Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I am just curious if anyone knows which Potentiometers were used in the 4001 in 1973. I lifted the pick guard up off of my 1973 Rickenbacker 4001 and I noticed 2 pots were CTS dated 1971, but the other two I could not identify. They were marked 303456 6706. I kind of expected to see all CTS pots. Is this normal? Thankss!

leetom101 wrote:I am just curious if anyone knows which Potentiometers were used in the 4001 in 1973. I lifted the pick guard up off of my 1973 Rickenbacker 4001 and I noticed 2 pots were CTS dated 1971, but the other two I could not identify. They were marked 303456 6706. I kind of expected to see all CTS pots. Is this normal? Thankss!

They should have all been the same brand, the volume being 250k and the tone being 500k.

The pots from my 1976 are CTS dated from that year, made in USA. So... I suspect a 73 would be similar, although it's possible they used something else.

1974's on my '75 bass.

If it helps, here's a photo of the pots in my July '73 4001, Lee. They are original and so are the caps. The .0047 cap was removed at some point, and someone replaced the ground wire but the rest is original:

http://rickresource.com/register/user_i ... llsize.jpg

Since this photo was taken, I have removed the filth and replaced the cheesy ground wires with a single black wire.

rickaddict wrote:replaced the cheesy ground wires

Sounds like a messy job. Mozzarella or Double Gloucester?

It may be worth mentioning that around this time period (at least in late 1972) the CTS pots installed in the basses I've owned and examined were made in Mexico.....stamped 'Mexico' on the side.

Thank you for the information. There are definitly two different types of pots. I will try to post a picture of them here, and I appreciate any information you guys have on them. The CTS pots are the volume pots and they date 1971. The date code is on the sides of the pots and hard to read in the photos. The tone pots are a bit of a mystery to me.

Thanks Everyone!