Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I posted before that my wife was insisting I get a 4001/4003. I was taking my time looking for a blue S model. Got a big box today with a 2008 FG4003. Beautiful but the neck is WIDE. She new the 08s were supposed to have the narrow necks. Guess I got a late one with the 09 width. Gonna have to wait till the market improves and sell the beauty (bass). This bass does have a very rich finish, in fact the nicest finish I have seen out of my previous 5 RICs and of course sounds spectacular. Too bad my old wrists cant handle it.

Wide? I have a 2007, 2008, and 2009 and don't really notice a difference.

Wide, as in across the nut?

Yeah,across the nut.

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you Rick. I had the same experience with an '07 and tried a couple of '09's before finding a "slim neck" made October '08. The varying neck thickness doesn't seem to bother some but drives others (like me!) nuts.

Sorry to hear it, Rick.

Having owned over 25 Rick basses from a '71 to a 2007, I'd recommend those from the late 80's for narrowness across the nut.

Like this '87:

http://rickresource.com/register/user_i ... llsize.jpg

Compare it with this 2006:

http://rickresource.com/register/user_i ... llsize.jpg

The camera angle isn't optimal, but compare where the E and G strings are in relation to the two bottom TRC screws. The TRC's have identical screw hole locations.

Actually, anything from '72 to '92 would probably suit you well, maybe a few years later too.

I had 2 1977 4001 basses. Nice skinny necks but they flexed and did not intonate well. I quit playing my 64 P because the neck is 1 3/4" at the nut. This 08 4003..1 3/4" at the nut. Just my luck. I know I'm complaining about a great instrument but I have physical wrist issues. It does help that the RIC has a shorter scale. $1600 paid. I think it will get that back as soon as the economy picks up.

Perhaps you could arrange a swap here with someone? Cut out the middle man.

VRICKY63 wrote:Yeah,across the nut.

I didn't realize they messed with the width - all this time I've thought everyone was referring to the thickness.

I never thought the nut width had changed.

1 3/4" is P bass game, and that's not what most Ric owners want.

VRICKY63 wrote:I had 2 1977 4001 basses. Nice skinny necks but they flexed and did not intonate well. I quit playing my 64 P because the neck is 1 3/4" at the nut. This 08 4003..1 3/4" at the nut. Just my luck. I know I'm complaining about a great instrument but I have physical wrist issues. It does help that the RIC has a shorter scale. $1600 paid. I think it will get that back as soon as the economy picks up.

I think the late 80's necks are just what the doctor would order for you then, Rick! Mine feel very similar to my late 70's 4001 necks, but they have the modern truss rods and are better able to cope with higher tension strings.

And I know what you're saying...The new 4003's are great basses...Just a little different than the earlier ones. Some people prefer the newer ones, some prefer the older ones.

wints wrote:I never thought the nut width had changed.

1 3/4" is P bass game, and that's not what most Ric owners want.

Well, according to the data collected so far in:

http://rrf.mcx.net/Rick_400x_Neck_Measurements.xls

Nut width has varied over the years, from a minimum of 1.639" on a 1986 to a max of 1.737" on a 1997. Click on the page tab at the bottom for Neck Measurements. The first page is just girth. Of course, this is just a small sampling...

I was aware on the 4004 it felt wider, especially after playing Dog's green bass this year, but thought the 4001/3 had basically remained the same over the years, with very little change...

kenf wrote:

VRICKY63 wrote:Yeah,across the nut.

I didn't realize they messed with the width - all this time I've thought everyone was referring to the thickness.

wints wrote:I never thought the nut width had changed.

I'm not sure exactly when they changed, but when RIC went from a hand-slotted nut to the machine-slotted nut the string spacing got wider. I'm pretty sure the change happened sometime between 1992 and 1998.

I should take photos and get a dial caliper. You can see it when you compare the nut relative to the TRC in the photos above if you look closely.

I have a brand new 2009 machine-slotted 4003 nut at home. If I try to press it on my '87 4003's it won't fit. The string spacing is wider on the new ones. I think the nut is also a mm or two wider, but the spacing is what I notice most.

Hmmmmm....... Jeff says 80s necks. I'll have to check that out. There was an early 80s FG on craigslist around here recently for $1500 but I will have to wait. Kira could be on to something about a swap.