4001s/4003s necks

[coolhandjjl]

Rick Resource member Jim Dandy recently sold a 1990 4003s. He mentioned it had one of the most slim and fast necks. Anyone know more about the 4003s necks of that vintage? Was it just 1990 models that were slim, or was it all of the '90's decade that were very slim?

How about late '80's 4001s? As slim?

Thanks!

[gearhed289]

I have a '89 4003S and the neck is what I would call slim, with a much better feel near the nut than any 70s 4001 I've owned or played. Seems like they got chunky around '99. I believe there's a HUGE thread on here about neck sizes, but that's my observation in a nutshell. I should also mention that it's the most stable of any Ric neck I've worked with, POSSIBLY due to the "fat" horns of this era. There's a little more body wood near the upper frets, creating the effect of the neck being recessed further into the body. Same deal with my '93 4003S/8. I honestly doubt the horns have much to do with it, but who knows? The 8 string also has the thickest fingerboard I've ever seen.

PS - the 4001S had been phased out by the late 80s.

[ilan]

My son's 1986 4003S has the thickest neck of the 3 Rics we have at home.

[rickaddict]

Well John...in general I tend to think the late 80's 4003 and 4003S necks are pretty sweet. So are the late 70's 4001 and 4001S necks. To me they feel pretty similar, although my 80's necks are stronger than my 70's necks and seem a bit thicker front to back...but similar in girth.

I'd say look at the "Measure Your Girth" thread and file.

Keep in mind that Rick necks are hand-sanded and can vary quite a bit from one unit to the next.

[rickaddict]

I have a '89 4003S and the neck is what I would call slim, with a much better feel near the nut than any 70s 4001 I've owned or played.

That's interesting, Tom. That's how I've felt about my late 80's 4003's, only for me it's more when I compare them with the newer Ricks that they come out on top. My late 70's necks feel pretty good by the nut.

I think part of the reason why the late 80's necks feel so good to me is that the nuts tend to be slotted so that the strings are closer together than they are today.

Compare:

1987 4003S
http://www.rickresource.com/register/us ... llsize.jpg

2003 4001C64S
http://www.rickresource.com/register/us ... llsize.jpg

It may not look like much, but I think the difference from the center of the E to the center of the G is around 1/8" and to me that makes a big difference. I don't think it's so much about the closeness of the strings to each other as it is about where the E and the G are relative to the edges of the fretboard. Inboard is good!

[superdick2112]

Jeff has illustrated some good points here regarding neck feel, not the least of which is personal preference.
I have played dozens of 4001s and 4003s, ranging from the 1975 era to the most recent models, and imho, the best Ric bass neck I've ever felt is on my '08 4003 JetGlo. It has (for me) the perfect mix of features - a thin "D" - shaped profile, a nut with just the right string spacing (just a hair wider then most of the '80s examples I've played), the slots are the ideal depth (some of the older models I've played had nuts that weren't cut quite deep enough) and the outer nut edges are fairly smooth (some of the older ones have been sharp enough to scale fish with!). The '09 and '10 4003s I've tried have all felt very close to the neck on mine, and I believe the subtle differences could probably be attributed to the hand-crafted nature of these beauties.
Bottom line - play as many as you can, and have your cash on hand & ready to go when "The One" comes along.

[MaplegloMatt]

I agree with the hand sanded , uniqueness of Rics creating subtle differences that make finding "the one" a rewarding experience. I first had a '78 4001 and have played a few different 4001/4003s over the years but my current bass, an '89 4003s, has the best (ie. slimest, fastest) neck of any I've had the opportunity to play. It just felt perfect the first time I played it. How's that for buying sight unseen off of Ebay? Very fortunate indeed.
BTW... The '78 was no slouch either.

[Blackstar4003]

I sold my 09' 4003 in favor of a 1980 4001 due in large part to the differences between the necks. The 4003 was very thick and cumbersome compared to the 4001 which was much more lean. I am sure there are variations in both models. Try before you buy, even when it comes to new models! Everyone has their own preferences.