Rickenbacker 4003 Bass

The 1999 model doesn't seem to differ from any of the other 4003's, which (unlike the 4001's) have a reinforced neck so that you can use roundwound strings. Mine is a standard four-string jet-glo (black) with the one-piece neck, laminated rosewood fretboard, three-way pickup selector switch and treble and bass controls each with their own volume knobs. The tuning machines are thick and sturdy with no buzz. Guitar comes with Rickenbacker's patented double-truss rod which, when combined with the freaky Rickenbacker bass bridge, is a complete pain in the ass to set up. While there aren't a whole lot of stand-out features on this guitar you get quite a bit of diversity for your money.

The sound is pure Rickenbacker. The 4003 has the Rickenbacker signature janglieness that floats on top of the music while supporting it at the same time. The jangle is always there, even at its most bass-heavy setting, but there is a huge range of tonal variation you can get by playing around with the volume/tone/treble knobs and the selector switch. The sound of this bass definetly brings you out of a purely supporting role in the band and is perfect for rockabilly and progressive. The tone is also a nice change of pace for jazz/blues environments if you're comfortable with stepping into the spotlight a little bit (or rather, if your guitarist is comfortable *letting* you ;). Toss a set of Blue Steels on this thing and you'll blow 'em away playing Ska or Punk. I can only compare the sustain on this guitar to the Gibson Thunderbird. You can feel the horn vibrating against your ribcage for minutes after you've struck the E.

The factory setup was pathetic and setting it up on my own was a nightmare thanks to Rickenbacker's overcomplicated (if beautiful) bridge and double-truss-rod setup. The action is too high for my taste and I cannot get it any lower (i.e. truss-rods full-out and bridge full-down) but I'll suck it up just to get the sound. I've played Ric's with lower action before so I know I've probably got an anomaly but the action seems to run high in general. It's okay, it just makes you want to attack a bit harder. The varnished fretboard is a real treat. Moving around on the 'board is quick, painless and a lot of fun. The finish is gorgeous and from the looks of vintage Ric's it'll remain gorgeous for a long time. The look of the guitar takes some getting used to but I think it's pretty easy to fall in love with. The wave patterns are sculpted perfectly so that the bass, while lacking symmetry, has beautiful visual balance. It's a very thin instrument but the contouring on the upside keeps it from digging into your belly/chest/armpit. I can't think of an instrument that looks better in black, white, and chrome (the bridge is really gorgeous even if it's frustrating to use).

The bass feels as durable as a Fender Telecaster guitar. It's a big plank of wood with some knobs on it. The whole-body varnish just reinforces that feeling. I've cracked the headstock against doorjambs, mic stands, a computer and a hatchback without the slightest mark. It stays in tune for a dog's age and takes re-stringing quickly and easily. Just holding it leaves me with the impression that it'll be around for as long as I will. Chris Squire from Yes still has his original 4001 and he treated that thing like a mattock.

Rickenbacker is incredibly helpful and friendly about communicating with their customers. The president of the company regularly posts to alt.guitars.rickenbacker and they listen to what people have to say. That said, getting any work done on a Ric is a serious pain. You have to take it back to the shop you bought it from (or another authorized dealer), they send it to Rickenbacker, Rickenbacker performs the repair while trying to meet their sales figures for the month and sometime next century you get the guitar back. If you ever have a luthier work on your Rickenbacker you invalidate the limited lifetime warranty. I want to send it back to them to get the damn truss-rod problem fixed (i.e. get the action lowered) but I love playing with the thing and need a good replacement while it's away. I think it's time for a Fender A.S. Jazz.

I've been playing for ten years and just got rid of my P-Bass (and defretted my Hondo II ;) in favor of the Rickenbacker. I have a Washburn AB-20 acoustic and play through SWR equipment (Workingman's 10, Super Redhead & Triad Cab). I kind of wish I had set this up in the store but I had been putting off the purchase for a long time and just couldn't wait to get it home. I'm not sorry about that and I have no complaints about the Ric while I'm playing it. If it were stolen I would replace it the next day and am just now coming to terms with parting with it for the requisite period necessary to get the action fixed. The sound and look can't be beat. I compare it to the American Standard P-Bass, the A.S. Jazz and the Gibson Thunderbird in terms of quality and signature tone but otherwise it's like comparing apples and oranges (signature tone being the main reason there). All Rickenbackers come with a deluxe hardshell case so if your dealer tries to sell you that as an "extra" just turn and walk out the door. The Rickenbacker sound might not be for everyone but if it's for you, get one of these babies. They're sweet.

Made in USA, 1997. It has 20 frets and 4 strings. Has got 2 passive single-coil pickups and 3-way pickup selecter switch, as well as 2 vol. and 2 tone knobs. The body is made of maple as well as the neck. The neck is a through-body type. The body style is unique and has a cool vibe to it. The whole thing looks like a wave crest of sorts. The fretboard is a finished rosewood type with pearloid triangle inlays. The finish is very sleek. Has Schaller Deluxe tuners and strap locking capabilities. nice.

I love the tone of this thing. I play indie/emo music and the tone is a perfect complement to the style. It is pretty quiet overall and has good punch. I have heard that Seymour Duncan makes replacement pickups for this thing, so those might be worth checking out. Good bottom end and lots of highs. Sounds nothing like a P-bass or J.

This bass was bought used and the previous owner had it set up crappy which made playing it not fun. That problem is solved though. Everything looks great, no rusted parts or anything like that.

I definately would use this bass without a backup. It is built like a rock. The hardware is top notch and the finish is very durable. As far as strap buttons, at first I was nervous because the buttons are too small for a regular strap and my bass would fall quite often. That problem was solved when I purchased a Schaller strap lock. Another plus with this bass is that it has 2 truss rods, which means if the neck becomes warped, you can correct it!

I have never dealt with the company. Their website has a lot of good information about their products though.

I have been playing bass for four years and this is the best bass i have played so far. Other gear I own includes:
Crate 350 head w/ tube preamp Fender 15' cab Paradise 4x10 cab /horn Fender BXR 25 combo Moogerfooger Ring Modulator Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive Boss TU-2 tuner Boss GEB-7 EQ

made in march 1997.hand made in usa. has 20 frets like most of normal basses have. 4 strings. got two single coil passive pick ups with volume & tone control for each one.plus 3-way selector. made of: body&neck: maple, fingerboard: rosewood. solid body. the body style is very uniqe.... rickenbacker. schaller deluxe tuners. comes with case. and what i think that very important- one piece-neck thruogh body. but thats my opinion. scale 84.5cm (33 1/4"). mono and stereo out puts.

GREAT sound. very uniqe. it doesnt remind me any other bass i know (and i know a lot). it can be "airfull" bass or real "killer" trebele. i use it with peavey mark viii 350w bass amp+cabin. love the sustain. great high notes. fat lows.

very good finishings. very easy to play with. the pickup were adjusted just as i needed them but its very easy to adjust them by yrself. very slinky. tringle inlays.

great instrument for live and studio. very strog too (if you know what i mean) i depent on it without worry at all. defently use it without back up.

the only thing i needed from them was information about the corporation. they send it to me very fast.

i play blues and rock for 7-8 years. i own that instrument for almost two years. i would definitely buy this again (if i could afford it) i compare that to the Fender and guys.... rick is much rich and better. THE answer for any bass player who plays all kinds of music.

Same as the other submissions: made in California, USA 6/99. Maple neck-through with 21 fret high-gloss rosewood fingerboard. Single-bound maple "cresting wave" body style finished in Fireglow (cherry sunburst). Two passive single-coil pickups with 3 way selector--bridge pickup comes with an awkward but pretty chrome cover. 2 volume, 2 tone. Stereo output is standard. In my opinion, the control layout is a bit cluttered. They could have gotten away with 1 volume, 1 tone, and mono output. But to each their own.

I play a lot of R&B, folk, country, blues, and horn-driven pop. My main gig amp is an SWR Basic Black (1x15 & horn) and I occasionally use a Boss Bass Synth for fun. I was impressed with the basic quality of the Rick's tone--ringing clarity, growling midrange, and rich bottom. But I was disillusioned by the dog-whistleness of the treble, the attenuated bottom end (I'm a dyed-in-the-wool P-bass freak), and the occasional hum from the pickups (which was only noticable when in a basement or trashy club. Otherwise, not a huge issue.) Being the tinkering type, I installed Seymour Duncan Humbuckers for Rickenbacker bass. This dramatically improved the sound of the bass! The bottom is rich and full (slightly bigger than the P, no kidding), the midrange is even and growling, the top end is smoother and more sensible, the output is much hotter and it is DEAD QUIET. Highly recommended!! I usually leave the pickup selector in the middle and roll both tone controls back until they point at my nose. I don't find the other settings very useful for my purposes. My Rick works great for R&B(!), country, folk, rock, metal, polkas--you name it. I give it a 7 with the old pickups...easily a 10 with the Duncans!!

I was initially attracted to the Rick because of the way it plays--smooth, fast, and comfortable. I have to be careful with my hands because I have a tendency for carpal tunnel, so I'm very critical. Although the neck is wider and clunckier than a Precision, it conforms to the hand much better and takes less effort to play. The overall fit and finish is impeccable. This is a deluxe instrument through and through. Because the finish is hand sprayed, there is much variation to their Fireglow, so be careful. I bought mine sight unseen and was initally pissed to find the lighter coat bleeding into the upper horn. I've now grown to really like the uniqueness of the variation.

I play professionally. The Rick is now my main bass. The more I play it, the more I appreciate its usefulness and relish its aesthetic appeal. I feel really cool holding it--like I've stepped into an exclusive club, or something. It is built like a tank and will withstand much abuse. I give it a 9 because I wouldn't row a canoe with it, like I would with my Precision bass. It's much too pretty for that...

I called their customer support about the supposed finish flaw. They were helpful, but terse. It was 9:00am on Monday and I'm sure the last thing they wanted to hear was someone whining about the finish. Also, no toll free number! All that aside, they did explain that the variation was due to hand-spraying. Their customer support is good, but I would recommend catching them after their second cup of coffee.

As mentioned earlier, I'm a Fender Precision Bass fan ('79 Natural finish/rosewood fingerboard/tortoise pickguard, badass bridge, and Duncan Vintage P pickup). So this review is coming from a Fender Bias: I REALLY ENJOY PLAYING 4003! Especially after swapping pickups and removing the vestigial, yet aesthetically pleasing chrome bridge pickup cover. In my opinion, it defines what a great instrument should be: it sounds great, plays smooth, is solidly built,and is completely unique. Since I've made it my main bass, it has caused quite a stir with other players. They are surprised at the bottom end fullness and the growling tone. Non-musicians just think it is pretty! Bottom line: It makes me feel special when I play it, which is worth the price alone.

Made in January 1999 in US. Maple body bass with maple neckthru body. Glossy rosewood fretboard with pearloid triangle inlays and 20 frets. Cream binding and a natural Mapleglo finish. Two passive single coil rickenbacker pickups, three way selector, stereo output jack. two tone knobs and two volume knobs. Deep double cutaway with a crested wave shape. Traditional Rick bridge with string mute. Rickenbacker tuners. Came with a very nice case and accessories.

This bass does what Rickenbackers do. If you dont know what that is, I suggest you get a copy of Close to the Edge by the progressive seventies band Yes and listen to it until you recognize the fat, warm yet very present bass tones of Chris Squier. Other famous artists who used the Rickenbacker were Geddy Lee of Rush and of course Paul McCartney. What I was told about this bass was that it had a harsh, trebly metallic tone that made it more of a guitar than a bass. I beg to differ. While it gives a nice musical character to the high end, it NEVER lacks low end, especially compared to my often harsh Jazz Bass. It seems to suit tubey bass overdrive quite well, and I'm saving for the pro-quality Fulltone Bass Drive 2 (I have the Sansamp for bass, very good, but more of a preamp than distortion pedal). This bass has fat tone, but what I love about is that it ALSO has this lovely present sounding FEELING on the treble. Not scratchy, but just what I would call CHARACTER. Its what made me fall in love with the bass.

I had two problems with this bass when I bought it new from a local store. One, the bridge mute didnt raise properly, but frankly, I dont care, because everyone with a Rick says it justs makes your strings sound dead and no one uses it. I wasnt going to either. But the main problem was with the bridge pickup adjustment screw. It messed up on me somehow, prohibiting adjustment, so I took it back, and they fixed it for me in ten minutes. Problem solved. The action is so lovely! The neck width is not what I'm used to, seems wider at the nut than on my Jazz Bass, but no big deal. The neck is slim all the way up, and action is PERFECT. Plays like butter. The looks are another strong point. The mapleglo finish (basically clear coat) is great, revealing a beautiful maple wood underneath devoid of flaws. Its comfortable, balanced, and just FEELS SO RIGHT to me, I dont know, I think Ive found the perfect bass. But i did take a few points off for the original problem.

It has straplocks, and it's built to last. The hardware looks good, much better than my Epiphone bass hardware. I always bring my fender Jazz to gigs not only for backup, but for different sounds. Its slightly customized with a Bad@$$ bridge and a parallel series push pull pot to get humbucking sounds and higher output. I have the utmost confidence in my Rick to handle any gig though.

???? Theyve answered a couple emails, but I dont know about them other than that...

This bass just has that vibe you cant get from anything else. For seventies rock, this is the bass to use. I was running it up against a couple Fenders (blechh) and a Gibson Thunderbird ($$$$$$), and it came out on top. I dont know, I get a buzz out of being a Rickenbacker owner, like ive joined some exclusive club. But hey, regardless of the hype, this is a practical but still wonderful bass for the bass guitarist who wants something more interesting than the booming, flavorless sensation of all the many boring basses out there.

1999 model usa,passive pickups,maple neck and body,dual truss rods(a great plus)

good for all styles,using an orange amp with 4x12 bottom,sounds full for a guitar rig, gets anywhere from boingy,to bottomy,very easy on the fingers.

played great when i first got it,had cracked inlays,chrome peeling off bridge,came back from rickenbacker repair shop looking like an employee took it home got drunk and had his way with it,small scratches on back of neck,body i was really bummed out.didnt seem to be setup as good after they replaced the bridge.

its a good bass,will last,hardware,well the bridge was peeling chrome off,very dependable otherwise,would use without backup.

sent it in to have inlays and bride replaced(cracked inlays,peeling chrome)came back with cracked inlays,scuffs,little scratches,ect. it left in perfect shape except for repairs needed,im still waiting to hear from them on this!

been playing 25 years,if it were stolen i would get another,i think the compression on the neck may crack the inlays on these,has anyone else had this problem,email me.

Made in 1986. It features 20 frets on a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, Maple body. The construction is of neck-thru type. The two passive pick-ups are controlled by separate tone and volume knobs connected to a 3-way selector switch. It has an unusual silver-gray finish. I also got the original case with it.

Playing heavy 70s influensed Rock'n'Roll this is THE instrument to use. I use different bass sounds (basically low volume and soft opposed to loud and sharp) in the songs depending on the mood and climaxes of the songs (the old heaven and hell of 70s psycedelic rock). The selectorswitch enables one the quickly switch between the pick-ups, this is extremly usefull when wanting to jump between the heavy full distinct sound of the bridge pick-up and the softer but equally full sound of the neck pick-up. When I want an extra kick of attack and treble I use it with a BOSS Bass Overdrive (turning the overdrive to minimum, using it only to boost up the treble a bit) , This gives me an ideal sounds for bass solos and some really weird and wonderfull sounds. The only bad part is that I dont think there are so many different sounds available just some basic variations using the tone knobs, but on the other hand the settings that I like I really think kicks *ss. If this instrument was only used for Rock'n'Roll I think it would get a 10, but it's not a very versatile sound (atleast thats my opinion).

I bought the bass used so I haven't a clue about factory settings. But who ever used before me certainly got it adjusted to a near dreamlike state. I only lowered the stringheight a bit (this though at the expense of a little rattle) to something frightening. I played guitar before starting to play bass and with the setting I'm using it's practically a guitar with larger frets. The neck is slimmed and allows one to do some fancy stuff if called for. It rattles a little bit but thats because a use quite a bit of power when playing. I also use a pick, this with the little rattle from the neck gives me a nice attack allowing to cut through the guitarplayers when neccessary. The previous owner wasn't very kind to this beaty so it has got some bumps, scratches and such, he didn't either clean it up after using it so a few screws near the pick-ups are a bit rusty (don't you just hate when people don't treat their instruments kindly?). Though it may look as its been through a world war or something it's the BEST bass I've ever played with. The only reason the points go down in this category is the beaty-flaws.

The only thing that bugged me was that the strapbuttons were crap and the strap always jumped off the bass making it head for the floor like a divebomber. This little (?) problem I solved at home fitting the bass with a couple of Schaller Straplocks. Now it hangs just were I want it to, without having to worry about the bass making an imitation of Black Sabbaths career during the 80s. The finish on the fingerboard is thick and solid though a little worn and as the frets are too (worn that is). Apart from the eventual refitting of the frets (though several years from now) I can't find any reason why to get a backup. As I previously stated that it looks that it's been through a world war I honestly think that it would outlast one.

No clue, never had to contact them.

I've been playing guitar few somelike 15 prior to changing to bass and now been playing bass for say 1.5 - 2 years. I use an LM amplifier with a Fender Bassman 135 4x12 cabinet and a Boss Bassoverdrive. It's the absolutely best bass I've ever played, and I've tried a few too. If it was stolen I'd be seriously pissed and if I ever got hold of the one who stole it I'd make him regret that he was born (or if he's clearly minded he wish that I've never been born), but seriously if it was ever stolen or lost I'd definetly get another one. Well Im planning to get another one anyway. I've tried several other basses like: Fender (P and J), Warwick, Gibson T-bird, Jackson KB-1, Musicman, Ibanez, ESP to name some of them. None of them came even close, well maybe with the exception of the Gibson T-bird. This is in my personal opinion THE BASS to play. Offcourse every one has a different opinion but I can only recommend that you try this one out. I know some won't like the unversatile sound off it but for me, it's perfect.

One piece. Vintage pickup guard and bridge. Hardwood neck. Two input jacks ( one for stereosound). Vintage tuners. blah,blah,blah

Rich and full, but little tone distinction ( especially on the E string) Not enough attack. Only good for pick and finger style playing. Too quiet in general. Not enough punch.

The action is terrible. Even after some neck adjustment, the strings are too high off the board after the 12th fret. The string tension is WAY too loose. Everything else is good

Durable, sounds great alone, but in live playing situations the bass drum eats the low end no matter how quiet it is.

I bought this bass because of my love Of Geddy and Squire. Unfortunately, even thru different amps it doesn't even sound close. The warmth and roundness is there, but it does stick out in the mix like theirs do, regardless of volume. If the string tension was tighter I still might play it, but it is too loose despite the string gauges is used. I wish I'd never bought it. Maybe mine is just defective. If anyone know how I could solve these problems please E-mail me.