Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The current lefty production now has the inlays going the right way for a lefty. CNC to the rescue.

Yeah, like John just said. Since they started the "new" full-width inlays, those for lefties are in the proper left-hand orientation. In other words, the big end of the shark fin is at the E-string side of the fingerboard. Before that, though, they were the same as the righties, making the big end at the G-string side on the lefties.

Grey wrote:It's interesting that the inlays arn't oriented to match the left handed body. I assume it has to do with tooling and being too much trouble to do it differently for the small quantity of lefties they produce.

Yes, at the time it seems like they used a complete RH Neck in its entirety and just swapped the nut around!

Then a bit later on the 4003's we had the correct LH headstock but with the inlays still upside down, and the more recent and last couple of years' production of Lefty 4003's were a true 'Lefty', i.e. a mirror image of the RH model.

Baker69 wrote:

Grey wrote:It's interesting that the inlays arn't oriented to match the left handed body. I assume it has to do with tooling and being too much trouble to do it differently for the small quantity of lefties they produce.

Yes, at the time it seems like they used a complete RH Neck in its entirety and just swapped the nut around!

Then a bit later on the 4003's we had the correct LH headstock but with the inlays still upside down, and the more recent and last couple of years' production of Lefty 4003's were a true 'Lefty', i.e. a mirror image of the RH model.

Exactly.

Back in the '60s and '70s, all the neck-trough assemblies were the same. When the bass is assembled, the worker grabs a neck-through from the stack and attaches the body wings. If it is to be a left-hand instrument, the body wings are cut and mounted "the other way 'round." I think it was in the '80s (maybe starting with 4003 production?) that they started making the "mirror image" headstock - just a matter of swapping the head wings around.

Looks great! Welcome, Steve!

teeder wrote:Looks great! Welcome, Steve!

Thanks teeder.

Yes, am really pleased with it!

Steve,

Your bass reminds me of my first Ric. bass----a Lefty 4001 JG from around 1975.
I still have it, but, I had it re-finned to MG.

Seeing yours brings back memories!!!!!

Enjoy!!!!!!
Lefty4003s8







Do not drink from the toilet when taking Lyrica

The downside of a 'righty' neck on a 'lefty' bass is that the tuning pegs all work the opposite way!

Baker69 wrote:The downside of a 'righty' neck on a 'lefty' bass is that the tuning pegs all work the opposite way!

opposites attract !!!

Very cool bass!

Baker69 wrote:The downside of a 'righty' neck on a 'lefty' bass is that the tuning pegs all work the opposite way!

Eh, the keywinds on my righty '75 4001 work the opposite way too. Eventually you get it in tune.

johnallg wrote:

Baker69 wrote:The downside of a 'righty' neck on a 'lefty' bass is that the tuning pegs all work the opposite way!

Eh, the keywinds on my righty '75 4001 work the opposite way too. Eventually you get it in tune.

We must have each other's tuners!