Rickenbacker 4003 Bass

Rickenbacker 4003 burgundyglo, 1981
20 frets, tone and volume control for each pickup, 2 single coil original ric pu's. Modified: stero/mono switch- you can use two normal mono cables to run it "ric-o-sound" which sound really great especially with the neck pu "dry" and the middle pu with wahwah or anything else.
everything on this bassgutar is original (except for that stero switcht)
I give a 9 because of the great "STEREO" sound

I play many different music styles from heavy old school rock (sabbath) to nu metal and they all told me it sound great. sometimes it gets noisy when i hit the strings very hard, but that is obvious.
Likes: Sounds very cool. Thru the right amp configuration it sounds aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa great. i played thru a 8x10. sounded great.
i play thru a 1x15 with an old 100Watt tube amp - great sound
well- if you like that ric sound (I do) you'll love it...
I give an 8 because sometimes i have hum on it on live gigs (not in the rehearsal room) when there are a lot of lights switching on/off
No- it sound fantastic---10

I bought is used in 2003.
I put flatwound strigs on it an sewt it up for my needs. So i can't tell if it was set up well by rickenbacker people.
After 22 years the finish has marks that show the basses age - it5 has to be that way!

Very reliable. Until now. I take care of my axe (it is HOLY to me!!)
Whatever. You can destruct anything.

I'm from Germany. The instrument is 22 years old. I won't call them.

I give a 9. I can't give a 10, bacause it means "perfect". And the might always be something better. I don't think so. I trid Fenders and Musicman and... I LOVE Rick. But this is THE AXE. I love it and won't evr sell it. Perfect action and sound (to me). I love the neck thru body construction and everything!!

A Brand new Torquise Ricky with all the standard features. It's all been stated before in the previous posts.

I had a 1974 and sold it because I liked the new color. The 2003 does not sound like the vintage bass at all. I'm not sure why it sounds so different. I LOVED my 1974 and ran it with two amps for Ric-O-Sound but never even got that far with this bass.

TERRIBLE! Chrome was falling off the bridge and the finish had fisheyes on the neck(solvent pops)so bad that you could feel them with your hand. It appears Ricky quality is now a historic footnote. Set up was equaly as bad. It appeared to have never been intonated and the action was 1/4" high. I play very hard and have extremely high action on all my basses but this was ridiculous.

This bass scared me. Even the cheapest Chinese import blew it away in quality. I sent it back to Musicians Friend. They told me it would be sold as a blem..

The worst new bass I've ever purchased since 1968. I contacted Ricky Customer Service about this and after several days got a repsonse to send it back under Warantee and they would "See what they could do"

No one cared and it was easy to tell....They have lost it.

Pure Garbage....Buy a vintage but watch out for the neck problems they had in earlier 4003s. Make sure it is the model with the double truss rods...

Nothing has changed. See other reviews.

Nothing has changed. See other reviews

HERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAS CHANGED!

What is going on here? I purchased a brand new Turqoise 4003 from Musician's Friend. What do I find? Chrome literally falling off of the tailpiece. Fisheyes in the neck paint so bad you can feel them with your hand.

Another manufacture falls apart. The Korenas and Chinese manufactures have significantly higher quality. I'm crushed and will never buy a Rickenbacker product again....

Scared to death of Rickenbacker now that they obviously have no quality control...

Not worth calling when you ship this junk...

TERRIBLE.....The set up was equally as bad AVOID! I play very hard and have high action on all of my basses, but a 1/4"? Who plays with that? BTW- I'm no rookie at this. I'm 50 years old and have played over 25 years. I currently own approximately 20 basses and have gone thru at least 50 in the last 10 years.

This is the story of an awesome Rickenbacker 4003, in JetGlo finish (black), made in February 2003, and purchased used in July 2003. It is in absolutely as new condition, except the fact that the bridge pickup cover has been removed (but supplied with the bass). Anyway I prefer playing without this cover, so I even didn?t have to remove that cover.

It was delivered with all its original accessories: SKB hard case, polishing cloth and hex key for saddle adjustment. Unfortunately, Rickenbackers are never supplied with the key for truss rod adjustment. But I have one, so that's not a problem.

The features are those everyone knows, and that can be found on the RIC website.

I work simultaneously on two projects : a progressive rock band (currently studio working), and a Beatles tribute band (gigs). For both of these projects, the sounds I get from my 4003 are perfect.

For the studio, I basically plug my 4003 into a Johnson J-Station, which has a great SVT emulation. No much tweaking needed to get a heavy tone, something between Geddy Lee and Chris Squire.

For gigs, I use an Ampeg B-100R amp, and I add a Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI in between. I have a fat tone, and even though my bass is mounted with roundwounds, my tone gets very close to Paul McCartney?s.

The 4003 is a bit noisy, but as far as I experienced, all single coils are a bit noisy.

When I received this bass, the strings had been changed, and I didn?t like those that were mounted. I even don?t know what brand of strings that was. The action was a bit high too, but I must say I play with VERY low action.

I mounted Rotosound SR66 strings (45-105), made an adjustment of the saddles, and got a perfect action in seconds. This means you really can have a very low action if you want. Many basses don't allow this.

The finish of this bass is perfect. No flaws at all. It appears that high care is given to the making of these basses.

I always have another bass when on stage (a Fender Precision), but it is dedicated to some songs, not as a backup. Of course, if I experienced any problem on stage, I?d use the P as a backup, but I never had to do. The 4003 seems very solid and reliable, and if I had no other bass I wouldn't be afraid to gig without a backup.

I didn?t have to deal with the company.

I?ve been playing bass for almost 28 years. I knew what I was buying because this is my fourth Rickenbacker through the years. There?s nothing I hate in this bass, but what I love the most is the neck. Perfect for me. And of course this unique tone that no other bass can mimic.

If it was lost or stolen, I?d immediately get another one. This is my main bass, and more specifically in my progressive rock project this is THE bass of MY tone. And I?m not afraid to say that the way it plays and sounds inspires me every time I build a bass line. There are many of my bass lines that I believe wouldn?t sound good if played with another bass model. No other bass ever inspired me like a Rickennbacker does.

Made in 2002 in the US. Maple Glo. Comes with case. All the other features are here alredy, so I won't bore you with that.

I play Contemporary Christian and Classic Rock. This bass is perfect for both. It nails the old Rush and Yes stuff, and really sounds good in church. It can always be heard through the mix. I'm playing through a David Eden WT 300 head, Eden 210 cab and GK 115 cabinet. Sounds amazing. Very rich, sweet sounding bass. Like nothing else. You could take 1000 different bass guitars, play each one, and the Rick would be the easiest to pick out. Nothing comes close to the sound. The pickups are a little noisy, more than I would like. I've only played on stage and it's great. Compliment after compliment on the sound.

Factory setup was bad. Action was way high. I lowered it as much as I could, but still higher than I'd like. Pickups were equally high, and needed to be lowered, but that was the easy part. No flaws in the finish. Everything was tight.

Haven't had it very long, but I don't forsee anything going wrong with it.

I sent a few emails, and usually don't recieve a reply for a few days. Up to 5. That's not too good.

I've been playing off and on for 11 years. I actually sold this bass to buy a Stingray. I miss it now. I was displeased with the action, so I sold it for something easier to play, but also gave up the sound that I love so much. I will buy another one day, but it will be a 4001v63. I don't care for the binding on the 4003, the cheap plastick pickup cover, the sharktooth inlays, and the action on this particular bass. I would recommend playing one before you buy it

2002 Fireglo 4003. For details go to www.rickenbacker.com

Awesome! I put some Rotosound JAzz flatwounds on mine and it sounds alot better then the rounds that came with it. I'm running it through a Vox t-60 and I have no complaints at all. This bass will keep you interested.

High action but I was able to adjust it pretty easy. I have small hands and its still feels good to play. I never feel like I'm not going to make a note in time.

Seems solid! Its freakin heavy!

I haven't broken it yet.

I can't put this thing down. I was going to buy another hofner bass after selling my last one, (long story) But I decided to try something new. I was glad I did! This bass is like a drug!!!

Mine is a 2002 4003 in Jetglow (black). Its absolutely bog standard - 2 ricky pick ups, volume for each and tone for each. It has the ri-o-sound option too, but i've never used it. The bridge pick up had one of those awful covers, but i've removed that.

It came in a gorgeous fully lined ric case that smells 'new guitar'.

The sound is great! I played a music man in my band prior to switching. I got sick of the music man having poor output volumes on the G and D string. I plugged this beauty in Sound Control and was totally blown away! Straight into my Ashdown (300W 1X15 and 10X10 Hartke) this bass sounds perrrfect. Lots of bottom end and too much top! I just kill the treble on the amp and its just brilliant.

I use a carl martin compressor for studio work, but find absolutely no need for it live as the pick up out puts are very even and warm. Add in to this a chorus pedal and wow! this baby sings!

As said earlier - the pick up cover has to come off as I believe it seriously compromises your sound. Its positioned right in the sweet spot for finger playing!

Basically, when people talk of clank and fret buzz from rics they are just admitting their own 'ham-fisted' technique! Play her nice and light and let the pickups do the work.

Odd, I assume Soundcontrol carry out setups prior to releasing their goods. Rockenbacker are known for their terrible set ups, but mine was fine straight off the shelf (obviously the pick up cover had to come off - those things annoy me).

The bass was finished to a very high standard, although the black finish shows every scratch and finger print on it under lights (I'm glad i don't have a black car!!!). The pick up selector was a little noisy due to being sat on the shelf unplayed for a while. Some DW40 in there sorted it out!

This bass is an absolute animal. They are certainly built to last (apart from minor deterioration in the paint work). Everything on the bass is built for the long haul. I don't believe I will have to replace anything. Oh and genius! Rickenbacker fit it up with schaller strap-locks!

Would I use it at a gig without a back up??? WHilst I totally trust the bass I always carry a spare (spector). If I had to take just one bass, it would by the Ric!

I wouldn't know and hopefully will never have to contact them!

I have been playing bass for about 10 years. I suffer from a condition called 'gottahavit. Basically this condition means I see a nice bass and I've got to have it. The side affects are never having cash in the bank. The positives are that you get to use a lot of differenf gear. However, I think I've found a cure....... My Rickenbacker!

I've played warwick, spector, fender, gibson, danelectro, G&L, music man etc and to be honest nothing comes close to this!

If I lost it or it got stollen/broken I'd probably cry! .... then buy another!

Why do I love it? It looks like a porn star and sounds like a bass should!

This is a review of my Rickenbacker 4003, purchased used in July 2003 in mint condition, since it was made in February 2003.
Many people here, before me, described the features of this bass. I'll just specify that this bass is in JetGlo (black) finish. Looks awesome.
About the features, I'll add that I never use the Ric'O'Sound (stereo) output.
This is a passive bass with simple features, but it has all you need. Perfect for me.

This bass is very versatile, and the sound you'll get will depend on what you do with your fingers, and which strings you'll mount. For me, it's always been Rotosound Swing Bass (RS66) in 45-105 gauge.
It's a very rich sound, and depending on the controls you go from very agressive tone to very smooth. But you'll always cut through, and that's one of the most characteristic things in the Rickenbacker tone.
I use this bass with an Ampeg B-100R. Either with or without my SansAmp Bass Driver D.I. in between, and either when I player with fingers or with a pick, the sounds I get are awesome.

Well, that's an interesting point. As I said above, this is my 4th Rickenbacker. I had two 4001's and another 4003 before this one. I often switched to something else (Fender, Ibanez, Status, Music Man, etc.), and always came back to a Rickenbacker. I believe this is because the Rickenbacker neck is the one I feel the most comfortable with.
As I said, this bass came in mint condition, and was perfectly setup.

My 4001's never caused me any trouble. I had some with my previous 4003, but I won't say whether it was a manufacturing default.
I have owned this new 4003 for only a few weeks, so I can't tell for the moment.

Didn't have to deal with them.

Probably one of the best basses in their price range.

Nothing I can say that hasn't already. Made in 2002. Mapleglo finish.

Great sounding bass. All that I expected. I used to really be into Rush and Yes, and if you are then this is the bass to have. Always sounds bright, cuts through the mix really good. Pickups are noisy. I've run it through a David Eden WT300 and David Eden 210 cabinet. Not a lot of variety in the sound. It does it's thing well, and that's it. If you are reading this, you know what these sound like. People love it or hate it. I love it.

Action was awful. Terrible. Pathetic. I could go on... Bass was finished beautifully. They should take as much pride in setup as they do in the finish. Wood looked great. Everything was tight. My first bass, a Sears Harmony, had better action. Absolutely pitiful. I brought it to a Luthier, and he couldn't do anything to help. It was that bad!! The guy felt sorry for me. The binding around the edge is awful. Digs into my arm. It's heavy!! The shark inlays are cheesey too. Pickup cover is in the way. Take it off, and it makes things worse.

Had it 6 months, and sold it. Not sad to see it go either. I know people who have had them for a long, long time. If this bass is your thing you will have it forever. Not for me.

Rude. As useless as tits on a bull. Contacted them about the incredibly high action on this bass, to see if they could maybe take it back and replace the nut. Got a big hell no!! Screw them! Pitiful.

Been playing off/on 10 years. I have a Stingray that I love. Wouldn't trade it for anything. I wish I'd never bought this bass. I lost $300 bucks on the deal. If someone would have stolen it, they probably would have brought it back with that pitiful action.

Made January 2003 in Santa Ana, CA. Standard 4-string Ric bass in Jetglo, maple body and neck w/rosewood fretboard. Won't bore you with the features, the others have listed them enough. More features than you'll find on most basses, though. Being able to switch between pickups is awesome! Oh, and the bridge pickup cover doesn't bother me a bit, so I'm leaving it on.

I play modern and classic rock, and let me tell you, this bass can do it all. Not a great slapping/popping machine, so get a J-bass if you want to do that. For straight-ahead ballsy bass sounds, you can't beat this bass. I've played P-basses, J-basses, and an Ibanez soundgear, and this thing smokes them all. (I have to say that the Fenders are still excellent basses, though.) I thought my amp was the problem for my lack of power and volume, but I was wrong, it was my old bass! Once I bought the RIC, my amp came alive. Great sound on all pickups settings. Did I mention how nice it is to have a pickup selector on a bass?? My bandmates love it and don't want me to play anything else. I'm only too happy to oblige them!

My only complaint was the action. I'm not sure if it came that way from the factory or if Music123 set it up that way, but the action was way too low. I got fret buzz anywhere below the 12th fret. I'm going to raise the strings a bit, that should fix it. Finish is excellent, although jetglo (black) is hard to keep clean. It'll show every little smudge, but it still looks awesome.

I think this bass is rock solid and would withstand any live playing. Wouldn't recommend jumping around with it unless you get some straplocks, though. My strap came undone on the bottom of the bass, but fortunately I was able to catch it before it hit the floor. Be careful with those straps. The bass feels solid and I'm sure it will outlive me. The neck-through design makes it even more dependable.

Haven't had to contact them for anything and probably won't have to, given the quality of this bass.

Been playing guitar for 18 years (also own a Ric 360 w/vintage pickups) and have been playing bass for about 7 years. Been through many basses: Guild Ashbury (with the silicone strings), Fender Precisions (Mexican and American), Fender Jazz (Mex), Rogue Violin, and this one. The Rogue is pretty cool for early McCartney tones, but not much else. This bass is expensive, but in my opinion, it was worth every penny. This is the best bass purchase I have ever made. I'm sure I will never regret buying this bass, and neither will you.

I Bought The 4003s Ric in 1985, Blue with Black everything else, Good ole USA Made Bass, 4 string so on so forth... Great case, still lasting after all this time

This one is one of many that I had owned, you have to play them and pick the one that suits you, this one does funk with the best of them and most of your sound does come from your Amp, I use my trusty 1967 Ampeg SVT, until 2 weeks ago, I bought a Carvin R1000, retired the SVT. This thing can sound like a Harley growling or the sweetest softest Bass you've ever heard, it's call Dynamics people, the act of playing soft with your fingers or plucking very hard with a plectrum (pick).. you can get different sounds with the 3 way switch,but you can achieve that by moving from the bridge to the neck pickup, and I've never removed the cover to the pickup on this one, but I have had a couple that came with out them and I hated it, I use it to anchor my thumb...I've used it in the studio and live, it has never failed me either way ever... I don't expect it to either........For those looking for that Yes sound, use over driven Tubes...... Turn your pre-amp up and your master Volume down, natural overdrive, like a tube guitar Amp, The Who's Bassist used a Guitar Amp for his Highs to get that sound.
Only noisy when your near those florescent lights or a TV

The action came low and has remained there for 18 years,I play funk, jazz Rock and finger tap... The Pickups came adjusted just fine, but every player tweaks to their tastes.. Mine was totally flawless, but, I ordered mine this color and Binding, Have only seen 3 this way in 18 years

Beat it on stage for 18 years, still going, no Pits or rust, Black Hardware lasts a long time.. I've only had to adjust the Truss rod twice in all this time, and I never take a backup bass to a gig. I used to have to take a backup for my Fender, as it broke strings.. but I got ride of that problem long ago, Shame it would be worth over a grand now, and I paid $300 for it in 72, and it was a 66 jazz, live and learn...

In 18 years I've never called them.... though from what I heard here, they should move up to the computer age and reply to e-mails... They were never into giving anything away, even back in the early 60's

Been playing 30 years, I have my Ric, a PJ Bass a 5 String Artist series Samick.. My old Ampeg SVT, a Peavey Sessions Bass head(Tube)
A Carvin R1000, a 2,10 cab, 2 15 Cabs, and an 18 sub-woofer
I have a very Big Dog protecting this stuff, I'll be buried with that Bass, and yes, If I did loose it, I'd order another one, can't beat the sound, look, sound and Oh Yea, the LOok...
I do have to say, don't mail order it from a mail order house, go try them and buy the one you like, or go to a Ric dealer and Special Order one, you won't be dissapointed.....
PS, Find a Great Guitar Tech if you ever need anything done to it. And I don't mean just your run of the mill tech, look around at Vintage shops, ask questions, like have you ever done one before and can I see it or pictures of it.. My tech has them, and took pictures of mine before he gave it back to me......., It's called Pride in his workmanship in working on exquisite instruments....

Well... I tend to think this category is somewhat... Useless for a rating. It's a passive bass, and in all honesty, I used to have an active bass and I didn't like it. I left all the knobs at middle position, but I still had to change the battery and I could leave a cord plugged in, which I found somewhat annoying. Anyways, Ric 4003 in Jetglo (black) made in the good ol USA. Came with a Hardshell Case that is form fitted in the SKB style. Nice. The lack I saw was that the strap pegs are Schaller straplok style, but the bass came with no straploks. So I had to buy some and use those. That I found annoying, but not really a big deal. 2 volumes, 2 tones and a 3 way [switch, of course].

I'd have to say I like it, I like it a lot. As for variety in sound, I'd say there is a decent amount. People tend to ignore their amps in reference to this I would have to say. As far as the switch goes, sure it makes a small variation in sound, and twiddling with controls does some stuff too, however, when I made my own bass (a bad-ass custom flying v) I didn't put any controls on it, if the bass has a good character, which the Ric really really does, then with a halfway decent amp you can get lots of great sounds. I've never found it to be more noisy than say... a Tokai Jazz sound, which is relatively hum-free.

It was actually set up perfectly when I got it. Mine has very low action, but I did have to do some setup after I changed away from the Ric strings that came on it(I believe they put on their special lighter gauge strings to try and keep you with them, I didn't like them though, they were floppy). I did it myself though, no problem, and the double truss rod didn't prove to be too impossible. The finish is really nice, and cool. Despite being solid black, it's possible to seen the wood grain through it. Of course no bass is bullet proof, so it has microscopic scratches by now, but on the whole it's a pretty tough little guy. Nice thin body siddles up close to the body and it's neck is reminiscent of a p-bass, but fairly easy to play. There is a certain... stickiness, that's true, but after playing for a few minutes the oils from my hand make it smooth sailing.

Well I've had it for a year and it hasn't proved to be too tough a beast to handle. The finish will probably survive past my death, and perhaps I will be buried with it. I'm kinda... paranoid, so the whole backup thing... that's just common sense, strings break, etc. The hardward is still nice and shiny... and basically this bass would survive hell easily.

I've never called them or asked for anything, seeing as the bass has never crapped out on me.

Well I've been playing for like... 6 years I guess, which in the world of music still makes me a newbie though. I'm in a emo/rock band and this bass cuts through in a way that really complements that sound. I have a Tokai Jazz sound, and a custom flying v and the three basses have different sounds, but I'd have to say I love the Ric like none other, it's tough to beat, of course for a grand I guess that makes sense, but I say it's worth every penny. I would have to buy another one if It was taken from me, but I would do everything within my power to get this baby back. As for the whole "good sound, good amp" thing I said up there, I suggest the Ric through an SWR bass 350, BBE sonic maximizer, and a nemesis cab loaded with eminence drivers. I tell you this thing has all the gumption you'll ever need, and you won't be dissapointed.

Made in July 2002 in the only place Ric's are made.. California. It's a 4 string model, 20 frets, 2 volume knobs, 2 tone knobs, a 3 way switch to change between pickups. Passive electronics, maple body. This one is the Mapleglo finish. Rosewood neck. Came with Rickenbacker case (that by the way is very nice. bass fist perfect in it.) much better than the older cases, or the silver vintage cases.

This bass has the perfect sound for the kind of music I like to play. I've always been a huge Rush fan, and a big Yes fan also. So this was obviously the bass for me. In my opinion nothing sounds better, but like I said... that's my opinion. If you're reading this you probably already know the sound, and if not... go pop in an old Rush album (i.e. Freewill is a perfect example), or you can listen to Yes's Roundabout. You're going to get a sound close to that. It won't be just like that, because those guys have a lot of other equipment that goes into their particular sound... especially Chris Squire on Roundabout. That's the tone I've always wanted, and will probably never get. I'm sure he's got about 50,000 invested in that sound. I play gospel music in church, and this bass sounds great. Never muddy. Always bright, and cuts through the mix very good. I don't find that the sound is very versatile. I've read a bunch of reviews on here that say it is, but I don't think so. It's pretty much just has one sound. It does that sound very well, but if it's not what you like than certainly don't buy one thinking you can change it. This bass always sounds very bright, and like it has new strings on it no matter how old they are. Great Sounding bass! It's the best feature of a Rickenbacker.

When I got the bass to my house (I had to mail order it, because none of my local shops deal with Ric) the action was bad. No, make that awful! I played my friends 1979 4001 before I bought this one to make sure I could get comfortable with it, because they have a different feel than any other bass you will ever play, and the action on his was awesome. I drove out to the nearest dealer to my house (which wasn't very close), and the 4003 they had in the store was awesome too! I didn't buy that one, because I didn't like the color they had in stock. I brought the strings down to where they buzzed, and then up from there. Guess what?? I was right back to where I started!! So, I brought it to a luthier, and had him adjust the neck which was a little off from traveling UPS ground in the middle of winter. He couldn't do any better. He was embarrassed to give it to me with the action so bad! I'm past the return policy from the place I got if from, so I'm pretty much stuck. I'm adapting to it, but it's so bad that I actually get cramps in my hand. The pickups were set just as high as the action, so they had to go down about an inch or so. The bass is beautiful. No doubt! I get compliment after compliment on the looks, and sound of it. I believe the problems is that the nut is just cut bad. Another thing is the pickups are very noisy! Very Noisy!!! Can't give you a good score here Ric. This action is ridiculous!!!!! My first bass... a Sears Harmony had better action.

I think this bass with withstand pretty much anything. The finish seems to be top notch. The strap buttons are small, so you may want to invest in straplocks. I always like to keep a backup on hand.

Not very helpful. Send them an email, and you might get a reply. Then again... maybe not. Depends on how they are feeling I guess. And when they do reply, it's almost better if they didn't. I've emailed them several times.. gotten a few replies, and zero help!! Comes with a 5 year warranty, but you have to mail the warranty card in within 10 days of purchase date. And as you know, you can't return these without losing 15% once you mail in that card. Online registration would be great. You know that website you have people?? USE IT!

I've been playing off, and on for 10 years. I've owned a couple of Ibanez basses before this one. The Rickenbacker has a far superior sound, and look to those, but the Ibanez's blow it away in the action department! Completely away. If it were lost, or stolen I would buy one only if I could play it first. Buyer beware when mail ordering!!! I love the sound... HATE the action. These are great sounding basses, but make sure you play it first. They are all hand made, so everyone is different. I got a bad one. I hope if you read this, and buy one that you get a better one. P.S. Good luck with their customer service

Made in 2002 in California. 4 string, 20 frets. 2 volume, 2 tone knobs. Stereo input jacks. Passive electronics. Mapleglo finish. Maple body. Rosewood neck. Came with Rickenbacker case.

I'm a huge Chris Squire, and Geddy Lee fan. So this was a no-brainer for me. Love that sound, so I had to have one of these. Sounds as close to those guys as you are gonna get. Don't expect to pull this out of the box, and it's going to sound just like Chris Squire's Roundabout tone. No sir. You're gonna need a ton of other stuff to get that sound, but it's pretty close. I play gospel music too, and it works great with that. I have a Peavey practice amp at home, and an Eden head, and 210 box at church. The pickups make more noise than anything I've ever heard. It's really bad. If you're reading this you know how it sounds. It has one sound, and it does that well. You're not going to get a lot of variety out of this bass. You can get a quiet Rickenbacker tone, or a loud Rickenbacker tone.. that's it... I love the sound. Hate where I got it from, and Rickenbacker customer service.

Setup was awful. Strings were high as giraffe pooh nanny. Neck seems a little twisted around the 12th fret. The neck is sticky too. Hard to move around very fast on this one. I lowered the strings until they buzzed, and then up from there. Action still sucks. The finish on it was beautiful, but playing it is a nightmare. Also, the neck seems to have a small gap from the top body wing. One of the input jacks quit working after 4 weeks of having this bass.

Haven't had it long, and I'm getting rid of it so I really don't care if it dies on the way back. Seems to be built strong.. Finish should last a long time. Strap buttons are way too small. Good luck adjusting the truss rod, or getting someone from Rickenbacker to help you with it!

This is the part I've been waiting for. Rickenbacker customer service is awful. I bought this from Musicians Friend (never again!!) only b/c they were the only ones who had it in stock. Rickenbacker makes you mail in (that's right!! snail mail) the warranty card with in 10 days of purchase date. By the time I got it in from Musicians Friend, I had to rush deliver it over to them. 4 weeks after I got this bass one of the inputs quit working. I called Musicians Friend, and because I had to mail in the warranty card so fast, now they can only take it back if they charge me a 15% restocking fee. Or I could send it to Rickenbacker. I emailed someone at Rickenbacker, and he says they never got my warranty card, and I'm pretty much out of luck. Take it to a Luthier. You're lucky I don't live in Cali punk!! Rude, and NO HELP AT ALL!!!! I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER RICKENBACKER PRODUCT EVER, EVER, EVER!!!!!!!

I've been playing for 10 years, and I've always wanted a Rick. I've played a few before, and they were great. I just happened to get a lemon. I understand that happens sometimes, but they haven't tried to help me one bit! I'm going to take it up the tailpipe, and let Musicians Friend get their 15%, just to get this junk off my hands. I'm going buy an Ernie Ball from a LOCAL SHOP!!! I love the sound, and hate the way they treat customers at Rickenbacker. I've always wanted one of these, and they certainly ruined the experience for me. If you're thinking of getting one... Good Luck. Hope you never need help with it.

This bass has it all!!! looks,feel,sound.did I mention looks? i have the jetglo and it really glo's. lots of crome.

i have a fender p,a fender jazz,and a rogue beatle bass(that sounds better than a real hofner)i love this bass.i love the sound of this bass.i love the mellowness of this bass.i love the punch of this bass.I LOVE THIS BASS BETTER THAN MY FENDERS(but the same as my rogue)

the bass was set up great right out of the box.and the action was right on for me.i lie it low.as for that guard over the rear pickup,i left it on.i play with a pick anyway (as everyone that does rock and roll should)no flaws and finish is to die for. but thats rickenbacker

I never owened a ric until now so i will let you all know in a few months or so.

dont need them yet

i have been playing 22 years and ive owened just about every bass there is but deing a bass player we are always looking for that sound well i found it with this ric.and my rogue.it it got lost or stolen i would buy another one that day.

My Rick was made in August, 2002 and is made in the US. I am not going to cover the rest of these topics cept that I purchased the "Jet-glo" with white binding and chrome - reminds me of a '56 chevy! I got what I expected!

A long time ago...I owned a 1985 Tobacco sunburst Rick 4001...as much as I loved that bass, I've always wanted a Black Rick (Thanks Geddy!). It sounds like a Rick...I am playing through a Sans Amp Rackmount RBI, Behringer parametric EQ into a SWR Bass 750 and have dumped the sound through a Hartke 4X10BXL and a 4.5 Bass module. It is noisy...needs better shielding. I also own two Peavey Cirrus (would that be Cirri?) basses (4 and 5 string). I mostly play rock, mostly. I do like funk, suck at Jazz (I'm not that good!) but have always loved Rush. It has the sound that I wanted...nuff said.

The bass was set up just fine. Like everyone else did, I removed the annoying plate across the bass pickup. It had no flaws, just a beautiful black finish. Good on you Rickenbacker!

Well, I won't know how it will last but if it is anything like my first Rick was (had to sell it for food for my family!), I expect it to last a long time. I am going to replace the strap buttons...nothing else needed replacement...

Okay Rickenbacker, move into the now! There's this thing called the internet and like all my other equipement, I was able to register their warrenties online...tsk tsk! I can't gie ye a 10 on this one!

I will give the bass an overall 10. I believe that I am rating the guitar based on my expectations and it was everything that I expected it to be and then some. Now, nearly 20 years after selling that tobacco sunburst Rick I own a black one!

This Rickenbacker I own is one beauty. The Fireglow (Red sunburst) is the reddist of reds and fades into the peachest of peaches...MMmmm. Bound with pure ivory plastic around the neck and plush crushed banana like pearl triangles on the neck may make this bass good for the other swingers who enjoy pink ones...but this still looks killer. Big fat tunas look like they could open cans of tuna...which most of the u.s. pop likes...I could smell it! Maple Body wings, Rock maple neck, Rosey woody freat boardy! 2 fat single coils...one deep in a bezel...crome baby. Sweat!

If you like Geddy Lee, Chris Quire, Lemmy, Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee and Chris Quire...you'll love this bass. It sound beutiful through 15's and 12's with at least 300 watts of power. Bright, full, aggressive, trebly...but turn the knobs and it's plushy wushy...I love that word.

This bass might sound good...but the set up sucks...I rather eat penut butter with out milk for 10 days stright. The neck has a mind of its own.

People in california should just make a pretty bass that plays good, not a preaty bass that sounds good. I'd rather play an aria pro bass while getting my toe nails removed then sown back on with the strings. People from Cali have sunstroke and have surfboards in areas that shouldn't be reveiled. Poor poor poooooooor. The serivce in cali is not like Geddy Lee (Garry Lee Weinrib for your information), chris Sqwiyer, Lenny, and Saul MacAndcheesecartny.

Like I said...if you like Geddy Lee, Chrissy Squirey, Paul MacNext for the grave, Ringo Star's last, and Lemmo..just say Yoko ono...you won't like the support.

If you like Geddy Lee Weinrib, Lemmy, Chris Squi... oh forget it.

1990 Ric, USA, 4 string with passive electronics.

Great sound a la Ric.

Geat action, as long as a pro makes the adjustments.

I've played over 100 gigs with it over a 12 year period. The hardware rusts, and I had to replace some pieces. The finish is not that good, and has faded.

I ordered spare parts for it and the service was ok, except for the rude surfer dork that took my call. Fire him!

This is my third bass, and the only one I ever kept. Would buy another, but this one is still great.

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.