Rickenbacker 4003 Bass

u've heard them already, passive pickups, 20 frets, 4 control knobs etc. fireglo finish, beautiful looking instrument of course. came with custom hard case, very nice, but it's like carrying a coffin!

very disappointed, didn't sound anything like any other rick i heard. sure its got that original growl but it lacks power, sound options and doesn't cut as well as i thought it would, its passive after all. sure, if ur a rock star who has tens of thousands to spend on amplification and effects such as fully parametric equalization, it might sound a bit better! or perhaps if u were chris squire and had his super powered custom rick with the massive pole pieces and the equipment i mentioned above, u might get close! not impressed at all.

action was adjusted from original factory settings, quite buzzy still, and the bass is murder to play finger style (there's no comfortable way of resting ur thumb, and i find that my fingers stick a lot because of the pickup height, if its too high, it's far too poppy, if its too low, u stick!). if ur a standard bass player who doesn't play a lot of technical chops ull be smiling, but if ur like me and like to go on a bass wank-fest from time to time (ala flea, victor wooten etc.), ull struggle with this bass (and as others have said before, its one of the worsed bass guitars out there for slapping!). perfect for pick playing, but i don't play with a pick! i guess this bass is just made for vintage 70's prog rock, does really satisfy eccentric modern music!

its built like a tank, duel truss rods, neck through body, gorgeous finish thats pretty durable. it all looks very pretty, but thats the problem, its a very expensive "good-looking" bass, that lacks smoothness and balls!

i've been playing for 5 years (ive written a review of the 4003 before, wanted to conclude my thoughts after almost 6 months of having the bass!), and i still prefer to use my beaten up yamaha RBX 460 with a zoom 506II effects patch, i can't believe it cuts better than the rick! shortly after buying the rick i played a stingray live, new strings, through a peavy black widow. fuck...me! no bass has compared to the stingrays power and cut, guess what im going to get as a replacement...:-D my suggestion is, buy it if ur rich and want to add to ur bass collection, it has got a totally individual sound. buy it if u play in a classic rock band or a covers band that doesn't involve a lot of advanced playing. do not think about forking out the cash if u play slap, tap, fast finger styles or any other advanced techniques (i made that mistake and now i have a very expensive ornament!).

Fireglo, Made in 2002 in good ol' USA... same as in previous reviews, and that's a mouthful...

RIC tone is killer tone... lots of sustain, punch, and that signature growl... When I switch the p/u to the neck position, I get somewhat of a fender P type sound, with both p/u's it's growlin' and groovin', superior to a jazz bass, in my opinion. Some of my favorite bassists have used this bass (or the 4001), such as Paul McCartney, Chris Squire, and Geddy Lee... not bad company at all... Check out McCartney's new Driving Rain CD and listen to "Spinning on an Axis" and there's that RIC tone in all it's glory (and his RIC goes back to the mid-Beatles period!). I love it, it's a real classic all the way.

This is where RIC's depart from just about any other bass out there... when I took mine out of the case, it was nothing short of perfect. All of the hardware is tight, the action was great, and very playable all the way around. The finish is superb and flawless. The luthiers at RIC obviously care about making the finest instruments around, I am convinced.

Built like a tank, and very solidly crafted.

RIC offers a five year warranty on their basses, and warranty their finishes for one year. Sounds good to me... hope I never have to use it.

I've been playing for over fifteen years and I have played quite a few basses, but the RIC is the Bomb!!! I love it, if something happened to it I would save up and get another definitely.

This was a new Ric... passive pups and neck through body. two volume , two tone, same as in the other reviews...

Killer tone... but sucky, noisy-ass pickups. This bass needed some serious sheilding, and it had a nasty ground problem. Other than that, the tone was the classic Ric sound, which is awesome. But I couldn't hang with that buzzsaw hum, so I sent it back. By the way, I tried out a 4004 CII at a local music store, and guess what... there was that stinkin' ground hum..and those were humbuckers in that model!! Go Figure. I was really disappointed, because I had always wanted a RIC, and I haven't given up on the idea, but we'll see.

Action, fit, and finish was perfect. But with the classic RIC bridge, doing any intonation setups is a royal pain in the ass. No compaints otherwise.

very solid instrument.

I didn't go through customer support on this one. If I can't get a bass that costs over a grand with cavity sheilding and no ground hum, I don't really need it. I sent it back for a refund.

BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....'nuff said.
I've been playing 15 yrs. and own a Fender Am. P bass... quietest bass in the world. Don't get me wrong, I know the difference between single coil and humbucker type pickups, but this bass took the cake in the hummin-its-ass-off department.

Everyone knows the 4003, don't they? Solid maple wood, neck-through-body construction, high gloss finish, bound neck and body.

I play progressive british wave, post punk kind of stuff (Radiohead, New Order, Joy Division, The Cure...). I use lot of effects (overdrive, distortion, echo, chorus, phaser). Used to play it through an old SVT, but lately I prefer the cleaner transistor amps (Trace, GK).

The bass fits perfectly for this kind of music. A distinct, highly recognizable sound, very aggressive and punchy.

This is the ultimate rock bass, a Fender or Music Man sounds lame in direct comparison. These bolt-on type make a plopp, plopp sound, whereas the Rick with its neck-through- construction has an open, ringing sound with lots of sustain. With the Fender type I used to use some kind of compressor in the signal chain. Don't need that with the Rick.

Contrary to popular believe, the Rickenbacker isn't overly bright. It is a brillant bass for sure, but has enough mids and bass also.

The bass is very versatile. You can get any sound you want: Play with fingers on the neck and turn the tone knob down for a double bass sound. With some effort you can also slapp on it (it's a little difficult, because there isn't much space underneath the strigs near the neck ). But it is best suited for strumming with a pick.

It likes a little overdrive or distortion (glued in necks or neck - through-constructions with a shorter scale can handle distortion way better then bolt-on types with a long scale).

The handling is perfect, the neck is a dream and not too flat. It's a D not unlike a Preci.

Dislikes:

Because of the bridge design, it is almost impossible to dampen the strings with your palm.

The PU's don't do justice to this fine instrument IMO. They don't transduce the whole sound spectum. I replaced teh bridge PU with an EMG Jazz Bass type and disabled the neck PU, cause I couldn't find a fitting replacement for it.

The sound is way better now. More punch and clarity, highs and lows.

Rickenbacker should rework their PU's .

Even though the PU's could be improved, I give it a 10. Sounds too good, even with the old passive PU's.

Perfect set up when I got it from the shop, never needed to change anything since then.

The workmanship is first class and can't get any better!

Look above.

Double truss rod necks are known for its reliability. I hardly need to tune the strings!

The finish looks still as if it was brand new.

Never dealt with them and don't need to.

I play since 30 years. Basically, I'm a guitar player, but for recording stuff and such I sometimes play the bass also. I had a Fender Precision and Jazz Bass, Music Man StingRay and the Rickenbacker. If I could have only one bass, I would chose the Rick without a doubt. It's hard to understand why everyone and his brother play a Fender type of bass, the Rick still has an exotic flair . I don't know, but it doesn't bother me. When I take my Rick out of it's case, everyone goes "ah" and "oh" and "wow" and "can I touch it?" My answer is always "No, you can't!". Then I ripp their heads off with the most gorgous bass sound in the world - I love it.

I bought a 2001 Midnight blue 4003, made in USA, 20 frets, 4 strings,solid top,2 volumes, 2 tones, 3 way selector switch, either pickup soloed or both on, 2 Rickenbacker pickups, single coil, passive, Maple body and neck with rosewood fingerboard, glossy finish comes with Ric case.

I play blues, rock a billy and rock n roll, I put Fender medium light guage flatwound strings on them. I play through a 70's Ampeg SVT.Iget a lot of compliments on my sound. The flatwounds keep the twang out of them with a deep, clear sound. and I can still get plenty of brightness out of them if I want it even with the flatwounds. These basses have an incredible range of sounds. You can even get a Jacoesque sound with the bridge pickup soloed.A Chris Squire sound witha pick, or a late Beatles sound with the flatwounds, Sg. Peppers, Magical Mystery tour type of sound. These basses have balls, deep and clear. You need a good amp capable of reproducing a lot of bottom for the stage, SVT's are perfect for them.

I always set up a bass when I buy one, I thinkthey may be in too much of a rush to ship them out after they set them up. I've seen a lot of them with too much of a bow in the neck, but you just tweek the trussrods and they will come right back. Their dual truss rod arrangement is much better than Fender's singletruss rod system in my opinion. Eveything else is usually great. (I've bought 5 or 6 brand new one's in my time dating back to 1977)

They will last years and years, I have a 1975 4001 which plays and sounds excellent, best andthickest finish of any manufacturer buttons are solid, once you set it the way you like it, it will stay that way unless you change to a different tension string, I always bring 2or 3 but only for variety, I would definitly use one on a gig without a backup (and have)

The company seems to be helpful, I know the music stores aren't in love with them but they've always been helpful to me. Warranty is 5 years, never had to use it.

I've been playing 36 years, own 6 other Ric's, have owned a variety of other basses especially Fenders. I would definately buy another one. I love the sound, the quality, the playability, the looks, the different colors. I don't like the fact I cannot mute the strings with my palm as on a Fender (with a pick)although I very rarely use a pick. I've played all the basses in this price range and find them far superior, even to more expensive basses, they are classics just like Ampegs and Fenders.I wish it had the pickup blend 5th knob like some of their guitars.

i bought my ric about four months ago. it's a 4 string neck through body constuction bad ass bass. I got the jet glo which is a gloss black finish with all silver hard ware. I'ts got passive pickups that soud great.

I play in a classic rock band and I think that this bass sounds good no matter what i play on it. it has a strong bass punch and a nice ringing sustain.

When I bought the bass the action was just a little high for my standards but it dont take a rocket scientist to lower the strings. the 4003 has the most unique shape and body style. it's very light to. It didn't have single scratch on it except for the case. no big deal. i uasually play through a prosessor but the ric has a distinct sound all it's own. awsome bass.

It's got the neck through body construction for extra durabillity and the plastic pic guard covering the most played area on the bass.

so far havent needed any. knock on wood.

this bass is buy far the best sounding bass i've heard. it looks pretty cool to. the cool thing is they go up in value. I priced a 1979 ric for $2500.00

Rickenbacker 4003 WHT with black hardware, made July 1999 in USA. 4-string model. Passive. Hardshell case supplied. I purchased it as new in July 2001, which means it has been stocked somewhere for 2 years.

THE Rickenbacker sound, rich in all frequencies. Not really adapted to smooth playing, but very present. Perfect for rock, fusion, metal, etc. This bass is not noisy at all. I use it only in studio, with a Johnson J-Station, a Zoom 506 and a SansAmp Bass Driver DI. Great tones.

The factory strings were not that great, but the setup was ok. No problem with the finish. Except in case of particular problems (see below), the action is low and enables fast playing. However, this bass is definitely made to be played with a pick.

I experienced a big problem. I had to travel without my bass, and while I was missing, it stayed, as usual, in its case, in a room with quite normal temperature. When I came back, the neck had incurved and so the action had become very high. A professional luthier fixed this problem, but he had to give very heavy tension to the truss rod, so that the "Rickenbacker" plate on the headstock cannot be completely screwed anymore. The RIC luthier I questioned thinks this bass is defective from the start. I am very disappointed, since this is my third Rickenbacker, and both 4001's I owned previously never caused me any trouble.

I live in Europe, and RIC warranty is not appliable there. I am currently checking with my dealer, who will do all his best to have a solution from the official distributor (exchange, repair or refund). But knowing that the official distributor is not interested in doing good job for promotion of Rickenbacker guitars, I am quite unsure I will get satisfied.

I am very disappointed because of the problem I experience. What happens to me is the worth thing possible : losing all the trust I had in my bass. I love it, but I feel bound to get rid of it. It makes me really sad. Due to warranty complications, my new bass will definitely not be a Rickenbacker.

I bought a Rickenbacker 4003 Fire-glo, brand new. Took out a loan for this baby, oh yeah. It came with a plate covering the bridge pickup but i took it off because A.) It looked too flashy and B.) Because it got in the way and to tell you the truth it does nothing. It has two jacks for you to plug it in with, standard and Ric-o-sound. Ric o sound supposedly makes it play in stereo for old rigs. Never used it, standard works just great. Neck-thru body, volume knobs for both pickups. Also, worth mentioing, it has a sting mute, which i never use, but it kinda sounds killer.

I play classic rock/indie/emo/proggresive/alternative/heavy/pretty much anything that suits me at any given moment. Let me tell you, this bass is amazing. The sound is crystal clear and it rings like a church bell. The low end is grinding and heavy, and the highs are well defined. The mid range is equally goos, and the sustain is very nice. Really no probelm with the sound unless you slap, then I'd reccomend doing it on the last fret. Also, it will pop if you play too aggresively above the neck pickup. Other than that, excellent sound. The classic RIC sound.

This is by far the easiest to play bass I've ever owned. Sliding up and down the finger board is like skating on ice if you are a figure skater. If you not, well, it's like playing table hockey. The neck is just the right length and width for me. The finish is great, it's near impossible to scratch and if it dents, the finish doesn't crack at all. When I bought it the mutes weren't working but I brought it in and they fixed it (comes with 5 year warranty, excellent). The body might hurt your forarm because it's flat kinda, but your arm will get used to it.

This bass is built like a russian bomber. You could throw it off a house and it would stay in one piece. Great for gigging. Nothing comes loose on it really, so I can't complain about anthing.

It came with a 5-year warranty. No need to hassle with customer service! Plus, they have a website where you can contact them if you need to.

Overall this is a great instrument. NOT recomended for funk, but if you're daring you can tackle some slap. Super sound, if you have the money go ahead and buy it. It won't let you down. It might take a little while for you to get used to playing it, but once you do, like those before me said, it's easy as riding a bike. In ten years I imagine myslef having a few more. In the footsteps of McCartney, Squire, Geddy Lee, and legions of others, I proudly proclaim myself carrier of the torch!

brand new from the usa. 4 string, 20 frets (i'd prefer it if there was an extra 3!). nice retro control knobs/switch fairly simple yet quite a lot of combinations available. just enough space from the bass pickup to the end of the neck for slapping (but as many reviews have stated, this is not really made for funk/slap even though i play in a chili peppers cover band!). Passive electonics (still got a great range of sounds though). neck through body blah blah blah, you've heard it all already!

my serious band is a commercial indie/rock band so the bass is perfect for the type of music, but i also play funk and metal and although it's great for all styles, funk is the one genre it really hasn't been constructed for! (especially chili's covers!). The sound is pretty sweet but i was a bit disappointed at first. after hearing bands like the jam and prog rock groups like yes and spocks beard, i was hoping to have a huge crunching treble but it never produces such a clean cut tone unless i load it with effects etc (e.g. distortion). i haven't used the rick-o-sound yet so maybe that might make a difference. it does have a pleasant original growl to it though, and it is very trebley, i guess you just need to put a little distortion to get that driving feel! haven't tested it on stage yet but it's a great bass for everything (come on it's a rick, everyone will be in awe and amazement at it's beauty when it appears on stage!). there was also the problem of the pickups being very "poppy" when i was playing finger style but i put the pickup down a bit and it seems to be ok now. i use a trace elliot 7-band range of amp, and it always produces a full/warm bass sound. i was surprised at the lack of gain the pickups produced at first but it's still a loud bass overall.

intonation was great straight from the factory and the action was quite good as well (i ended up lowering it a bit for the odd bit of furious slappage now and then). The quality of construction is superb, the bass feels expensive! the finish is beautiful (fireglo), a real eye catcher and again you can see the quality craftsmanship. pickups were fine from the factory but as i said, once the action was lowered i had to put the pickups down a bit because the bass was so poppy. the saddle, tuning pegs, everything was excellent, very impressed.

the bass is strong as hell with the duel truss rod system and neck through body. i would cry if the finish was scratched, but i think the bass will stay sturdy for many years to come! finish seems to be good should last a long time if polished/cleaned frequently. the strap buttons were pretty unreliable, but i've put on strap locks now so the bass should be pretty "fall down" free. i would definetly use it without a back up, i'm quite confident in the bass itself, due to it's excellent construction.

i've been playing for around about 4/5 years and for the most part i've been using a battered up old yamaha RBX460. I can play any style/technique on the bass and i like to push my skills to the max sometimes, but i didn't want to get a boring sessiony kind of bass, i wanted something different. The rick is a beautiful bass with a quality feel and a unique sound (providing you've got a decent amp!), and with a few more months playing it, i should fall in love with it completely (totally different feel to the yamaha). I still manage to play funk with it and despite what some people say, you can slap on it, and it produces its own punchy/warm slap sound (even though it's not made for it as i've said many times before). The thing with the rick is that it has so much more character and personality than say a musicman or warick (both great bass manufacturers in their own right), and it's much more likely to draw attention than any other bass on stage. It may not be made for session musicians but in the end, i'm not a session bassist. my goal is to show people what the bass can do and make the instrument ever more popular :-)

My 4003 is pretty standard (if such a thing is possible for a Ric!) - large bridge, pickupcover etc etc. Fireglow finish, passive stereo output:if your're reading about htis bass, you know the form!Standard Ric case - damn it's heavy, but we don't want it damaged. Nice polishing cloth, too.

The sound of this bass is the voice of God - resonant, deep, clear tones, and for my money, very versitile. The range of different sounds available is very wide - just fiddle with that pickup switch and the vol/tone controls and you'll expose the wide pallete of sounds. I'm, supprised that the 4003 has a rep for being trebley, its clear and punchy, sure, but there's plenty of bass to compensate. I run a 2x12 cab off a Carlsbro 15" combo (not the best rig in the world) and it sounds so cool i don't want to stop playing. Havn't used the stereo output so i can't comment on that feature.

The bass came set up almost perfectly - good action, intonation well set. The pickups need slight hieght adjustment, a 2 minute job. The finish - flawless Fireglow, exposing the lovely grain of the wood front and back. Perfect slimline white neck and body binding, no scratches which pleased me - it was a display model. Slight powdery marks were either side of the neck just where it joined the body, these just wiped off with the Ric cloth provided. I just love to open its case and admire it! How sad is that?......

Havn't used it live yet, but eveything about this bass screams "(very well) built to last". I'm going to replace the strap buttons with lockers, just to be on the safe side.

Never dealt with Rickenbacker - it came with a one year warranty, but no 5 year reply card that American reviewers all mention. Is this optioon not open to European players? If anyone knows, can the e-mail me and enlighten me please? Cheers!

Ive been playing bass for almost ten years, and my first bass was an old homemade Ric replica. Consequently, my aim has been to own one, but i never thought i would. When I went into the shop, I was going to buy a Mex Fender Jazz - it felt O.k. and i was about to do the deal when, expressing my admiration for the 4003 on display, the sales chap offered to let me have a go. An epiphany! This bass was "The One" - it felt so natural, really well weighted, sounded lush and generally felt as though i'd owened it forever. Noel Redding has said that if it doen't feel like it's "the one", don't buy it. Sound advice - despite the massive dent in my credit card! After I left the shop I was in genuine shock at what I'd done, and only know is it sinking in - I own a Ric!! Try one - you'll know right away whether it's you.