Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Does anyone know what the purpose of the thin dark wood strips running the length of the neck just under the fretboard is for? Is it functional or decorative?

JJ

Sorry for the double post...JJ

They're are not usually dark wood but Maple, to cover the truss rod slots. The slots themselves are curved, as is the back of these strips, to provide the right shape for the truss rods to pull against.

John, not sure, but I think JJ may mean as an example, a 360, viewing the fingerboard from the edge, and the fact that the height of the binding
doesn't go down to the neck/fingerboard joint, as on a Gibson, Guild, Gretsch, etc.I've had other guys ask me that one, and they give me a weird look when I tell them that, No, it's not an extra piece of wood, it's just the way Rick does the fingerboard edge binding.Was that whay you meant, JJ??

Don...I think you nailed it! It is, in fact, the dark strip below the white neck binding beneath the fretboard. It appeared to be 2 separate strips of wood but I may not have looked close enough. After reading your post, I put my glasses on and now think you are right. If it is fretboard wood then it appears to actually be routed out to accommodate the binding. Just another detail that further beautifies the Ric and separates it from the others.

This issue came up in an off-topic Martin Forum thread about Rics and one of the posters challenged us to identify what it is. The correct answer is worth $10,000! I'll share it with you if you're right! Don't start spending until you hear from me!

Thanks for the feedback...JJ

Get your lawyer and collect the $10 K now.
This is simply the way Rick does their bound fingerboards.