Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Here's a pic of the rods....
I've assumed that they are hairpins so I have been moving the neck then tightening the nuts to hold position, which has seemed to work...but If it's a V63 then presumably I don't need to do that ?

aceonbass wrote:The center hole of the three where the tailpiece mounting screws are is centered between the other two like the holes are for the zinc tailpiece. The center hole in the bridge pocket in the old cast aluminum tailpieces was off center to the right. I'm wondering if this is a V63. Knowing which truss rod design is in his bass would help a lot.

The V63 had the five-screw tailpiece, so this would not be. The hairpin rods have no nuts visible at the body end of the truss-rod channels, so if this was a V63, you would see acorn nuts in there. This could be an RM 1999!?

Everything seems to point to a mid '60 4001S, most likely. Where did you get the bass, as in, what country? Is that the original TRC?

I live in London England; I purchased it from a friend who purchased it from a store also in London; he isn't a musician, he just collects music memorabilia.
I agreed to buy it before seeing it, all I knew was that it was red (I had a beloved cherry red 4001 (see my avatar) stolen in 93 and hoped it might be similar).

The serial number dated to Oct 73 so I assumed that it was a 4001s from 73....but then started to notice signed of damage so couldn't resist attacking the red paint and investigating.

I've done nothing to it other than strip the bad red spray paint, which covered the whole bass including the head-stock.
The scratch plate, which is copper was painted with white paint.
I haven't changed the rods or cover.

Mid '60's at the latest. Probably is a RM, IMO.

Maybe Vincent could take a few minutes and chime in here with his vast knowledge.

corduroyboy wrote:I live in London England; I purchased it from a friend who purchased it from a store also in London...

This pretty much confirms that it is a RM1999, the Rose-Morris imported version of the 4001S. It is possible that a USA 4001S made its way over to the UK, but RMs were all UK versions (some did make it to Australia, that South Pacific UK colony ).

Do you have any photos of this bad red finish you stripped off? Are you certain it was not the factory original Fireglo you removed, in haste?

Jack plates are easily changed out, so forget about the October 1973 date on yours, that is very obviously not the original jack plate.

Red paint job covered an already stripped fireglow.
So Oct jack and pots on a V64 you reckon?

Did V64 have the drilled routing too?

Can you provide a view of the body front?

Also, a side picture of that pick-up surround?

Here's a side pick of pick-up surround; high gain pup.
There's a front body shot at the beginning of this tread.

That's the original raised edge bridge pickup bobbin with fillister head screw pole pieces.

Those screws were used from '63 to probably early/mid '65 when they started using pan head screws.

You'll need a set of horse-shoe magnets for it to work.

It's not a '63. It's safe to say it's a '64.

So I have smashed 64 woodwork with an original horse shoe surround....rebuilt with 73 pups, pots and jack.
Or a v64, smashed, rebuilt with 73 pups, pot and jack.

Ok then, it's a butchered player so I'm happy either way, just nice to know.
Thanks for all of the input, appreciated.

Real '64, not V64.

teeder wrote:Real '64, not V64.

Great.

Not only that, but there is no such bass as a V64...............

V63 - C64.

Yours is a real mid '60s bass.

I CALLED IT!

What do I win?