Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hey all, I'm looking for your expert opinions on whether this 1980 4003 is sporting a thick neck or a thinner one.
http://www.leedavila.com/ricfull.jpg
http://www.leedavila.com/ricneck.jpg

I'm considering it, but probably need a thinner necked one for my smaller mitts. Thanks!

Lee, I have found that necks of this vintage are thicker than the early to mid 70's ones but thinner than a new 4003. Is there any way to try it out?

Very nice looking bass BTW

Oh yes, FWIW I also have small mitts and that is why I play RICs. the slightly shorter scale to me is more useful than the neck being super skinny.

Wow.

THe fingerboard is nice and dark, and the finish looks great.

WHat Bob said.

Great, thanks much for your help! I'm hoping to go mano-a-mano with it sometime this week. I'll let you know how it turns out. Overall, the bass is in good condition, save some belt-buckle finish chipping.

I think it looks pretty typical of a 4003. It may be a little thicker than an older 4001, but nothing you won't be able to adapt to easily.

I have 4 4001's from the late 70's. A 76, 77, 79, and an 80. All have similar(and very nice) thin necks. I also have a couple mid-80's 4003's that feel similar to the late 70's 4001s. There is some variation in neck thickness due to hand sanding at the factory. But my call is that its hard to go wrong with a Rick neck from this era.

Yes, I have both 78 and 79 4001's and an 81 4003, the 4003 is exactly like the 4001's except for the backwards truss rods, the neck on the 4003 is very thin, it is thinner than my 78 which also illustrates what Jeff has said about the hand sanding.

Every rick i have ever owned had different necks. The thinnest one i have seen yet has been a 90 4003. I have two 86's right now with thinner necks.I have had 3 74's only one had a truly thin neck.I also had an 81 4001's with a thinner neck . Everyone talks about 70's necks being so thin and for the most part they are not. They have more of a flat profile but are still kind of thick overall where as a 4003 has rounder profile . i have never owned a 60's rick so i have know opinion on those. Bottom line is as i said before they are all different .Chronically inconsistent. I have had to buy sell and trade alot to get different rics for the neck profiles i desire. literally dozens of times over.

I have two 4001's a 78 and a 79, and also have an 81 4003, they are all exactly the same except for the reversed truss rods and split pickguard in the 4003. The 4003 neck is actually a little thinner than my 78 4001 which proves Jeff's sanding point. If it's all original it will still have the cap in it.

"The thinnest one i have seen yet has been a 90 4003."

I have a '91 4003 and the neck feels very thin and comfortable, thinner than my friends '89 and definitely more thinner than his '03. I also remember that my other friends '75 4001 felt a lot "blockier".

Have you seen the bass in person? I'm wondering if the TRC is a little odd. The picture you submitted is pretty crisp, but the headstock looks blurrier than the rest of the image, and the lettering of the TRC is very light, much lighter than any other part of the picture. There appears to be some blotchiness on the headstock, too. Just curious.

Here is an enlargement:
http://img270.imageshack.us/img270/6185/ricfull4xy.jpg

I haven't seen it in person yet. When I do, I'll be sure to have a long look at the TRC. I was told that the owner had it refretted with slightly taller frets and that at least one of the pickups had been rewound by Jason Lollar. I'm still waiting on the guy to respond. He's looking for a hollowbody guitar in trade and I have a 2000 Gretsch Nashville w/ Lindy Fralin P-90s that I don't play much. Fingers are crossed!