New Rickenbacker 4003 Setup?

Bogun · #1 08-31-2007, 01:23 PM

Hey guys,

After months of waiting, my new Rickenbacker 4003 arrived!
It's a beauty, midnight blue... yay.
I have some questions and need some advice.

Action seems good. A bit high-ish but probably will keep it to give me a workout. Intonation good, neck looks great and straight...yay new. So...

How many instruments direct from factory need professional setup once they arrive? Do Music Stores usually do setup or do they sell right from the factory?

I mentioned I think the action is pretty good, but the output of the pickups seems off to me.

The Bridge pickup screams! It's punchy and bright and loud. The neck pickup output is something like 60% or less as loud. The tone isn't as clear, even on the bottom end.

Is this normal on a Rick? Or do I need someone to profesionally setup the pickups / string height, etc...

Does anyone have experience with Rick's who could help me out?

I'm thinking of taking it to Mike Lull in Bellevue, but not sure if I need to.

Thanks much!
Tony

movwkd · #2 08-31-2007, 01:37 PM

After using a MIA precision deluxe as my main bass, i found the output on the ric a bit funny as well so i messed with the pickup height and the volume settings till i found my sound and now its my first choice bass !!..

Indiana Mike · #3 08-31-2007, 01:40 PM

A setup may be in order . Ric likes to see the relief nearly flat ( for different reasons such intonation etc...) so you may check that first. It has dual truss rods and takes a 1/4 inch female tool . I have bought 2 new and both were pretty good as far as the bridge setup and it can be a funny animal in itself , study it and you will see . BTW if you ever take all of the strings off at once the bridge saddles will fall out if you turn the bass over or the body vertical.

as far as the pups you should have the adjustable pole pieces . If you see a female hex in the top of each pole piece you can adjust those up and down individually to address issues such as individual/pup string balance etc... I don't think this feature has hit the manuals that come with them yet. If you don't have the hex head pole pieces don't try to adjust them or do so at your own risk.

to adjust the pups tighten the screws on each side of the pup to raise it closer to the strings , loosen to lower them. don't force it if they stop or get tight , the pup base is plastic!

I would study some setup guides specifically for Ric and maybe join their forums ( be ready ) to ask specific ??? about this bass .

see these

http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/

http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/Joeys%20frameset.htm
look at the bass maintenance section for Ric setup guides

http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum_index.asp

enjoy your RIC

ustabawannab · #4 08-31-2007, 02:21 PM

Look on Rickresource Forum, for the Reflections Of A Curmudgeon Topic. These folks are fine source for Ric luthiery advice.

One tip. I file my nuts for closer action and run zero relief. It doesn't even hurt,

tombowlus · #5 08-31-2007, 02:27 PM

Good advice, here! I just picked up a new (to me) 2003 4003, so I am going to hop along for the ride, if no one minds.

Indiana Mike · #6 08-31-2007, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ustabawannab

Look on Rickresource Forum, for the Reflections Of A Curmudgeon Topic. These folks are fine source for Ric luthiery advice.

One tip. I file my nuts for closer action and run zero relief. It doesn't even hurt,

+1 one on both topics ( +1 on the nut extra +1 )

forgot about ricresource and I'm a member , you can be as well !

Bogun · #7 09-01-2007, 10:27 AM

Hey everybody! Great advice...thanks very much... My new Rick like a new car, I'm almost afraid to drive it or park near a shopping cart.

I think I'll get my hands dirty and start by changing pickup poles height meself. Action seems fine... filing nuts maybe fun for the future

**bassybill** · #8 09-02-2007, 06:19 AM

Can I piggy back on this topic, please?

I have a 2003 Rick 4003 and it's fine except for one minor niggling problem - one of the bridge saddles (D string) has developed a rattle and my inspecting the bass and searching the web hasn't helped me find an easy fix for this. Any ideas please guys?

Bogun · #9 09-04-2007, 03:30 PM

Hmm... in finally diciperhing the manual that came with the bass, it indicates you can change the height of the pickups (it appears not by much). But it also says "do not attempt to adjust the pickup poles of Rickenbacker High Gain pickups. Any attempt to do so can permanently damage the pickups.").

Well, I had already raised them up and and they sounded "better". I cranked 'em back down out of fear... but anybody know what they are talking about? Why would changing the poles potentially damage the pickups?

thanks!
tony

Indiana Mike · #10 09-04-2007, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bogun

Hmm... in finally dispersing the manual that came with the bass, it indicates you can change the height of the pickups (it appears not by much). But it also says "do not attempt to adjust the pickup poles of Rickenbacker High Gain pickups. Any attempt to do so can permanently damage the pickups.").

Well, I had already raised them up and and they sounded "better". I cranked 'em back down out of fear... but anybody know what they are talking about? Why would changing the poles potentially damage the pickups?

thanks!
tony

I have the same bass in jet glo, 2007, 4003.

as I stated above if you have the female hex in the top of your pole pieces they are adjustable. they have NOT updated the manuals yet , a year and a half ago this would have been true . This is one reason I sold my 2006 Ric , it did not have the push pull vintage tone circuit ( which you can buy after market now from the Ric page ) or the adjustable pole pieces on the pups.
.
look at the Rickenbacker forum , do a search , post a question.The pups are now adjustable , the manual has NOT been updated .

from the RIC forum , I present as my evidence.

By the way , John Hall who posts in these forums is not a super poster , He is RICKENBACKER , he owns the company

http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum_vi...ut%20wimpy%20E

http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum_vi...ut%20wimpy%20E

http://www.rickenbacker.com/forum_view_thread.asp?thread_id=6669&forum=Just_Basses&thread_name=Bass%20Pickup's%20%20poles%20adjusting

Bogun · #11 09-05-2007, 02:09 PM

Thanks Mike!, The bass came with the hex wrench and adjusting them was easy

I was just worried when I read the manual. This solves my problem.

Cheers,
Tony

EASonBass · #12 09-05-2007, 02:15 PM

Yeah, I had to file the nut down a little to get some nice low action. Ric is a little conservative on that aspect.

Also, I'm guessing your new bass has the push/pull cap bypass feature on the bridge pup. Try it in bypass mode, that should make it louder and fuller.

Bogun · #13 06-25-2008, 10:09 PM

Hi all, I figured I would reply with the summary of what I did to my 07 Rick 2003 to get it "perfect" since it was a bit of work and there might be lurkers or others who run into challenges. (BTW - thanks again for the great links to the forums for tips).

1) Action was too high, painfully high. I took the bass to Mike Lull's shop in Bellevue. Mike is awesome. He filed down the nut, set up the trussrods and put the Rick through the Plek machine to level the frets, several of which needed help to keep the neck from buzzing. After this work it played perfect!

2) Output levels weren't right on the neck pickup, particularly for E and G were too quiet. I tweaked the bridge pickup poles and it sounded fine but much lower volume than the neck pickup. To fix the output I took the bridge pickup apart to remove the cover to get at the poles. A and D poles came from the factory too high and too loud. After putting the poles down a bit, putting the pickup back together, I lowered the height of the bridge pickup overall to get the output closer to the neck pickup.

After these adjustments, this bass is killer! Plays cleaner and faster than all my others and has punchiness and growl!! Now with thundering low end as well

If you get a new rick and have output problems, make sure you adjust the poles on the bridge pickup and dial the height down rather than trying to dial all the others up.

I don't wish the fret levelling on anyone. It was kind of expensive but for what my bass needed, worth it and made a difference.

Peace, tony

rokkitt · #14 11-26-2008, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bogun

Hi all, I figured I would reply with the summary of what I did to my 07 Rick 2003 to get it "perfect" since it was a bit of work and there might be lurkers or others who run into challenges. (BTW - thanks again for the great links to the forums for tips).

1) Action was too high, painfully high. I took the bass to Mike Lull's shop in Bellevue. Mike is awesome. He filed down the nut, set up the trussrods and put the Rick through the Plek machine to level the frets, several of which needed help to keep the neck from buzzing. After this work it played perfect!

I don't wish the fret levelling on anyone. It was kind of expensive but for what my bass needed, worth it and made a difference.

Peace, tony

I am thinking about doing this to my rick, PLEK and setup.

sorry to be bold, how much did it run you?

I would feel that 150-250 to get your favorite bass to play right/better would not be too much.....maybe even more!

thanks!

al

Bogun · #15 12-05-2008, 01:14 AM

yup... it was about $250 and it was worth it

Dangerstache · #16 01-01-2009, 05:09 AM

I bought this bass 13 or 14 years ago when I was about 15 yrs old. It was one of those, "I have to have this, it looks so cool" type things any naive teenager has, and I didn't really take the time to check it out, or negotiate a better price w/ the few blemishes it has.
At any rate, I have played it about 10 years (my warwick took center stage for a while) and I went back and brought this beast out to give it a play.
The tuning pegs are so sensitive if you just brush them you go down a half step. Is it just a matter of tightening them up to fix that problem?
Also I need to get a new pickguard for it, but Rick seems to always be out of stock. Where is a good place to get supplies for this 4003 when Rick doesn't have them. It is a 1979, and I love it all over again

Johnnyb101 · #17 06-25-2009, 09:23 AM

I know its a great bass and i love it but the volume on my Ric is very low compared to my other basses (Warwick, Ibanez, Fender) so I play it through an EBS TubeDrive pedal to give it some extra punch. But should I have to do this? Is it normal for a Ric to have low volume as there is no active pickup?

EASonBass · #18 06-25-2009, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dangerstache

I bought this bass 13 or 14 years ago when I was about 15 yrs old. It was one of those, "I have to have this, it looks so cool" type things any naive teenager has, and I didn't really take the time to check it out, or negotiate a better price w/ the few blemishes it has.
At any rate, I have played it about 10 years (my warwick took center stage for a while) and I went back and brought this beast out to give it a play.
The tuning pegs are so sensitive if you just brush them you go down a half step. Is it just a matter of tightening them up to fix that problem?
Also I need to get a new pickguard for it, but Rick seems to always be out of stock. Where is a good place to get supplies for this 4003 when Rick doesn't have them. It is a 1979, and I love it all over again

http://www.pickguardian.com/pickguar...ickBasses.html

Jericho1978 · #19 06-25-2009, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ustabawannab

Look on Rickresource Forum, for the Reflections Of A Curmudgeon Topic. These folks are fine source for Ric luthiery advice.

One tip. I file my nuts for closer action and run zero relief. It doesn't even hurt,

hahahahahaha lol
Sorry I'm better now

capntripz · #20 02-18-2011, 02:51 PM

Hey now, I just got a 75th anniversary 4003 and it is a beautiful piece. Seems like a 4003 except for the color. If I am wrong, just straighten me out. Joey's bass pages are gone (at least for now) and my setup on the stings is way too high. This is a brand new unplayed bass with a change to GHS strings to freshen it up. Since good setup starts with a new set of strings, I was wondering if anyone ran flats or those new half-round strings? If so, what brands have you tried and what did you settle on? I think the neck is set with no relief eyeballing it. I have never setup a bass with no relief and not particularly fond of messing with dual truss rods until I understand them more. Sounds like a good system. I have the adjustable pole pieces. I was wondering if anyone had any numbers on string height, measured where, pickup height, and how to get at those pesky phillips screws to set the string length. I know that is a lot for one message, but it's just really how do you setup your Rickenbacker taking into account that everybody has there own best setup. I soak up information like a sponge, so don't feel any comments are a waste. You don't even have to call me a Ricenclueless. That's a given. The instrument is so beautiful that I can't hardly stand to get it out of the case. I may have to buy another Ric to play. I'm hooked now and I don't have to get anymore of those basses with an F, though I love my Stu Hamm Urge 1 and 2 custom shop. They feel like beginner basses compared to the Ric. I've had some nice guitars in my long life, but nothing ever just sucked me in like the Ric. If it plucks your heart strings then it's right. I don't want to lose that by screwing something up, even in the short term, but I do want to change the setup. I'm Captain Tripz and a big Howdy to the group. Great to be here.