First time Rickenbacker owner! (review)

[birminghambass]

Hey TB, the day has finally come. After 30 years of playing bass, and owning at least 100 instruments in that time, I now own a Rickenbacker. Being a huge Geddy fan I've always lusted after that huge, snarly tone he got out of his Rick.
Here are my thoughts:
It's a satin black 2019 4003.

Fit/finish: No complaints and no surprises. I knew the finish would be super fragile (and it is), I knew the pick guard would be a cheap 1 ply piece of plastic. Everything feels high quality and super solid. Look like a million bucks. The finish/binding/inlays are a stunning package in person. It came with a Hipshot bridge, so you won't get any complaints about the stock one. Construction is as solid as any USA Fender I've owned, and they're basically the same price these days.

Feel: As a lifelong FSO player I was worried about the comfort of playing/holding/wearing the bass. The neck reminds me of my old Spector Euro, maybe a bit less rounded. It's definitely not a jazz, but also not unwieldy. I've sold said Euro and a few early 2000s Warwicks because of the huge necks, this one feels much better IMO. Starts thick and stays pretty consistent. The body binding surprisingly doesn't bother me. Maybe it's the smaller, thinner body, but I found that my arm doesn't come into contact with the sharp edges. It came with a treble bezel so thumb placement was easy. On a strap there is slight neck dive, but nothing that would keep me from playing it out on a gig. Setup is flat and medium low, plays great. I'd like to loosen the truss rods a bit to raise the action but when I went to adjust them the nuts came right off. Uhh. I guess I need to do some more homework before I give that another go. Seems unusually difficult and non-user friendly. Overall it plays pretty great as is.

Tone: This is the thing that surprised me most. I'm not in love with the sounds this beast produces. It can do Geddy 100%, but I've yet to find another satisfying tone. The neck pickup soloed is anemic and muffled, the 2 pickups mixed sounds muddy. I'm really surprised at the lack of high end. It's like it needs higher pot values. The exception being when you pull out the tone control which makes it super thin. Also, this is, without question, the noisiest bass I've ever played. I need to play it with my band to get a true assessment on this but so far, so meh.

Overall I'd say I'm happy. It's not the most versatile bass and has it's issues, but nothing that would be a deal breaker. I can't see a scenario where it would ever be my #1 but that's ok, I'm happy having it in the stable. If I keep it I'll definitely shield it and possibly replace the noisy pickups.

 

[bobomatic]

To solve your tone issues…

Do your best to balance the pickup heights. You won’t get them equal but what we’re looking for is close. Then engage the capacitor, and with the neck pickup rolled all the way off, dial it up until you get the desired amount of low end. That’s a trick i’ve recently learned and I use it all the time now.

I’m inclined to think your bridge pickup is low based on it sounding so dark. The pickup loses high end response the farther it gets away from the strings. Get it close enough that it’s not making contact when you play, but it’s not completely overwhelming the neck pickup. That should help.

With the cap disengaged, you need to roll one pickup or the other off (for me it’s the neck) until the tone and volume open up. Usually about a quarter of the way, if that. Otherwise there’s some brutal phase cancellation.

And yes, they do put too low of a pot value from the factory… why, I’ll never know!

 

[Iristone]

Changing the neck pickup to a Toaster can do wonders. It's my favourite bass before I've got my Steinberger clone, and it still holds its own now.

 

[DanAdams]

It's hard to judge them on a level playing field. They are just too dang pretty.
It's kinda like how the most beautiful actors seem to win acting awards.

 

[staurosjohn]

My ‘76 RIC was my ‘main squeeze’ for 35yrs Playing FrankenFenders now (pic circa 1980ish)

 

[Gilmourisgod]

It's amazing that any bass at this price point would come with no shielding whatsoever, but Ric has never included it. I build my own Ric clones these days (three so far) and have done a full shielding job with copper conductive adhesive foil in the pickup routes, wire channels, control cavity, and back of pickguard, and now they are all dead quiet. You shouldn't have to do this, but it's an easy hour or two one-time job that makes a huge difference. You'll never get 100% noise free with single coils, but thats true of anything but real humbuckers. There is a mod called RWRP for Rics, but it requires re-wiring the pups and only works on some settings. Other than the push/pull control, nothing special about the pots, the Ric wiring harness come with 330K pots standard, it's easy enough to swap them out for differnt values if you want to experiment. I have no problem with the standard Hi-Gain pickups, but there are several companies that make drop-in replacements now, the Classic Amplification pickups widely considered to be the best available. They will custom wind them to your taste. I know it's painful spending more money on an already expensive bass, but look at the array of pup choices available for FSO's, it's just a fact that one size does not fit all. As far as the ergonomics.... Rics were designed to look incredibly cool, with ergonomics a distant consideration at best. If the hard binding edge does't bother you, it's all good. No worse than a tele or any acoustic guitar, and people never seem to moan aout them. It does bother me a little if I'm playing for a while, I have a forearm protector I wear sometimes. For those it does bother, th un-bound S models are quite comfortable, and any of the walnut models are a full lb lighter thn solid maple.String choice makes a big difference, the Roto Swing 66 will give you that classic Geddy/Squire tone... briefly. They wear out too fast for my taste, and are hard on the frets and fingers. I've settled on D'Addario nickel rounds, a little easier on the fingers and frets, and they sound about like broken-in rotos, but stay that way longer.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Shielding job on my first Ric clone. I traced the cavity outlines onto a paper template and then used that to make one-piece fitted foil sections. The foil adhesive is conductive, but I always check for conductivity with a multimeter anyway, sometimes you need to use a drop of solder at foil seams connect them electrically. The pickguard took a couple pieces, I just overlapped them a little.

Note the green tape on the pup wires near the the three-way switch. In rare instances, those wires can get fouled up in the three-way switch leaves, so it's good practice to tape them down or use some small cable-ties.

There is a TB'r named @Aceonbass who builds custom harnesses to order if you don't have the soldering skills to swap pots. he carefully matches pot values and uses better components overall. Now that you are a Ric owner, check out the Rickenbacker Club thread for everything you could possibly want to know about Rics. There is also the Rickresource Forum, which is also an excellent technical resource, but it's a Fanboi site that doesn't appreciate much in the way of negative or less than gushing comments about Rics, so just keep it to tech advice.

 

[sawzalot]

Threads like these always hurt a little. I had a batch of four rick's back in the early 90's. I needed funds at the time and put two of them up for consignment, and they were stolen. One of them was absolutely beautiful, a 4003 MapleGlo with black trim and black hardware and a little bit of birdseye. I STILL miss that bass, it sounded great and looked amazing. Periodically I go searching online for it, and I found one on the Rick registry that looks identical except...the serial number is off by ONE. I kept a mid-70's 4001 that I also sold during the mid-90's, and I miss that one too.

On the other hand, there was a reason I sold them. Wasn't that I hated them--I think I was into 5-strings at the time, wasn't playing the Rick's, and needed cash to fuel the purchase of another 5-string. I'd love to have that MapleGlo/black trim 4003 back though.

 

[FunkHead]

Note the green tape on the pup wires near the the three-way switch. In rare instances, those wires can get fouled up in the three-way switch leaves, so it's good practice to tape them down or use some small cable-ties.

Smart! I definitely have seen these wires tangled up in the switch. I do feel that it's not from the factory but after someone has had the scratch plate off.
Great advice to tape it before putting it back together.

 

[FunkHead]

Tone: This is the thing that surprised me most. I'm not in love with the sounds this beast produces. It can do Geddy 100%, but I've yet to find another satisfying tone. The neck pickup soloed is anemic and muffled, the 2 pickups mixed sounds muddy. I'm really surprised at the lack of high end. It's like it needs higher pot values. The exception being when you pull out the tone control which makes it super thin. Also, this is, without question, the noisiest bass I've ever played. I need to play it with my band to get a true assessment on this but so far, so meh.

Maybe somethings wrong with your bass because a Rick can get extremely clean. There's also no more Single coil noise than any SC jazz bass. That's just part of the experience. As stated above, Shielding goes a long way but I never felt the need to do it.

At one point, I had 12 Ricks and never had one be muddy. If you back off of the Gain and raise the master on your amp, it'll clean up.

Ricks also sometime sound cleaner with active switch engaged on your amp.

I have a little too much gain dialed in on this clip but it's still too clean. It's wearing Dogal Stranded Core Flats.


Now if you want to hear a good player on a Rick check out anything by Jeffscott.

 

[Root 5]

Hey TB, the day has finally come. After 30 years of playing bass, and owning at least 100 instruments in that time, I now own a Rickenbacker. Being a huge Geddy fan I've always lusted after that huge, snarly tone he got out of his Rick.
Here are my thoughts:
It's a satin black 2019 4003.

Fit/finish: No complaints and no surprises. I knew the finish would be super fragile (and it is), I knew the pick guard would be a cheap 1 ply piece of plastic. Everything feels high quality and super solid. Look like a million bucks. The finish/binding/inlays are a stunning package in person. It came with a Hipshot bridge, so you won't get any complaints about the stock one. Construction is as solid as any USA Fender I've owned, and they're basically the same price these days.

Feel: As a lifelong FSO player I was worried about the comfort of playing/holding/wearing the bass. The neck reminds me of my old Spector Euro, maybe a bit less rounded. It's definitely not a jazz, but also not unwieldy. I've sold said Euro and a few early 2000s Warwicks because of the huge necks, this one feels much better IMO. Starts thick and stays pretty consistent. The body binding surprisingly doesn't bother me. Maybe it's the smaller, thinner body, but I found that my arm doesn't come into contact with the sharp edges. It came with a treble bezel so thumb placement was easy. On a strap there is slight neck dive, but nothing that would keep me from playing it out on a gig. Setup is flat and medium low, plays great. I'd like to loosen the truss rods a bit to raise the action but when I went to adjust them the nuts came right off. Uhh. I guess I need to do some more homework before I give that another go. Seems unusually difficult and non-user friendly. Overall it plays pretty great as is.

Tone: This is the thing that surprised me most. I'm not in love with the sounds this beast produces. It can do Geddy 100%, but I've yet to find another satisfying tone. The neck pickup soloed is anemic and muffled, the 2 pickups mixed sounds muddy. I'm really surprised at the lack of high end. It's like it needs higher pot values. The exception being when you pull out the tone control which makes it super thin. Also, this is, without question, the noisiest bass I've ever played. I need to play it with my band to get a true assessment on this but so far, so meh.

Overall I'd say I'm happy. It's not the most versatile bass and has it's issues, but nothing that would be a deal breaker. I can't see a scenario where it would ever be my #1 but that's ok, I'm happy having it in the stable. If I keep it I'll definitely shield it and possibly replace the noisy pickups.

I own two Rics and on both the neck pickups were too low and tone was unbalanced. In my experience raise it as high as it will go to match the bridge pickup

 

[shwabilly]

I voted Yes, my main squeeze, but that isn't completely accurate as I own several basses, and use them as the situation calls for. My Ric does get a lot of playing time though.

Mine is a 2020 4003w. I had 2 different 70's mapleglo 4001's in the 90's. One was stolen from our van after a gig, the other I stupidly sold, and regretted it immediately. I always vowed to get another Ric, and during the pandemic, after a night of boredom and porch beers, I ordered one.

I always wanted a jetglo, but after the walnut ones came out, I fell in love with the look of them. I'm also not crazy about paint or a thick finish on a neck. It also sort of takes care of any of the finish issues that people talk about. The 2 basses I had in the 90's were flawless as far as finish. Just had general wear and tear bumps and bruises.

My initial impression of my new Ric was a pretty good one. It's the lightest bass I own. I didn't really give it any thought that the walnut model would be lighter than the other ones until I read Gilmourisgod"s comment just now. Ergonomically, I knew what I was getting for the most part, so there was no real surprises here. The neck up near the headstock is a bit chunky, but I don't notice it now when I play it. I also play different 4 and 5 string basses, so I'm used to adapting to different necks.

Sound wise, I feel it sounds better than the 70's Ric's I owned. It has a more modern, thicker sound, with the ability to dial in the vintage Ric sound with the push/pull tone pot.

I generally have the volume on the bridge pickup on full, and I roll back the neck pickup a bit. I just sort of find that sweet spot.

 

[Low End Scum]

I have found it to be a specialty tool for me. After lusting for a Ric for years I got a '77 4001 shortly outta college. Then a few years later I got an '05 4003 as a beater Ric so that the 77's burgundyglo wouldn't get thrashed. I thought they'd become my main but the didn't. They have quirks and don't feel the same as a seamless extension of my body like my Jazz or Dingwall.

What I like - the look, the growl, and the colors when it isn't the natural finish mapleglo or jet black. Not to bag on those, it just seems like almost all of the ones I came across were those two finishes

What I hated - the 2 truss rods (especially when I had to replace a set and Ric support told me to ask a facebook group for parts information), the feeling of the binding cutting into my forearm after extended play, the wimpy output of the pickups, the places they cut corners in construction, the bridge in it's entirety, and the weird scale length.

It sounds like I'm really down on them, but it's more that I notice those things way more often because I have been so fortunate to not have issues with any of those things on my main basses. Also, while it's not something that really affects the usage of the instrument, it boggles my mind that they are charging the prices they are for instruments with those issues. I'll never sell my '77 (and do use it when it makes sense), but I've come to realize it will never be my main bass. And the '05 got sold. For as much as I can add aftermarket parts or whatever it still didn't make it feel as good as my main.

 

[Azari]

My ‘76 RIC was my ‘main squeeze’ for 35yrs

my condolences

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Regarding the pickup height, just because the pole pieces have hex key slots in them, DO NOT turn them, they are NOT height adjustable. If you take the pickguard off, you'll see that the neck pup is held slightly below the pickguard by two little round rubber "doughnuts" the screws pass through. Removing them buys you about another 1/8" or so of pickup height.

On another note, most players find the chromed plastic cover over the bridge pickup right in the way and take it off. Supposedly it has some shielding function, but in practice it makes no difference to hum on or off. There is a company called Tubeampology that makes a "Treble Bezel" to infill the gap around the bridge pup, and can be had in a couple finishes, including chromed, with or without finger rests. They have a few other gadgets for tricking up your Rick too:

TUBE AMPOLOGY / The Original Treble Bezels

Rickenbacker Treble Bezel By TubeAmpology

www.thetreblebezel.com

Removing the bridge cover isn't particularly difficult, but here's a video devoted to the process. Some people like it as a handrest, but it's right over a "sweet spot" in tome amnd string tension.


If you tend to play up by the neck pickup, a company called Zero Mod makes a clear plastic thumbrest that uses existing pickguard screw holes to hold it on.

Versions of Thumb Rest for Rickenbacker Bass

Zero Mod custom Thumb Rests for Rickenbacker Fender MusicMan

www.zero-mod.com

 

[mrjim123]

Tone-wise I'm not a big fan, and I have the impression, based on an admittedly limited set of information, that the build quality can be iffy.

But, what I really hate is their "Call for Price" and "Email For Price" policy, which strikes me as being a bit arrogant.

No Ricky for me, Lucy can have him.

 

[Low End Scum]

Tone-wise I'm not a big fan, and I have the impression, based on an admittedly limited set of information, that the build quality can be iffy.

But, what I really hate is their "Call for Price" and "Email For Price" policy, which strikes me as being a bit arrogant.

No Ricky for me, Lucy can have him.

Build quality varies of course, but the vibe I've gotten from their supports complete lack of assistance and knowledge of their product and the issues that have persisted for decades without even an attempt to correct them is what comes off as arrogant to me. YMMV on if the build quality is "efficient" where it can get away with it or just "cheap".

Yeah the call for price stuff is not for me. I've only bought Ric's used. Given the choice, even if I had the money to get exactly what I want from them, I'd still never buy one new. I'm jaded from my experience with them though.

 

[MCS4]

I'm a lefty and have never come across a lefty Ric "in the wild," and I'm interested in them generally but not so much so that I want to order one without at least briefly trying one first.

 

[KenSmithFan]

There is no other bass which varies so much from one bass to the next, IMHO. I’ve had six or seven over the years. Three were spot on, one dog, the rest nice, but not exceptional. Absolutely a try before you buy bass.

 

[SC Bassboy]

Hey TB, the day has finally come. After 30 years of playing bass, and owning at least 100 instruments in that time, I now own a Rickenbacker. Being a huge Geddy fan I've always lusted after that huge, snarly tone he got out of his Rick.
Here are my thoughts:
It's a satin black 2019 4003.

Fit/finish: No complaints and no surprises. I knew the finish would be super fragile (and it is), I knew the pick guard would be a cheap 1 ply piece of plastic. Everything feels high quality and super solid. Look like a million bucks. The finish/binding/inlays are a stunning package in person. It came with a Hipshot bridge, so you won't get any complaints about the stock one. Construction is as solid as any USA Fender I've owned, and they're basically the same price these days.

Feel: As a lifelong FSO player I was worried about the comfort of playing/holding/wearing the bass. The neck reminds me of my old Spector Euro, maybe a bit less rounded. It's definitely not a jazz, but also not unwieldy. I've sold said Euro and a few early 2000s Warwicks because of the huge necks, this one feels much better IMO. Starts thick and stays pretty consistent. The body binding surprisingly doesn't bother me. Maybe it's the smaller, thinner body, but I found that my arm doesn't come into contact with the sharp edges. It came with a treble bezel so thumb placement was easy. On a strap there is slight neck dive, but nothing that would keep me from playing it out on a gig. Setup is flat and medium low, plays great. I'd like to loosen the truss rods a bit to raise the action but when I went to adjust them the nuts came right off. Uhh. I guess I need to do some more homework before I give that another go. Seems unusually difficult and non-user friendly. Overall it plays pretty great as is.

Tone: This is the thing that surprised me most. I'm not in love with the sounds this beast produces. It can do Geddy 100%, but I've yet to find another satisfying tone. The neck pickup soloed is anemic and muffled, the 2 pickups mixed sounds muddy. I'm really surprised at the lack of high end. It's like it needs higher pot values. The exception being when you pull out the tone control which makes it super thin. Also, this is, without question, the noisiest bass I've ever played. I need to play it with my band to get a true assessment on this but so far, so meh.

Overall I'd say I'm happy. It's not the most versatile bass and has it's issues, but nothing that would be a deal breaker. I can't see a scenario where it would ever be my #1 but that's ok, I'm happy having it in the stable. If I keep it I'll definitely shield it and possibly replace the noisy pickups.

Hey man, fellow Bham bassist here. Also a huge RUSH fan, so I've always kinda wanted a Ricky for that era of Geddy's tone. Several times I've ran across one at Highland Music but the necks are just not my thing (and I love thick neck Warwicks). Tone wise, I found the USA Fender GL to be the same. It has one sound.... Geddy Lee. Both pickups on, tone full-on and it sounds incredible. Slightly move any of the controls and the hum makes it unusable. Hope you enjoy the new bass, man!