What's the deal with Rics?

[rockinrayduke]

No balance problems with my '79 but I use a Comfort Strapp and it stays where I put it.

I keep having thoughts about trading mine straight across for a 4000. Bobby Vega just got one and now I'm jonesing for one.

[Sartori]

Just take out the neck pickup and change the pickguard.

[Tarrbot]

Rickenbacker also made contoured 4003 basses known as the 4003S. No trianlge inlays on the fingerboard but they I love mine.

If you have to have the triangle inlays, you might can find a 4003 that someone modified the body by removing the binding and creating a 4003S body on a 4003.

I have one that I'm not selling, btw.

What a lot of people are missing is that in the 4001 models, people didn't know how to do proper adjustments on them and they invariably broke them or left them out of adjustment, thus making some seem worse than others.

What also doesn't help is that in their history, both 4001 and 4003 have had alternating eras of thick necks and thin necks. Even to a knowledgable person, it's difficult to keep track of which years had thinner necks and which had thicker necks.

There's also the notion that something magical comes from these basses. And because they aren't seen in every store, when they are seen everyone wants to play it. Invariably, someone won't like things about it.

There's nothing anyone can do about that.

My first contact with even seeing a Rickenbacker was seeing one in a store in the 80s. That bass didn't give me a preconception and ended up going home with me. I regret selling it several years later but I'm back in the fold.

To some, a Rickenbacker just feels like home. To others, a Rickebacker just feels like ass. There's nothing that can be done about that.

[Charley Umbria]

Originally Posted by Tarrbot

To some, a Rickenbacker just feels like home. To others, a Rickebacker just feels like ass. There's nothing that can be done about that.

FTW! Sig-worthy!

[NYCbassist]

Some people seem to really go out of their way to Discredit Ric's. If you don't like Ric's don't get one. It's as simple as that.

[audiomitch]

Originally Posted by NYCbassist

Some people seem to really go out of their way to Discredit Ric's. If you don't like Ric's don't get one. It's as simple as that.

If only it was as simple as that. Ric bashing is a psychosis to some. Very weird.

[gidbass]

well, we are 104 posts into this so i am sure it has already been said but if you have to ask "What's the deal with Rics?"then you haven"t played one....They work for some, not for others....i am in the "works" for me category.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by Tarrbot

What also doesn't help is that in their history, both 4001 and 4003 have had alternating eras of thick necks and thin necks. Even to a knowledgable person, it's difficult to keep track of which years had thinner necks and which had thicker necks.

Can someone knowledgeable please post exactly which years had the thin necks and which years had the thick necks?

And please clarify if we are talking front to back thickness, or neck width (nut width).

Thanks.

[Mastermold]

Originally Posted by SactoBass

Can someone knowledgeable please post exactly which years had the thin necks and which years had the thick necks?

And please clarify if we are talking front to back thickness, or neck width (nut width).

Thanks.

Well I remember reading they went back to thinner necks in 2006 I believe, and that's to the present. I think that was front to back thickness. Width-wise I don't know if they've ever changed much but could be.

[Sartori]

They don't vary that much in width. They can be fairly wide-ranging in thickness, though.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by Mastermold

Width-wise I don't know if they've ever changed much but could be.

Yeah, I think you're right about the nut width.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by Sartori

They don't vary that much in width. They can be fairly wide-ranging in thickness, though.

Satori: did they ever change in nut width? It seems that all of them are 1 and 11/16ths.

[Sartori]

I'm sure there have been some tiny variations over the years, but nothing significant.

Also, why does everyone write my name as "Satori"?

[WayneKerrins]

Have 2009 Mapleglow 4003. Beautiful bass with great mids and great sustain. However the lows just dont do it for me compared to my Fender Jazz V (Rosewood fingerboard). We typically play 20 songs in our covers set and the Ric is used on 20 to 25% of them.

Love the bass but its lows limit it in my view. If you read G Lee who knows both basses as well as anyone who has ever lived he explains it better than I have/can.

[IronLung1986]

Originally Posted by Tarrbot

To some, a Rickenbacker just feels like home. To others, a Rickebacker just feels like ass. There's nothing that can be done about that.

/THREAD

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by WayneKerrins

Have 2009 Mapleglow 4003. Beautiful bass with great mids and great sustain. However the lows just dont do it for me compared to my Fender Jazz V (Rosewood fingerboard). We typically play 20 songs in our covers set and the Ric is used on 20 to 25% of them.

Love the bass but its lows limit it in my view. If you read G Lee who knows both basses as well as anyone who has ever lived he explains it better than I have/can.

Don't mean to post this all over the place - I just joined the 21st century by discovering Soundcloud, so I'm a bit of a n00b all of a sudden - but I finally have my song "hoops" on streaming audio.

So to the point, I used my remaining 4003 on a part of this starting at about 1:30. It's only a very brief bit but I was able to get it to record well this time for some reason. It may be because my technique has changed since I quit gigging, or my recording equipment was better 4 years ago.
(The rest is my miserable Gibson Tobias 6 string, may it R.I.P. wherever it is now and the guitar is my Legacy Special with me grabbing it and flicking on the strings as best I could. For the rick part, go to about 1:30 for the Rush-ish fade-in).

I used as much compression as I could get out of Logic Express which helped even it out.

But I'm actually pleased with how it sounds on that small bit. If only it didn't have frets on it, I might actually play it more....

https://soundcloud.com/unclejane/hoops

LS

[Voodoo Brother]

Someday I will own the Blood Red Ric with the all black hardware...someday

[phillybass101]

Ricks can get a really nasty knarly, growly sound. I plan on adding one to my stable one day. I think they're too expensive but hey we pay for what we want. It will be my retirement present to myself.

[Lee Bruton]

Not of me, big pain to work on, kinda like a german car

[NYCbassist]

Originally Posted by Lee Bruton

Not of me, big pain to work on, kinda like a german car

It's all just nuts & Bolts