Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Forumites, I'm slowly establishing a Rickenbacker bass family tree/production timeline, and am looking for real-world confirmation or denile on the following. Bear with me, this is kind of convoluted. If anyone has evidence of a certain bass model produced outside of the following years, please let me know. Please give actual evidence, not "I thought they made xxx until 1999," because that's the kind of info I'm trying to clarify. One thing I've discovered in my research, is that there are no absolutes. Someday, I'll do this on the colors, too, but that's a whole 'nuther tarbaby. So, please look these over and see if your instruments fit:

Model 4000 prototype possibly in 1955, production from '57 to the mid '80s (last year?)
Model 4001 1961 to mid '80s (last year?)
Model 4001S (RM 1999) 1963 to 85?
Model 4005 1965 to 1982
Model RM 3261 (export F-hole 4005) 1965-69
Model 4005WB (OS) 1967-82
Model 4005/6 1967-70
Model 4005/8 1967-70
Was there really a five-string 4005 beyond perhaps a prototype? Need REAL data
Model 4005LS 1968
Model 4008 1975-83
Model 4002 1975-84
Model 4080 (double neck) 6/12 1975-93
Model 4003 (stock, including VP) 1980 to present
Model 4003S 1982-95
Model 4003SB (Beatle) 1982-83
Model 4001V63 1984-2002
Model 4003S/5 1986-2002
Model 4003S/8 1986-2001
Model 4003 Shadow 1986
Model 4003SPC Tuxedo 1987-88
Model 4003SPC Blackstar 1987-90
Model 4003SPC Redneck 1987-88
Model 4001CS (Chris Squire) 1991-2000
Model 4001PMC (Paul McCartney - kinda obscure) 1999
Model 4004C Cheyenne (prototype as early as 1989?) 1993-2000?
Model 4004L Laredo 1993-present
Model 4004Cii 2001 start? - to present
Model 4004Cii/5 2002-3?
Model 4004LK announced 1996? production 2001-2006
Model 4001C64/C64S start 2002? to present
Model 3000 (short scale) 1975-84
Model 3001 (long scale) 1975-84
Model 2030 Hamburg 1984-92
Model 2050 El Dorado 1984-92
Model 2020 Hamburg 1992-97
Model 2060 El Dorado 1992-97
Model 2030GF (Glenn Frey) 1992 - ?

Whew! I think that's it. Any I missed? Your input will be appreciated and help make the bass book (whenever I can get it published) accurate. Thanks!

"Model 4005WB (OS) 1967-82 "
Should be at least '66. Ref: FD xxxx - Apr '66 4005WB MG.

"Please give actual evidence"
What do you want?

I too have an April '66 4005WB, and Elys has a '66 as well.

And wouldn't '68 be too early for a 4005LS? The prototype 331 was delivered in January 1970 and they started shipping six months later.

"The factory made a few 4005L basses in the early 70'S on a special order basis". (Smith, 208)

Joey Vasco owns two 4004Cii/5's made in 2004.

John M., just what you did. I simply didn't want guesses or second-hand guesses. You've got a reference of someone's FD a 66 4005WB, and that's what I need.

John B., good. I'll amend the timeline for both the WB and LS. This is the empirical data needed to make the family tree/timeline accurate. Thanks, Johns!

Paul and his stable of "johns"..........

Do you have a hat with a plume?

A cadillac?

HAHAHAHAHAAAHA^

It has been written that there were some 6-string 4001 basses made in around 1965, three in total according to Richard Smith....

I think that the 2020 and 2060 were discontinued to make way for the 4004's, and were produced in very limited numbers. 1997 sounds like too late, I would have thought that by '94 or so they were gone.

Not exactly what you asked for, but it may help:

"Model 4003S 1982-95"
I have seen reports of '80s '81s and '96s.

"Model 4001V63 1984-2002 "
I have seen reports of a 2004.

"Model 4001C64/C64S start 2002? to present "
I have seen reports of 1999, but it may have been a PMC.

I have contact info for the owners of the above - you'd have to establish contact with them to verify. A lead is better than nothing? Email me if you want the contact info...

My 4004cii/5 is from 2004.

Right. On the 4004Cii/5, I misread my own notes. I should have asked whether they started in 2002 or '03? Technically, they are still available (still in catalog) but not currently being made while they figure out a better pickup situation.

Paul, "The Bass Book" by Bacon and Moorehouse has the 4001S (1999 in UK) being made from 1961-69, then 1980-1984. Mine was made in 1982, so well within the 2nd grouping.

Aha! Hold on. The book may be wrong though. Check out this helpful site of old guitar catalogs:
http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/catalogues.php

The 4001S *was* in the 1975 catalog. The 1968 catalog is also available for review. As a budding banjo player, this page from the 1968 catalog caught my eye:
http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/rick68p7.php

I have a little collection of Hagstrom basses, so I must admit that this Hagstrom catalog cover is my favorite - for obvious reasons (even more eye catching)...
http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/hagstrom72.php

Paul,
I assume you know that there's a whole bunch of old catalouges that have been digitised on the official Ric site, they may be of help.

Wasn't there some kind of obscure "B" series for the 4001 that pre-dated the v63?

Lest we also forget - the 1973 4001SGP(Sea Green Project), and the equally as rare, one of one 4000MS, the Marc Seligman version of the CS in a 4000 model. This bass currently resides down under with a Mr. Trott.