• 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 free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

NBD - Rickenbacker 4003 - Mapleglo

BigDrew

BigDrew

Supporting Member
Jun 1, 2016
1,107
2,149
LI-NY
#1
Hi All!

I have sort of been on a run lately. I had owned two other Rickenbackers in the past and neither of them stayed long. I have been intrigued by the recent changes that Rickenbacker recently made (single truss rod, skunk stripe, new bridge, pickup cover) and wanted to check one out. I checked inventory and it looked like the Guitar Center not to far from me had one in stock. I assumed it would have been out and possibly abused...but I was wrong! It was still downstairs and sealed in the box. We opened it and it was perfect right out of the box (nice job Ric)!!

It plays and sounds fantastic. Bass is light and the neck is pretty thin. Here are some pics.




tempImageDhEbOW.jpg
tempImageJeNG9V.jpg
tempImagecGxNVl.jpg
tempImageNXGnOV.jpg
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: Abzan_Titan, EagleMoon, zbigniew and 66 others
#4
BigDrew said:
Also, I drove down to the Philadelphia guitar show yesterday...and it was very cool. A lot of vintage stuff and some cool people. Highly recommend if you can make it.
Click to expand...
I just heard about the show last week and forgot it was this weekend. I'm about an hour away. Darn dingy darn darn. It would have been my first guitar show. Oh well. I probably saved a ton of money.
 
#13
I haven't tried Pyramid flats on my 4001 (I'm roundwounds all the way on that bass) but I had them on another bass and thought they were really good. It took them a little while to break in, the tone differed a lot from one string to another, but that evened out after a while.

I've also tried Ernie Ball Cobalt flats (again, not on my 4001). I really liked their brightness and thought I'd stick with them, but I had one break unexpectedly, bummer.
 
#14
BigDrew said:
Hi All!

I have sort of been on a run lately. I had owned two other Rickenbackers in the past and neither of them stayed long. I have been intrigued by the recent changes that Rickenbacker recently made (single truss rod, skunk stripe, new bridge, pickup cover) and wanted to check one out. I checked inventory and it looked like the Guitar Center not to far from me had one in stock. I assumed it would have been out and possibly abused...but I was wrong! It was still downstairs and sealed in the box. We opened it and it was perfect right out of the box (nice job Ric)!!

It plays and sounds fantastic. Bass is light and the neck is pretty thin. Here are some pics.




View attachment 7364889View attachment 7364891View attachment 7364892View attachment 7364893
Click to expand...
Nice bass! Never saw the bridge pickup like that. I would think most people would like that. Now get ready for the comments about the stickers LOL.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigDrew
#16
rickdog said:
I haven't tried Pyramid flats on my 4001 (I'm roundwounds all the way on that bass) but I had them on another bass and thought they were really good. It took them a little while to break in, the tone differed a lot from one string to another, but that evened out after a while.

I've also tried Ernie Ball Cobalt flats (again, not on my 4001). I really liked their brightness and thought I'd stick with them, but I had one break unexpectedly, bummer.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the input. I guess I have to at least try Pyramids on this bass.
 
#18
BigDrew said:
Also, any recommendations for flatwounds?
Click to expand...
Well, if you want some ”traditional” flatwounds for Ric, try the Optima RB 4440. Very nice strings that I like a lot. A bit brighter than the Pyramid Gold, less thumpy also. (but the Pyramid Gold I have are mounted on a Hofner Violin Bass, so it’s hard to compare strings on such a different bass).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Root 5, woodyng2 and BigDrew
#20
I have a set of TI Jazz Flats on my 4003W. They've been on about 15 months now and have finally settled in. I have mulitple basses and rotate playing time equally so it takes a little longer to break strings in for me. They have a good sound and may be the best feeling strings I've ever played but due to the lower tension and low set up, they sort of bottom out for me when I need to dig in.


For the price of these strings, I didn't want to give up on them but I'm still not sure they're for me. I should just have to adjust the action a bit and then hopefully the issue resolves.

Enjoy your new bass, it's beautiful. For me I was originally looking at a Fireglo but played a Mapleglo first and just loved it. Then I decided I really wanted the maple board and went with the Walnut. Great bass but admittedly, it doesn't make me feel the same way that Mapleglo did when I played it.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Wyrdlow, One Way and BigDrew

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back