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Building a Rickenbacker 4003. Help please!

P

Peterevid

May 20, 2011
6
0
Peter
#1
Everyone,

At my university we have this project called the "Free Assignment" You can basically do whatever you want, as long as it adds something to your knowledge and/or skills. (I study industrial design, so I figured making my own bass allows me to develop woodworking skill and so on.)


I decided I wanted to build a Rickenbacker 4003 duplicate.


My question is: Could you please send any information regarding the dimensions of the bass, maybe even an accurate drawing of the body, anything to me? Anything can help. Also, measurements of the bass will help me a lot. (I already raided the Rickenbacker website, so you don't have to send me anything from there)

I'll post some pictures of the end result when the project is over.

Thanks!
 
#9
Why merely copy? If your class is that free and open, maybe one item the teacher is looking for is innovation. Try and "inspired by..." body shape, different pickups, etc., like I did when I designed my fanned fret P-style bass with a different take on the fanning.
 
#11
The 4000/4001/4003/4004 shape has varied through the years. The body wings and the headstock shape have varied. Also you need to decide if you want to do a neck through or a bolt on. If you don't want to build a neck you can get neck with a paddle shaped headstock for bolt on or neck through.
 
#15
iiipopes said:
Why merely copy? If your class is that free and open, maybe one item the teacher is looking for is innovation. Try and "inspired by..." body shape, different pickups, etc., like I did when I designed my fanned fret P-style bass with a different take on the fanning.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with this. If you are studying industrial design, and you want to have a job after graduation, its best to use the Rick as a jumping off point. I can already see some great possibilities and still you can have something people will think on stage is a Rick.

Another point is that if you come up with a really cool, better, Rick based design, you will almost IMMEDIATELY have a resume and portfolio piece, and you can not only show someone your regular skills but also your ability to work for a brand, take something they are recognized for and update it in a good way. If you can do that then Fender, Gibson, and probably even Rickenbacker will be inclined to hire you when the college is done.

Also, even though you designed and made it yourself, unless its plated in gold, everyone who knows will ask you about your Rick, and when you tell them you made the copy they'll go, "cool. Are you going to get a real one when you graduate?"

Have fun either way!

tom
 
#18
Peterevid said:
Everyone,

At my university we have this project called the "Free Assignment" You can basically do whatever you want, as long as it adds something to your knowledge and/or skills. (I study industrial design, so I figured making my own bass allows me to develop woodworking skill and so on.)


I decided I wanted to build a Rickenbacker 4003 duplicate.


My question is: Could you please send any information regarding the dimensions of the bass, maybe even an accurate drawing of the body, anything to me? Anything can help. Also, measurements of the bass will help me a lot. (I already raided the Rickenbacker website, so you don't have to send me anything from there)

I'll post some pictures of the end result when the project is over.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
~
Hmmmm....

I wonder how the project turned out.

I found this thread while doing a search for dimensions for a Rick 4001 - Too lazy to go get and measure my own just now, and you will see why my laziness might not matter next.

My reason is that I'm shopping for a new case for it.

The original case was lost when the bass way back was once stolen and later recovered, and the case which I have used since is a bit tight at the body width, and has also sustained some damage, so it's overdue to replace.

I found a thread here which states the dimensions of a Fender P :

Measurements of Precision Bass?

and partials for a Jazz :

Jazz Bass Body Dimensions

Perhaps a better way would be to ask whether a Rick 4001/4003 will fit in an aftermarket rectangular case with a generic rectangular area inside for the body.

How do the dimensions of a Rick compare with those quoted in the above-linked thread about the Fender P ?

It's strange how many music stores cannot answer these questions over the phone, and websites which do not specify for sure on the product detail pages, which common basses will fit into the cases that they sell.
~
 
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#19
I had a hard time finding a case for my Ric build, ended up buying a Roadrunner case from GC. As you said, most vendors don't list interior case dimensions. I took the bass in with me and tried a stack of cases to find the best fit, not perfect, but pretty good. The case is slightly long, so The bass can shift left/right about 1", but its tight side to side. I may make a custom insert to kill that small movement. Standard Fender style cases won't work, so its a bit of trial and error. There are NO aftermarket vendors for fitted Ric style cases, presumably to avoid pissing off the notoriously litigious Great and Powerful John Hall, at least none I could find after months of trying. The ABS Ric logo cases they are providing with new basses are crap, the feet break through the bottom, fragile latches, etc. The silver tolex ones are very nice, better be for $300!
 
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#20
Gilmourisgod said:
I had a hard time finding a case for my Ric build, ended up buying a Roadrunner case from GC. As you said, most vendors don't list interior case dimensions. I took the bass in with me and tried a stack of cases to find the best fit, not perfect, but pretty good. The case is slightly long, so The bass can shift left/right about 1", but its tight side to side. I may make a custom insert to kill that small movement. Standard Fender style cases won't work, so its a bit of trial and error.

There are NO aftermarket vendors for fitted Ric style cases, presumably to avoid pissing off the notoriously litigious Great and Powerful John Hall, at least none I could find after months of trying. The ABS Ric logo cases they are providing with new basses are crap, the feet break through the bottom, fragile latches, etc. The silver tolex ones are very nice, better be for $300!
Click to expand...
~
And that's $300 USD, right ?

And the stores, they ALL say "Bring in your bass and try out what we have."

I wish it didn't come down to that.

Surely there must be a place online where there is a table of common bass models and their main measurements, but maybe not.

I would likely be satisfied to have a moderately priced case which fits similarly to how you said that yours does. - Up to an inch of slack in either or both direction(s), I can fill with something.

There have been Fender-branded ABS cases with the same issue (saw a used one for sale online last month with pics like that - ABS caved in around the feet - it was the 'machine-gun' model), and even some SKBs which have done it too, I've heard.

Thanks for commenting.

BTW, are the Fender style cases which you mentioned too long, short, narrow, wide, or just that the Fender body shape has been molded in ?
~
 

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