Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Folks, I'm trying to anchor down some details on the "vintage" series basses for the book, and Brian Crisman's recent acquisition of a Midnight Blue V63 with an "02" manufacturing date has me questioning my data. I was under the impression that the V63 was discontinued in 2000, but I suppose orders may not have been fulfilled and that 01 and 02 examples exist. I've also assumed that the 4001C64 started in 2000 and replaced the V63 as the "vintage" model. So the question on this poll is to find out what manufacturing dates are on YOUR V63 and C64 basses. Has anyone got a C64 with a manufacturing date as early as "00"? I know there was some delay in starting the C64 series, so maybe '02 was the real starting date?

As an aside, does anyone have a V63 in the "color of the year" for 2000 (Sea Green - we know that a couple exist), 2001 (Desert Gold), or 2002 (Burgundy)?

These are both 1993 v63's (special order with a righty headstock?)

My Mapleglo V63 is a 2000. I bought it "new old stock" in 2002 I believe.

Paul.....the MID V63 was made in February of '02 (week 09).

I would think that no V63's were ordered after '00 so I wouldn't expect to see any Desert Gold or Burgundy but who knows what could have happened in the paint booth.

JH has said that the process starts off with a sales order (an authorized dealer placing an order). At some point the sales order triggers a work order. Unless I am screwing this up, the serial number is created when the work order is created. I don't know how far in advance the work order is created but it seems possible that a 2 year shift is not out of the question. Perhaps they stopped taking (sales) orders for the V63 in 2000 but it took 2 years or more to fill any outstanding orders.

That's what I would guess Ted. That would also explain my LK serial #......I ordered it in '01, it has an '03 serial and I received it in '05.

Paul - I believe that 2000 was the last year you could order a V63, and that the C64 was introduced at NAMM in January of 2001. Therefore the only V63 in a Colour of the Year should be Sea Green (COY 2000). I have never heard of a V63 in Desert Gold or Burgundy, and based on RIC's policy of not extending models or COY's beyond their cut-off date, I doubt any exist. Theoretically there could be C64's in any of the COY's from 2001 on, but it appears that they have only been produced in Mapleglo, Fireglo and occasionally Jetglo. Brian's V63 probably repesents a bass that was ordered in late 2000, but not actually produced until 2002. My Sea Green V63 has a birthdate of May, 2001.

We need a picture Steve!

I thought everyone would be sick of seeing it by now, but if you insist...

That's sweet!

Steve, do you have a high-resolution version of that shot handy? I MUST have that for the book, you know!

Paul's book is gonna be some excellent bass porn.

...delivered in a plain brown wrapper!
Paul - check your e-mail.

Got 'em! Thanks, Steve. That Sea Green is just so delicious!

Bass porn!
Here are two of the girls on a quilt!