Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have never seen anyone post or discuss the 1st year producton of the V63. I have one and I can't believe how awesone it still plays and sounds. I actually had to remove the horseshoe pickup because it over modulated all the time. The neck is round and like a baseball bat, but it is so authentic sounding. The FG finish is not the normal very dark red to light. I believe I have one of the first ones delivered in Ma.... I love it and still use it often. replaced the horseshoe with a stock 84 hi gain. Silly Love Songs............. dead on.

Month/year? Pics?

Wasn't '88 the first year for the V63???? I have one from 1991, and it is SWEET!!!!!!

You may have had a magnetized horsey in there. The first V63's supposedly had them.












Do not drink from the toilet when taking Lyrica

According to "the book" (ahem!), the 4001V63 was first issued in 1984.

Yes and I have an 84 first batch model...

eddied wrote:Yes and I have an 84 first batch model...

Month?

I had an '88. The earliest one I've seen here is Andy O'Conners '85. His had the magnetic horsey, so it could be earlier.

Yes, I have an '84 Mapleglo V63 that I recently aquired. My favorite Ric bass yet. I have owned a '68 Fireglo, a '72 Fireglo, a 2000 V63 Fireglo, and a '96 V63 Fireglo.
All were nice basses, all were very clean, set up well and strong in output, with the exception of the '72 which had a rather weak treble pickup.

The '84 Mapleglo has a very solid output with the MOST even response from string to string ANYWHERE on the neck. The weight is the lightest of any Ric bass I've owned and the neck is the narrowest and best feeling to my hand of any of my Rics. The other thing about the '84 is how much like a '60's Ric bass it looks. The bass was not made with CNC machines, but rather made on fixtures and pattern templates and shows much human handi-work. Conditionally, I'd place it at 6 out of 10. It is evident that it was played, a lot! I don't care about perfection or flawless finish in this instance.

I have really bonded with this bass and enjoy playing it regularly. It is strung with SIT powerflats which are the best strings I've ever used on a Ric. They are similar to GHS Brite Flats in design, have slightly more tension than Thomastic strings, and are nickel to boot! What a great string and great value.


Jim

FabGearHead wrote:Yes, I have an '84 Mapleglo V63 that I recently aquired. My favorite Ric bass yet. I have owned a '68 Fireglo, a '72 Fireglo, a 2000 V63 Fireglo, and a '96 V63 Fireglo.
All were nice basses, all were very clean, set up well and strong in output, with the exception of the '72 which had a rather weak treble pickup.

The '84 Mapleglo has a very solid output with the MOST even response from string to string ANYWHERE on the neck. The weight is the lightest of any Ric bass I've owned and the neck is the narrowest and best feeling to my hand of any of my Rics. The other thing about the '84 is how much like a '60's Ric bass it looks. The bass was not made with CNC machines, but rather made on fixtures and pattern templates and shows much human handi-work. Conditionally, I'd place it at 6 out of 10. It is evident that it was played, a lot! I don't care about perfection or flawless finish in this instance.

I have really bonded with this bass and enjoy playing it regularly. It is strung with SIT powerflats which are the best strings I've ever used on a Ric. They are similar to GHS Brite Flats in design, have slightly more tension than Thomastic strings, and are nickel to boot! What a great string and great value.

So its for sale then?

I had an '84 w/ mag horsie and a 19th fret dot.
Bought it from Jimmy D at Sam Ash in January of '85.
It is still owned and much loved by the guy I sold it to back in '86.

We've covered this in the past before also...There was an interesting thread back in '06 or so about an example that Ken Swearingham had IIRC.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if the first run of these were from old 60's bodies, hence the similarities between them. They seem to be great basses from every perspective and I'd be seriously tempted if a nice MG example came up for sale.

wints wrote:...There was an interesting thread back in '06 or so about an example that Ken Swearingham had IIRC.

This one?

bassduke49 wrote:According to "the book" (ahem!), the 4001V63 was first issued in 1984.

D'OH!!!! It seems I've been spending TOO much time on OTHER chapters, and NEED to read the one on the V63

Mr. Boyer....would you please come over and help wipe the egg off of my face??????????










Do not drink from the toilet when taking Lyrica

wints wrote:We've covered this in the past before also...There was an interesting thread back in '06 or so about an example that Ken Swearingham had IIRC.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if the first run of these were from old 60's bodies, hence the similarities between them. They seem to be great basses from every perspective and I'd be seriously tempted if a nice MG example came up for sale.

I think mine might have been out of that first batch and I can say that it wasn't made from old parts. The routs were all new style, and the rods were compression(modern) not double expanding (hairpin) type.
The neck was so chunky that the play area was thicker than the headstock.
However, the FG model next to the MG I bought (both V63s) had a thinner neck.
The headstock and wing shapes were much closer than what happened in '86-7 (enter the Fat Horns)…

Yes, the one I had certainly was(is according to it's current owner) a great bass.

I have a November 1984 4001v63 MG. Bought this off ebay a while ago, maybe 2-3 years, can't remember exactly.
It is apparently the second oldest registered here.
Not visiting here often, I just emailed Peter with the info so he could update the register.
It's a very clean, almost mint example, with magnetic horseshoe, and it still wears the flats that it came to me with.
The TRC is what I would call a "later" one, as it is not the back-printed plexiglass. There was a bit of discusion here regarding this, back when it was for sale on the bay. I don't recall what the verdict was on the originality of this.
It is a nice bass, but I don't notice anything really exceptional about it. I love all my Rickenbackers.