Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently saw a very pretty 4080 for sale... but I was surprised by the bolt on necks. As well, I was surprised by the amount of mounting-flat-area (of the neck) sticking out of the body.. and the way the flat areas were not sticking out evenly. Does this sound like a potential fake? I would have thought that such a work of art would be solid neck-thru. I suppose the only good excuse for the situation would be that if one neck on a neck-thru 4080 went bad, that would be a huge problem if not loss. Any comments? Ideas?
-J Blakey

sounds 100% stock

They were made several ways .

I have a scar on my left hand from one of them ,from a drill bit.

Also on in my finger tip from a 480 that did not want to be assembled and elbow grease was too much.I ended up in the Emeregency Room at the Hospital.

the 4080 was not the best double neck made but still an interesting piece.

I too wondered about the bolt on neck ,but from a production standpoint ,it sure was easier to make and was also easier to paint ,buff,etc.

Oddly, the bass neck on my 4080 can not, unlike the 6 string one, be removed once you remove the four bolts holding it, as it is glued to the body of the guitar. Why is this?

I imagine the sustain would be better with it bolted & glued.

Sérgio, I'm guessing that the neck was glued on by a previous owner (assuming you bought it used.) I often thought that if I were to ever acquire a 4080, I'd do likewise. IMO one of the most desirable features of a Ric (especially the basses) is the neck-thru construction common on their best models. I once had a 480 guitar, and was not impressed with the bolt-on construction - it had a fragile feel to it compared to the other 7 Rics I've owned which were all neck-thru.

I can tell for sure that the bass neck on my 4080 has been glued at the factory. Maybe the 6 string neck on it was meant to be interchangeable with a 12 string one?