5 String Ric on the Bay

[Rickett Customs]

I retract my, "looks legit" statement.....

This is legit

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Dave W]

In that case i would have at the very least filled the holes on the headstock and probably used different tuners..

Very agreed...at the very least fill in the holes.

Maybe he wanted to leave them just in case he wanted to go back to a 4 string.

 

[Bass-Adrenaline]

He would still have a big peghole that would look odd even if it was filled.

 

[Dave W]

Yep, but that's all. Just a joke. I don't try to figure out why people do these things to perfectly good basses.

 

[Bass-Adrenaline]

lol

 

[teleharmonium]

Usually throwing 5 strings on a 4 string bass leads to tight spacing. You can only go so wide with the stock neck. Maybe not to tight for you but it would be for a lot of others.

The post I was responding to was about the stock 5 string models that Rickenbacker made - my bass is not a conversion, it has a wider neck than 4 string Rics. The new saddles were to expand the spacing at the bridge a little further.

 

[Bass-Adrenaline]

Ah, that makes more sense.

 

[Ric5]

Calling Ric5.......he could tell ya, yay or nay........looks legit though.....

That is one of my conversions ... I don't remember which customer it was for. I have done a few fireglo 4003 4-2-5 conversions.

Here's another one that I did.

2001 Rickenbacker 4003-5

The string spacing at the bridge is 15mm It can be played fingerstyle and it works great with a pick.

 

[logie48]

I would never 'custom mod' such a beautiful bass. Got a 4003 myself and i'd only touch it to remove the bridge pickup cover. But drilling holes in a bass like that? Crazy imo.

Are the necks wider on the genuine 5 string 4003's compared with the 4 string?

 

[Bass-Adrenaline]

Im pretty sure the necks are the same.

 

[Mastermold]

That is one of my conversions ... I don't remember which customer it was for. I have done a few fireglo 4003 4-2-5 conversions.

Here's another one that I did.

2001 Rickenbacker 4003-5

The string spacing at the bridge is 15mm It can be played fingerstyle and it works great with a pick.

Well now that I know it's one of yours I'm tempted ... I don't need it but ...

 

[teleharmonium]

Are the necks wider on the genuine 5 string 4003's compared with the 4 string?

Yes, they are wider.

 

[Ric5]

Are the necks wider on the genuine 5 string 4003's compared with the 4 string?

Yes ... about 1/16" +/-

The ones that I mod are 2 1/4" to 2 3/8" at the bridge where the stock 4003s5 is 2 1/16" to 2 1/8" at the bridge.

 

[teleharmonium]

Yes ... about 1/16" +/-

The ones that I mod are 2 1/4" to 2 3/8" at the bridge where the stock 4003s5 is 2 1/16" to 2 1/8" at the bridge.

4003S5 is 1 3/4" at the nut, 2 1/8 at the 12th fret, 2 1/4 at the last fret

4001 is 1 5/8", 2", and just under 2 3/16"

So it's more like a 1/8 inch difference

with modded saddles, my bridge spacing is 2 1/4". Could have gone a little further, but this seemed like the right spacing.

 

[Ric5]

I was not comparing to a 4001. The 4003s5 is only slightly wider then a 4003. But even that statement is misleading because the Ric neck on the 4003 has varied a lot since 1980. You can find 1/8" variance in just the stock 4003 from 1980 to 2011.

Also the 4003s5 basses vary year to year as well. In the last few years pretty much everything at rickenbacker has been switched over to CNC so the dimensions don't vary as much.

The 4004 basses make a better 5 string because the neck tapers more and I can get a 2 1/2" bridge string spacing.

 

[Ric5]

The bass in question has been relisted ...

★RICKENBACKER 4003 FIREGLO 5 STRING BASS FREE SHIPPING★ | eBay

 

[Ric5]

The bass sold. Congrats to the buyer and seller.

 

[weemac]

Here is a original 4003s/5 in action...

YouTube - ‪Rickenbacker 4003s/5 5 String Bass 4003s5‬‏

emac.

 

[Ric5]

It is really a shame that Rickenbacker doesn't have any interest in producing 5 string basses.