1981 RICKENBACKER 4001 BASS
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1981 Ric 4001 features include: Cresting wave shaped headstock, Kluson riveted tuners with slothead or phillips head screws, black plastic bushings and shims under the tuner plates, raised logo on plastic truss rod cover (plexiglass on left handed models), smaller triangle pearloid fret markers, neck through body design including skunk stripe, 20 frets, four pole neck pickup, four pole bridge pickup with chrome surround, bridge pickup cover, white or black pickguard, heptagonal shaped knobs with silver top and lettering, CTS potentiometers, yellow capacitors, ric-o-sound input jack plate, pots cavity markings, plastic wiring, 3 way pickup toggle switch, chrome bridge assembly including mutes, black Tolex case with blue or black interior.
The letters on the chrome input jack plate determine the year and month of production. The digits indicate the number of production. Some examples of 1981 Rickenbacker serial numbers are:
| UA 43x | 1981 January |
| UB 36x | 1981 February |
| UC xxxx | 1981 March |
| UD 145x | 1981 April |
| UE xxxx | 1981 May |
| UF 224x | 1981 June |
| UG xxxx | 1981 July |
| UH 280x | 1981 August |
| UI x | 1981 September |
| UJ x | 1981 October |
| UK 407x | 1981 November |
| UL xxxx | 1981 December |