Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I've been scratching my head on this for a while and looking at pictures of current basses. Maybe I'm blind, but can someone explain to me or (show me pics) of the areas described as "muffin-tops" and "double hump" on (current?) 4003 pick guards?

Hey Landon....Long time no see . Okay, look at the teardrop shaped area of the pickguard on your mapleglo 4000. Now look at the same area of a current 4003, paying particular attention to the area below the volume controls. The current one is lumpy and in desperate need of liposuction.

Comparing the two it looks like a rounder/fatter cut. But, to me it's subtle.. If possible, and if I had a newer 4003..and felt the need to do so... I'll just remove the fat and slap on a V63 pickguard and be done with it..

meursault42 wrote:
When did they change it back? I just bought mine new a few weeks ago and I believe it has the aforementioned "bulbous" pickguard shape.

It appears that the latest batch of 4003W basses are wearing the newly reshaped pickguard. For sale at Wildwood:



For comparison, here's a 4003 wearing a double hump guard, also at Wildwood:

The Allparts guards are indeed a cheaper form of plastic with sharp edges, but they do have the "old" shape without the double hump FWIW. A few minutes work with fine sandpaper to ease the sharp edges makes them at least serviceable.

A couple of minutes with sandpaper and you could rub out the double hump on the "offensive" pickguard, too.

Borrowing a pic here from another site that illustrates the difference. The new double hump is on the left.

ssabass wrote:Borrowing a pic here from another site that illustrates the difference. The new double hump is on the left.

There is more to the differences than just that one small area.