• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The 420 Club...errr...The Rickenbacker 4003AC Club of Course!

As many of us know, only 420 of these were made! Are you also one or the lucky ones that got one? Here is mine. As a reminder, here are the features (many of which are a 1st for Ric):

Rickenbacker Al Cisneros Signature 4003 4-string Electric Bass Features:
  • Walnut body for a warm, punchy tone
  • Maple neck with 2-way truss rod feels and plays great
  • 2 hot-wound treble pickups for unique Rickenbacker tone
  • Redesigned bridge for improved intonation and saddle adjustments
  • Custom knobs and pickguard
  • Green triangle inlays
  • Thumb rest
  • Mono output
Screenshot_20210731-001544_Reverb.jpg
Screenshot_20210731-001606_Reverb.jpg
Screenshot_20210731-001617_Reverb.jpg
Screenshot_20210731-001549_Reverb.jpg
Screenshot_20210731-001556_Reverb.jpg
 
Here one in Luxembourg.
I am so green :D, I love the green inlays!
Very nice bass, much more vesatile than the original 4003. I tuned it in C standard with Ernie Ball Cobalt flat (130/100/75/55), it works well I just had to file the nut.
I removed and put back the pickup cover several times, at the end it feels more confortable with the original.

20220104_202851 (2).jpg


The problem was the terrible finishing of the neck. I bought it new it in November 2019. And I already owned a 4003 without any issue.

I got:
-one fret not fully inserted in the neck
-most fret ends too long
-neck binding poorly finished with a cutter
-trace of glue between the fretboard and the neck where the neck meet the body
-trace of polish compounds (I guess in the fret that marked the fretboard)

I had to make the neck refreted, polished and install a new neck binding by a luthier (not a guitar tech but the kind of person that actually builds instrument from scratch). It costed me few hundred euros but the results is amazing, easily better than Rickenbacker can do in its best days.

Conclusions: fantastic bass but Rick QC was out of this world with this bass.

Before repair:

trace of cutter
binding fini au cutter (2).jpg


frets
fret qui sort.jpg


After refret works, and new binding

20220104_202633.jpg
 
Last edited: