Rickenbacker 4003 Bass

I'm a hardcore Rickenbacker fan, and the day my stock mapleglo 4003 was delivered produced a big adrenaline rush. Everything about this bass is first-class. The maple grain, though relatively conservative, was gorgeous. The front body binding was great, and the fret job was nice, though the side filing could've been a bit better. The lacquer finish was flawless. This bass was ordered with standard chrome hardware and white trim. The serial number on the jackplate indicates a production date of November, 1992.

The neck is the classic slim Rickenbacker style-- very easy on the hand, and very easy to play. Binding on each side of the neck, and those beautiful sharkfin inlays on the fretboard. Great action and set-up straight out of the factory; I've never had to make any kind of adjustment. This bass is incredibly low maintenance. The pickups/electronics are stock Rickenbacker passive, with individual volume and tone controls and 3-way pickup selector switch. The body and headstock styling have the instantly noticeable and recognizable "cresting wave", which makes it my favorite over any other brand of bass ever made. The design is classic and timeless, and I hope Rickenbacker never changes it.

I'm rating this bass a 9 for features, only because of passive pickups. But that's what I want anyway; I HATE active electronics on any kind of bass or guitar except for the Zeta Crossover (which is another review.) Rickenbacker bass pickups have always had the reputation of having a high output. With a high quality rig, this eliminates the need some players might feel for active electronics. It has all the features you would expect or need for a passive pickup bass.

As most bass players know, a Rickenbacker has a unique tone that is different from any other. It doesn't have the most versatile tone around, and certainly it's not for everyone. But you know a Ric when you hear it, and that's what I wanted.

However, there is a secret to making the 4003 more versatile in tone: a premium set of Pyramid Gold flat-wound strings. When the factory installed round-wounds (which I hated) finally gave out, I replaced them with a set of the Pyramid Golds. Be forewarned that these strings are pretty expensive, but they are the BEST I've ever played. They give my Ric a much warmer sound with the tone controls all the way flat. The Pyramids are made of a special silver and nickel alloy, and have a glassy smooth feel. (These would also be ideal for any fretless.)

Anyway, a high quality set of flat-wounds make my Ric more acceptable in a situation that calls for the classic Fender Precision or Jazz tone. You'll never fully capture a Fender tone with a 4003, but you can get reasonably close with the aforementioned flat-wound strings, the tone controls dead flat, and a quality rig. By the way, my rig now consists of a Walter Woods Super High power solid state amp, and a 4 ohm Euphonic Audio VL-210 cabinet (which is, sadly, now discontinued.) This rig is absolutely unbeatable.

My 4003 works equally well in the studio, or live gigs.

I've covered most of this in the earlier features section. About the only thing I can add is that bass is top quality in every aspect. My only complaint (a very minor one at that) is that the fret job could've been a little more professional; but nothing about this bass has ever given me any problem in the 9 nine years I've had it. The action is quick and just right; it has never required any adjustment. If it ever did, the double truss rod system would make it easy.

The hardware is first-rate. I replace the strap buttons, but only because I wanted straplocks. The finish is nitrocellulose lacquer and no doubt will check or wear off eventually; but I take damn good care of my basses and equipment and, so far, there's absolutely no evidence of checking or wear.

This bass has proven it's dependability and I would not hesitate to take it to a gig without a backup. I've done it many times with no worries whatsoever.

Ric basses have a 5-year factory warranty (but be sure to fill out and send in that warranty/ownership card!) I've never had any problems with my 4003, but I've talked personally with the folks at Rickenbacker several times and they seem like good people. If a problem ever should come up, I'm certain they would be professional and easy to deal with.

Friends, this is a great bass at a great price. Extremely easy to play; quality materials and construction; simply the best bass overall that I've ever owned or played. Let me repeat: it's not for everyone. If you HAVE to have that classic Fender tone, and nothing else will do, then this bass isn't for you. Same if you're a slave to active electronics-- look elsewhere. But if you're tired of that classic Fender tone, or these new-fangled, flashy basses with a million bells and whistles and little substance tone-wise, then a Rickenbacker 4003 just might be what you're looking for. As far as I know, it doesn't cost a penny to test-drive one. You just might surprise yourself.

By the way, I own a vintage '66 Fender Precision that I've had for 30 years, and I also own a Zeta Crossover. I consider my Ric 4003 to be my Number 1 instrument. I would be greatly surprised if another bass came along to knock it out of #1. If mine was ever lost or stolen, I'd get another just like it ASAP.

My Rick was made in February 1986 and purchased a year later. It has the black body (ala Geddy Lee) with the stereo setup. I play it into a Rickenbacker Road amp to take advantage of the stereo setup.

You could plug in a hundred basses in a music store the size of a Wal-Mart, and you would hear a Rick stick out of the crowd. It may be limited in its sound, but no one can question the quality involved in the construction of this guitar, and the distinctive sound it produces. I have yet to hear a guitar, keyboard, or set of drums that can cover my bass.

I have done nothing to this bass in 14 years. It never has needed anything. There were absolutely no flaws in its construction. I can fly up and down the neck with ease with my long fingers, and anyone with short fingers can easily do the same.

The body and neck give the illusion of fragility, especially compared to a Fender "monolith". However, my bass has been from Texas to California to Montana and back to Texas, and has withstood all climate changes with no adjustment.

I've never had any problems with it.

I am a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, bass, saxophone) and I bought this bass just to have one. I haven't toured the music stores in years, and when I did, I couldn't believe the price has almost doubled! I definitely plan to hold on to mine!

1976 jetglo 4 string/ standard pickups and everything else

When I first got it I was into 'Chris Squire' so it worked good for his sound. Was good for Wings material too. I never cared for it when it came to R&B or country. I used ampeg amps with it for about 5 years then ran it thru a Peavy. Now I have GK and Carvin Amps to use for my basses. I never got much noise using it but not much bottom either. If you use a pick it sounds too clicky. Very mid range sound.

The neck is nice and fast and action is low. I had trouble with truss rods during the first two years I owned it. It's dual rod neck kept needing adjustment and one rod stripped out of the threads. I had to get major work done. Finish and fret work are good and hardware is expensive looking.

I used this a lot in the late 70's and it always came on and played consistently. I say it is reliable except for the trouble I mentioned about the truss rods. finish held up in extreme conditions.

I was happy to trade this last month for a 1960 Fender P bass in good condition. I've enjoyed owning the Ric but I wanted the Fender more.I have been playing since 1974 and have been in 16 bands. I don't think I'll own another Ric bass again.

4003 'jetglo'. I would have to say that the Ric bass features are "well-documented" to say the least. I will have to be a bit anecdotal in order to retain originality and justify my review (yes, I am going to gloat over my purchase...). I've heard Geddy Lee mention that he despises the unusual Ric bridge and that he replaced it; Chris Squire heavily filed his 4001 body; an acquaintance of mine removed the neck laminate (!); numerous reviewers insist on taking the chrome cover off; one harmony-central reviewer even replaced the pick-ups with Duncans! Be original...leave your Ric alone. Mine is complete with the big-n-nasty bridge, the unnecessary chrome cover, the original pick-ups and, yes, even the sleek fretboard laminate. purchased as a demo for a slight discount, minor scratches in the black finish on the back (belts, no doubt). This bass is a classic and needs no rating for this category; low-tech; no battery (passive); unbelievable high-end neck access; did I mention the ugly and obstructive chrome cover? ok, wait, maybe there is creative potential in limitation - you have an either/or option for right hand/pick position - behind for treble and before for bass. Not to mention the fact that the guard helps those who typically thump right above the pick-up to remember that this playing position is going to increase your pick-up noise/"click". In short, leave the cover on....

The proverbial "Ric" sound really exists and is not a mythical/psychological construct! As opposed to any other bass I have ever played, I prefer the bridge pick-up to the neck pick-up. The almost indescribable (other than to say "Ric") trademark growl/punch/sustain/ring comes from (mainly) that single coil bridge pick-up. The praises are usually sung to the Ric high-end tone, but in truth this is a mid-range heavy bass. If there are complaints about the low-end on the 4003 and the 4001 (c.f. Geddy Lee, et al.), I would try to understand that as a subjective "stylistic" judgment rather than an unequivocal condemnation of the bass's low-end capabilities. The fact is, the low end on the Ric bass seems intentionally contoured, I don't want to say attenuated, but certainly "rounded", not as punch-heavy as the mid range. It goes without saying that the upper registers are clear as a bell. The bridge pick-up is high-output but has ABSOLUTELY clean, crystal, piano-like tone. Another possibility is to use both neck and bridge and pick behind the chrome guard to keep the punchy treble in play. My rig consists of two peavey cabs, a 410 and a 115 and the ampeg B2R. Ideally, I would like to replace the B2R w/ the SVT3-pro, but the sound suffices (see my B2R review for more details).

Being a wall-demo in the store itself, the set-up was initially lacking - the action was a foot high. The tech in the store performed a quick truss rod adjustment and the bass has been restored to playable condition. Soon enough I will replace the factory strings with Rotosounds and have it set-up as such. minor fret buzz in the middle of the neck; I suspect a full set-up will take care of the extra string noise.

Heavy duty; seems/is extraordinarily well-made. The jury is still out on the finish. The back of the neck tends to "stick" after long durations of playing, something to do with the combination of the finish laminate and perspiration/moisture. Jet-black is a scratching liablility; not necessarily bad, just a universal truth...(watch your belts!) Please do not understand this as an endorsement of finish/laminate removal from the Ric.

No idea, relatively new instrument. Incidentally, I have seen a Rickenbacker web FAQ in question and answer format with Ric's CEO responding to a good portion of the questions. He certainly seems knowledgeable, helpful and passionate about his American-made product...just that relatively small level of involvement gives me a happy feeling from the manufacturers.

Where does one go from the Ric? I have a Jazz-deluxe (Fender, ahem, mexican made); no contest. The jazz is thinner, no guts, very little personality when matched against the Ric, although it has a great unfinished maple neck (ahem, bolted-on neck). I also own a Dean Rhapsody fretless, great for what it is (I got lucky and had a really good set-up from Dean) and is highly usable in non-Ric scenarios (How was that?). What else is there to say?

I bought a brand new 2001 4003 mapleglow from AMS recently, the first bass I have ever purchased even though I have "played" bass for a long time (mostly on other people's basses). As to be expected, the bass conforms beautifully to the player, and I for one love the pickup guard that slappers hate because it gives me something to rest my pinky and 4th finger against when I'm using my index and middle fingers. The only, only, only complaint I have which is in part due to my body chemistry, is that I sweat a lot when I play (I play in a farily high energy pop-rock band), and when my left hand gets clammy, the finish of the neck and the wetness of my hand cause more than usual friction, but I have learned to deal with it (or play with less extraneous voracity) and the included wiping cloth has come in extremely handy.

Oh my god, the sound, the sound! I play through a '68 fender bassman rig with a double 15 fender cabinet and also use a SansAmp bassdriver DI for the board. The sound is simply lush, it's not too low, it's not too high, it's not too loud, nor to dry... there is something about that rickenbacker punch in the bass that is just unmatched by anything... I had to readjust some of my playing style to get used to the silky action, but when amplified, quietly plucked notes can really cut through due to the inertia of that famous rickenbacker ring... It's funny, because I usually perfer older gear, but I tried about 10 used Ricks and couldn't find an -as dynamically responsive bass- as the one I own -- although, I've found that pulling back (volume wise) on the pickup closest to the neck actually makes the ouput louder and fuller. This took me a while to figure out. Also, the rick sounds good with a medium guitar pick (oddly)- I never would have even considered playing a bass with a lighter pick but it happened by accident tonight actually, and it actually meshed well dynamically with this song which could be called dense.

Before getting the Rick, I was playing a Kay bass from the 60's which, although it had some charming tendencies, is vintage like old spaceships don't exactly appreciate with modern use... I was used to very high action, so I had an extremely heavy playing style to match -- which, when transfered to the Rick, sounded like I was playing crotales with a sledghammer. When I found an appropriate volume on my amp, I realized I didn't have to beat the hell out of the rick to get it to make a pretty sound, and hence, I learned to appreciate its slightly lower action. The instrument was totally setup exactly as I would have wanted it right out of the case, I still have the factory rick strings on it (after 4 months) and they still sound fantastic. And of course, regarding the finish, I sweat all over it -- I feel bad because it's so beautiful, I just hope this doesn't cause problems in the long run.

The one thing I have to say I really love about the Rick is that it stays in tune for days and days, even after rigorous playing and pretty extreme bending of strings. It does this without being strung like Ulysses's bow -- the strings feel fairly loose when tuned, hence the lower action -- but amidst the looseness, it stays in tune, without those cheesy lock nuts that are used on heavy metal guitars. Becuase it has the feeling of being built like a tank, it's relaxing at shows because you know it will be able to stand up to the elements of strange bars or weird outdoor venues.

I feel converted -- I have played bass off and on as my standard rock and roll instrument of choice for about 12 years now. I had played a couple of Fenders before -- Fender Jazz's and a few precisions, I had played a hibrid Kramer bass, a Kay... The rick is probably the nicest instrument I have ever purchased -- there is a real sense of top of the line quality, versitility and passion in this bass, and it was new too!

4-string Rickenbacker 4003 Bass, white w/black hardware, manufactured July 99, purchased as new in July 2001 (this probably means that it remained 2 years in the importer's stocks). Comes with hard case.

The finish is perfect, after all these years (this is my third Ric bass) Rickenbacker's attention to make perfect instruments is still the same.

Standard strings are Rickenbacker 45-105, and the neck is nicely set with the strings.

4003's have two truss rods to reinforce the neck if you play heavy gauge strings.

I have no amp, since I only play in my home studio. But I have a Zoom 506 effect pedal, and even with this low priced effect, the Rickenbacker sounds great. Both bass and treble pickups have a huge dynamic. Absolutely no noise is heard from the bass.

The 4 pots (volume and tone for each pickup) allow a very wide range of sounds.

The standard action, as the bass is set-up from the factory, is perfect. The whole finish of the bass is excellent.

Can't say anything, since I just purchased this bass. All I can say is that I owned two 4001's before, and I never experienced any reliability problem.

No opinion.

I am the happiest man in the world to have a Rickenbacker bass again. This time, I promise I'll never sell it.

Beautiful beautiful sound.

There are those here who say that a Rick isn't good for slapping, but I have to disagree. Slap right on the 20th fret and you can get some thick chiming sounds.

Manufactured in December of 2000 at Rickenbacker's Los Angeles factory. There are 18 other reviews of what this bass features, so I'll spare you. I love the foam string mute. It also comes with a really nice case.

I play 60s and 70s rock (Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Cream, etc...) and I've owned and played a lot of basses, and I can honestly say that for the type of music I play, there is absolutely no better bass. For all of the complaints about the pickups humming (they're single coil), the axe that I got is nearly silent when sitting still. It is very versatile as far as the sounds it produces, and will play equally well on stage. I've never recorded, so I can't say for sure.

Right out of the box, the bass was perfectly intonated and the action was perfect (for me), not too high and not too low. It's a brand new bass, so it was in perfect condition. The wood was excellent, with only a couple of blemishes, that I actually think add character to the bass. Fireglo is definitely my style.

This bass is build like a Sherman tank. I think anyone who's ever played a Rick will attest to this. If you've ever noticed how many 20 to 30 year old Ricks that have had the crap kicked out of them but are still in perfect playing condition and sound sweet, then you'll agree. American made all the way. My only complaint is that the strap buttons could be a little bigger. And yes, I'd definitely play without a backup.

Haven't had to deal with Rickenbacker yet.

I've been playing for about 3 years at this point and own a bunch of basses, including a 1976 Univox Stereo Bass, which is a 4001 copy. Out of all of my instruments, this is definitely the one I reach for. If I lost it, or if it were stolen, I'd definitely buy another. Hell, I may buy a 4001 at some point in the future regardless.

feb. 2001 made in america. 21 frets 4 string

sounds good playing a variety of rock and roll tunes. it has 2 tone and bass controls for each pick up.you can play songs from a high treble "play that funky music white boy" to a deep "black sabbath" groan

i got this bass still in the shipping box from a local guitar shop direct from Rickenbacker.i took it out and was ready to play. i didnt even have to tune it. the action was is so sweet.nothing at all wrong with this bass.

this bass will last a life time. everything is perfect on it.

i have emailed customer service with a few questions and they reply imediately

i have been playing off and on for nearly 20 years. mostly for my own enjoyment. my first bass was a `68 p bass. it wont EVER get lost. but if it is ever stolen i pitty the fool.i love the treble with the constant deep punch of the bass pickups. i dont hate anything about this bass.i tried everything out there to be sure i just wasnt partcial to ric`s. from bc rich to gibson to obviously fender. ( i wish i knew what happened to fender, even the american made ones, they all sucked)

Maple neck-through. 2 single coil passive p/u's. Midnight Blue (Almost Purple), with black binding. Inlays on neck.

What else can I say, it's a Rick. I bought it used, and it had really, really, really old rusted/dirty round wounds. I loved the sound, but when I went to tune them after I cleaned a little of the gunk off, one of the strings broke. I know all true Rick fans will hate me for this one, (but try it before you curse me), I strung it with flat wounds. It has the best "Thump" of all my basses.

The neck is great. The action is really nice and low. You have to get a little use to it, but after that, it plays like a dream. I had to take the plastic guard off the bridge pick-up. Its just a lot easier to play that way.

I've only had it for 3 months now, but as I said, I bought it used and it looked like it went through a little "Stage Rage". A few dents, paint scrapes, things like that, and it still plays and sounds great.

I've never had to deal with them, but some friends of mine said they were great. So, I'll put a good word in for them.

I love this bass. I am running it through an Ampeg SVP-II Pro pre-amp. From there, into a Carvin XC-3000 crossover, into an Alesis 3630 Compressor. From the high end, I go to a Carvin XP2 processor then into the amp. From the low end, I go straight to the amp, a DCM1000, 1000 watt power amp. I am running that into a Carvin RL-210T 2X10 cab and a Carvin RL-115 1X15 cab. That way the high end has the effect, but the low end stayed nice and clean. Its a bit of a set-up, but it sounds fantastic.