Bridge pickup surrounds

headbanger · Post by **headbanger** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 6:02 am

Hi guys, this is somewhat of a continuation of the "Strings go against the mounting ring when I play" thread.
I have a 72 FL which has a great action. Very low but I'm getting contact on the surround when I get right up the neck. It has the old 3 screw cast bridge and saddle etc and all the pre 73 fruit as you'd expect and is all original I think. The one thing it doesn't have is the cutout pickup surround. Now, in the above mentioned thread some of you guys say you have early/late 73's with and without the cutout. This intrigues me. When did this feature finish? What was the criteria for it to change except for the change over to the 5 screw bridge? Could this being a 21 pos neck have something to do with it as the bridge is a little closer to the neck than a 20 fretter? When did the non cutout surround appear?

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 7:33 am

first of all I prefer the pickup surround with the cutout ... the surround had the cutout in the 60s then in the 70s it didn't but with the 4003 the cutout came back ... the early 70s was a transition period ...

wints · Post by **wints** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 7:35 am

Gerry, both my Dec 72 4001 and April 73 FL do not have the cut out....

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 9:16 am

My 4003S/5 from '97 has the cutout surround. My '73, '75, 79 and '81 4001 basses do not have the cutout surround.