Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I just registered my 1982 4001 yesterday. I see that there are a large handful of basses made in that same month. It would be interesting to find instruments that are "littermates"- born on the same day. With that in mind, he's a question or four about the SN process.

1. Do all instruments share the same SN system and each serial number unique?

2. Is it possible for a bass to have a number like VX1234 and a guitar to have VX1235?

3. Are serial numbers chronologic? Is VX1234 the instrument that had it's umbilical chord cut (gotta be a 4001 E string) right before VX1235- or does RIC just have a bunch of jackplates and someone puts a bunch of stamps on them and they pull them all willy-nilly out of a drawer in any order? Doing the latter might really mean the SN is more closely tied to the manufacturing/stamping of the jack plate than the actual birth date of the instrument.

4. Are there certain days during a month that instruments are made, or is the assembly line (albeit a very hands-on, customized, fantastic assembly line) rolling non-stop? I'm assuming that they roll off the lines M-F, quite likely closed on Sat/Sun?

I'm just thinking it would be really cool, once enough intruments are registered, to be able to place an approximate date of birth to the instruments, not just the month. If, for instance instruments roll out the door at a constant rate, and we find out that 30 were made in a certain month and that the factory is open 30 days a month, we could really narrow the birthdate down to a likely actual birthday.

I think it would be really cool to have a "google earth" mashup to find out where our instruments littermates are now- and, quite likely, what day of the month our instruments were born. Could also be interesting for some comparison issues on instruments: "Yea, I have the same letters written under my TRC you do- must be some finisher's initials who worked on the spraybooth that day"....

Answers:

1. Yes
2. Yes, but less likely. Instruments are made in batches of pretty much one type, 4003's one week, 660's another. If the serial numbers came out on a change from one type to another, you could get consecutive numbers on different models. I'm not sure if RIC worked production like this in the past, that's what I've heard they do now.
3. From what I've heard is that serial numbers are pretty much done in sequence, but there are various reasons why they might not come out in the exact order by the number. Things like needing a touch up on the finish or something.
4. I've heard they make instruments on all work days, which I think is M-F.

It would be pretty much impossible to narrow the dates down to less than the month. I don't think RIC even tracks them that closely.

As for littermates, I happen to have a 4004 with a serial number plate a few digits off from the "proto-serial number" written inside. A guy in Ohio has the 4004 with that serial number, his has my serial number written inside it. They are both Mapleglo 4004Cii's.

Wow, I'd say your bass and his were definitely littermates, if not conjoined twins separated at birth.

What is the "prototype" serial number written on the inside? I have an "F8" written by hand under my TRC- what's that used for? I always assumed it was like one of those "Inspected by #13" tags you see in clothing.

On the older instruments, there were all manner of markings inside, with no real meaning to anyone but the worker who made the marks. I've heard one guy marked the number of instruments that day under the TRC, starting with 1 ending with however many he got to in a day.

John Hall told me that now they write the serial number that's likely going to be assigned inside, but he said there are many reasons why it might not end up with the same number on the plate such as extra sanding or finish touch up or something. I called it a proto-serial number. Still, officially, the writing inside has no real meaning.