I love this bass and would love to keep it, but my other Ric with all the mods and more wear is getting all the play time lately and I could use $$$ for travels next year! I'm looking for $1350 shipped right now, and would much prefer a local LA/SoCal sale so you can play it in person (I'll sell for $1275 locally)! Not really looking for anything else but would entertain partial trades for a Source Audio Nemesis delay pedal, a new Iron Ether Xerograph Deluxe (with the 2nd footswitch), or possibly a medium-wattage tube guitar combo (Hot Rod Deluxe/Deville/similar) or a Roland JC-120.
This bass has seen alot of action in its short life, so it is not in closet-mint condition but still very very good. There are a handful of small/light scratches in the body and a few tiny edge imperfections that I photographed, nearly all of which could be easily buffed/sanded out due to the satin oil finish. There is an area of these very shallow indentations in the "buckle rash" area on the back, but they are so shallow that they don't photograph well at all.
The neck feels phenomenal on this bass and is very stable- it gets and holds a very low action without extraneous buzzing. The frets would look brand new with a minor polish because I mostly only played the bass with flatwound strings (it currently has the barely-used stock nickel rounds installed again). I took the bridge-pickup cover off and added a Tubeampology Treble Bezel with the "cove" thumbrest, which I consider a MUST for a Rickenbacker if you are a fingerstyle player. The Bezel and pickup cover are included, as are all the extra goodies and the case (which I never used). The strap pictured IS NOT included, though I might sell it additionally since it matches the bass so well!
The electronics are all stock, including the push/pull pot for the "vintage tone capacitor", which I consider necessary for my favorite Ric tones. This bass sounds fantastic- super aggressive and piano-like with everything on full, or can be mellowed out a bunch with the tone controls (or some different strings). Compared to my other Ric, this one is noticeably lighter-weight (somewhere between 8.5-8.75 pounds) and tighter-sounding, with an even more aggressive/forward midrange.
More pictures: 2015 Rickenbacker 4003SW by sunbeast (I'm happy to take more detailed and specific ones at request!)
This is a fantastic Rickenbacker bass from their limited run of 4003 basses with Walnut body wings and maple fretboards. These aren't available to purchase new from Rickenbacker anymore and who knows when/if they will return. This is the 4003S model, which means it has the comfortable rounded body contours rather than sharp-edged body binding of the standard 4003. I've always found standard 4003 basses to dig into my arm when playing, whereas the S models feel very smooth and ergonomic like a Fender- arguably the best-known Rick-players both played the early british-market ancestors of the 4003S (Paul McCartney and Chris Squire). The 4003SW also has a satin/ oil-based finish on the entire bass vs the gloss finish of other 4003 basses, making the neck super comfortable to slide around on (much more like a Fender P-bass). The Walnut also tends to be lighter weight than the all-maple Rickenbackers- this one is somewhere in the 8 1/2- 8 3/4 pound area.
Here's the generic specs for those of you that don't know!:
OVERVIEW
The walnut version of the 4003S prized by Paul McCartney and Chris Squire.
This is the walnut series version of the 4003S. The solid and natural look of a walnut body with a maple fingerboard. This version puts out even warmer bass tones than the maple version.
This traditional Rickenbacker bass style with dot inlays and no binding was prized by Paul McCartney and Chris Squire when they got their first 4001S models in 1964. Players cherish its traditional look and rounded edges that many claim make it more comfortable than the 4003.
The updated 4003SW version comes with the improved dual trussrod system. Of course, the famous solid bass tones, ringing sustain and treble punch were known for make it a dream. Its no wonder Rickenbacker received a steady demand of requests to bring this back.
This design was once exclusive to the British distributor Rose Morris in the '60s. Iconic curves of maple form the body with a traditional rosewood fingerboard. Dot inlays and no binding make this stand out from the standard 4003.
Includes hardshell case.
FEATURES
Neck
Shape: C
Wood: Maple
Neck joint: Neck-through
Scale length: 33.25"
Truss rod: Yes
Finish: Info not available
Pickups
Active or passive pickups: Passive
Pickup configuration: SS
Neck: Single-coil
Middle: Not applicable
Bridge: Single-coil
Brand: Custom
Series or parallel: Parallel
Active preamp: Not applicable
Special electronics: Not applicable
Fretboard
Material: Rosewood
Radius: 10" (25.4cm)
Fret size: Medium
Number of frets: 20
Inlays: Dot
Nut material: Info not available
Nut width: 1.688" (42.9mm)
Neck width at 12 fret: 2.125" (54mm)
Body
Cutaway: Double cutaway
Construction: Solidbody
Body wood: Walnut
Top wood: Not applicable
Body finish: Info not available
Orientation: Right handed
Controls
Control layout: Info not available
Pickup switch: Yes
Coil tap or split: Not applicable
Tone switching: No
Special switching: No
Hardware
Bridge type: Fixed
Bridge design: RIC
Tailpiece: RIC
Tuning machines: Schaller Deluxe
Color: Chrome
Other
Number of strings: 4
Pickguard: Yes
Special features: Not applicable
Case: Hardshell case
Accessories: Info not available
Country of origin: USA
This bass has seen alot of action in its short life, so it is not in closet-mint condition but still very very good. There are a handful of small/light scratches in the body and a few tiny edge imperfections that I photographed, nearly all of which could be easily buffed/sanded out due to the satin oil finish. There is an area of these very shallow indentations in the "buckle rash" area on the back, but they are so shallow that they don't photograph well at all.
The neck feels phenomenal on this bass and is very stable- it gets and holds a very low action without extraneous buzzing. The frets would look brand new with a minor polish because I mostly only played the bass with flatwound strings (it currently has the barely-used stock nickel rounds installed again). I took the bridge-pickup cover off and added a Tubeampology Treble Bezel with the "cove" thumbrest, which I consider a MUST for a Rickenbacker if you are a fingerstyle player. The Bezel and pickup cover are included, as are all the extra goodies and the case (which I never used). The strap pictured IS NOT included, though I might sell it additionally since it matches the bass so well!
The electronics are all stock, including the push/pull pot for the "vintage tone capacitor", which I consider necessary for my favorite Ric tones. This bass sounds fantastic- super aggressive and piano-like with everything on full, or can be mellowed out a bunch with the tone controls (or some different strings). Compared to my other Ric, this one is noticeably lighter-weight (somewhere between 8.5-8.75 pounds) and tighter-sounding, with an even more aggressive/forward midrange.
More pictures: 2015 Rickenbacker 4003SW by sunbeast (I'm happy to take more detailed and specific ones at request!)
This is a fantastic Rickenbacker bass from their limited run of 4003 basses with Walnut body wings and maple fretboards. These aren't available to purchase new from Rickenbacker anymore and who knows when/if they will return. This is the 4003S model, which means it has the comfortable rounded body contours rather than sharp-edged body binding of the standard 4003. I've always found standard 4003 basses to dig into my arm when playing, whereas the S models feel very smooth and ergonomic like a Fender- arguably the best-known Rick-players both played the early british-market ancestors of the 4003S (Paul McCartney and Chris Squire). The 4003SW also has a satin/ oil-based finish on the entire bass vs the gloss finish of other 4003 basses, making the neck super comfortable to slide around on (much more like a Fender P-bass). The Walnut also tends to be lighter weight than the all-maple Rickenbackers- this one is somewhere in the 8 1/2- 8 3/4 pound area.
Here's the generic specs for those of you that don't know!:
OVERVIEW
The walnut version of the 4003S prized by Paul McCartney and Chris Squire.
This is the walnut series version of the 4003S. The solid and natural look of a walnut body with a maple fingerboard. This version puts out even warmer bass tones than the maple version.
This traditional Rickenbacker bass style with dot inlays and no binding was prized by Paul McCartney and Chris Squire when they got their first 4001S models in 1964. Players cherish its traditional look and rounded edges that many claim make it more comfortable than the 4003.
The updated 4003SW version comes with the improved dual trussrod system. Of course, the famous solid bass tones, ringing sustain and treble punch were known for make it a dream. Its no wonder Rickenbacker received a steady demand of requests to bring this back.
This design was once exclusive to the British distributor Rose Morris in the '60s. Iconic curves of maple form the body with a traditional rosewood fingerboard. Dot inlays and no binding make this stand out from the standard 4003.
Includes hardshell case.
FEATURES
Neck
Shape: C
Wood: Maple
Neck joint: Neck-through
Scale length: 33.25"
Truss rod: Yes
Finish: Info not available
Pickups
Active or passive pickups: Passive
Pickup configuration: SS
Neck: Single-coil
Middle: Not applicable
Bridge: Single-coil
Brand: Custom
Series or parallel: Parallel
Active preamp: Not applicable
Special electronics: Not applicable
Fretboard
Material: Rosewood
Radius: 10" (25.4cm)
Fret size: Medium
Number of frets: 20
Inlays: Dot
Nut material: Info not available
Nut width: 1.688" (42.9mm)
Neck width at 12 fret: 2.125" (54mm)
Body
Cutaway: Double cutaway
Construction: Solidbody
Body wood: Walnut
Top wood: Not applicable
Body finish: Info not available
Orientation: Right handed
Controls
Control layout: Info not available
Pickup switch: Yes
Coil tap or split: Not applicable
Tone switching: No
Special switching: No
Hardware
Bridge type: Fixed
Bridge design: RIC
Tailpiece: RIC
Tuning machines: Schaller Deluxe
Color: Chrome
Other
Number of strings: 4
Pickguard: Yes
Special features: Not applicable
Case: Hardshell case
Accessories: Info not available
Country of origin: USA
