Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I didn't know that ANY 4001 basses had a set neck. Someone school me on this subject. I was aware that the 4000 had a set neck and a few with neck thru but not the 4001! ??
Damn pretty too!

It's actually fairly common. The 4001S models built in the 1970s (?) were produced in common with the 4000 with the set neck. They had the same features as the 4000 (no binding, contoured top edges, dot position markers), so they used the same body and neck structure. If a 4001S was called for, RIC added the second pickup and controls. It was a production economy. I've never heard anyone with complaints about the set neck delivering substantially different tone or less sustain.

When the 4003 came along, the 4003S models (along with the 4003S5 and 4003S8) were built the same as the standard 4003 with through neck.

Got one, and a lovely player it is too.

I can't say for sure as to when the first set-neck 4000 basses were made, but they were still neck-thru in 1965, just like the 4001-S basses of the period...Ken's old '67 4001-S was neck thru.

The RIC bass I gig the most is an '82 4001S set-neck.

The set necks on the 4000's began sometime in late '72
or early '73.
I saw a '72 through neck on the bay a few years ago; very cool with dots and no bindings AND a Shedua stripe....