Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hello All- Just purchased my first Rickenbacker, A 1974 4001 in what I think is Mapleglo- I was sure it was mapleglo until I added it to the registry and saw "Natural Maple" as a finish option. So, my newbie question: Is the yellowish lacquer on my bass a clearcoat that has yellowed over time, or was the lacquer tinted to begin with? If it was indeed clear, what's the difference between Mapleglo and Natural Maple?

In all the photos I've seen( I am fairly new to the Ric thing,but a fanatic!) I tend to think of Mapleglo as having a sunburst appearance and Maple being solid. I could be wrong though. Some of these color names can be confusing for me. For instance, burgundyglo doesn't have a burst appearance. Hmmm I guess I don't know the answer. haha

I believe that natural maple was a clear matte finish used up until 1959. It may have been nitrocellulose lacquer as opposed to the new conversion varnish which started being used in the late 1950s. There was also a blond finish used in the 1950s, up until 1957 or so. I'm not really sure of the difference between blond and natural though.

Mapleglo is a glossy finish, in fact, the "glo" part of the name is short for "gloss". This finish started in 1959 and has been the "clear" finish for maple ever since. Conversion varnish tends to yellow over time, resulting in the more honey colored finishes seen on older mapleglo instruments. The new UV cured finishes are supposed to less susceptible to yellowing...

Peacefrog35 wrote:I tend to think of Mapleglo as having a sunburst appearance and Maple being solid. I could be wrong though. Some of these color names can be confusing for me. For instance, burgundyglo doesn't have a burst appearance.

Neither Mapleglo nor Burgundy are bursts. The most-common burst is Fireglo, though there have been others (Autumnglo/Walnut, Montezuma Brown, Blueburst, etc.)...

And many of the colors changed over time, like how Burgundy went from eggplant/nearly black (late '60s) to wine red (mid '70s).

Welcome to the family, Joshua.

cjj wrote:I believe that natural maple was a clear matte finish used up until 1959. It may have been nitrocellulose lacquer as opposed to the new conversion varnish which started being used in the late 1950s. There was also a blond finish used in the 1950s, up until 1957 or so. I'm not really sure of the difference between blond and natural though.

Mapleglo is a glossy finish, in fact, the "glo" part of the name is short for "gloss". This finish started in 1959 and has been the "clear" finish for maple ever since. Conversion varnish tends to yellow over time, resulting in the more honey colored finishes seen on older mapleglo instruments. The new UV cured finishes are supposed to less susceptible to yellowing...

CJ has your questions covered well.

Yes, don't qualify "-glo" with a burst. The "glo" supposedly means gloss, except for the Autumnglo in the '80s was a satin finish. And lately, the C64S basses have a clear satin finish, but might be considered "Mapleglo" too. Yeah, I know, it can be confusing. Burgundy has also been officially referenced as "Burgundyglo" at times. Recently, there were a handful (probably less than a half dozen) of C64S basses finished in a satin Fireglo, and probably several dozen satin Jetglo as well. So now you can't even qualify "-glo" with gloss!

badeggs wrote:... And many of the colors changed over time, like how Burgundy went from eggplant/nearly black (late '60s) to wine red (mid '70s).

And how Ruby went from candy apple red to burgundy:

Wow, that's very interesting and it makes sense! Thanks for educating this lover of Ric guitars. I love how different they are...and things aren't always as simple as it seems. THere's so much personality there that owners of the same guitar/bass won't necessarily have identical copies. I love it!

I appreciate the info (and the hearty welcome)- just added my prize to the registry, pics soon!