Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

1981 Rickenbacker Brochure and Price list, it's from Japan which doesn't help my comprehension at all. It does however picture a 4001 with a skunk strip.

http://brochures.yokochou.com/guitar-an ... index.html

Quite interesting. I still have a copy of RIC's 1981 guitar, bass & amp catalogue + price list. Talk about a prized possession!

The 21-fret 330/12 AG is super-hot.

the catalogue still indicated the 336/12 as available

This Japanese catalog also helped explain the "B model" mystery. If I have this right (and I think I do, and have it so in the book), the "B" model started out with available 4001S chassis, then later went to the then-new 4003S chassis. They're really hard to document as the only difference between a 4001S and a 4001SB is the Toaster pickup. Same with the 4003S and 4003SB. All the other hardware items were moving targets: some may have had Grover tuners, some Klusons; TRCs were likely the molded raised-letter types (except for the lefties); and some appear to have had dual outputs. Of course, skunk stripes would instantly tell you it's a 4001, but they should be set necks, then, right? Don't know for sure as there are so few to be clearly identified as B models. Lots of fun.

Thanks Mark,
In addition to the info, Love the artwork, that Panther on the cover rocks!

inhuien wrote:It does however picture a 4001 with a skunk strip.

It also has a 1/2-inch neck pickup spacing. They clearly used an older pic ('74 probably), but they are not alone in that practice. The official RIC website still features 17+ years old (pre-'97) 4003 pics with non-double-hump pickguards.