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NBD: Rickenbacker 4003S

#21
That's either a "lightly used" bass somebody returned, or a pretty sloppy case of factory QC. The light haze of scratches on the body and neck paint makes me think this may be a returned bass, but Ric QC of late has apparently been pretty spotty. That would bug me, but if you don't mind, just Play It! The 4003S is a great bass, and unless you think you'd really use the Ric-O-Sound, you aren't missing anything sonically vs. a 4003. The S models are more comfortable to play for most people too.
 
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#22
If you like the way it plays and sounds, that's already a home run. Quality control seems to be a constant issue with Rick. I've wanted one for years but will not order one because of the stories I've read on TB. So, I decided years ago that I wouldn't purchase one unless I had actually played it and looked it over. They are surprisingly rare in my circles. The closest I've ever come to playing one was a lawsuit era Ibanez, which was super cool but Geddy didn't play an Ibanez.
 
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#25
If you love how it plays, I agree with others, get some financial compensation and enjoy your axe.

I remember when I bought my first new mountain bike and I asked the salesperson how do I keep it looking this good and he said don't ride it then LOL your bass is going to get wear marks anyway, that wouldn't bother me at all. You can probably get the neck blemishes repaired somewhat satisfactorily, so I wouldn't fret about it too much. It sounds great and plays great, that's kind of why you bought it anyway, right?
 
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#26
Root 5 said:
Are you kidding?? Rickenbacker sell everything they make and cannot keep up with the demand. I waited ten months for my first 4003 and twenty-four months for my 4003FL!
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Yes, I was kidding about the G&L analogy, but not about the improvements made since I ordered my first RIC in 1971 delivered in Sept 72. You beat my 18 month wait by 6 months for your fretless, but at least they got your order right. I'm rather surprised that Sweetwater didn't point out those defects the OP presented in their 55 point (or whatever the number is) check. Seems like the kind of things you'd see in a certified open box or something. Might as well report it to help Sweetwater QC even if OP keeps the bass so they can report it to RIC.
 
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#29
mikeswals said:
Yes, but its not just the saddles. This is called the V2 bridge. It visually looks similar, but the strings no longer go thru the chrome tailpiece.
This now has an anchor block screwed to the body and the strings attach there.
Click to expand...

Koshchei said:
2018
Click to expand...

Nice! The original bridges sucked. I had a 4003 about a decade ago that I installed a Hipshot on - the most dramatic difference I've ever had changing hardware on a bass. Went from just okay to great. Couldn't believe the drastic improvement.
 
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#30
I don't see anything that would cause me to send it back as long as you are happy with how it plays. Your pics are so super close-up, I'm not sure I ever got that close to my 4001 back in '72 to examine it in such detail. Looks pretty much Ok to me. Fine surface scratches could come from just routine handling at the Rick factory, or at Sweetwater, or perhaps somer light playing at either location. Regarding your question about "do basses get played that are not sold as floor models" the answer according to an interview published about a year ago with former SW staff is "yes."
 
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#32
BJMtz said:
Earlier this week I received a new Rick 4003S. I really wanted the 4003, but they are backordered until at least September and I couldn’t wait that long.

It’s my fist Rick and I’m really enjoying playing it. I have noticed a couple of things with the finish though and wanted to get some other opinions. There are a couple of small chips in the fretboard finish, the topside of the next joint looks a little messy, and the finish across the entire body and light scratch marks, as if it wasn’t sanded to a high enough grit. Not sure if I’m being super critical or it’s just to be expected with Rick’s. I do love the bass and how it plays.

View attachment 7410708View attachment 7410709View attachment 7410710View attachment 7410711View attachment 7410712View attachment 7410713View attachment 7410715View attachment 7410716View attachment 7410717
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One of the numerous reasons I stay away from Ricks...poor qc. Take that back.
 
#33
From what I understand, echoing Isaac_James's remarks, Sweetwater does have a brick and mortar store where this could have been a demo. It also could have been sold and returned, but then it would have been classified as their "Open Box" items. This also applies to demo instruments, and even instruments that they use just for their videos.
These items are sold at a discount and it seems unlikely to me that one of these would have slipped by them and gone out as a "new" instrument.
Either way, I would definitely give them a call, I'm sure they will make some price adjustment if you decide to keep the bass. Good luck with it.

My preference has always been the S model, for the lack of body binding and the more soft edges in the body itself. Thinking of a 4003sw, looking for that 8 pound one to came along. :laugh:
 
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#34
Looked at the photos again, that's almost certainly a Used or returned bass, that kind of whole-bass haze of wear comes from somebody, maybe a lot of somebodies, playing it. Ric QC is far from perfect, or even consistent, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. In the OP's shoes, couldn't hurt to contact Sweetwater with the photos, and at least ask for a partial refund. Worst they can do is say no, but the photos are pretty undeniable.
 
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#35
Greetings from the North,

About a decade ago I was in L&M in Toronto and they had just received a new shipment of Rics. They placed a Maple Glo 4003S on the wall. So being bored and waiting for something else I took it down and had a go. Unlike the last new Ric I tried with a baseball bat neck this one was nice. Not quite as slender as the 4001's that I had but slim none the less. I did notice a couple of blemishes on the fret board like OPs but they didn't effect the playing or sound. I smiled because being a regular I knew that I could get a few dollars knocked off the price. I also could always use the marks as ID tags. Not being the type to share my fave equipment I could care less what others thought if they got close enough to notice. It is still one of my favourites.

Rezdog
 
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#39
i love my Ric! I have a 4003SW. When I got it the quality control was worse than some of the cheap import instruments I have. Would I ever sell it. Heck no. After cleaning up the frets and straitening the neck. Putting removable lock tight on the bridge screws so they would stop falling apart and fixing a bad solder I would never sell it. Thing weighs a little over 8 pounds and has no neck dive.
 
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#40
Beautiful bass!
I have early 2022 4003s and it came to me flawless (not so much now). It still has the dubbed trust rods, probably hade them in stock.
Hopefully you work it out, I love mine and I hope you do too.
 

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