Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently acquired a vibrato arm that is supposed to be from a '60's Accent tailpiece. When I compared it to a contemporary unit, I noticed that it was different: the older piece was longer (7-1/2" vs. 6-5/8"), and it was bent differently. The new arm has a 30º bend about 1/2" from the pivot; this bend raises the arm high enough to clear the knobs on my 625. The older arm comes straight out from the tailpiece for about 2-1/4" before it bends up very slightly. As such, it won't clear the knobs as it swings down. I know the accepted solution is to bend the arm according to personal preference, but that's not what concerns me.

This is what I want to know:
- When did they change the design of the arm?
- Did different models (e.g. 335, 625) come with different arms?
- Anybody want to hazard a guess has to the age or model of my vintage arm?

Thanks.

vintage arm on top, contemporary arm on bottom: