Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

5 questions about 4001 styling:

1) What year did the pickguard change on the 4001 from mostly covering the wood in-between the pickups to about half?

2) What year did the volume/tone knobs change from the classic style to the modern style?

3) What year did the binding change from checkered to plain?

4) What year did the toaster pickup change to high-gain, and did the pickup change positions from 1/2" to 1" at the same time?

5) And finally, what year did they change the bridge pickup from a horseshoe to a hi-gain?

Thanks in advance for the really great answers I get here!!!

MichaelStewart wrote:5 questions about 4001 styling:

1) What year did the pickguard change on the 4001 from mostly covering the wood in-between the pickups to about half?

2) What year did the volume/tone knobs change from the classic style to the modern style?

3) What year did the binding change from checkered to plain?

4) What year did the toaster pickup change to high-gain, and did the pickup change positions from 1/2" to 1" at the same time?

5) And finally, what year did they change the bridge pickup from a horseshoe to a hi-gain?

Thanks in advance for the really great answers I get here!!!

1) Mid-year '68 when the Hi-gain was introduced
2) About 1965
3) 1973
4) Mid-year 1975 for the 1/2" space and some time in '73 for the neck Hi-gain transition.
5) See #1
Those answers and more can be found in the Anatomy threads.