Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I don't think it was added for stiffness but rather for stability. The different layers of wood would prevent warpage since the contrasting grains would cancel any attempt by another layer towards warpage.

That makes perfect sense! I should have said resistance to warping and not stiffness. Then, if they did not have lamination in the neck anymore after 1980, what did they do to make the 4003 design as resistant to warpage? Is that neck cross-section that greater, or did they select their wood better, or why did the stripe lamination end? Cost control, or good warranty return experience that showed RIC they did not need to do this anymore?

elysrand wrote:Wasn't the stripe added in 1972 to increase the stiffness of the neck?

That would be my guess, as the three piece neck should be stronger, one reason I too, like the "striped" basses.

I have noticed that any one of my late-72 4001 or later can take any kind of string with no excessive adjustments needed afterwards to the truss rods... so the stripe works