Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I am ready to order a new 4003 and i was wondering if anybody out there has a new one and does it have a thinner neck profile ??

I played a newer 4003 for the first time a few weeks back and it was a lot thicker than my 72', and way thicker than my 96'... but it still felt just fine to me. I don't think the thickness is a big deal at all.

My 2004 Monty Brown has a gorgeous thin neck. I think its luck of the draw. Try different ones until you get one that suits you.

I played two 2006 4003FGs in the same store; one was half a Louisville Slugger, and the other was flatter. Not as thin as my 69. They were both comfy tho...

Though my experience suggests otherwise, I am told that RIC has not altered the neck thickness for a long time and that they would vary by only fractions of a millimeter at that. That may be true but the general opinion here seems to be that they do vary and by quite a bit sometimes. There was a thread a while back about chunky 4003 necks. Several people weighed in on the subject and the opinions were very consistent. I was thinking we could do something like start a thread that documents neck thickness at predetermined points.

"I was thinking we could do something like start a thread that documents neck thickness at predetermined points."

Interesting proposition. It would prove/disprove our subjective evaluations. Kinda up the male alley anyway isn't it??!!

Then again, some of us may not like the comparisons. My Nov. 2004 MapleGlo is thinker than my $20 wonder used Austin P/J copy, but still very comfortable and playable. Yeah, it would be interesting....

I'd be interested in seeing those stats. I have a few 4003's. My '94 seems to be the thinnest neck, but the difference doesn't matter to me except on just a couple of songs with repetitive left-hand patterns around the 3rd fret at mid to high tempo (ie worst case scenario for left hand fatigue). YMMV.

I would be interested in any stats, though. Where would the measurements be?

Hi Dean. Check out the thread called "A measurement is worth..." We are collecting data there.

Cool, thanks Ted! (I have been maxxed out lately but am glad to be back on the Forum now).

For what its worth, my '05 4003 BBR seems thinner (thumb to fingertips), than my '04 BB.

But then again, I've got big hands, and really dont have a problem with chunky necks.

Scott: Grab a set of calipers and post a set of numbers. It is really interesting to see the actual difference between a thin and thick neck. So far it appears to be just a few hundredths of an inch!

Dean: It's good to have you back!

Another factor that has a big impact on feel is the
shape or profile; a gentle "C" will feel thinner than a pronounced "D" of the same depth.

i sold my burgundy 2002 4003 mainly because the neck was like a baseball bat. it was very deep and uncomfortable and everybody that played it commented on the size of the neck.

I find it impossible to play the D shaped neck without my thumb slipping around to the binding.

The shape is indeed key. I think shape plays a big role in the way we perceive the neck. So far the numbers are bearing out what JH said about the neck dimensions not changing very much over the years. I am now more inclined to believe it is a shape difference that we feel and not a significant thickening of the neck itself - but let the measurements continue.