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Ric volume & tone knobs

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:34 pm
by fab4
Hello, I just got a grab bag of knobs for some restoration work I'm doing and this set was in the box. They look like early Ric knobs and I was wondering if they are original or reissues and on what models they would have been used.
They are marked Taiwan on the underside rim and have the numbers 2,5,and 6 inside the pot. Thanks inadvance for any and all replies.Image

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:58 pm
by jps
They are similar but are not genuine RIC knobs. The RIC knobs have white dots, not a continuous index line. The RIC knobs also say bass volume, treble volume, bass tone and treble tone on the chrome tops. As far as where the RIC knobs are made...?

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:15 pm
by fab4
Jeff,

Thanks for the info. PLease take a look at this 2001 - 360-12 reissue the knobs look like they have lines on them as opposed to dots?
Image

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:23 pm
by adam_swapp
Len,

Those are the old-style knobs on the guitar. Note that they are solid black (i.e. without the chrome center).

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 6:07 pm
by jwilli
The correct knobs are US made, not from Taiwan.

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:55 pm
by bayoucount4
Does RIC make anything in, or have anything imported from, another country?

I was under the impression that they are one of the few companies where "Made in U.S.A" actually means such.

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 9:20 pm
by dean712
If I remember correctly, everything on every Ric is USA made except for the tuners (at least on the basses), which are German. Other than that, all-American.

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:10 am
by ozover50
And the beauty of it is that the owners come from everywhere! Image

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 3:48 pm
by bails
What about the solder covered C-series pots? Aren't they Taiwanese?

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:13 pm
by jps
The ABM bridges are also from Germany.

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:16 pm
by jps
The vintage knobs do have lines, one of the reasons I prefer them. It is much easier to see the lines on a dim stage when I want to make an adjustment.

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 10:55 pm
by jingle_jangle
Both the vintage-style Rick knobs and the newer-style, with the spun aluminum center caps, are open stock manufacturers' items, as of course are the so-called "oven" brown knobs.

Vintage and newer-style knobs are available at Radio Shack, believe it or not. RS's vintage knobs are identical except for one difference not visible to the naked eye once they are mounted. Newer-style knobs from RS have generic spun caps with no "bass volume" (etc.) markings.

The difference between RS and gennie Rick vintage knobs? Vintage knobs from Rick have the bottoms ground on a disc sander, whereas from RS they are as-molded.

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 7:40 am
by chris_scruggs
I thought the (original, atleast ) pearloid fretboard inlays on 360's and 4003's and such came from Japan. I thought I read something where Mr. Hall said the new inlays look slightly different because the Japanese supplier they had used since after the war had either changed it or stopped making it, and that's why new inlays don't look the same.

It was on the Rickenbacker website under "most frequently asked questions" or something like that.

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:05 am
by jwilli
Back in '64 and in part of early '65, the metal top knobs had no writing on them. ( No bass volume, bass tone, treble tone, treble or matt preble).

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 6:46 pm
by loverickbass
My '73 4001 has pots made in MEXICO!


Cole