer headstock. Sometime around 1970-71, they became a bit shorter.

That's such a great shot of the Beatles; two instruments each: Paul with the Höfner and Rick, George with the SG and a Casino in the back, and John with the Casino and the Gibson.