That's because we're Dutch, Bert. Those strange English talking people just use an 's' if they mean more than one. CDs, 493s, TVs, ...Only if things are possesive they say 'Uwe's Köllektiön' or the 4003's pickguard.
I prefer to capitalize the "S" in the case of those models, like the 4003S/8. According to the RickResource website (click on articles, then bass, then scroll to the bottom for the various 4000 models), they were available in the '60s, then reintroduced in 1980 (the 4001S and then later the 4003S varieties). But I can't attest to the accuracy of the information on that site.
I guess I used the wrong words. I meant: why didnt they name them differently if an s is such an ambigious letter. (And now I think of it I dont even want to know. I like s models. period.)
That's because we're Dutch, Bert. Those strange English talking people just use an 's' if they mean more than one. CDs, 493s, TVs, ...Only if things are possessive they say 'Uwe's Köllektiön' or the 4003's pickguard.
I think the "S" is supposed to stand for "special," and yet it looks more like a "budget" version since it doesn't have binding or shark inlays or Rick-o-Sound. In hindsight, those aren't a bad thing, since many people prefer the contoured body minus binding, but it still doesn't make sense...