Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

How come some new rick guitars, like the acoustics have checker binding? theres a couple on the music connection site too...a 660/12 i believe

I thought that stuff was not available? What gives? Why aint the basses like that?

Owen,
As far as I know, there isn't much checker binding material left in the factory. Only the 660 and the limited editions and some acoustic models have the privilege of sporting the checkered binding. The only bass model made after mid '73 that has it is the 4004 LK Lemmy model.

Check out this excellent Bunny Bass article.

And like you, I sure wish the checkered binding could come back as standard feature or at least an option. I'm willing to pay $100 more for it.

Imagine a checkerd bound 4003 with a headstock like this:


(Photo courtesy of Mike Parks' Music Connection.)

I'd place my order in half a heartbeat!

Yeah its a shame, the checkered binding makes a great guitar design look even better. Still, some guitars have no binding

I agree Paul, people would pay for some cool options. checkered binding , black trim , ect..bring back the 4003-S package.

Yeah, I'd like to see options like that too, but think you're waiting a long time now?

Count me as one who would willingly pay extra (within reason) for the checkered binding option.

Man oh man!, how would *that* look combined with an "Apple Corps. Green" finish!! ~LOL~

You can get it now, you just have to order the right guitar! I'd love to see a 4003 with checked binding, and I would bet its just a matter of time...

A 4003 with checkered binding in PurpleBurst! I'd pay extra for that!

The 4003 Shadow has checked binding-but not around the headstock. Now THAT would be cool!

Hi Jared,
You scored a 4003 Shadow on eBay this past January, if memory serves me well.
Now we have 3 Shadow owners in this forum: you, me and Kendall James (Dedgoat).

Ha, a 4003 Shadow with the white-on-black checkered binding would be ultra sexy and cool! But I guess one only exists in my imagination and will never see the light of day.

Hi, guys. I'd like to chime in here as a 4003 Shadow owner. My bass has the dubious distinction of having been owned by Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath in the late 80's early 90's. It's an 86 model that has been heavily modified and would probably offend most Rickenbacker purists! Both pickups were removed. In the neck is a gibson EB-0 chrome plated pickup and an EMG is in the bridge. In addition, each pickup is run to it's own output jack in the Ric-O-sound jackplate. All four of the control knobs were removed and replaced with a single giant volume knob. Also, the original bridge was replaced with a roller bridge. There's a small picture posted in the Rickenbacker Registration Page if you search the archives under my last name DeLeon. It's a little hard to see but you can make out the volume knob an the gibson pickup. I'm not able to post a link to it directly. Cheers.

Did you have to pay extra because of the ex owner being who he was if I can be so rude as to ask?

Hi, Bob. No, I didn't pay extra due to the fact that Geezer once owned the bass. There was also an 8 stringed Hamer bass that he also owned with similar mods in the same shop. Both basses were on consignment by a former guitar tech who was moving. I would have prefered an unmodded 4003Shadow, but I thought that the black checkered binding and other black appointments were too cool to pass up. I just put it back up on consignment in the same shop for what I paid for it. I've owned it for about 3 years but haven't been playing bass too much lately, too busy playing my three Ric guitars!

Hey Mike,
I remember you and nice to see you around here!
We talked once at Voxtalks about the 4003 Shadow basses.
Enjoy your RIC guitars.