Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

RobRick wrote:My 1974 Rickenbacker 4000 bass has the best neck

antipodean wrote:I'd rate my '74 4001 as having the fastest and most comfortable neck

T.A.R. wrote:My '74 MG Shallow D feels great. The neck feels like silk.

woodyng wrote:My '74 4000's neck that i would have to say is my favorite

cjj wrote:I used to think the only neck I liked was my old '74 4001 (that I had to sell)

badeggs wrote:My old '74 4001MG.

1974: YOU. CAN'T. GO. WRONG.

Come to think of it, when I played Chris D's red dot '74 4001 I remember remarking how great the neck felt. It was my first experience with D'A chromes which I liked also, but it may have been more neck than strings.

8mileshigh wrote:

woodyng wrote:Graham,seeing that 4000 nearly made my swallow my coffee wrong....that is STUNNING! It looks like a complete refinish,including chrome parts? Or is it just that pristine? New pg? Please elaborate.....

Yep - a complete refin & refret. I have the original pickguard, but it looked a little shabby against the refin, so I had a new one made. It also had a BADASS bridge fitted when I bought it, so I had to go with a new tailpiece and 4 saddle bridge. Apart from that, it's all original, oh apart from a replacement TRC as well. I think that's it

Yes, that 4000 is absolutely stunning ! ! That pickguard is great looking with the Horsehoe and the finish !

badeggs wrote:1974: YOU. CAN'T. GO. WRONG.

The necks on the ones built in '75 had the slim "D" profile as well.

Yes,Steve's '75 white 4001's neck felt pretty similar to my '74's.

badeggs wrote:

RobRick wrote:My 1974 Rickenbacker 4000 bass has the best neck

antipodean wrote:I'd rate my '74 4001 as having the fastest and most comfortable neck

T.A.R. wrote:My '74 MG Shallow D feels great. The neck feels like silk.

woodyng wrote:My '74 4000's neck that i would have to say is my favorite

cjj wrote:I used to think the only neck I liked was my old '74 4001 (that I had to sell)

badeggs wrote:My old '74 4001MG.

1974: YOU. CAN'T. GO. WRONG.

Unless it is a 1973! Even better.

rickenbrother wrote:

badeggs wrote:1974: YOU. CAN'T. GO. WRONG.

The necks on the ones built in '75 had the slim "D" profile as well.

the '75 carcass project i got off ebay has a slim "D" profile like my '70 crawlspace bass 21 fretter which was the same as my '73 MD-1252 mapleglo.

Overall favorite was a 1964 RM.

But, OTHER than that dream bass, I vote for 1974 too. I've had three of em, and two were far and away the most comfortable.

Followed closely by my old 1971 4001.

Tony, do you still have that '74 BG 4001 you bought here about a year ago?

My favorite neck is:

My 2011 4003 because it is wide and has nice D profile
My 1990 4003 because it is narrow and has a nice C profile
My 1997 4001v63 because it has a nice flatish C profile
My 1969 Precision because of what it is
My 1975 Jazz because it is narrow at the nut and wide at the bottom
My Steinberger L2 because... Naaah I don't like this one.

And just to clarify I like older ones overall (71 and earlier), but purely in terms of the neck - the feel, the profile - 74 is just the best. Must have been a hell of a neck guy working there then...

ajish4 wrote:Overall favorite was a 1964 RM.

But, OTHER than that dream bass, I vote for 1974 too. I've had three of em, and two were far and away the most comfortable.

Followed closely by my old 1971 4001.

You'd love my '73 4001, '75 4001FL and '81 4001S

Colonel Sanders wrote:My 1975 Jazz because it is narrow at the nut and wide at the bottom

The main reason why I don't like Jazz Basses. The necks are too skinny at the nut, then has the exaggerated taper towards the higher frets. Put P-bass necks on J-Bass bodies, then maybe I'll like them.

1974: YOU. CAN'T. GO. WRONG.

Whoo Hoo! I knew those red dots meant something!

I learned most of my playing on my '74 and that's probably the reason I don't like too many other basses that I've touched. At some point, the others feel like work.

It's interesting because accurately describing necks is hard. I know there have been some efforts here to capture neck dimensions across the build years and descriptors added like C or D shaped, but you still have to hold it I think. The things we can measure are coarse, and the fine adjustment is still hand-to-instrument. I also wonder how this translates back to the craftsman. In this informal survey, something about the 74-75 years stands out.

I'm hoping to get a new lefty when they are available this year and I am most interesting in how it feels compared to my current (any righties can weigh in on this?). But, if the factory wanted to copy my current neck, I don't mind lending it back for reference.

sloop_john_b wrote:Thanks Tom, I believe you're referring to his early 80's 4001s. Thanks.

I love that bass! It sounds and plays great!

paologregorio wrote:

sloop_john_b wrote:Thanks Tom, I believe you're referring to his early 80's 4001S. Thanks.

I love that bass! It sounds and plays great!

Yep, that's the one that most guys at the jams love to play once they feel the neck on that 4001S. It now has a RIHS that I've had sitting around for a few years installed on it.