Rickenbacker 4003 Bass

I am regrettably distressed as my Midnight Blue 4003 bass has been returned under warranty for attention to bleeding of the midnight blue paint onto the white binding. I am also irritated that it took Rickenbacker 3 months to reply to my first report of this problem, but resolution paid off in the end and I my faith will be restored in the Company pending a satisfactory outcome.

I have read reports outlining a problem with the midnight blue finish on Rickenbacker?s, but I am unable to find any reference to this particular quandary on the Rickenbacker corporate forum.

I paid full price from Guitar Amp and Keyboard - a Company based in Brighton UK. I have a lot of respect for this distributor and cannot fault their attention and service.

The Rickenbacker is a quality instrument and I would expect it to have a top quality finish. The instrument is everything I always wanted in terms of sound. Had I been aware of possible problems with the paint, I would have chosen an alternative finish. I would appreciate your observations and advice please ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you.

Sound of the bass is superb. I play mostly Jazz and Blues.
I use an Orange AD200 amp with Orange 4x10 cabinet. No effects. The sound is bright and clear with a typical Rick deep bass and punchy higher end. The bass is perfect on stage and the quality of sound comes through in the studio.

The action was a little high, but a few minutes work solved this.
The pick ups were adjusted OK. My only problem is with the Midnight Blue finish bleeding on to the white binding. The bass is now back with Rickenbacher for refurbishment or replacement under warranty.

The bass is well constructed and I have confidence to make it my only guitar.

It took Rickenbacker 3 months and several emails to respond to my initial report regarding problems with the paint finish. Their response was short and to the point! GAK in Brighton UK from whom I purchased the bass from have been quick and efficient dealing with the problem once Rickenbacker got into gear.

I wish I knew about the paint problem before buying.
If it were stolen I would buy another.
My only other choise would be a Fender 60's Jazz Bass NOS

2005 Rickenbacker 4003 bass.

maple neck and body with rosewood fretboard.


stereo output, an amazing feature

This bass sonds like nothing I've ever heard before.


I played it with a bow, it had the coolest sound I've ever heard. Try it.

but yeah, I play funk, jazz, death metal, and blues. It could work for anything.

perfection

Rickenbacker means quality. this bass will hold up for many years. I would gig without a back up with out any second thought. it is solid, but it is easily scrached/dented.

from what I hear, as long as you are under warranty Ricenbacker is a nice company to deal with. I haven't had to do so.

I love this bass, I've been playing for 3-4 years. If it were stolen, I would die. but then I'd pull a jesus and come back to live and work at 84 lumber for another 6 months so I could buy another.


The one thing that is lacks is a 24 fret neck. but that's not that big of a deal. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

2005 Made Rickenbacker 4003 in limited edition BlueBurst (colour of the year 2005.)

Has the standard Rick features..... through neck construction, 4 strings, fingerboard with polished finish, maple body neck with a rosewood fretboard, two Ric passive pickups, ric-o-sound etc. The features aren't that important when you buy an instrument like a Ric, you should know and be grateful for what you get, especially if you wack out around #1k for this guitar.

Surprisingly versatile. The acoustics of this bass are lovely, notes ring out loud and clear. The mostly maple construction provides a pleasant bite to the overall timbre of this instrument. The pickups are quite hot in comparrison to my old pbass pickup (before i swapped it for a Duncan 1/4lber.) The bridge pickup is very bright and pronounced. Notes are defined with an articulate punch and playing with a pic sounds rather aggressive. The neck pickup is very warm and bassy as it is placed right up against the bottom of the neck. The middle position is an interesting sound..... bassy with lots of top snap, however I'm sure I can hear a decline in midrange which makes the sound lose some of its punch. I prefer to use either the neck or bridge pickup. However, I find harmonics sing with the bridge pickup as you'd expect but the neck pickup hardly picks up harmonics. This may have something to do with the positioning of the pickups as I've read on forums (either TB or the Rick Forums) that the neck pickup on the 4003 bass is where the 24th fret would be if it were there theoretically and that the bridge pickup is where the 36 fret would be. I have no idea so I can't really make an accurate comment on this.

Bottom line - if you want the Ric sound...... go for it as there isn't much that can substitute it, but don't expect anything modern.

Been through one gig so far.... cut through like a BIATCH! Loud mean and nasty.... which is why I bought it XD

Hmmmm mixed feelings here. The finish on the bass is BEAUTIFUL! It's a transparent blue with different shades in a sunburst pattern.. it follows this pattern up the back of the neck! Usual other cosmetics apply too (bound body and neck, matching headstock etc.)

The main thing i didn't like was that around where the neck joins the body, the paint looks a bit sloppy and there are one or two very very small bubbles in the paint. Mostly good. The nut was cut a bit high but that was easily solved.... set up with nickel strings so I decided that stainless steel would be too bright for such an already agressive bass that I stuck with some Ernie Ball Super Slinkies. It had quite slim gauge strings on it when I first had it (40-55-70-95)???? something like that so I decided something beefier would be better (40-60-80-100.) After a week before I had it setup, the bridge started to buzz.. fixed after a setup.

Hmmmmmmmm, this is a fragile instrument. The finish is like glass, beautiful and clear but I can see it cracking should I ever give it a bump. The bridge after having it setup was fine but after a day the G string saddle started rattling so I need to fix that soon. I baby all of my guitars so I'm not worried.

I've never spoken to Rick but on their forums, the CEO John Hall makes regular visits aswell as other workers of Rick (customer relations etc.) They tend to answer questions quickly and effectively and are nice guys. There have been loads of complaints about the new Midnight Blue finish as there have been reports of bleeding onto the binding and other parts of the guitar. Rick have changed the formula now, but they also deleted all posts concerning the colour bleed issue. I guess they need to keep a good name for themselves.

I love this guitar for the retro vibe feel and tone. I found it tricky to find a comfortable resting place for my right hand, but you get used to it. It's a wonderful instrument and is so unique in its sound and apperance. Can't cut certain gigs that my Fender can do but thats only cause it isn't as modern. For jazz gigs and other modern styles of music I need something that is more of an "allrounder". This guitar tends to have a free spirited feel to it - its loud, cool and it doesn't care what people think about it :D

If I lost it, I'd buy another one someday definately. I'm hoping to keep it as it will with luck gain in value especially as it's of a limited run of basses. Only thing that lets it down is the bridge which is to be honest, pretty crappy, but you accept small problems like this when you get a vintage style instrument.... it wouldn't be a Rick without the crappy bridge with the mechanical mute.

If you can, check out one of these guitars, they are brilliant!

This is a 2005 model and comes with the limited silver case (actually wood). Of course it is American made in good old California. It is a standard Ric with four strings in a beautiful midnight blue color. The newer Rics include strap locks which is awesome and of course, this one has them. The pickups are Ric passive pickups. Dual pickups with the standard cover over the pickup closest to the bridge which can come off if you like. Maple Body, Maple Neck Rosewood Fingerboard and Schaller tuners which is common with Rics. All Rics (except for the old 3000 series) are neck through. This special edition wooden case is fantastic. It is hard to find it for less than $200, but if you have a Ric, get one. It will actually do a better job of protecting the wood on your bass and is a collector's item that will raise the value of your bass in the future.

If you are a bright Jazzy player, I would not suggest a Ric. I would say you should get a Cirrus, Ken Smith or some other instrument with a bright sound. Rickenbackers sound like Ricks. You can get a good tonal variety, but never buy one unless you know that this is the sound that you want. Ricks growl and they growl naturally without active pickups or pre-amps or any other of the modern day stuff you find on basses which is what makes it so wonderful. No other instrument can give you the same sound. This bass sounds just as good in the studio or on stage, however, I have yet to use the stereo output. It is not necessary for what I do. I wish I had a nice tube amp and then I might play around with it more, but I have an Ashdown 12-180 that I adore...I really do adore it...and it sounds great with the Ric. There is nothing to dislike on this bass unless you just don't like Rics. I know a great Jazz player who hates Ricks because they growl too much and he loves active electronics. That is fine for him, but I like the rock sound and two words tell me all I need to know about a bass.....Cliff Burton.

Even folks who do not like Ricks will admit that they last forever if you take care of them. Look at McCartney if you want an example. The finish seems kind of thin, but as long as you keep wiping the bass, it looks just like it did at the store. There is absolutely nothing that is not solid on this bass. I believe that a backup bass (even a cheapy Rogue or some crap like that) is always good to have because you never know when a string is going to betray you, your family and God and snap right in the middle of a performance.

Rick's customer support overall sucks. I wish I could be more delicate about this, but they need to get their heads out of their behinds and start showing some appreciation to the owners of their basses. Their warranty is useless unless there is a catastrophe and I have emailed them twice and never got a reply. Look, it is a great bass and you will most likely never need Rick after you buy it, so get the bass and then find a good forum to ask questions or a good local luthier. For instance, an honest luthier should charge no more than $45 for set up (plus strings) which is well worth the investment. You will be giving this bass to your grandkids unless you mistreat it.

Save up the money and forget about all of that active crap. Most of these basses are now made in sweatshops with cheapy wood and unskilled labor. Unless you need the tone that a Rick can't offer, get one. If I lost this (and I really do not believe in the death penalty), I would find out who stole it and hang that person by their privates off of a tall building. I have owned a Yamaha Attitude (good P-Bass), Peavey Forum AX (next to the Rick, the best bass out there but most people are too dumb to actually look into them), Peavey Cirrus (very nice, but kind of a guy doing ballet type bass), Dean Edge and Musicman. I use a Zoom pedal for effects which I am happy with, although, eventually, I want some analog effects because they work better with a Rick. Please get one. They are not cheap, but you will be happy.

Mine is a 1999 fire glow. All standard Rick features that I'm sure we are all familiar with.

The sound, umm lets face it. You either want the Rick sound or you don't. If you bought this instrument I would think you already know what you are getting and love it. It's quite versitile as I have used it in many forms of music. I wouldnt say that it has a full sound. It does have its limitations. I mean if you want this to sound like a stienberger well it's just not gonna happen. It has that old sound. You can dirty it up, clean it up, go for super bass, go for super highs, blend it, but you just aren't gonna get a really modern sound. So young guys out there who wanna sound like Korn do yourself and your parents wallet a favor and dont get this instrument. the pickups can get a bit of hum in the wrong situation like standing to close to your amp but other than that no complaints.

It was set up very nicely from the factory. It was a plug and play instrument all the way

It's the most reliable thing I have ever owned. Its has never let me down. But lets talk about the finish. It's thin. It's laquer. It will wear and change color over time. I was forwarned of all these things before I bought it and so should anyone thinking of getting one. I have seen where on the back of the bodies over time the clear coat will start to spider web a bit. The chrome overthe rear pick up will wear off if you put your sweaty hand there when you play. if you lean it against other things with color in them over time it will bleed through to your finish. For example if you leave it on a guitar stand all the time where it touches the bass it will get dark spots. Laquer is f'ing beatiful but it has its limitations. so just like the sound if you know what your getting you probably love it. if not well you might be sore about it. The only other problem I had was two of the inlays cracked. I didnt even notice but my guitar player did. they are hairline and know one would ever notice but it is something that should not have happened. I'd say reliablity on this is 10 but durablity has taken my overall rateing down

I think this all depends on if you bought the instrument from a Rick autorized dealer and I don't mean musicians fiend. Those are all B and C stock stuff. I wouldn't have one personally. When I realized the 2 inlays had a hairline crack in them 6 years down the road I mentioned it to the dealer I bought mine from. He said he had up to 5 years to send it back if something like that happened. So despite what I've read about Rick customer service. I believe its good if you go through the proper channels.

I've been playing since 1986 and I'd say this bass is exactly what I wanted. if you aren't experienced and arent sure what you want I wouldn't recomend it to you. I think you buy a Rick for what it is not what you think you can make it.

You know the features by now. I like the mechanical mute- some don't. Just preference, but it will get in the way of palm muting. The two trussrods are cool, and useful for taking care of crazy warping if that happens. I really like the Rick-O-Sound, a cool feature for sure.

VERY deep. If people tell you it's not deep, they are crazy. The thing thumps, even with roundwounds. Do yourself a favor and turn on the mechanical bridge mute, and play with your fingers at the base of the neck. Sounds like an upright, will shake the house down, in a good way. Nothing sounds like it, and damn does it sound fine.

Okay, here's where things get dicey. Rickenbacker, as a company, is coming to a turning point in their status. Right now, they are coasting on a good reputation, that 'all ricks are the same quality- good'. This DOES NOT APPLY today. If you buy a rick bass sight unseen, it will have flaws, I guarantee it. If not, you are very lucky. Problems usually in the form of warped necks, poorly cut nuts, bad finish (more on that) or sloppy wiring.

Their problem is that they are backlogged for many many months with orders, and can't make them fast enough, and so they are hacking them out. People are now getting defective Ricks, and I guarantee in a few years the number of people who play them will decrease a lot. Many people collect them because they look pretty- these people are jackasses. It's a christing instrument, play it. Anyway, their reputation is going downhill a bit, so something will happen with them...


Onto my problems.

They recently changed their midnight blue to a different formula, a much darker, sexier color. Unfortunately, this color is defective and everybody with a midnight blue rick from the past few years (2004-2005 as far as I can tell) will notice the color bleeding into their binding, and possible other flaws that come out with playing. Some bindings turn REALLY blue with this. ONLY BLUE IS AFFECTED though, so if you buy fireglo you're fine. They very recently changed their formula back to the old style, but people are pissed. I'm pissed. On the rickenbacker.com forums there were a large number of complaints about this problem, from twenty or so different midnight blue owners. This post got deleted by the powers that be, so you can't see how many people are angry about this. What a crock of $%^&.

I have an odd electronic problem (must be a bad ground) where sometimes the three way switch starts fuzzing out, especially when I touch it. I guarantee this is ground, and I hope to fix it, but it's pretty bad sometimes.

My neck is fine, thankfully. I have taken it out in some cold weather and it has remained straight as an arrow.

Anyway, they try to run this company like there's no demand and they are a boutique manufacturer like Alembic. There is a high demand for Ricks and they are being stupid. Not to mention those stupid features like a clearcoated neck, bridge pickup cover, and a mechanical mute (I like it, but I'm the only one, and I could live without it). Evolve, that's what I say.

Like I said above, it's all up to the winds... some get a good one, some get a dud. It's built like your obese aunt, but if the neck is screwed up, it matters not.

Like I said above, the finish suffers in some cases. Sometimes with a bad neck people have to adjust the trussrod all the time. I don't, thank god. I would gig it without a backup, but that's only because I'm poor.

Sucks ass. I haven't had problems, but I am in the minority and I know this. They have very few people handling complaints and too many complaints to handle. If you get them on a bad day, they will, in so many words, tell you to pound sand. They run this damn company like it's the fifties. They are so stupid with this tradition $%^&! You can't handmake basses the way you did forty years ago with so much demand for them, not gonna work, and the times are a-changin.

Good bass, if you get a good one. I have an OLP POS Stingray knockoff that's actually more fun to play. The rickenbacker is clunky and awkward, but WHAT A SOUND. If you are serious about recording a good bass sound, look no further, this thing sounds freakin great. For slap it sucks, but slap sucks. The finish on the Ricks neck looks really good but plays like ass@^&%. Sticky and very pointless. Not a players bass, it's a showroom bass. But again, the sound... it's all worth it because of the damn sound.

My Rick 4003 is an early model--late 70s to early 80s, whenever they started phasing out the 4001 and switched to the 4003 for use with roundwound strings. I haven't checked the serial number for the exact date of manufacture. I bought it used in 1984. The color of the bass is Ruby, a beautiful red that I wish Rickenbacker would bring back (maybe as one of their colors of the year?) Unlike current 4003s (and earlier 4001s), mine has a two-piece pickguard. I'm sure this feature makes working on the electronics slightly easier for a guitar tech. I'll bet a one-piece pickguard would fit, though, if you wanted it to look more "vintage" close up. It has all of the typical Rick setup as far as electronics and controls go. The small neck is great for me, since I have relatively small hands. The only features that I've modified in any way are the volume and tone controls. I bought four of the vintage knobs like the ones on the 4001v63 took make it look a little older than it is. The binding is mellowing to a nice ivory shade. It's hard to believe that I've owned this bass for over twenty years!

I love the sound of a Rick bass with Rotosounds on it. To me it's just THE perfect bass sound. I've been really lucky with this bass. It has such a great tone, either live or recorded. I feel like one can coax many different sounds from a Rick bass. It's just a matter of experimenting with the pickup selector and tone and volume settings. I know many people feel that the Rick bass has only one sound, but I disagree. I'm able to get anything from a classic Chris Squire sound--with emphasis on the bridge pickup--to a full James Jamerson sound with the neck pickup selected, and the tone control turned down about 2/3 of the way. My favorite setting, though, is with both pickups selected and volume and tone all the way up. To me, that gives a great early Mike Mills (R.E.M.) sound. This bass has sounded fantastic through every bass amp I've ever played through! The best it sounded was through an old Vox Super Beatle amp. Unreal!

Since I bought the bass used, I can't really address factory finish/setup questions. Unfortunately, whoever owned the bass before me wore a hole in the finish of the back with a belt buckle. It's about the size of a fifty-cent piece (remember those?). The action has always been great, and apart for the buckle wear on the back, there aren't any other problems with the finish anywhere. Ruby is a gorgeous color for Rickenbackers. Personally, I feel that Rickenbacker comes up with great red-based guitar finishes. Fireglo and Burgundyglo are just classic guitar colors! I have to give the finish a rating of 6 simply because of the worn finish in the back. Like I said, the rest of the bass looks great. If I ever get a sudden windfall, I'd love to send the bass back to Rickenbacker to see if they can somehow repair or refininsh the back. Luckily, it isn't visible from the front.

This bass has been absolutely outstanding in the twenty years I've owned it. Usually, the only upkeep it requires is changing the strings when they start to sound dead. The only repair I've ever had on the bass came about two years ago. The wiring for the pickups had either come loose or the solder was beginning to crack and it was buzzing, so I took it to Neil Sargent in Houston (the only guy who should touch guitars in Houston, I feel!) and he had it repaired in about two days. Absolutely no problems since then. The neck has always been perfect, as has the intonation.

Well, we ARE talking about Rickenbacker here! Since it's a used bass, I never have dealt with them regarding the bass. However, I have dealt with them and my Jetglo Rickenbacker Model 1997. (I did write about my experience--see Harmony Central for Rick Model 1997 guitars). They're just awful! I know they're a small, family-owned business, but come on! Also, while I'm on the subject, why not a Rick Custom Shop? Even Martin (another small, family-owned guitar maker) has one.

I've been playing bass for about twenty-five years now. I owned a couple of Rick 4001s before I came across this 4003. It's just a classic bass in my opinion. I can't get enough of the sound and feel of a Rick bass! If I were to change anything about it, I might switch out the neck pickup for a vintage "toaster top" Rick bass pickup. There's a wonderful Rick dealership here in Houston called Southpaw Guitars, and they order all of their Ricks--guitars and basses--with vintage Rick pickups. They sound absolutely fantastic. This bass looks exactly like the one Bruce Foxton is playing on the back of the Jam's album called "This is the Modern World," if you've ever seen the record cover. It's a large reason that I decided to buy the bass in the first place.

This bass features 2 volume controls, one for bass and one for treble, and 2 tone controls, again one for bass and one for treble. There is also a pickup selector for switching between the bridge pickup, the neck pickup or having both on. The finish is a beautiful Midnight Blue and has not shown any wear since I got it. Standard 20 frets and tuners. The neck is different than anything I have played before. If looks beffy and does feel a little bit on the bigger side but playing it is easy and fast. I don't really get it but it works. You should deffinitally try it out before you buy it to get a feeling for it. The pickups sound great, really meaty and loud but quiet and give me a great range of sound. I like to be able to have options over my sound from my bass but don't like to use batteries so the 4 tone controls and pick-up selector is a big plus for me, not too much but still has options. This is a passive bass though and wont give you a huge range of sounds that you can use but I feel that a decent amp and this guitar will give you a few great sounds that are well worth it.

I mostly play alternative rock and jazz and this bass is very good for both of these. This may just be my opinion so you dont have to agree but the clear but heart stopping noise that comes out of both pickups on is really amazing. The highs are crystal clear but the lows are always there. *note-I use mostly roundwound rotosounds and sometimes flatwound rotosounds to get my sound. This sound seems to fit my style of finger playing very well because it doesn't just all sink into that muddy sound that I used to get with my P-Bass. Of course turning the tone down to half on the treble side and maybe to 3/4ths on the bass side will give you a nice thump that is great for jazzy tunes or just mellow sounds. This doesn't make you quieter though, the pick-ups pump out a lot of sound. It sounds about 2 full times louder than my P-Bass. The only thing that I might tell you to watch out for is if you use very brigh roundwounds such as DR Highbeams, GHS Boomers or Ernie Ball strings. You might get a little bit more high end than you might like but besides that the bass seems like it can take any string you could put on it.

When my bass arrived at Sam Ash I went out immedietally, picked it up and played it at the store. The bass came complete with locking case, finish warrenty, truss rod wrench and a large yellow polishing cloth. I inspected the finish and hardware and everything seemed in order. I have heard some nasty horror stories about rickenbackers but have also heard some great ones to so I wasent sure what to expect but I was happy to notice that all of the parts were in place, the finish was flawless[I don't mean it was good, I mean there wasen't even a fingerprint on it!] and it had even come with packaging materials inside the case from when it was shipped to prevent any movement damage at all. Big plus for that one Rickenbacker. The action on the bass was just a tad below medium I would say but what factory bass comes with a 100% amazing action anyways? I normally play with my action a little higher to get a better sound but it sounded AMAZING just the way it was so I only turned the action up a slight bit. There was no fret buzz when I dug in either so that was also a big plus. The frets felt smooth on the sides of the neck, I could see that they were shaped to fit the neck smoothly so they would not nick up your hand. Overall the craftsman ship on this bass is A+ and if I had the money I would certainly get another one without thinking.

So far I have had this bass for one month and I have just made sure to wipe it down after every use and put it back in the case. The finish is still just as clear as the day I got it and no nicks or marks are in the finish either. I feel that if I continue to take good care of it that the finish will certainly stand up to what it might go through. I can't say for sure though because it has only been a month so I will update this review in a few months to keep everyone in the know about how it is going. The hardware feels strong and I see no flaws in any of it at all. But again, we will have to wait and see.

The finish has a one year warrenty and I got a deal through Sam Ash for regular set-up/check ups just to make sure everything is going fine. The tech there is very helpful and seems to know what he is doing. As for the customer support I have never had a problem so I can't comment.

I have been playing for two full years and I know I am just really getting into bass I love it to death and would never sell it. It sounds amazing and looks just as great. If you have any questions about anything related to this bass I would be very happy to E-Mail you back.
Rock on everyone!!!

2002 Fireglo - same specs as others here

Great live or recorded (watch out for that single coil hum!). I use the Ric bass with Fender stainless steel flatwounds (45-105?)in an alt original band with retro vibe, and this bass suits the music perfectly. Everything from trash punk, psychedelia, retro rock, to mellow singer-songwriter stuff. It's flexibility lies in it's two pickups, 3-way switch, and adjustable tone and volume knobs for each p/u. A lot more low-end than you might expect. It's fundamental tone is very smooth and punchy like McCartney's Sgt. Pepper era stuff. It will, however, growl like a mad dog depending on which p/u and tone settings I use. Don't expect a Ric to sound like anything but a Ric though. If you like classic Ric tone, you won't be disappointed. Personally I love it.

Perfect, beautiful finish and tight, solid hardware. After changing the suck-butt original factory roundwounds with flatwounds, I had to adjust the dual trussrod system (quite easy) and the intonation (not very easy). Also, the nut was cut a bit too high from the factory! - - I had to break out my little round tapered file to cut the nut right. That's OK too, since I always do my own setups. If you are unsure about doing a setup, it would pay to have a tech do it (20-40 bucks) since you will end up with an awesome playing bass - - like mine! Some would deduct points for a bass setup not being great from the factory. I won't do this -- I only deduct points if I can't set one up to where I like it.

No horror stories here to be told about warped necks and such.

Hope to never have to use the warranty! I don't even know if my warranty registration card even made it to the Ric factory on time... (10 days from the date of sale??!!) Hell, it may take you a week to get your bass if you buy it online! They could join us here in the 21st century and allow you to register online...

I've been playing 18 years pro and semi-pro. I love everything about this bass.

Its a 2003 fretted in Fireglo. I had an old 70's 4003 but sold it (darn) Needed a new one once I began to long for it again. Standard controls w/ treble p/u cover, 3-way toggle and standard issue factory specs. Tuners rule! Ive played dozens of basses (including Fender, Warwick, Ibanez, hagstrom!) and this is thing stays in tune more consistently than any of em'. Not many frills but who needs em'. Ive come to realize that these classic basses (like the Jazz, P-Bass, Music Man, etc.) really have all you need sound, feature wise (for 4-strings anyway). If you want a new piece of furniture buy yourself a $5000 Fodera or the like.

I play in small-medium clubs, everything from Classic Rock, Dead, Country, Bluegrass, to Sabbath riffage and punk and the occasional slap solo foray. The RIck kills for everything save for slap. And this is only due to the lack of a comfy position to whack. This thing just has balls! Compared to my old Warwick (which sounded positively wimpy and non-distinct) the Rick cuts like crazy. I play w/ two loud dueling guitars and I have no trouble cutting through the mix. Its highs and mids are pronounced but the lows still thump. And you can really get a wide range of tones by messing w/ the controls (or use a good preamp). Try flatwounds and ease of the treble for a great Upright impersonation. Overall a totally unique and distinct sounding instument.

Super low action out of the box, but free of bzzzz. Beautiful craftmanship, really unlike anything else. All maple, neckthrough design = heavy! Doesnt bother me. This is a bass not a ukelele. Thick binding and high-gloss rosewood board actually plays more like maple. Frets are well dressed and even. Beautiful maple grain under trans-finish throughout bass.

So far so good. No problems. Seems to be a timetested tank like design. Maple is hard as hell so it should hold up under climate fluctuations.

n/a

A dude/chick just looks cool playing a Rick. You just dont see many of em' and you'll be sure to get a hell-yeah from some of the old-timers in the crowd. It does have a distinctive sound and playing style. It must be tested first to see if its right for you. After playing one for a bit (especially live)I belive you'll find other basses to be a bit vanilla in comparison.