85 SR4 neck issues: what would you do?

**Caca de Kick** · 12-05-2011, 04:49 PM

Let me see if I have a neck of that vintage

Yup, that would be the best thing to do. But yeah, can be tough to find an era correct neck.

**Rod Trussbroken** · 12-06-2011, 05:08 AM

IMO, repair the neck you have. A new neck could completely change the vibe.

**drTStingray** · 12-06-2011, 05:57 AM

I agree also - this is an early EBMM bass so not only may be a rarity but is essentially as per an 80 onwards 2 band pre EBMM Ray. A replacement fingerboard would cover any repair damage to the neck if it's needed.

As Rays are revered by many bass players, even if they don't own them, who knows how prices may fluctuate over the next few years/decades. All 'name' instruments that have a followingappear to raise in price as they get older.

BTW the ski jump at the neck body join could also be caused by the washer included as part of the tilt mechanism for the 3 bolt attachment - not deleted from the earlier 4 bolt versions? I played a 1976 3 bolt Ray in a shop with this problem a few years back.

**Caca de Kick** · 12-06-2011, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by drTStingray

BTW the ski jump at the neck body join could also be caused by the washer included as part of the tilt mechanism for the 3 bolt attachment - not deleted from the earlier 4 bolt versions?

The 4-bolt necks or bodies don't have any of the tilt components left in them. By '85, those features were several years long gone.

Ski ramps have always had me wondering what exactly causes them, because this dilemma goes way back to 60's instruments too.

**drTStingray** · 12-06-2011, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Caca de Kick

The 4-bolt necks or bodies don't have any of the tilt components left in them. By '85, those features were several years long gone.

Point taken, and thanks for correcting me on that - however I did read that the early 4 bolt pre EBMMs did retain the washers etc but not the hole in the neck plate to actually adjust it. I remembered this because I had a very early pre EB 4 bolt from new, with a strings thru bridge - to be honest it never gave me a problem but having read it I was always a bit wary. I guess it's just another item which could cause differential settlement of the wood at the neck joint in the wrong conditions.

**oli@bass** · 12-08-2011, 05:34 AM

Originally Posted by Caca de Kick

Ski ramps have always had me wondering what exactly causes them, because this dilemma goes way back to 60's instruments too.

I found a very interesting read about that topic on some other forum, but I don't remember exactly where right now. Essentially, you have to look at the problem from a different angle: Not that the fretboard at the neck joint "goes up", but that the neck as a whole is "bent" at the neck joint because of a combination of structural weekness, string tension, set up geometriy and resulting force angle. The force angle is the factor that can be changed by the setup (!), hence I've read that some were able to cure the ski ramp by simply lowering the action and reducing neck relief, so that the pull force on the neck is more along the neck instead of from slightly above.

Naturally, that could all be just internet myth aside from all the real world physics involved.... ;-)

@toomanyslurpees: I'd also consider leaving that beauty as is and checking out those really nice Classic StingRays if gearhunter can't find fitting a neck for you.

**toomanyslurpees** · 12-08-2011, 10:12 PM

I've decided as much as I know I can't pick an option that includes giving up the existing neck because I know I'll kick myself someday for that being it's the transitional headstock logo and whatnot.

On a side note I picked up a cheap digital caliper today when I happen to see one because I've been curious to put a number to the difference in the feeling of this 85 neck compared to my 2000 SR4 fretless and my 2001 SR4. I wish I had the same specs for the 30th ann. SR4 I sold because if felt slightly fatter than any of them. at the second fret the 85 is 0.76" from the middle of the fretboard to the back of the neck, both my other two are 0.85". Do stingrays deviate that much through out the years or are some years more so than others (or is a thinner neck the norm for early EBMM stingrays?) I've only ever played one pre-eb stingray and it had a fatter neck than this 85.

**oli@bass** · 12-11-2011, 12:32 PM

In my very limited experience, the pre-EB and earlier EB necks (bullet trussrod) are thinner.

BTW, my 30th feels «mighty» as well.

**toomanyslurpees** · 01-25-2012, 09:06 PM

Ok, Good news, thanks to the Gearhunter it's a happy ending in the form of an 88 neck!

got it today (thanks to Canada post for failing to mention it had been there for me to pick up for something like two weeks)
and it's on the bass already! no ski jumps! no cracks! it's chunkier too, I did a little measuring and this neck seems to be about the middle ground between my skinny 85 neck and my chunkier 01 neck. It's going to go for a bit of a tweak from someone that actually knows what they're doing, but it's pretty darn comfortable and maintains the vibe. Thanks Jim!