Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

hi everyone. i just bought a 1979 FG 4001 that seems to have some issues. It had some dead spots (note volume) in the neck. I thought new strings and a basic setup would fix this, but it didn't. the fellow session player i bought it from here in nashville is more than willing to give me a refund if i want one. i have also found a 1990 FG 4001 here locally that i absolutely love. however, it is actually more expensive than the 1979. my big questions are.... is the 1990 considered a re-issue, and will it historically hold its value as well as the 1979? should i keep the old one and have the neck worked on by a pro, dump it and buy the 1990, or forget both and hold out for a new 4003 for the same price? thanks for indulging my first post!

The 1990 is a 4003 which is just the standard version deluxe bass. Unless it's a V63 or S model with dot inlay it's value is about the same as the 79 4001 give or take. (Insert opinion here).
You might be able to experiment and get the dead spots to improve but ya might not either.

I would buy the 1990. Much improved neck, versatile pickups etc etc.

headbanger wrote:The 1990 is a 4003 which is just the standard version deluxe bass. Unless it's a V63 or S model with dot inlay it's value is about the same as the 79 4001 give or take. (Insert opinion here).
You might be able to experiment and get the dead spots to improve but ya might not either.

I would buy the 1990. Much improved neck, versatile pickups etc etc.

great info, thanks. will the 1990 also have the vintage tone control or did that come later?

drphatkins wrote:

headbanger wrote:The 1990 is a 4003 which is just the standard version deluxe bass. Unless it's a V63 or S model with dot inlay it's value is about the same as the 79 4001 give or take. (Insert opinion here).
You might be able to experiment and get the dead spots to improve but ya might not either.

I would buy the 1990. Much improved neck, versatile pickups etc etc.

great info, thanks. will the 1990 also have the vintage tone control or did that come later?

Later, '06 if memory serves me correctly. I have a few flat spots on my '01 4003 and just had a full setup done, and is slightly better now. I think it has to due with me tuning to D??? I'm going to change strings to see if that helps, maybe flat wounds.

I agree with Gerry. I'd say that if you have found a 1990 4003FG that you "absolutely love," and you can return the '79 then you should return it and buy the 1990. They're both great basses, but (and this is coming from a guy who has both late 70's 4001's and late 80's/early 90's 4003's) the 1990 will have vastly superior truss rods, the pickups will be hotter, the bridge pickup will sound more full(4001's had a bass-cut capacitor in the bridge pickup circuit that the 1990 4003 will not have), the neck will feel similar, and the tuners are smoother. Resale values of each aren't much different.

The only thing you'll be missing out on trading in the '79 is that cool skunk-stripe!

rickaddict wrote: The only thing you'll be missing out on trading in the '79 is that cool skunk-stripe!

im pretty good with a sharpie

"im pretty good with a sharpie"


Do it!

rickaddict wrote:"im pretty good with a sharpie"


Do it!

did it! took back the '79 and bought the '90. turns out the '90 is a 4001v63. whats the diff between that and the 4003? anyone know what a '90 v63 is worth? i paid $1500 for it. i hope i did ok. i know i got a bass that i love! and some kids for sale.

drphatkins wrote: did it! took back the '79 and bought the '90. turns out the '90 is a 4001v63. whats the diff between that and the 4003? anyone know what a '90 v63 is worth? i paid $1500 for it. i hope i did ok. i know i got a bass that i love! and some kids for sale.

You did more than okay! That bass is worth about $2500 today. The differences are the horsehoe bridge pickup (which will have the bass cut capacitor that Jeff speaks of), the toaster-top neck pickup (which is 1/2" away from the neck, as opposed to 1" on the '79 4001 and the 4003's), no binding/contoured body, dot markers instead of triangle inlays, plexiglass truss-rod cover (rather than raised-letter), square heel, different pickguard, and probably a very slim neck!

WOW! Lucky score! 1990 v63's are hard to come by. You done good. Real good. And the body is gonna be more comfortable too with no sharp-edged binding cutting into your wrist.

1500.00 is a great price for any 4001V63, and 1990 is a great year for them.

What color?

Post pics, please!

"horsehoe bridge pickup (which will have the bass cut capacitor that Jeff speaks of)"

Johnny B- was this a typo? Neither of my V63's ('92 & '98) came with the cap. My '03 C64S however, did come with the cap.

rickaddict wrote:Johnny B- was this a typo? Neither of my V63's ('92 & '98) came with the cap. My '03 C64S however, did come with the cap.

Oops, not a typo, I just assumed that v63's had the cap. I stand corrected!

thoroughly confused now. you guys described a different bass than what i bought. i got it from guitar center and the receipt says 4001v63. but it looks just like a 4003 except it has a neck through the body. other than that, it does have binding, slant inlays, neck p'up 1inch away. what do i have? i will post picks in a bit.

drphatkins wrote:thoroughly confused now. you guys described a different bass than what i bought. i got it from guitar center and the receipt says 4001v63. but it looks just like a 4003 except it has a neck through the body. other than that, it does have binding, slant inlays, neck p'up 1inch away. what do i have? i will post picks in a bit.

Interesting. If it has binding it isn't a v63.

Post some pics, we'll get to the bottom of this!

Guitar Center is famous for authoritatively (yet incorrectly) telling you what they have.

But they know. Oh yes, they know. They're the experts!

Do post a pic.

And you might as well run the serial number through the decoder as well to find out what year it really is:

http://www.rickenbacker.com/service_serials.asp