Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

cjj wrote:Yeah, but some of us are nerdy enough to have seen the page for those measurements and did 'em anyway...

I did appreciate that, CJ.

I measured mine too, just out of curiosity.
July 1974 model 4001
So for what it's worth :
(all measurements in mm)

girth
1th fret: 109.5
3th fret: 113.3
12th fret: 128.5
16th fret: 140.4

thickness
1th fret: 21.8
3th fret: 21.8
12th fret: 22.2
16th fret: 22.2

Wim, thanks. Very slim neck too.

You're welcome.
Upon reading the entire thread I noticed this is one of the slimmest necks measured and atypical for a '74 model apparently.
This must be due to the fact that it's been refinished at least twice, probably more (I did it once and it had already been refinished at that point).
So maybe the measurements have no value for the statistics.
Nevertheless, I always really liked the neck - as a matter of fact the complete instrument - a lot and never played another Ric bass which I liked this much both sonically and ergonomically.

I have a new entry to contribute!

Late '71 (early '72???) 4001 (thanks again Steve!):

1st fret - 11.1
3rd fret - 11.4
12th fret - 12.9

Steve was right - it's almost the perfect neck. Not too thin (what exactly would be too thin anyway?), not too thick, just right. Baby Bear must have been very happy that day!

Pics when I get back from gigs in the Big Apple (any interested local denizens, we're at Union Hall in Brooklyn on Friday and the Mercury Lounge on Saturday). Unfortunately it won't be gig-ready until the following weekend in southern Utah.

Added, thanks Paul.

Hi all.
My early birthday present arrived today, so I thought it must be time for my first post and it might as well be something usefull

March 2006 4003 Blueburst!
1st- 11.5
3rd- 11.9
12th-13.6
I've been trying to find one of these for a while (and one that someone would "actually" send down under).
I don't think there'd be too many of these here in Australia

Chris, welcome to the forum... any pictures?

Chris, welcome and that BBR is a beaut. I have added your measurements. Thanks.

Yes Chris, welcome to the forum!

Gotta love that Blue Burst!

Welcome to the forum, Chris!
That's a beautiful blueburst 4003 that we wouldn't mind seeing more pictures of.

Interesting that my '89 V63 has a thinner neck than my '79 4001. (Everyone seems to mention how thin they think the '70's 4001 necks are...)

Apparently the second owner of the '89 V63 stripped off the Jetglo finish and refinished in satin mapleglo like a McCartney. I wonder if the neck was thinned in the process?

pic....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44286684@N ... 8/sizes/l/

In cm....

............'79 .....'89 V63
1st fret....11.4. 11.1
3rd fret....11.7. 11.4
12th fret..13.15 12.95

I thought there was a chart of neck profiles (I thought by Johnallg?) compiled as well that I saw a couple years ago. Anyone have a location on that?

Frankie79 wrote:Interesting that my '89 V63 has a thinner neck than my '79 4001. (Everyone seems to mention how thin they think the '70's 4001 necks are...)

Apparently the second owner of the '89 V63 stripped off the Jetglo finish and refinished in satin mapleglo like a McCartney. I wonder if the neck was thinned in the process?

pic....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44286684@N ... 8/sizes/l/

In cm....

............'79 .....'89 V63
1st fret....11.4. 11.1
3rd fret....11.7. 11.4
12th fret..13.15 12.95

I thought there was a chart of neck profiles (I thought by Johnallg?) compiled as well that I saw a couple years ago. Anyone have a location on that?

You've found what I've found, Frank. The late 80's necks are small, strong, and sweet. The 70's necks were also sweet, but I prefer my late 80's necks by a shade. And the better modern truss rods are a plus too.

Thanks for measuring, and thinks for the pic of your V63. With a neck like that, you can't go wrong.

I've found that most of the Rick bass neck girth expansion happened during the 90's.

Yes, John A has compiled all of these measurements and has them on a spreadsheet somewhere.

Your neck might have been sanded down a bit. It seems extra small, but obviously we'll never know for sure!

Wait...Did you say your V63 used to be Jetglo?! My heart just skipped a beat! I've been after a late 80's/early 90's V63JG for years. They just aren't out there.

Yes, I had heard from the original owner on the Rickenbacker forums when I picked up the V63 last year. He sold it after owning it only a couple of years....then the second owner had refinished it....then he bought it back again.....sold it again to the guy I bought it from.

Follow that????????