Rickenbacker 4003 2021 Neck issues.

[eddybuzzard]

Makes sense doesn’t it.
Surely adds up as to why the raw finger board was short lived.

AFAIK, they weren't actually "raw", but were probably given at least a minimal oil coating.
I would try building up several more coats of tung oil on the fretboard, to seal it up better.
That extra barrier would probably help stabilize the amount of seasonal moisture going in and out.
Just a suggestion.

 

[seanow]

AFAIK, they weren't actually "raw", but were probably given at least a minimal oil coating.
I would try building up several more coats of tung oil on the fretboard, to seal it up better.
That extra barrier would probably help stabilize the amount of seasonal moisture going in and out.
Just a suggestion.

Sounds interesting. Are we talking garden variety Tung oil here?
Do you add anything to the oil ?

 

[eddybuzzard]

Some folks use Tung oil, boiled linseed oil, Danish oil, or Tru-Oil, but they all do about the same thing.
Just use many thin coats, rather than fewer thick coats, and allow plenty of dry time in between.
Lightly scuffing with a Scotchbrite pad can help with adhering the next coat.
There are many videos online, for doing this.

 

[bassnyc1]

So is yours an oiled neck also?

No finish on the fretboard

 

[Jeff Scott]

Is the Alembic raw on the back of the neck?

No. It's a three-piece maple neck with walnut veneers between the maple, and finished. I think the maple is super stable (like my 4001 is) and the unfinished ebony absorbs or releases moisture depending on the humidity, causing it to swell or shrink and thus flexing the neck. I don't have scientific evidence, but I think it's less prone to do that now that I've soaked some lemon oil into it.

My two Alembics were an anomaly ('84 Exploiter and '87 Persuader-Vector body). Both had necks that moved around a lot causing me to go crazy trying to keep them in tune.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Do you add anything to the oil ?

 

[seanow]

Thank you and well put.

 

[sc_precision]

Had no idea the oil finished/bare fretboard Rics during that year had this issue? Are you sure not just your Ric? The thicker neck during those years and dual truss should have been plenty stable.

Maybe that’s why they moved back to lacquering the fretboards then because of the recent thinner neck and single truss rod.

I mostly play Fenders and own two Am Pro II P basses (rosewood) and a Am Pro I Jazz (maple) and they so far have never needed an adjustment since buying from a dealer probably because of the posiflex support rods.

I used to own an oiled fretboard Ric from 2021/22 and never noticed that it needed adjustment but I only owned it briefly. The maple walnut version btw I didn’t like because they are prone to sharp fret ends having no clear coat whatsoever (compared to what Fender does on maple boards) and the walnut body needing oil annually.

 

[eddybuzzard]

Had no idea the oil finished/bare fretboard Rics during that year had this issue? Are you sure not just your Ric? The thicker neck during those years and dual truss should have been plenty stable.

Maybe that’s why they moved back to lacquering the fretboards then because of the recent thinner neck and single truss rod.

I mostly play Fenders and own two Am Pro II P basses (rosewood) and a Am Pro I Jazz (maple) and they so far have never needed an adjustment since buying from a dealer probably because of the posiflex support rods.

I used to own an oiled fretboard Ric from 2021/22 and never noticed that it needed adjustment but I only owned it briefly. The maple walnut version btw I didn’t like because they are prone to sharp fret ends having no clear coat whatsoever (compared to what Fender does on maple boards) and the walnut body needing oil annually.

**IMHO...
First and furthermost, wood is gonna be wood, there are no guarantees.

I have not done any formal studies or data compilations, I have only observed an array of post complaints and malfunctions,
to arrive at my conclusion, so it is not official at all. I have been a woodworker for decades, and do know things must be balanced.

The full oil finished W models are maple necked, front and back, same wood, same finish type, therefore closer to balanced.
Fret sprout tendencies on these models supports my guess/ opinion.
The finicky neck problems seem more frequent when there is an out of balance neck finish situation, O/L or L/O, front/back.**

 

[Gizmot]

I have a ‘79 4001 that I bought new that I’ve been playing for 46 years. The only time I’ve had to readjust the neck is when I switched from Rotosounds to Jazz Flats. I’ve moved around a bit, but the neck has been rock solid through it all.

 

[lug]

I have a ‘79 4001 that I bought new that I’ve been playing for 46 years. The only time I’ve had to readjust the neck is when I switched from Rotosounds to Jazz Flats. I’ve moved around a bit, but the neck has been rock solid through it all.

My 77 has the same story. Swapped string tension once and had it adjusted back in the 90's. Still sitting on that adjustment.

 

[sc_precision]

I just spoke to Rickenbacker and they said they did switch to a different single truss rod early 2024 and he mentioned since then no issues but this was in reference concerning that snapped truss rod thread a talkbass member had mentioned.

When I mentioned this dual truss rod/unfinished fretboard issue he said that was news to him lol.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

The Stewmac Fretboard Oil is excellent, it just looks like a thin oil finish, but it sinks in and seals the wood pretty well. Dries overnight instead of weeks like Tung Oil or Wato Danish. been using it on all my Ric clone builds and only have to make seasonal trussrod adjustments. If your neck is moving alot, it's absorbing and expiring humidity. Sealing up the fingerboard should help, but do you have a dehumidifier/humidifier to keep the air a stable humidity? If not you can keep in in the cae with one of those guitar humidifiers.

 

[seanow]

I just spoke to Rickenbacker and they said they did switch to a different single truss rod early 2024 and he mentioned since then no issues but this was in reference concerning that snapped truss rod thread a talkbass member had mentioned.

When I mentioned this dual truss rod/unfinished fretboard issue he said that was news to him lo

The Stewmac Fretboard Oil is excellent, it just looks like a thin oil finish, but it sinks in and seals the wood pretty well. Dries overnight instead of weeks like Tung Oil or Wato Danish. been using it on all my Ric clone builds and only have to make seasonal trussrod adjustments. If your neck is moving alot, it's absorbing and expiring humidity. Sealing up the fingerboard should help, but do you have a dehumidifier/humidifier to keep the air a stable humidity? If not you can keep in in the cae with one of those guitar humidifiers.

Thanks for the reply.
I m over here in Australia so the stu mac stuff is able to be sourced but quite expensive, and when included with freight.$$
Last year I applied the NOMAD F one product which certainly helped.
I just applied this again.
The rosewood certainly loves it.
Do you know this product?/ thoughts?

 

[Jeff Scott]

The Stewmac Fretboard Oil is excellent, it just looks like a thin oil finish, but it sinks in and seals the wood pretty well. Dries overnight instead of weeks like Tung Oil or Watco Danish.

Hmm, how much Stewmac oil would it take to use on this after it gets stained? 80" x 32" x 1 3/4".

 

[seanow]

Probs close to the amount my fretboard just absorbed.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Probably most of a bottle, it's like shampoo sized. I've used Watco Danish on a lot of.my oak furniture projects, and it works well, but takes a while to fully cure and off-gass. I actually like the smell, but my wife hates it.

 

[Root 5]

Makes sense doesn’t it.
Surely adds up as to why the raw finger board was short lived.

It was short-lived because the ‘Ric freaks’ didnt like the look of the matte fingerboards.

 

[humbuckaroo]

Maple tends to get visibly dirty and lacquer helps with that. Nothing worse for brand image than some filthy looking fretboard sticking out like a sore thumb.

Different story with rosewood, as it's already dark and hides the dirt much better.

My personal ideal is rosewood with a satin/oiled back of the neck.

 

[seanow]

Maple tends to get visibly dirty and lacquer helps with that. Nothing worse for brand image than some filthy looking fretboard sticking out like a sore thumb.

Different story with rosewood, as it's already dark and hides the dirt much better.

My personal ideal is rosewood with a satin/oiled back of the neck.

We share the same ideal.
I d like take that lacquer off the back of the neck.
But it’s quite the commitment.