Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I need a 4003 pickguard featuring the old 4001 pickup hole (the one closer to the neck). Does anybody know someone who can make it?

Yes I do and he does a great job at it .

email him at .... [email protected]

He will need a tracing of the body with the pickguard holes ...That will take care of it .

Marcello: You will be very pleased with the result. Don does great work.

Won't you have to route closer to the neck for the pickup to fit?

Well, thank you! I'd like to convert my '98 4003 to a lookalike '68 4001. I know, my bass hasn't checkerboard bindinds or other features, but I'd like to try. I'll buy a toaster and a horseshoe, too. Could anybody give me some other hints?
I'm a little curious... Why did RIC move the neck PU farther from the neck?

Ah: another stupid question... Are all new 4003 pickguard screw holes in the SAME place? Are these new pickguard all the same? Or there are little differences as there were in the older 4001?

Please, Mark, answer my questions. Thank you

Sorry to take so long ...
In the old days when I worked there we had NO template/drill jig!
Every hole was drilled by eye .There was no reason to do it any other way .All of the guards fit every guitar they were applied to .

The Henry Ford mentality of interchangeable parts was not included in the pickguards.They are close ...but depending on who drilled the holes ...you could get some variations.

How is it done now?

They have CNC tooling ,and twenty plus years have gone by .I would hope that there is at least an aluminum gig with drill guides to do this job.But I have no idea .I don't work on a lot of Rick's ...not compared to Fenders and Gibson and Martins and all the import /Asian stuff.

This is a question that John Hall should answer.

or at least Tommy in Service .

For years now, all pickguards have been laser cut and are extremely accurate from one unit to the next.

Thanks John for that clarification.