Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I bought a '05 4003FGVP a few months ago still in the factory box from PM Blues

...and I was happy to get my first Rick!

The neck is a tad on the beefy side

...but none the less I liked it and learned to live with it.

After hearing about the new neck profile I decided that I wasn't going to settle for what I have

...and will probably sell it and get one of the newest "thin neck" models.

My question is what year and 4001/4003/C64/V63 have the thinnest neck dimensions?

Well, that is a good question. The fact is, that despite many opinions to the contrary, the thickness of the neck (crown of the fingerboard to the back of the neck) seemed to change very little over the years and there are no significant tendencies from year to year or era to era. The perceived differences seem to be more a function of shape of the neck rather than the thickness. I have lots of neck data on hand here but it is mostly in hand-written notes so I have to transcribe them. The maximum deviation appears to be about 1/32". Pretty much everyone will have opinions on this topic (as did I before taking measurements) but the facts do not bear out the opinions.

Hey Ben,

I'm with you. I sold off my 2005 4003's a few short months after owning them. My experiences are limited. There should be a lot of input on this topic. Also, I bet there will be a LOT of people selling their newer 4003's!

My V63 has the thinnest neck so far. It's a 1988. My 1995 4001CS is a VERY close 2nd. My 1979 4001 was third. And lastly, my new 2006. I'm amazed at the difference in just one year. Ben Hall once told me that my 2005 Monty 4003 COULD have just been a fluke. That sucker had a neck like a baseball bat! The 2006 is thinner IMHO than all the 2005's I owned.

Before my Rick I played exclusively a '72 Tele bass with a 'jazz-like' neck. I tell you it's tough getting used to the 4003.

What ever happened with the neck thickness poll? Any final numbers from that?

I was wondering about fret board radius in relation to thickness of the neck. I just found a new music shop nearby, and the guy there seems very promising as far as luthier-type knowledge. I was talking to him about re-fretting Rick basses, and he seemed very knowledgable about handling the bindings on the neck and the different types of fret material (60/40 vs 80/20 in metal combinations...things that I do not know about). Anyways, he asked me which fret board radius I had on my '87 4003. I didn't know what he was talking about. He told me that in some years, Rick basses had either a 16 or 20 inch radius fret board. If that's the case, then I wondered how that would relate to a feeling of thickness on the neck.

Any comments on this?

My '68 4000 and '91 V63 had thinner necks than the more recent basses I have picked up with the exception of a C64. The C64 was very thin.

I have the numbers but they are mostly on paper. I will transcribe them so we can get them posted here.

That is a beautiful 4003 though Ben. Love the color. I have an '87 which feels great to me but I have big hands. I was thinking of getting a 2006 (I want the vintage tone control), but now with the talk of something special for a 75th anniversary Rick, I think I'll wait to see what comes out this year.

+1 on the color... is that FireGlo "ambered"?

the slimmest necks on a Ric bass ...

#1 ... the 2030 ... like a jazz bass ...
#2 ... 60s 4000 series basses but they are also weaker ... some of the 60s basses had neck problems ... some of the very early 70s basses also had a nice profile ...
#3 ... the 4001c64 has a nice neck

the 4003 basses vary a little ... some slimmer some fatter ...

I am a 5 string player so every single ric bass that I have ever played has a slim neck as compared to most 5 string basses ...

Great pictures! That thing's a beaut!!!

I finally got my '76 4001 up and running again. The neck is definitely not skinny, especially near the nut. I just accept it, and in fact, kind of enjoy it. But I also like switching to my old short scale Gibson too, which has a really skinny neck.

oh by the way ... that 4003 would make a great 5 string bass ...

#3 ... the 4001c64 has a nice neck ...
Jeff does this hold true with the newer C64s?

As far as converting it 4-3-5...It will definitely go for sale at some point.

No there is no Amber in it. It is a gradual fire red to peach. I have already done the VTC mod so that might be a plus for a prospective buyer.

If I remember reading correctly, someone mentioned how Ted's basses were setup so well (at the M.A.R.C. I'm guessing). When I got my bass back from Ted, it played like butter, and what once felt like a thick neck seemed a thing of the past. This has me wondering if much of the complaining about neck profile is really due to the setup. On mine, not only did the setup change the feel, but also the sound. It finally became as attractive to play as it was to look at. I can be more specific, and will, once it's back from refinishing at Dale's. I only played it very briefly after the setup, and before it went out to Dale, but that first impression left me thinking this was never a RIC bass until now. I thought that getting it to sound like a RIC was not happening because of my lack of technique. Now, a simple plucked note has that full RIC sound. Getting the 'Roundabout' sound was not a problem, it is just 'there' now. The bass was bought used on Ebay in mint condition cosmetically, but had underlying problems that yielded high action. I wonder if new basses come from the factory setup like Ted setup mine. I'll tell ya, the setup makes all the difference.

That is a gorgeous Fireglo on that bass, Ben!!