Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Is it possible that this 1976 Ricky without triangle fret markers is a 4001 V63 model?
This is what I know about the bass. My friend purchased it in 1984 as it now is.
Obviously, the nut has been replaced with a new brass nut before that time. There has been speculation that that fretboard has been replaced or that this is not a legitimate Rickenbacker but after some research I don’t believe that to be the case.
I originally posted the thread on Talkbass looking for info.
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/1976-r ... l.1564167/
I own a 1978 Ricky and I compared the builds very closely and other than the brass nut and fretboard they are identical.
Then I too the bass to my luthier and good friend Dave (Daves World of Fun Stuff on Fun Stuff)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJjaynfWLb0
Dave has a lot of experience with Rickenbackers as a luthier and compared it to my 1978. This was Dave’s expert opinion as told to be when I picked up the bass.
He figures other than the brass nut this is an original factory Rick. He said if the fretboard had been replaced at one point (remember it's a 1976 and my friend purchased it in 1984) there would be some sign of lacquer displacement on the neck. It was too perfectly done not to have been done at the factory
There was some writing on body cavity "4001-M-W Lopez MA5DA". I'm not sure if there is any significance in that.
Dave said his buddy Skully (Geddy Lee’s guitar tech) also thought it was most likely factory original.
I would love to know for sure the true pedigree of this instrument but it's looking very likely to be some special order or one-off bass and not a fingerboard replacement.
Dave wondered if it was a 4001 V63 model.
The problem is that as far as I can tell that the V63 prototypes were displayed at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in November 1984 and this is from April 1976. Serial Number PD2375
There is no evidence of a replaced fretboard on this bass. Is this likely some special prototype? If it’s a new fingerboard it was accomplished by one of the finest luthiers on the planet.
(By the way the bridge was replaced after these photos were taken).

Interesting. I'm not an expert in such matters, but it seems to me that the fretboard has been replaced. It's totally the wrong material and looks to be ebony. Additionally, all the 4001s I've seen have a binding strip along the edge of the fretboard and the dots are inlays in that plastic binding edge- and the binding edge is shaped to match the frets. This one lacks those features.

I'll be very interested in hearing the opinions of others in this forum who KNOW a heck of a lot more than I do about such matters!

I hope you've got yourself some rare prototype that's a one-of-a-kind!

"In the late sixties the factory also made some 4001 basses with ebony fretboard."

These photos show comparison with my 1978 4001.

But doesn't the V63 lack edge binding? So, the body can't be a V63. What does the Rick Registry indicate for the model based on the serial number?

Nevermind, looked it up myself..well, tried to...

What's with the finish around the tuning peg for the "D" string? Looks like a larger washer or something was once there and additional finish added to the bass, then the tuner replaced???

There is absolutely nothing about that bass that makes me think "V63".

4001 with a changed or possibly, special order board, IMO.

What's it look like under the guard?

To see under the pickguard see Dave take it apart on Youtube. Dave as accomplished luthier says there is no sign of replaced fretboard but looks factory finish to his eye.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJjaynfWLb0

I’m also wondering about why one might replace the fingerboard, if it isn’t original. How do the truss rods look? Do they appear original? Do you have pictures without the truss rod cover on?

Truss Rods look original according to Dave.
Here's a screen grab from Dave's video on Youtube from 9:02 mark of the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJjaynfWLb0

Dave doesn’t speak very highly of Rickenbacker. FWIW, he also doesn’t seem to know how to properly adjust those truss rods. Every video or tutorial I’ve seen says to manually bend the neck THEN tighten the rods- they aren’t like other instruments where turning the truss rod nuts/heads will force a concave/convex movement on the neck…

I hope he fully recovered from that accident- what a horrible story!

Certainly not a V63. A true 4001V63 is basically a 4003S with the "modern" truss rods, so that's out. Before there was the V63, there was a "4003SB" which was meant to be a "vintage model" (and not very vintage looking, really) and it is most likely the beginning of the "B" basses (B for what band? - three guesses . . . ) in 1981 involved several "4001SB" with set necks that had the shedua strip, hairpin truss rods, and a Toaster-top pickup - still not very "vintage."

No, I think what you have there is a 4001 with a replacement fingerboard and nut. It is possible that it was a factory original with an ebony fingerboard for a custom order (Rickenbacker did have ebony fingerboard stock on hand for the 4002), or it is possible that the factory or a good luthier replaced the original bubinga fingerboard with ebony.

Looks to me like a replaced fretboard. Being a 1976 with the hairpin rods that nobody knew back then how to properly adjust, maybe someone cranked it Fender-style and popped the board.

BTW I'm doing the exact same thing with a Hofner Verithin bass I'm in the process of restoring - the rosewood board was in bad shape so I opted for a new ebony board, with white binding and no inlays at all (just side dots).

In your comparison pics, the dot board bass’s pots look placed with different spacing on the pickguard than the bass with the shark fin inlays.
Also installed in slightly different positions are the toggle and tailpiece. Note the different size of the guard as evidenced by the bigger gap between guard and treble pickup.
Did they machine different pickguard a that year.
Could this be a fake? That would explain the fretboard finish looking “factory”

It was painful trying to listen to Dave in that video. He is certainly no Rickenbacker expert.

lumgimfong wrote: Wed Jul 06, 2022 8:31 am In your comparison pics, the dot board bass’s pots look placed with different spacing on the pickguard than the bass with the shark fin inlays.
Also installed in slightly different positions are the toggle and tailpiece. Note the different size of the guard as evidenced by the bigger gap between guard and treble pickup.
Did they machine different pickguard a that year.
Could this be a fake? That would explain the fretboard finish looking “factory”

Being a fake could also explain why the serial number (which looks too perfectly stamped compared to mine!) comes up with nothing in the registry. Sure would be an awful lot of work to fake one though- seems like it would be easier and cheaper to just buy the real thing back in the day it was made.

Out of curiosity, does Rickenbacker have some kind of “internal” registry system for prototypes that aren’t meant to be retail units?