Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Just back from my gig in Manhattan; I thought I had my answer, but perhaps it's best to just ask it this way:

Does this surround (forget the cover, which is from my '08) look original to my April '73 FL?

Bad Ronbo and I talked about this issue when he dropped by my place last month. The best we could figure was that when the fingerboard was raised in relation to the body, there was a change to a non-scooped bridge surround. My '73 4001 has the lower fingerboard and a scooped surround - I once tried to put a non-scooped surround on the '73, but the strings hit it. I'm not sure how long the non-scooped version was in place, but as a fingerstyle player who anchors his thumb on the bridge pickup, I much prefer the feel of the non-scooped surround (the current ones are a bit too sharp). Plus they will work on a current 4003 - the picture at the start of this thread shows my 4003BB with a non-scooped surround.

ilan wrote:IME Black Trim basses still had non-scooped surrounds when other basses with chrome hardware were already equipped with the scooped variety. Both my '86 BT basses (my Shadow and my son's S/BT) have non-scooped surrounds.

My '89 4003s MGBT has a scooped surround so they must have changed over to black scooped at some point.

I took a scooped one and milled the scoops even lower to the body to get that action where I wanted it. I also went wider to remove the pointed corners (at the ends of the scoops) to make it easier on my fingers. This started out the same as the one above that John has pictured.

86kubicki wrote: I much prefer the feel of the non-scooped surround (the current ones are a bit too sharp).

I recently purchased a new one from RIC and the sharp edges on the scoop were gone. It also didn't have that "pinch" in the middle that makes them a bit tight for the pickup cover to fit through.

My Nov '74 that I got last year came with the original non-scooped surround. I like a low action (but not super low, I don't play with a light enough touch for that) and found the strings would clang against the surround. So I've put it to one side and installed a scooped one instead which has allowed me to get the setup I want. It's now my no.1 player

nonscooped on my 74 4000,no playing issues,and the cover is on.

Lots o great info on this thread. I agree with others that the change from scooped to non-scooped may have been intended to coincide with the change in fretboard height, and/or as a result of the new non-aluminum tailpiece. As with most things RIC, there was probably some production overlap and some old parts that found their way onto newer models or vice versa.

I'm in the same boat as Steve W...I play finger style over the open-holed bridge pickup and I prefer the non-scooped surround. The sharp edges of the scoop bug me, and I prefer the looks of the non-scooped surrounds anyway:

I even go so far as to swap out surrounds for the non-scooped and have never run into space issues. See?! http://www.rickresource.com/register/us ... llsize.jpg

FWIW, my July '73 that I believe to be all-original has a non-scooped surround. All of my Rick 4001/4003's from that one through my July '87 4003 were non-scooped. My July '88 4003 has the scoop (all had chrome hardware.)

Lots of info, but I still haven't been able to come to a conclusion about my surround, which is on an April '73.

When did the "raising of the fingerboard" happen, right around July '73? I realize that the 1973 changes didn't really have a firm cut-off. Some info here suggests that an April '73 has the scooped surround (Bad Ronbo) and others indicate that 70s basses didn't. I suppose it's possible that an April '73 should have had a stock scooped surround, but a later scooped surround could still have been swapped in/out and I wouldn't know. Please refer to the picture I posted above. Thanks.

I vote that you put on whichever surround makes you happy!



(Yes, I'm a punk!)

Have you looked through all of the '73's in our register for clues about which surround yours may have been born with?

My late 75 4001 has the straight non-scooped surround.

My '73 4001 is a May build. It has the fingerboard that is closer to the body and a scooped bridge pickup surround. Like I said in a previous post, the non-scooped version didn't work on this bass - the strings were hitting the surround.

Never had a scooped surround, even on my '72 and various '73s over the years. Always have low action. And I smack the edge of the surround from time to time, totally hate the sound it makes but I'm mostly careful so it's rare...

The bassist in my band, on the other hand - CLANG CLANG CLANG! I want to rip the damn thing off his bass and throw it away! Much as I love the look of the surround, I've always hated the "functionality" of such a giant hunk of in-the-way metal. That sound, amplified, is absolutely god-awful.

There are several scooped 1972 basses around:
The mink 4001: http://www.rickresource.com/register/us ... 3709/2.jpg
even an australian: http://www.rickresource.com/register/us ... llsize.jpg
...just checking the pics of the RRF register

Paul's Mink '72 had the tail, bridge pick up, and surround replaced with current stuff IIRC.

I remember (former?) RRF member Bob Atherton in the UK had a later '72 4001 MG that came with a non-scooped surround. His strings were hitting it, so he put on a current, scooped surround.

Here it is!

http://www.rickresource.com/register/vi ... lebrity%3D