Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

With the shallow cuts of the new inlay style, the fingerboard retains more of its stiffness so the maple can be thinner without sacrificing strength. We get cool inlays and thin but strong necks and RIC gets an easier to produce fingerboard. The resin type inlays were probably a bit toxic too. It seems to be an all around win.

I'll just throw my thoughts into this....!

I have 2 4003's - my '03 model has a neck which is what I would class as thick. However, in keeping with the rest of the post, my '08 is really skinny!

My take on this is why I love Rics...2 guitars, same model, but totally different feel and a slight variation in tone from both. However, they are equally playable and offer something different.

I think it's nice in today's world when there is variation, and every instrument/finish/year etc doesn't come out the same as the last.

Let's face it, if I wanted mundane I'd have bought a Precision or something!

spongebob wrote:I'll just throw my thoughts into this....!

I have 2 4003's - my '03 model has a neck which is what I would class as thick. However, in keeping with the rest of the post, my '08 is really skinny!

My take on this is why I love Rics...2 guitars, same model, but totally different feel and a slight variation in tone from both. However, they are equally playable and offer something different.

I think it's nice in today's world when there is variation, and every instrument/finish/year etc doesn't come out the same as the last.

Let's face it, if I wanted mundane I'd have bought a Precision or something!

true enough!!!!!

All of the ones I have played have been different, and they could be a month apart in build!!!

We need measurements of 2009 basses so we can correlate this to earlier models. Any 2009 owners are asked to measure and post to the Measure Your Girth thread and lets see how they really stack up.

If necks are really thicker now, I wonder if it partly has to do with the dead-spot issue. More mass should make dead-spot(s) less of an issue. I'm going to post about playing one off the 4004 Cii's at Wildwood Guitars a little bit ago. It'll be a new thread.

rickboy88 wrote:If necks are really thicker now, I wonder if it partly has to do with the dead-spot issue. More mass should make dead-spot(s) less of an issue.

That's not necessarily the case. My 00 V63 has a chunky neck, and it has that classic 9th-10th fret dead spot on the D string. A P-bass has a much chunkier neck than a J-bass, but it still has dead spots, just in different places. A quick survey of dead spots on some of the basses I've owned:

- '00 V63 @ fret 9,10 D-string
- '74 4001 @ fret 7 D-string
- '74 4000, '71 P-bass, '91 MM Stingray @ fret 7, G-string
- '88 MIJ J-bass '62 RI - @ fret 10, D-string
- '71 Musicmaster - no dead spots .

I believe that Philip Kubicki did a lot of experimentation and believes that a less massive headstock on a full scale bass helps eliminate dead spots. He also uses an ultra-stiff multi-laminate structure for the neck on his basses.

antipodean wrote:I believe that Phillip Kubicki did a lot of experimentation and believes that a less massive headstock on a full scale bass helps eliminate dead spots.

I find that to be very true. Of all my basses, the only one with NO dead spots is my cheap '86 Yamaha BX-1 headless bass. Even my carbon fiber neck Zon has a small dead spot at the 11th fret position (fretless) on the G string.

Hmmm.... I'm wondering if not having a headstock moves the neck resonance too high in pitch to be a concern. I've not detected any deadspots on my small scale basses (not to say that they don't exist).

rickboy88 wrote:Hmmm.... I'm wondering if not having a headstock moves the neck resonance too high in pitch to be a concern. I've not detected any deadspots on my small scale basses (not to say that they don't exist).

Exactly my suspicion, but....

I believe it's not the scale per se, it's the neck length!

In my survey, I left out two 30-inch scale Jerry Jones basses, which have long 24-fret necks (similar in length to a P or J bass). They both have the dreaded dead spot at the 7th fret on the G-string. The Musicmaster bass, which has no dead spots, has a short 19-fret neck. The "downside" is that the tone is fundamental-dominant and harmonic poor, which is actually good for that thumpy Brit invasion sound or dub-reggae.

My '07 Höfner 500/1V63 has a severe dead spot at the 17th fret on the G string and the 21st fret on the D string. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, who actually plays up there on a Höfner? Well, guess what, boys and girls?

johnallg wrote:We need measurements of 2009 basses so we can correlate this to earlier models. Any 2009 owners are asked to measure and post to the Measure Your Girth thread and lets see how they really stack up.

I should get my '09 in a couple of days, at which point I will post measurements from my 2007, 2008 (teh king!), and 2009 (teh other king?) 4003(+/-FL)s. THAT should help your database regarding new models!!

The Musicmaster bass, which has no dead spots, has a short 19-fret neck. The "downside" is that the tone is fundamental-dominant and harmonic poor, which is actually good for that thumpy Brit invasion sound or dub-reggae.

I have heard there is a cap in the Musicmaster that can be removed to improve the sound. I put strat pups in it one time and it sounded pretty good. When I find time I will try the cap thing on my Musicmaster.

I had a musicmaster, the only thing they need to sound good is fresh strings and plenty of volume!
Eden.

antipodean wrote: I believe that Philip Kubicki did a lot of experimentation and believes that a less massive headstock on a full scale bass helps eliminate dead spots. He also uses an ultra-stiff multi-laminate structure for the neck on his basses.

That was the reasoning Steinberger used when making his headless basses. I have never played a headless so I don't know if the theory holds any water.

antipodean wrote:I believe that Philip Kubicki did a lot of experimentation and believes that a less massive headstock on a full scale bass helps eliminate dead spots. He also uses an ultra-stiff multi-laminate structure for the neck on his basses.

I wonder if replacing the tuning machines with ultra-lightweight versions would be a step in this direction? Could be a worthy experiment.